Love Is Enough

Chapter 8

"Amaria? Are you awake? Can you hear me?" I open my eyes to see Janie standing over me. "Janie? What happened?" I say, talking slowly. And then I hear Conrad. "Is she awake?!?!" He runs and then is standing next to Janie, staring down at me like I'm the only thing he sees. "Oh my god, Amaria! Thank God!! Are you ok?" He says, speaking so fast his words are all jumbled. "I'm ok." I say, sitting up. He holds me tight in his arms, and I can feel the emotion in him. He is shaking with relief. I can feel how much he cares about me. I love it, and I love him. And he loves me. And I can't help but be so grateful for him. Janie helps me up, and then she brings Conrad and I into her office.

"So, I just wanted to tell you that your baby might be born earlier than the due date. I just want y'all to be prepared. But there's nothing to be worried about. The baby is completely healthy. So again, don't worry about it." she says, super calmly. I look at Conrad, and he looks at me. "Ok thanks Janie." Conrad says, reaching over and taking my hand. It is so comforting. After the talk, we head back to where everyone else is. We do chores and try to get everything settled, making the safe house our new home. We also put up stronger defense systems. Max is super smart, and can create pretty much anything if you give him a second to think about it. We have a good team here, everyone works great together. Everyone has a part to play.

After we get everything settled, we give the kids something to do and then the adults sit down to plan our next steps. We realize that we need a better plan, better ideas if we are going to beat our enemies. We need to step up our game, to have better defenses. We also need to work on our teamwork and communication. We need to get out of our own heads and think about what's best for everyone, not just ourselves. And that is exactly what I tell everyone. I'm glad everyone listens, and that they respect me. They look up to me. It scares me sometimes, because if I make a wrong move and they follow me, it could backfire on everyone. It could ruin things for everyone, and that is a lot of pressure. But as much as it scares me, it also makes me feel empowered and strong. It makes me feel like I have the power to help a lot of people. It also makes me feel like I'm giving back to people. Like I'm doing something good for everyone else, and that gives me a good feeling.

After a few hours of planning, we have made a little progress. Not much, but it's a good start. We decided to take a break for a while, to clear our heads and enjoy some time to ourselves. I decide to take a walk, or really to walk as far as I can without straining myself. Being pregnant isn't always fun. For one, none of my old clothes fit because my stomach has gotten so big. Second, I'm tired pretty much all the time and not to mention insane cravings and mood swings that make my head spin. But I like to keep busy, and walking really helps me. After my walk, I sit down with the kids for a bit and draw pictures with them. We have a lot of fun. Sam also joins us, because everyone knows it's hard for him to pass up a chance to make art. I can feel myself relaxing as we laugh and talk. My mind seems to empty itself almost completely of all its worries. I feel genuinely happy and I love the kids. I'm glad they have come to trust us, especially after the horrible time they had as prisoners in human territory. After a few hours of drawing and laughing, I head to the kitchen to help get dinner ready. And that's when I see something that makes my heart stand completely still.

It's Conrad. But he's not alone. He's sitting under a tree, laughing as another girl smiles flirtatiously at him. It's Julie. How is that possible? I move to the window, watching them. I want to see if I'm reading too much into this. Surely nothing would be going on between them, right? I watch as Julie leans in and presses her lips to his, running a hand through his hair. I blink through my tears, and run to my room. "Amaria? What is it? What's wrong?!" Sam says, catching me by my arm. I break out of his grasp and continue running, without a word. I don't stop until I get to my room, and shut the door, locking it. I slide down the wall, sobbing quietly. My heart feels shattered. My mind is a mess, my thoughts running together to the point where I can't make out a real thought. My hands are shaking and my tears are coming down so hard I honestly can't make out anything. It's too blurry. I can't seem to stop them. They're coming down and I can't hold them in. I hear a knock on the door, a gentle knock. "Please go away, I can't talk right now." I say, my voice thick with emotion and trying to sound normal. "Amaria? It's Janie." "And Sam!" I hear them say through the door. I'm trying to decide if I want to let them in or not when I hear her talk again.