The Return (AML S2:B1)

Valerie

Two years. 

Two wonderful years. 

What have I done in these two wondeful years?

Valerie was mine. Legally. 

Valerie King, my beautiful wife. Hair as dark and shiny as flint, eyes the lightest, gentlest hazel. Her voice floated like silk through the air. She wasn't too large, nor was she too thin. She was absolutely perfect. We met through our employment at the ASPCA a few years back. No other soul had ever looked so lovely while cutting a choker collar from a wounded pit bull's neck. A success story for both dog and human. 

Now here we are, lying together, just past midnight. She was sound asleep, her gentle breathing on my neck, her eyes twitching every other five minutes. She had grown accustomed to this routine each night, each day, constantly. I was still getting used to it. 

She was just under three months pregnant with our first child. 

At the end of the week, we would be going in for the first semi-official ultrasound of our baby. We've technically already seen them (gender cannot be determined until 20 weeks), but they were a simple grouping of cells that we could just barely make out. This Saturday would be the first time we would actually be able to somewhat make out our baby. 

I tried to imagine the event. Valerie and I would both look at the screen, hand in hand, and see our child for the first real time. I'd kiss her forehead and a stray tear would escape down the right side of her face. 

It would be nothing short of magical.