The ones who live hidden in plain sight (A discovery of witches story)

Here comes the sun (part 2)

The car came to a gentle halt in front of Andrew's house. Camille, sitting in the passenger seat, sighed, already a little out of breath from the journey. At just over eight months pregnant, getting in had been complicated, so getting out had been too. Andrew moved quickly around the car to open the door for her, a tender smile on his face.

- Let me help,' he offered, holding out his hand.

Camille grabbed his hand gratefully, pulling herself carefully out of the seat. Her rounded belly didn't make the operation any easier.

- Thanks... the belly doesn't help me at all,' she breathed, laughing slightly.

Together they made their way towards the house, where the door opened before they even had time to knock. Caroline, Andrew's mother, greeted them with a big warm smile, followed closely by her husband.

- Andrew ! Camille !' she exclaimed, opening her arms to them. We're so happy to see you!

Anastasia, Andrew's little sister, ran over to Camille, jumping into her neck for a hug, full of energy.

- Camille!' she shouted enthusiastically. Her arms clasped around her rounded belly, she stood back slightly to watch with wide, amazed eyes. Céleste!' she exclaimed, pointing to Camille's belly.

- Camille burst out laughing. Yes, right here,' she said, gently caressing her belly. 'If it moves, I'll tell you, and you can feel it, OK?'

Anastasia jumped for joy, excited by the prospect:

- Yes, I want to feel!'

Andrew, leaning towards her and laughing, pretended to be offended:

- Am I invisible?

Anastasia looked at him mischievously. 'No!' she laughed, before giving him a quick hug, then returning to her excitement at the idea of smelling the baby.

Once inside, she noticed that the decor had changed, flowers and more natural, as Andrew had explained to her.

The door opened again, letting in Benjamin, Andrew's brother, and his girlfriend. Camille waved to them, while Andrew greeted his brother with a hug. Everyone seemed happy, the atmosphere light and friendly.

As Caroline and the others began to get busy with the preparations, Camille, trying to make herself useful despite her condition, approached her.

- Can I help?' she asked gently, refusing to stand by and do nothing.

Caroline smiled gently and shook her head. 'Oh no, you can't. We'll take care of the preparations.

- I can't just stand by.

¬ You can always help with the sorting on the table.

Camille nodded gratefully. It reassured her to be able to contribute a little.

Once the table was set and preparations were well underway, everyone gathered around the table for an activity that Anastasia had been looking forward to: egg decorating. Camille, Andrew and his little sister were already immersed in the activity, their brushes gliding over the eggshells.

Camille, concentrating on her own egg, was amused to see that the result was nowhere near as precise as Andrew's, or even little Anastasia's. Seeing her hesitant look, Andrew glanced at his work with amusement before smiling.

- You're doing well. Do you want some advice?' he asked, laughing.

- She raised her eyebrows with a smirk. I'd love some.

He approached her and showed her how to hold the brush more firmly, how to trace the patterns more delicately. Anastasia, in another chair, gazed in admiration at her brother's work.