Day 204:

There was over a foot of snow on the ground and the subway was closed for the day. Not having to work on a Monday was fine with Allura, plus she got another day to spend with Keith. She woke up to the sound of music coming from the living room, so she threw on a robe and shuffled to the doorway to catch a peek.

Keith was sitting on the sofa, his laptop on the coffee table in front of him recording a video of the proceedings. Allura waited until he finished before stepping in to the room to kiss him good morning.

"What's this?"

Keith startled a bit, slamming the screen closed.

"Um, you saw that?"

"Yes, I heard it too," she teased, plopping down next to him to bump his shoulder with her own. "It's very pretty."

He sighed, resigned to his fate now. "It was supposed to be a surprise. I didn't think you'd be up this early."

"It couldn't be helped, the bed was cold," she countered, punctuating the last word with a shiver. "Plus it's hard to sleep now when you're gone, I've gotten spoiled."

She waited for a playful response that would have been typical for him. Instead she only got a half-hearted grin. It broke her heart to see him like this.

"Marry me," she blurted out, cringing when she realized how unromantic it sounded.

Keith's eyebrow cocked, as if he was contemplating the offer. "Okay."

"Wait, do you mean it? I know it was rather sudden, but I really want to if you do too."

His face relaxed, his lips this time forming a genuine smile. "You know, I had been tempted to ask you yesterday, but then I realized what day it was."

Now it was her turn to be confused. "What day was it?"

"April Fool's."

Day 237:

Ten days before Keith had to report to base and the couple was standing on the bridge in the Boston Public Gardens. The city had permitted them to close off the area to hold their wedding. Close friends and family surrounded them. Allura's parents had even made the long journey to be there for their only child.

Lance was best man, Pidge her maid of honor. Hunk was the officiant, which he was extremely proud of even though it was only good for the day.

In the distance fans circled the area as best they could, trying to catch a glimpse of the ceremony. Allura was sure pictures were already being posted to the internet, with comments about how sexy Keith was in his black pants/black button-down/red necktie ensemble. And of course many more knocking her own choice of a red strapless number for her dress. She didn't care though, seeing that it was his favorite color.

This was the one time they opted to take a limo to their next stop, which was a private reception at the top of the Prudential tower.

Allura was staring out of the large windows at the city below when Keith found her.

"I lived in the city without you before, but I'm not sure if I can do it again," she confessed.

His arms wrapped tight around her waist, pulling her into his chest.

"I'll be back, I promise," he breathed into her ear. "Don't ever doubt it."

Day 247:

Keith kissed her goodbye before leaving the house. He had arranged to have Hunk drop him off at the base so Allura could go to work as usual. He'd tried to convince her that keeping her schedule would help with the initial separation. She wasn't sold on the idea, but agreed to it anyway. It was likely just as much for himself, anyway.

Standing at the Park Street station she couldn't help but replay in her mind the first time they'd met. She had almost declined his help. Funny how fate works like that, one wrong choice could have changed her life so dramatically.

On the train she pulled out her phone, tapping on the screen to bring up a video. It was the recording he had made for her the month before, now privately posted to YouTube for her to watch at any time.

"I miss you," she sniffled, "please be safe."

Day 294:

Everything was finally moved into the new place. They'd purchased a home with a yard, just like Keith wanted. She still hadn't decided on a pet, but she did have a security system installed at his insistence.

Pidge came over to help her get situated, dragging Lance with her to do the heavier lifting. He and Hunk were probably going to enlist seeing as all peace talks were breaking down and world leaders were calling for action. Pidge herself had signed on at MIT to help develop stealth technology for the military; wanting to help the cause in any way possible was her reasoning. Allura could see her friend had the same look in her eyes she herself had when Keith was called up. It was a look of fear and uncertainty.

Allura had concerns of her own. She was late, by over a month. Probably over two. There was so much going on she hadn't bothered to count. She eyed the plastic shopping bag that had been plopped in the bathroom, making a promise to herself to use what was inside. Tomorrow, not today.

