The Return of Delilah

Chapter 53

DELILAH

We arrived atSmithsonian National Zoo at about two in the afternoon. With our asses hurting from sitting for so long, we were all eager to get on with this new adventure.

"This place is beautiful," I said to Liam, who placed an arm around me.

"Who would have ever thought we'd be in DC?"

I laughed at the memory of us discussing this when we were younger. We said we would travel all around the states and later the world. After we had Adrian there was obviously a change of plans but now, it looked like that dream would come true after all.

Luckily Liam seemed to have let go of what happened with Brian, though I knew we still had to talk about things and clear them up. He knew better than to try and put the blame on me, especially after what happened with Carissa. I wasn't going to bring it up, but the situations were similar, so I hoped he understood.

"Momma if you don't feel good let us know, okay?" 

Everyone looked at me, waiting for me to agree as if I was some fragile creature. I loved that they all cared, but it felt as if I was limiting the amount of fun they would have. I felt fine, in fact, I was excited about the trip. 

Expectant eyes met mine and finally, I agreed, giving them the answer they wanted. The first place we visited after gaining the majority vote was the panda exhibit. It was delightful to see them in all their beauty and glory. As much as I enjoyed seeing the beautiful animals, the best part of the trip however, was being with my family.

I took so many pictures that they nearly filled my phone's memory. Moments like these where everything is in peace and life is so good - perfect - are the ones that I wanted to forever remember. In the midst of the pain, the hurt, these were the moments that would keep us alive. 

Problems were far from over, I was aware of that, but there was no way I would teach my son to live in fear. At his short age he'd already gone through so much, I didn't want to tarnish his innocence. He was such a happy and lively boy, nothing should ever change that. 

After a long while exploring, we stopped at a hot dog stand and bought a couple of snacks, my feet slightly aching after the constant walking. I closed my eyes, savoring the food and the coolness of the lemonade, my taste buds much more aware than ever before. 

"What?" I said, opening my eyes only to find everyone else's on me.

"You're eating a lot," Adrian said with a smile. "Is it because of my little brother?"

I nodded, leaning on to Liam's shoulder. "Mmhm, little brother makes me hungry and a bit tired too."

"You want to head to the hotel?" The question was nothing but a murmur, but I didn't miss the concern in it.

"Yeah, I do actually."

My parents nodded and we headed to the hotel. It had been a long day on the road, even longer with all the walking so I opted for taking a nap. All I knew was that Liam and Adrian went down to the pool with my parents, which I didn't mind at all. If it was my time for relaxing I would take full advantage of it. 

I hated feeling so tired, especially when we were supposed to be having fun. They all understood that it was part of being pregnant; the same thing happened with Adrian. 

*****

My eyes were still closed when I heard Adrian and Liam laughing as they walked into our hotel room. They were talking about something my dad did while at the pool that apparently had been hilarious. My lips tilted up in a small smile when I felt Liam watching over me, his fingers ghosting over my skin ever so gently.