The four days Elijah was gone went by very slowly. Evi had been very quiet and had been avoiding Shem at all costs. This act hurt Shem every time but being the stubborn man he was, he refused to apologize.
"Shem please, just apologize for yelling." I cried.
"No, she was disrespectful and deserved to be punished." Shem replied stubbornly.
Shem and I had been fighting like this every day and it was putting a strain on our relationship. It also did not help that I was pregnant and tired. Naomi, being as sharp as she was, picked up on our stress and kept asking Shem why he didn't love me anymore. Whenever she asked him, I could see his face contort, almost like he was in pain. He would then pull her into his lap and tell her that he did love me, we were just acting like mothers and fathers do. She would then jump off of his lap and run happily outside, most likely to tell one of her sisters what she had just been told.
"What is wrong with the two of you?" Mother asked Shem and I at dinner that night.
We had trying to avoid the rest of the family but when mother came over had told us we were to meet at the fire pit for dinner, we could not refuse.
"Nothing is wrong with Ila and I mother." Shem told her.
"They are acting like mama and papas do and yelling a lot Naama." Naomi blurted out. "It's because Evi yelled at mama and papa got upset and yelled at Evi for yelling at mama and Evi got upset because papa yelled at her and mama's upset because papa won't say sorry."
"Stop Naomi!" Evi yelled at her little sister.
"Evi do not speak to your family that way. Shem apologize to your daughter. Naomi, love, do not talk with your mouth full. Ila, Shem was just defending you." Mother said.
"Come take a walk with me Evi." Shem told her.
I nodded encouragingly to Evi and she reluctantly got up and walked away with Shem.
"Thank you mother." I said.
"I have learned how to handle these situations well, Ham and father fought all the time." Mother told me.
"Mama I'm full." Naomi declared. "I am going to play with Jonas and Rachel."
"Be safe and stay where I can see you." I told her, yelling because she was running towards her cousins.
"She has so much personality that one." Ham said.
"Yes, it is a blessing and a burden." I told him. "Adah are you still eating?"
"No mother, can I go back and sleep?" She asked me. "I want a chance to fall asleep before Evi turns in."
"Of course you can. Just braid your hair and clean your feet. I love you." I told her.
"I will. I love you too mother." She replied before walking back towards the house.
"I'm going to take Rachel and put her down." Na'el stated.
"I should go as well." I announced. "Mother will you have Shem bring Naomi in when he and Evi come back. I am just exhausted."
"Yes of course Ila, goodnight my dear." She told me, kissing me temple.
"Goodnight mother, goodnight Ham." I told them.
Thanks to mother, the rest of the time before Elijah came home went smoothly. Shem and Evi had reconciled and were back to their normal relationship. My morning sickness had begun to die down so I was able to wake up early and continue my normal routine. Shem had decided to take Naomi with him and teach her how to build a house. We both knew she would never build one on her own, or even remember what he told her, but it kept her busy and gave me time to relax.
When Elijah finally came back, he was tanner and had plenty of stories to tell us.
"It was incredible father; you should have seen how grandfather was with the animals." Elijah was telling Shem.
I was trying to bathe Naomi with Adah's help, since she had decided to jump in a gigantic pile of mud while waiting for her brother's arrival, while Elijah was recalling his trip. After a few hours of his exciting stories, Shem took Elijah with him to help him, Ham, and Japheth build, and Na'el came over with the children so Naomi and Jonas could play.
"She is very demanding." Na'el said, observing Naomi.
"She gets it from her father, just like Evi." I responded. "Here Rachel have some berries."
Rachel nodded and swiped the berries from my hand.
"What do you think this one is?" Na'el asked, pointing at my slightly swollen belly.
I was only a little over three months and my stomach was smaller than it had been in any of my other pregnancies at this stage; granted I had twins twice. Mother said it was most likely because I ate very little while I was still grieving over Asher.
"I think it is a girl, and I hope I am right. I do not think I am ready for another son yet, it will feel like we are trying to replace Asher." I told her sadly.
"But don't you feel that Shem deserves another son?" Na'el asked me.
"I only want what Ila wants." Shem said, walking into the room. "Elijah got hungry so I came back to get him some flat bread and dried fruit. I don't know how Ham is with you, but Ila's happiness is the only thing that matters to me."
I got up and kissed Shem. Even though he could be stubborn at times and hard to handle, he was a sweet and gentle man and I loved him dearly.