Today she'd worry about other things.

Day 295:

She checked the instructions again, then checked the test kit. There was a reason she'd bought two of them, just in case this one was wrong.

It wasn't wrong. She was pregnant.

Keith called her that night but she didn't tell him. She'd tell him after seeing a doctor, to be sure. No reason to worry him over nothing.

"Hey babe, I can't talk long, just wanted to hear your voice," Keith's voice, hollow and distant, confided.

"I'm glad to hear yours too, my love. I wish you could call more often."

Day 359:

Allura checked her clothes in the mirror. She wasn't showing yet but was trying to figure out how she would hide it as she got bigger. Being half of a tabloid-fodder couple meant the possibility of being photographed at any moment. Granted it had been a while, likely due to everything else going on in the world, but the idea of Keith learning that he was going to be a father from anyone but her was upsetting.

She hadn't talked to him since she got confirmation and was worried that he hadn't reached out to her.

He'd been cryptic on that call, not telling her where he was stationed or where he might be going. The fact that he flew some of the more "complicated" aircraft likely meant that he went on a lot of secret missions. That meant not hearing from him for a very long time.

Desperate, she made her plea to the universe.

"Please, just bring him home safely."

Day 375:

The doctor's office was bustling with women and children. There were also the occasional couples, dad there to support the mother of his unborn child. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy that Keith wasn't there to share this with her.

Today she'd be learning the sex of the child. Maybe today she'd call her parents, too. As much as she hated anyone knowing before her husband, they would be hurt if she didn't tell them either.

It's a girl.

Allura smiled at the thought of that. He'll spoil her rotten, no doubt. Now she just needs to think of a name he'd like, too.

Day 422:

Her mother calls to see how she's feeling. She's feeling fat, that's how. But her appetite is better at least. The nursery was coming along nicely. Pidge had gone with her to buy most of the furniture and bedding, and it was being delivered the next week.

The theme? Cats. Rainbow colored cats. Red, blue, green, yellow, and purple. Keith loves bright colors as much as her, and he once mentioned having a pet cat as a kid, so naturally she fell in love the moment she saw it.

Finally she bid her mother goodnight as it was getting late over there. "Over there" used to be "back home" to her. But home is here now.

Day 435:

Waiting for the train grew more tiresome, her feet swelling the longer she had to stand. The weather was cooler but she was sweating, wanting to peel out of her overcoat and sit in front of the air conditioner.

The sounds of Christmas music started to dance its way through the bustle of people, a bit early for the season but not surprising.

Allura looked over to see an older gentleman playing the guitar while singing a somber carol. His voice carried the burden of his years, eroded by time but with a serene beauty to it. She was drawn to him, standing through two additional songs.

It was like looking at her husband decades in the future, the man's stringy dark hair peppered with grey and crooked lines on his face that aged him beyond his years. His head hung low, only raising to thank passersby who dropped spare change in his jar.

Once his third song ended, Allura dropped $20 in the jar and walked away. She thought about the man for the rest of the day.

Day 471:

Christmas Day, she picked her parents up from the airport. Their flight was delayed due to weather conditions so they arrived later than planned. After greetings and hugs- and maybe a little bit of crying- they were on their way home.

Allura was thankful she'd taken the plunge and purchased a car. Taking the subway was difficult and Uber was ridiculously expensive. And she could fit the bulky stroller in the trunk, so that was a big selling point. She imagined Keith would laugh when he saw the electric blue color, saying she bought it to either compete with or complement his flashy red bike.

After a quick dinner they exchanged gifts. Most of hers were baby related, but her favorite was the large black cat.

"I don't care what anyone says, they're good luck," her mother insisted.

Allura smiled as she ran her fingers over the soft fur. "I think you're right."

Day 477:

After dropping her parents off at the airport, she and Pidge decided to find a spot to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks. It was warmer than usual for this time of year so the women decided to walk to the harbor for a better view.

