Star Wars. Suns Among Stars Trilogy, Book One: A Man Among Boys

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine:

The first thing Luke had done when he got home was to find a much better place to keep his ultrasound holo secure. Then, in the ensuing months that followed, he brought home a new holo after each consecutive ultrasound.

And each time he heard the heartbeat, or saw the sweet face or tiny but perfect limbs and fingers of his little one, his love for her grew ever stronger. Now it was to the point that he couldn't go a day without thinking of his daughter: so much so that he was both ready for her birth... and dreading it because he wouldn't get to see her anymore.

He had the feeling that when he held his little one for the first time— if he was allowed to— he would be hard-pressed to ever let her go. But he knew that for his child's welfare, she would need to go with her mother and grandfather. They had the funds to take care of her, and she would be loved.

Then why did he have a strange feeling about what tonight would bring?

On a different note, Luke was also aware— acutely so— that while Owen had apologized for striking Luke, the man still was not happy with his nephew, and as such the tension between them never dissipated.

Owen had made it clear more than once after Luke's return from the medical center that he was only helping Venussia through the birth, and while Luke had agreed, something deep within kept urging him to be prepared to disobey Owen.

And though Luke knew Owen would really lose it if Luke somehow went against him, Luke was also prepared to do whatever it took to see to it that his child was taken care of properly.

True to her word, Beru had been the one that kept them from coming to blows in the rare occurrences in which tempers flared high enough to cause alarm. But she didn't have to intervene often since Luke gave Owen a wide berth.

Occasionally he would try to get Owen to open up to him, or just talk, but the man was still stoic. Some small part of Luke told him to give up trying. Yet there was larger part of the teenager— who was now sixteen— that urged him to keep trying.

Luke inherently believed that there would come some sort of catalyst that would break the ice surrounding Owen Lars's heart. And when that happened, Luke intended to forgive the man entirely.

He by no means hated Owen, and never would; no matter how the older man treated him. There was a large part of Luke's heart that wanted desperately to make things better with Owen... if only he knew how.

"Luke?"

Shaking himself clear of his thoughts, Luke blinked and glanced up from the holozine he had been absently staring at. Heather, the nurse who had helped Venussia through her pregnancy stood in the doorway to the maternity wing of the medical center.

It was now nine months since Luke had slept with Venussia... nine months of harsh treatment by all around save Ben and Beru.

"Yes?" Luke asked.

"You may come back now. Venussia has been settled in, and is decent," Heather informed him.

"Thank you." Luke stood, and with slightly shaky knees he followed the nurse to the birthing room where Venussia was now situated.

She threw him a knowing look as they walked, noting his unsteady gate, and how the youth's hands would not stop fidgeting.

"Nervous?" she teased lightly.

Luke cracked a smile, grateful for the tension-breaker. "Yes, I am. Uncle Owen should be happy that this will all be over soon, though."

Heather nodded. "You have done very well by the baby, Luke." She smiled. "I must say; of all the similar cases I have seen, yours is the rare exception where the boy becomes a man by accepting that he made a wrong choice, and doing what he can for the girl and the child. You have become a man in my eyes, Luke."