Please let me know what you think. Its rather discouraging when everything stays quiet.


Chapter 8

May to August 1875

The sun was shining through the windows as I sat knitting a baby blanket. I was listening to Erik on the piano, he was stuck on a particular piece, not sure where to go with it and he was getting frustrated.

"What..." I exclaimed as I dropped my knitting needles abruptly and my hands flew to my stomach. Erik looked over at me, concern written on his face.

"Something wrong angel?" he asked.

"Erik, come here!" He came running to me, his face dark with concern. "Don't worry silly just put your hand here." I said and put his hand on my stomach. "There, did you feel that? That's your son." I said smiling. Erik held his hand on my stomach, a small curious smile on his face.

"Are you sure it's not our daughter? It felt like butterfly wings to me." He said smiling. He was down on one knee as he continued to caress my growing belly. He ran his other hand through my thick curls as he chuckled. Then he got up and sat next to me putting his arm around my shoulders, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.

"Just wait in a few weeks; he'll be kicking like a mule." I said as I snuggled against him.

"Ah don't say that where Mouse can hear. He will be insisting we call the baby Mule. Then again it might be better than his last suggestion." He said in amusement. Mouse had been coming up with one outlandish name after another and laughing silently but hysterically after each one. Sylvie on the other hand chose the most elaborate names such as "Antoinette Evangeline Sylvie des Ombres. She always snuck a Sylvie in. I told her one name was sufficient.

"What was that?" I asked

"Fish." He said.

"Oh my, I do hope that he has some more reasonable choices when it's close to time." I tipped my head up to see his face. "Have you had any thoughts as to what we should name our son?"

"Or daughter. But no I say let's wait and see what happens." he said sadly with the trace of worry in his eyes as he slowly rubbed my stomach.

"Our child will be fine." I insisted. He looked at me with a sad little smile and kissed my forehead as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"As you say." he said and then put his hand over our child waiting for him to kick again. "There. You call that a kick? I still say it is a girl. A tiny, beautiful little girl, just like her mother." He smiled as he kissed the tip of my nose.

"Tiny? Have you really looked at the size of my belly? He is going to be big like his father. At the rate I'm growing he'll be walking by the time he's born." I teased and put my hand on his, nestling my head against him. Madeline walked in just then, smiling at us.

"Madeline the baby has started moving." I said smiling happily.

"You think its wonderful now just wait until he starts kicking in the middle of the night when you are craving sleep." She said as she sat in a chair and picked up her knitting. She was knitting a pair of baby booties in a pale yellow. The baby already had a growing collection of clothing in various colors. Even Sylvie was learning to knit on a pair of booties she was doing in pink and blue. She had not quite decided if the baby was to be a boy or a girl. Mouse was sure it was a boy.

As the weeks passed, I indeed grew larger and larger and Madeline was correct about the time of day our child chose to be at his most active.

I had been tossing and turning for some time, incapable of finding a comfortable position. I glanced over irritably at Erik who seemed to be sleeping like a baby. I struggled to a sitting position and swung my legs over the edge. On top of everything else, the baby was sitting on my bladder and yet another trip to the water closet was due. In my struggle to sit up Erik finally woke.

"What is it love?" he asked.

"Your son won't let me sleep and...I'll be back in a minute." I said as I waddled to the water closet, my hand holding the small of my back. When I returned Erik was up and had his robe on.

"Come here angel." He said as he sat me down on the stool in front of my vanity. He began massaging first my neck than my shoulders my upper back than he dropped to his knee and began on the small of my back. His large hands firm yet surprisingly gentle. "I'm sorry love I wish I could make it easier for you." He rested his chin on my shoulder and wrapped his arms around me, cradling my distended belly.

"I'm just so bloody tired and so bloody fat. Your son delights in kicking my ribs. I dare you to deny that he kicks like a mule now." in the reflection in the mirror I saw him hesitantly open his mouth to say something then bit his lip changing his mind. His eyes had that worried look again. He could never hide his feelings; his soul was written in his eyes.

"What's the matter love?" I asked. He bit his lip again as if trying to make up his mind whether to ask his question or not.

"Is it normal for the baby to be so large?" He asked hesitantly.

"So you do think that I am fat." I said angrily and then instantly regretted it when I saw the hurt look in his eye.

"That is not what I said or meant." He said stiffly. "I am just worried that with the baby so large and you so small...if anything were to happen..."

"Sshh, don't worry nothing is going to happen. I promise. I'm sorry I snapped at you." I closed my eyes and leaned back against him. "I'll just be glad when he decides to come. Just one more month to go." I sighed. He played with my hair and my neck for a few moments.

"Come let's go back to bed." he said and helped me get up. I lay on my side and he lay next to me, pulling me against him so that his body supported my back, gently caressing me and softly murmuring endearments. I finally slept.

When I woke, Erik was still holding me, his hand resting lightly on my belly, occasionally rubbing it when the baby became restless, as if it would quiet the babe.

"Have you been awake all night Erik?" I asked.

"Mmm, I was just watching you sleep. You are so beautiful." His hand moved up to my face as he brushed a curl back behind my ear. "How are feeling?" he asked softly.

"I feel fat and like...I have got to get up." I said as I struggled to sit up. Erik got up and helped me out of bed and I tottered off to the wc. Erik had an amused look on his face. Men.