They found a spot away from the bulk of the revelers, sharing their space mostly with families who brought small children. As the noises from the explosions got louder and more frequent, Allura could feel the baby's movements grow agitated.

"Ouch!" Her hand moved to the spot where the offending kick landed. Her ribs were going to be hurting tonight.

Pidge looked at her, concern written on her face. "You okay?"

Allura nodded. "I think my little karate kid is not a fan of loud noises."

"Well, give me fair warning if I need to get you to a hospital, k?" Pidge adjusted her glasses, then paused as another thought occurred to her. "Have you picked a name out yet?"

Allura paused thoughtfully before answering. "I like Rose. I think Keith will too."

Day 493:

Coran showed up on her doorstep. Her father had attempted to get her to move back to London, at least for the time being. Since no one had heard anything from Keith for so long, her parents felt maybe something had happened to him like it had Shiro.

When Allura refused to budge they decided to send her father's most trusted assistant. The man had practically helped raise her so she was at least comfortable having him in the house. She'd stepped down from her job at the consulate when her belly had gotten too big to hide, so she was missing being around other people anyway.

What she could have done without was his cooking. He read up on websites geared towards expectant mothers and tried his hand at many of the so-called "healthy" dishes they touted. Her only way out of them was to tell Coran that because the baby was so big her stomach didn't have room for so much food.

Luckily, despite his knack for cleaning the house top to bottom, he never discovered her stash of junk food hidden in shoeboxes in her closet. It was a trick she learned back when Pidge used to eat all the peanut butter cookies, and she repeated when Keith kept polishing off her emergency chocolate supplies.

"Don't worry, Rose. Mommy's going to make sure neither of us go hungry!"

Day 509:

Rose didn't have much time to enjoy cheez curls and chocolate chip cookies. When Allura woke up that morning to intense contractions and soaked bedsheets Coran had her at the hospital in record time. Not that he'd memorized the route by driving repeatedly or anything. Soon she was in the delivery room, hooked up to several machines that measured everything but the amount of pain she was in.

Labor felt like she was being torn in half, but the second she heard the cries of her baby daughter all was forgotten. Nurses scurried around, poking and prodding the newborn before returning her to mom's arms.

Allura was simultaneously exhausted and elated. She mourned the fact that Keith wasn't there to experience it with her, but she celebrated what the two of them now shared.

"She has your blue eyes," the nurse said as she helped prop the baby up to feed.

"But she has her father's dark hair."

Day 551:

Sleep schedules were finally being established. Allura had been getting by on too few hours which meant she was letting Coran take care of Rose more and more often. It made her feel horrible to be so willing to hand her child over to someone who is not even related, yet she was afraid of harming her if she didn't. Once she'd almost dropped the squirming infant as she was trying to prepare a bottle for her; she went to her room and cried for an hour.

"Keith, please come home soon. I don't think I can do this." She glanced at the calendar. "Just two more months, right?"

Day 602:

"It's mommy and daddy's anniversary," she cooed to her baby girl. She played the video he'd made for her while dancing around the room with Rose in her arms. It was a small bonding moment but an important one, she imagined. Years from now she'd replay this scenario in her head as one of her favorite memories.

She wondered where he was. She wondered how he was. The threat of war had passed and yet no word from him. Hopefully she'd hear something soon.

Hopefully he was celebrating today in some fashion wherever he was. Maybe he was singing to her, willing his voice to reach her halfway around the world.

Her attention was drawn to the dining room. Several congratulatory cards sat in a stack on the table. She'd wait for Keith to get home to open them.

Day 620:

Soon she'd be going back to work. Luckily the consulate offered on-site daycare. It wasn't the best option but there were bills to pay and Coran needed to return to London. She rummaged through her closet, trying on all her clothes before finding a few outfits she could still wear.

"That's what I get for refusing to follow Coran's diet," she admitted to herself.

