I will love again

Part 48 - Surprise

A moment later the horse came to a halt and after Gabriel had helped Nathalie get out of the wagon, the coachman said:

"From here on, you'll have to walk. I'll be back in the afternoon, if you won't call me, because you need me to come back before. Have a nice day."

And with that he clicked his tongue again and drove a big circle to get back to his stable.

"Thank you!", Gabriel called after him seeing the man raise his hand shortly. He then turned around and smiled at Nathalie to hold out his hand, asking solemnly:

"Nathalie, my beautiful wife. May I offer you my arm to hold on to for the last section of the way? Sadly the carriage couldn't go there, so we'll have to walk that last passage. But we've got enough time and can walk slowly. Is that okay with you? If you don't feel like it, I...."

He quieted instantly, when the pregnant woman closed the gap between them and snaked her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest.

"Honestly, Gabriel, I feel really good today. So I am sure, that I will very much enjoy the walk!", she hummed cheerfully.

"Shall we then?"

His hair shimmered in a mixture of grey and blond in the light of the early morning sun, when Gabriel bent down to steal a quick kiss, before taking Nathalie's hand firmly into his. He pressed her forearm with his own taut to his side.

"Just in case!", he said sheepishly to the female's questioning look and scratched the back of his neck with the other hand. "I want to be able to catch you in time, if you're tripping or anything like that."

She wanted to tell him, that she was pregnant and not stupid. That despite the things, that the chef at the hotel had suggested, she was very well able to balance herself out while she walked. But Nathalie looked up to him, anger showing on her face, when she saw his caring and loving gaze and sighed. He was just taking care of his family, how could she even think about scolding him for that?

"Just don't drag me with you, if you stumble and fall, Honey", she cockily replied instead.

"Are you calling me old again, woman?", he joked with a hand on his chest.

"Maybe, I don't know. Would you say you are?", she teased.

"We will see to that, when our daughter is born, love. I am pretty sure, that I can still beat you on every hike then!", Gabriel bragged.

"Oh please, darling, I would beat you just like this, here and now, if you'd let me!"

The couple looked at each other in a challenging way, then they started to laugh.

"I'm very certain, that you would, my dear!", he said indulgently.

Nathalie smile at him warmheartedly.

"I think it would be close, because you would let me win either way, as you were too worried I could overdo it once more, isn't that so?"

Gabriel shrugged and squeezed her hand gently, then he pointed his head towards their destination and started walking. The young, very soon to be, mother nodded and followed his lead.

Though Nathalie had recognized the tree stump and the tree, to which Gabriel had brought her back then to recover, from afar, it was still a ten minute walk from the dirt road, where they had climbed off of the coach, to there.

"Let's take a few minutes, love. Come just sit on my legs, it's still damp from the night everywhere. And don't look at me like that, I can tell, that you need that break!", he proposed calmly.

Nathalie gave in and cuddled into his lap, her arms around Gabriel's neck.

"You're good?"

"I'm just a little out of breath, but that's according to my doctor and the internet absolutely normal at this stage of a pregnancy", she lectured.