Chapter 30
Amelia
December 25th, 2191
Christmas morning. It was my favorite holiday, always had been, but it was made that much sweeter by Gaius and Octavia, and soon, two new little ones would join my burgeoning family. There was nothing I wanted more.
I lowered myself carefully onto the sofa in the living room, supporting my distended womb with both hands as I sat, trying to blow the puffy white fluffball from the hat off my face, eventually giving up and moving it away with my hand.
A few moments later, the sound of heavy footfalls and squealing children greeted my ears as Garrus bounded down the stairs, Gaius and Octavia each tucked under one of his arms. He dropped the kids to the ground as he got to the couch, walking behind it as they scrambled up on either side of me.
"Merry Christmas, Mada!"
"Merry Christmas!"
Octavia wrapped her small arms around my stomach, laying her head gently against it, with Gaius quickly following his sister's example. "I can hear them, Mada. Merry Christmas, little sisters!" Octavia said with the world's biggest grin on her face.
"Yep. Only nine more weeks until you guys can meet your baby sisters." She gave each one of them a kiss on their heads. "Alright, get your breakfast and come back here for presents!"
Gaius stood up next to me and pulled the puffy ball back down onto my face, jumping off the couch and running away, giggling.
Garrus bent over me, gently resting his hands on my shoulders and giving them a light squeeze. I sank into the pressure, letting out a contented sigh, evaporating the soreness. "Merry Christmas, Amatra." He said, giving my earlobe a small nip, "How are you feeling today?"
Garrus had held my hair back plenty of times during both pregnancies and slept next to me every night. He was intimately familiar with how I felt daily, so it meant a lot that he still asked. "Tired. Sore. But I get to spend Christmas with my family, so I'm great."
-0-
Gaius and Octavia sat in front of me, happily frolicking in the piles of newly acquired toys, sending shredded bits of wrapping paper into the air as they ran. Bailey sat nearby, wearing her festive mistletoe collar, mindlessly chewing on her new bone. Garrus sat beside me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders as I leaned into him. It was everything I loved about the holiday.
"Oh! I almost forgot." Garrus rummaged around under the piles of trash and toy boxes for something, producing a small box and handing it to me.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Open it," Garrus replied, his mandibles spread wide in anticipation.
I cracked the box, revealing the padded interior on which a white gold chain rested. A small, heart-shaped charm sat in the center. I flipped it, seeing four names etched into the metal. Gaius, Octavia, Alia, and Serenity. The names of our children.
My mouth quivered, "Garrus… It's gorgeous…." It was my ideal jewelry. Small, minimalist, but with something sentimental attached, It was perfect. I brought the chain up closer to my eye, inspecting it.
"I'm glad you like it. Just don't ask me to put it on you… I can't… I can't do that clasp."
"You dweeb," I laughed, pushing him away before pulling him back in a hug, "I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Amatra. Merry Christmas."