The trillions of twinkling, bright lights add life and color to the billions of skyscrapers that make up the cityscape of Coruscant at night. It's truly beautiful. I stand on the open balcony of my apartment, feeling the cool, night breeze as I admire the wonderment of the city that never slows down.
I am extremely happy in this moment. All of my security is off duty. I am still being protected, however, but not through physical security that stand at my doors and windows.
After she dressed me in a silk, pastel blue nightdress that hangs gracefully on my body, I allowed Dorme to leave the confines of my apartment for the night. I do not need her to stylize my hair, or even attempt to hide my pregnancy right now. I'll only be in my apartment sleeping for the night. Despite merely sleeping, Dorme still accessorizes my nightdress with beautiful pearls and gems that make my simple, silk nightdress one of a kind.
There's only one person I plan on seeing tonight: Anakin. He arrives soon after I am dressed and finds me alone in the apartment. Under the night sky, our lit up apartment looks romantic.
"I missed you." I say, greeting him with a kiss.
He looks at me, smiling, and wraps his arms around my waist.
"Wow. You definitely are pregnant." He says, giving me another kiss.
I grab a hairbrush from a table beside one of the windows and walk slowly onto the balcony, into the cool, night breeze. Anakin follows, but leans against the wall, watching me as I watch the city.
"Every second I was thinking of you. Protecting those endless, nameless Outer Rim settlements became a torture. The battles were easy. The longing became unbearable. I've never been so happy as I am at this moment." He says dreamily, looking at me with those deep, loving eyes.
I hear what he says, but continue to brush my hair gently, while watching the streaming lines of traffic zoom by.
"Ani, I want to have our baby back home on Naboo." I say to him. It's a thought I've been tossing in my mind for a while now. Naboo would be the safest place for us to be. Out of the eye of the Senate and the Jedi, we just may have a chance at being a family there. It would be a lot easier to hide our secret from the refuge and distance of Naboo rather than in the center cities here. Despite wanting to be here on Coruscant for Anakin's returns and breaks from the war, I know in my heart that I belong on Naboo. Our baby belongs on Naboo. "We could go to the Lake Country where no one would know…where we would be safe."
I imagine us there together as a family, in Varykino, where our love first began. As a family, we would be able to sit out on the garden terraces all day, where our baby could take its first steps, and eat together as a family in the large, open dining rooms. We could take short, smooth rides on the gentle water, spending beautiful, summer days on the islands.
"I could go early—and fix up the baby's room. I know the perfect spot, right by the gardens." I say with a smile, already imagining the set up of the room with varying color schemes and baby furniture.
"You are so beautiful." Anakin says to me simply, ignoring my thoughts about the baby and our future.
I look back at him with a coy smile. "It's only because I'm so in love." I could look at him forever. Once again, the two of us are able to find temporary solace in the midst of war though our love.
"No," He begins giving a small laugh, "No, it's because I'm so in love with you."
I love it when we have these playful fights over who loves the other more.
"So love has blinded you?" I say to him, turning gravely serious, as if accusing him of something.
"Well, that's not exactly what I meant." He tries to cover up, as if believing I truly think he's being accused of this.
I laugh back at him, relaxing my eyes, and showing him that it's all right for us to be playful right now.
"But it's probably true." I say quietly, twisting a strand of my hair around a finger.
We then erupt in great laughter. It's a moment I love. It feels right. It feels comfortable. I love this casual, down time with Anakin. These moments are so rare lately that I have no choice but to cherish every second of them. I hate that the war has stolen more of these moments from us. I wonder how many of these moments we could have had if our situation was not so complex.
"I haven't laughed in so long…" Anakin says to me, wiping his eyes and looking at me with a beaming smile.
"Neither have I," I say back to him, smiling from ear to ear.
Eventually, we make our way back inside the apartment. Turning off the bright lights, we simultaneously climb into the soft, luxurious bed where I prepare myself for the first, full night of easy sleep I will get in too long.