Darkness's Flower: Pulling It Together

Chapter 61: Our Baby Slips Away

~Nico~

I smiled. "Of course. Do you want me to-"

"Yeah. Don't leave me. After all, this is our honeymoon," Lilly replied.

I stood up and picked her up, carrying her back to bed. She changed in the bathroom and walked out in a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. I noticed her stomach slightly bigger than normal. Nothing huge at all, but I noticed. She walked in front of me.

I slowly placed my hand on her stomach. "Lilly, is...is your stomach getting a little bit bigger? I'm really trying not to be mean at all, but I'm just worried about you."

She put her hand on top of mine. "Nico, I'm fine. I'm sorry. I told you, I don't know what's going on with me. You're probably right, I probably have gained weight. I'm so sorry."

I kissed her on the forehead. "It's not your fault. You're perfect how you are. How about we get in bed? I want my wife to be her again."

She placed a hand on her hip. "I'm not any different, sweetheart. Trust me."

I smiled. "Your sass is still here, that's for sure."

She rolled her eyes and got in bed. I lied down next to her. Instead of her snuggling with me, she just lied there on her back. I found her hand and let my fingers slip through hers.

"I love you. I don't know what's happening with you, but no matter what...I still love you," I said.

She took a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry." Then come the tears. "I know you wanted this to be special and I know how much you put into this. I feel like the worst wife ever! I haven't been myself, I'm getting bigger, I'm an emotional wreck. I don't know, Nico. But I am so, so sorry."

She rolled over onto her stomach and pressed her face into my neck and started crying pretty hard. I pulled the covers over us and held her. I put one hand on her head and held it against me and let my other hand rest on her hip gently.

"Lilly, sweetheart, it's not your fault. This is a lot. We can't have children. We get married. We are on our honeymoon. It can be a lot of stress. It's perfectly fine," I whispered.

"I-I know, but...but I feel terrible!"

"Don't feel terrible. You're the best wife any guy could ask for. Yeah, we've been married for only a short amount of time, but still. We've been through everything together and you've always been there for me. And I've been there for you. Yeah, we do get into fights over stupid stuff, but that's what couples do. We're closer than anyone else I know. I love you, Lillian, more than anything and anyone else in this world and every other world there might be. You're more than what I could ever imagine."

Her crying softened into a small weep. Then it disappeared into nothing. Her breathing slowed against my neck and I could feel her heart beating against my chest.

"Good night, beautiful," I whispered.

I kissed her softly on the head and lied awake holding her in my arms while she sleeps.

Gods, I honestly do love her. She's perfect. Everything about her is perfect. Her hair, her eyes, her lips, everything. Without her those couple months at a time, I didn't know what to do with myself. She just left. That was it. But when I saw her at the dance, I knew it was her.

Just the shape of her silhouette. And when they pushed us into each other, I had this big shock of electricity, the kind that we always get when we touch. I figured it was her. And when the song came on, our song, I saw her almost start crying. I asked her to dance, just to be sure. Her hand touched mine and I had another shock of electricity.

Then by asking her a few things, I knew it was her. She finally met my eyes. I stared into hers. Her hazel eyes of a deep emerald green with a touch of brown in the center, plus the blue-grey ring around the edge. They sparkled. Her eyes sparkled more than they ever have. That moment when we looked into each others eyes, it finally connected us. It was perfect.

Then she left me again. But when she came back, I had her for a week. And I proposed to her. The one thing (yes, that thing) happened the first night. And after that week, she left me again.

But, finally, she came back again. And she's never leaving me again. Then we got married, and now we're in Paris. My life couldn't be any more perfect than it is with her.

And with that, I drifted to sleep. Then comes the dream. Actually a good one this time. But also sad because it can't happen.

I rushed Lilly to the hospital. She was having the baby. Our baby. I sat there with her through all of it, trying to ease the pain she was in.

After all of that happened, I got to hold him. Yeah, a baby boy she named Dylan Blake, Blake being his middle name. And I already love him.

He slipped from my arms and disappeared. It was like it never happened...

I woke up in a sweat. Lilly was still with me. It was still dark outside, but I could barely see the dim light from the rising sun. I rubbed her back gently as she shifted some, shoving her face into my neck even more.

I smiled and went back to sleep. No other dreams. It was a peaceful sleep whole holding my perfect wife. Nothing bothered me. Not until I woke up again and Lilly was moving, trying to get out of my arms.

"Lilly," I mumbled in complaint.

She stopped struggling and looked at me. "Nico, I have to pee. If you don't let me go right now-"

"Okay!"

I quickly released her and let her go to the bathroom. It only took her a moment, unlike almost every other girl on the face of this planet. The sun was up, but vines quickly covered the windows as Lilly slipped back under the covers.

"You made me wake up for that?" I asked groggily.

"Yeah, unless you wanted to be peed on," she replied.

"No thanks!"

"Then it's a good thing you woke up."

"Whatever. What time is it?"

"Almost eight."

"What's with the vines?"

"Too much light right now."

I smiled and shimmied closer to her. "Then let me cuddle with you."

She smiled some. "Alright."

I pulled her up against me. We were both on our sides, but Lilly's chest was pressed against mine. Out legs are tangled together. Her head is nuzzled in the crook of my neck. Her heart is pounding against mine. Her arms are around me and my arms are around her.

And I fell asleep again, just like that.