Serendipity: A New Generation of Knights

Part 1: Ch 10. Heat Wave

The morning hadn't started off too badly. There was a slight breeze, and the sun was kept at bay by the partly cloudy skies above. But a heat wave in the forecast put the entire nursery staff on their toes in preparation for several days of both of their managers in their pregnant states being stuck in a muggy office.

Autumn's morning began with her waking up in a pool of her own sweat, her face pallor from a vivid nightmare - something that this pregnancy had decided to regularly bestow upon her as she headed into her third trimester. It didn't help that they were slowly working towards transitioning Benny to sleeping in his own room in preparation for his little sister's arrival, and this was the first morning since then that Autumn had not woken up to her little boy pressed against her chest. Just a few days before, her baby had turned two, and he was growing from a baby to a little boy right before her eyes. But after some extra morning family time, she was feeling somewhat more prepared to take on the day, just feeling even more sensitive and on edge than she had been lately.

When she arrived at the nursery, she found Marjorie and Reece already in the office, setting up several fans to prepare for the high heat of the day. Autumn's eyes made a quick sweep across the room as she counted... one... two, three... pointing at each one as she continued counting up to six fans.

"Think we've got enough wind to pollinate all of England," Reece spoke as he stood up from behind Marjorie's desk where he was plugging in the last of the fans. "Morning, little sis."

"Big brother," Autumn replied softly as she walked past him to get to her own desk.

Autumn came into work with all of her freshly washed hair pulled into a bun on the back of her head. She wanted to spend as little time on herself that morning so she could get as much time as she could with her family. She had planned to wear it down, but while putting Benny into his car seat in the heat, with strands of her wet hair sticking to her face and her shoulders, she quickly pulled it back and decided to wait until she was at work to let it down to dry.

Her face was not done up in her usual makeup. She had been opting recently to wear less makeup, and now more often than not she chose to wear none. With how tearful she had become at this point in her pregnancy, she found it more of a hassle to wear and redo her eye makeup every time she cried, no matter how waterproof the mascara packaging said it was, versus choosing not to wear any at all.

Now, as she sat down in her desk chair, she pulled her long hair down from its bun and let it fall down her back. She sighed as she adjusted herself into a comfortable spot, picking at her shirt around her bump and pointing a strategically placed desk fan towards her own face.

Reece turned his attention away from his wife for a moment to catch his sister getting herself comfortable. Even with several years of being around her again after being separated and not on talking terms for decades, seeing her like this would never get old.

"Happy?" He asked her.

Autumn hummed contentedly as she switched on her computer monitor.

"Anyway, I've gotta head off to mine. Bye, gorgeous," Reece nodded, leaning over quickly to kiss his wife. "And goodbye, spawn of mine," he added, running his hand over Marjorie's bump.

Autumn rolled her eyes, but she really couldn't help but smile and tear up at the interaction she witnessed. After so long, she knew her brother was really, truly happy. Even in their years apart, she still had a hope deep in her heart that someday he would be. And now he was, and against all odds, she was there to witness it.

The morning continued without any hiccups. All staff were present, drop-offs went over well, breakfast went out and was cleaned up on time. Everything was moving like clockwork, but so was the forecasted heat.