The checklist of required childcare items was ticked. Seeing the stack of diapers for the eight hours alone was shocking. She didn't notice how many Rose went through when it was one at a time. Extra clothes in case the poop leaks out, extra pacifiers and clips because she somehow manages to lose them.

She sat herself in the rocking chair to lull Rose to sleep. It was getting late and Allura needed to get herself back into a schedule. Soon the baby was sleeping soundly but mom was wide awake. Exhaustion and stress overtook her as tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes. Crying now wouldn't help.

Placing Rose in the bassinet, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Instead she turned on the shower, peeled out of her sweats and stepped in cautiously before she crumpled to the floor of the bathtub, the stream of water mixing with her tears.

Day 660:

The previous night Pidge sent a text asking Allura to bring Rose to visit her at the university, even going so far as to offer to pack a lunch for the two of them. At noon Allura picked her daughter up from the daycare and headed for the school. For once she was glad she got the bigger stroller, giving her plenty of room to stash bottles of formula along with half-a-dozen toys to keep the infant entertained.

She found her friend sitting in the courtyard where Keith had played the concert so long ago. Two years ago this September if she remembered correctly.

Pidge had claimed a bench under the shade of a large tree, waving when she saw her friend approaching. Allura smiled and waved back, picking up her pace as she approached. Nearby a group of students was studying in the grass, and people buzzed around going to and from their mid-summer classes.

Allura gave her old roommate a big hug before sitting down, happy to have some company for lunch. She gave Pidge an odd look when she realized her friend hadn't brought any food.

"Sorry, I was running late this morning. Don't worry, the food is on its way," she grinned mischievously, looking into the carriage to engage Rose in a game of peekaboo.

Almost immediately, Allura spotted Lance and Hunk headed in their direction, holding a large bag from the local deli.

"Anyone place an order for a hot Cuban?"

Hunk elbowed him jokingly. "Dude, Katie's been dating you over a year now, don't screw it up this late in the game."

The girls chuckled at the boys' antics, scooting to one end of the bench to allow room for them to sit on the other.

Pidge started to unpack the bag as Hunk fished out drinks for each of them. Lance leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees as he petitioned the others for music requests. The others simply shrugged a "whatever" so he turned his attention to Allura.

"I guess I don't have a preference, just nothing loud please," she replied, motioning to the yawning infant.

He gave her a thumbs-up which was followed immediately by a soft chord that sounded too clear to be coming from his phone.

Noticing a shift in the others' gazes, Allura turned her head to see a man in a red jacket and baseball cap pulled low over his eyes playing a guitar.

Suddenly the rest of the world faded from existence, every fiber of her being focused solely on him. She felt paralyzed, her breathing labored. Even her voice had abandoned her, unable to form words she so desperately wanted to say.

Keith set the guitar down, continuing to sing as he approached her. He reached down gently for her hands, slowly pulling her to a stand and into his arms. His voice softened as he serenaded her, occasionally breaking under the weight of his long absence. His hands revisited her back, her arms, her hair, as if they were moved by memory alone.

He was home. He was finally home.

Finally the long-held emotions she'd been fighting back for so long came rushing out. Her sobs shook them both as he planted kisses across her face and soon they had melted together into the ground beneath them.

She always thought she'd remembered how his arms felt, but either her memory was wrong or his arms were. Maybe they were just stronger, she couldn't be sure. Hopefully that wasn't one piece of him that got left behind, the one that remembered how to hold her.

Once they'd gathered themselves she took his face in her hands, wiping the streaks of tears away.

"Would you like to meet your daughter?"

His face lit up at the word and he eagerly nodded.

Allura stood to scoop the sleeping baby from her carriage, handing her gently over to the trembling arms of her father. The infant stretched with a yawn, turning towards the warmth of his chest. She drew in a deep breath, taking in the unfamiliar scent of her father.

"She- she's beautiful," he whispered, "just like her mother."

"Yes, but she has her father's temper," Allura teased. "Just wait, you'll see."

"You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to it."