Enchanted by freckles - short stories

Story 39, Part 3/4 - Growth

The few weeks until the summer holidays went quickly and without problems.

After that, Garreth was now at home until autumn and so we could take turns selling in the bakery.

Every day we waited for Venia or Caelie to finally begin. Eddie and I hardly slept and sat outside the house for whole nights talking about our fears and thoughts about being fathers.

Of course, by now I was 13 years familiar with the feeling, but still, sometimes I felt exactly the way Eddie was feeling right now. Insecure, anxious and concerned.

Gwen meanwhile came by every morning and evening to see how the ladies were doing. Both babies were doing great, and apparently just didn't feel like leaving their mothers' cozy bellies.

Every day we practiced together the correct breathing techniques, and how best to massage a pregnancy belly.

We were all really looking forward to it. And I also found it really fascinating how Caelie's body kept changing. Every stretch mark, every wrinkle, every little bump, just made her even more attractive to me. We were at an age where almost none of us had perfect bodies.

Garreth's body hair was getting greyer and greyer, and the little wrinkles on his eyes were getting more too, but that also just made him more handsome in my eyes, and I wasn't at the best time of my life anymore either.

Sure, I was still not ugly, but I noticed that it was difficult for me to maintain my athletic body. I wasn't fat, but I wasn't as slim as I used to be. My tattoo, which marked me as a former Azkaban prisoner for the rest of my life, was also not hanging quite as tightly as it had when I was imprisoned.

But that was fine. None of us were getting any younger and I was glad of that too. At least I knew we could spend the rest of our lives together. And that fact satisfied me like nothing else.

Our lives were now pleasantly peaceful, and even if we had another child now, we wouldn't really have to worry about anything. We had good jobs, a wonderful family that was always there to help and support us, and we still had a deep, intimate love for each other that didn't diminish one bit even after all these years together.

I knew that Caelie and Garreth would stay by my side forever, and that thought was really comforting.

One morning, I was selling when Sammy and Tessy came running happily into the bakery. "Good morning, Dad.", Sammy said, looking very tired.

Some customers were just coming in to buy cakes when a small blue ermine flew into the bakery.

"It is starting for Venia. You don't have to come home yet. It's just the beginning," Garreth's voice said, before the ermine disappeared into thin air again. Sammy stood up, rolled his eyes, took my apron from me and served the customers in his smoothest salesman voice.

"You're a real angel.", I said, giving him a quick hug and apparating home.

"What are you doing here? Does Koody have to sell now too?" asked Garreth, looking at me sceptically as I entered our house.

"Nonsense. Sammy and Tessy have taken over," I said with a grin. The two of them were currently living in Eddie and Venia's flat so they could have some peace and quiet, and also to find out if they were ready to move out next summer.

"Mum's coming over soon too. It's really going to be a while yet, but at least the first contractions were coming," Garreth said, walking happily around the living room.

Eddie was quite pale and looked like he was about to faint. "How are you, little man?", I asked him sitting down with him. "I'm terrified." he replied quietly in an almost whiny voice.