Raidyn
"How far along are you?" I stumble through the sentence as my mouth and mind try to catch up to the news Byrd just shared. "Is-it's mine, it's got to be. You've got to be over a month along. Don't tell me it's not mine, Byrd. Don't do that to me."
"It's yours." Byrd breathes out. "I'm about a month along maybe over that."
"It couldn't be. You have to be over a month for it to be mine. We haven't had sex in six weeks or something like that." It feels like a lifetime to me.
"Actually we had sex four weeks ago remember...with Leona." She scratches her arm.
"I didn't get you pregnant in a threesome!" I whisper yell.
Byrd raises her hands. "The healers said I'm four to six weeks along. Believe whatever you want about the conception date. It's yours, I haven't been with another man."
"We had sex before we had a threesome, that's got to be when." I just don't want to think that if Leona had gotten bottom then she would be pregnant with my baby right now. "This is wonderful news. Although, the timing is pretty rough and part of me wishes we could've planned out this one." I scratch at the back of my neck. "So do you want me to manipulate you?"
"Yeah. I guess it's a blessing in disguise. At least when he or she is born Riesner will be nearly two and Hollis with be about 14 months old. Manipulate me?"
"No baby is a blessing in disguise- it's just a blessing. With you, the new one will probably come earlier than expected so I hope you've accounted for that."
"I'm not showing." She flattens down her stomach. "I don't think this one is growing that fast."
"Well you're just barely a month, I wouldn't speak too soon."
"I showed a little bit at over a month with both the boys." She holds her stomach. "I'm not getting excited about this."
"That's why I asked you if you wanted me to manipulate you, it seemed to work with Flora."
"Yeah, I've been under a lot of stress lately. I could use the extra help."
"Give me exactly what you'd like me to say."
"To not miscarry by stressing so damn much." She chuckles softly and then frowns. "To not miscarry at all...to be happy."
"I can't inflict emotions like that." That's how we knew Bren was in love with Flora and it was real.
"It's fine. Just manipulate me."
I blink my eyes into their state of swirls. "Byrd, you are going to keep your stress low at all costs and take care of yourself first and foremost; especially when I'm gone. I can't bring you to happiness, but you will only have happy thoughts on your mind." I blink again and my eyes are back to their normal state.
"You know, when I told you I was pregnant with Hollis we were taking a bath. I remember how excited you were to be a dad again." She looks down at the ground and smiles.
"I still feel that way. My children are my realm."
"Yeah...mine too." She wipes her hands on her dress. "You were excited because the woman you loved was carrying your child, now you're just happy you're having one."
"Did my manipulation not work on you?" I tilt my head.
"Maybe my depression is too deep." She scoffs her shoes on the floor.
I chuckle and shake my head. "You can say things like this, but I almost guarantee happy thoughts are in your mind like that memory of us in the tub. I probably just made it worse, do you want me to take it away?"
