A Starling's Awakening

My Darkest Hour

After two weeks of living with Robert and Helen, I returned to Barney and Ruby's. I spent time with Raina while I did my laundry. I could smell Bret in our room, and it only made me miss him that much more.

I hadn't heard from Bret for a couple of days. His training group had not been allowed outside contact. He called me that evening. He had twenty minutes, and he gave me every second of it.

I stretched out on the bed, hugged my stuffed cheetah, and bawled. I wanted my husband so badly, I would have done anything. The pregnancy hormones weren't helping.

After a few minutes my bawling slowed to sobbing. That's when I felt her hand on my arm. I looked up and saw Raina.

"You know, big sister, if you don't want to sleep in here, I still have a bunk bed." I sat up and hugged her.

"I might take you up on it."

"You know, I miss him too. He's my big brother. How am I supposed to give him a hard time?"

"Next time he calls you."

"Elise, he hasn't called me. He only wants to talk to his wife when he calls."

"How about if the next time he calls me, I put it on speaker. You can give him a hard time about not calling you." Raina hugged me. She and I stayed up all night talking. I called out from work the next morning, and Raina stayed home from school. When Bret called that evening, I put it on speaker. Bret and Raina bantered and teased each other... It almost felt like old times.

I slept in Raina's room until Bret came home. Many evenings saw tear stains on the pages of my diary. Raina and Ruby went with me to my doctor appointments. My pregnancy was going smoothly, for which I was grateful.

I spent Saturday nights at Robert and Helen's. Raina joined me every other week. I slept on the sofa, and she slept in Robert's recliner. We'd go with Helen on Sundays to visit with the elderly neighbors. The final Sunday, our first stop was Mrs. Richardson's.

She greeted me. "Good morning, Elise. I see Your baby bump is still growing." It was only exaggerating my skinny frame.

"Good morning, Ophelia. I saw the doctor on Friday. She says everything is fine."

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy. Bret and I will decide on a name when he comes home."

"I do hope you will bring him out here, and let me hold him."

"I assume you mean my baby, and not my husband?" She laughed.

"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor. Yes, I mean your child."

"I bet at this point, Bret would be offering to let you hold Raina for the time being." Ophelia laughed again.

"He would," Raina said. She was very matter of fact.