Beyond the Iris

Pupils of Sky and Sea

I awoke, though I didn’t know what day it was, or how long I was asleep. The pain in my belly was gone, which was the first thing I noticed as I sat up. The second thing I noticed was that there was a little girl in my room who was definitely not Abigail.

The girl cocked her head at me like an owl, then rushed at me, her thin arms wide. She hugged my neck, and started crying into my shoulder. Not knowing what to do, I patted the girl’s back, feeling long, tangled hair down to the middle of her back.

I heard the door open, and raised my head to sense Trevor. He, too, rushed at me, and pulled me and the girl into a tight hug. He kissed me, then kissed the top of the girl’s head. I stared at him, unsure of why he was so happy, and why he had kissed the girl.

I sensed more feet run up the stairs, and felt more arms wrap around me. Laurel’s wrinkly skin pressed into my arm from my left. Pete’s fluffy white hair tickled my cheek. Sara’s scarred arms looped around my neck from behind, along with Abigail’s.

It seemed like forever until everyone got off, except for the girl. I pulled her close, not knowing why, and looked around at everyone in the room. “What’s going on? Who is this?” Shock rippled through everyone, and Sara stepped forward.

“Karlee, you’ve been in a coma for two weeks. We couldn’t wake you, feed you, or even move you. As for who this is, well, it’s your daughter.” I look down at the tangled mass of hair that was tickling my chin. This girl was probably about six. She pulled back from me, and smiled. I sensed her happiness like a bonfire, ready to pull me into the ever-growing flames.

“Do you have a name?” I felt silly asking her this, but I blame my coma for this. “No,” she said, a bit confused. I glared at Trevor. “You didn’t give her a name?” Trevor raised his hands in surrender. “To be fair, she was only born three days ago.” I roll my eyes, then look down at the girl. My daughter.

A name came to my lips, one from a book series I had adored as a child. “Annabeth.” My daughter smiled, obviously liking the name. “You want to name her after Annabeth Chase, from the Percy Jackson series?” Abigail sounded incredulous, but Annabeth was humming her name over and over again like a song.

I nod. Then, my stomach grumbled, though I thought it was thunder for a second. Laurel laughed, then everyone else started giggling. I smiled sheepishly, then stood up. I looked down at myself, and grew hot with anger.

“Trevor! You know I hate Jason Aldean!” Trevor only smiled, then wisely bolted. I ran after him, Trevor’s loose shirt flapping around me. Annabeth ran after me, her little legs easily keeping up with me. I caught Trevor in the kitchen, and kissed his cheek in happiness. I pulled Annabeth closer, and we shared another family hug.

The next few days were a blur. We did daily chores, ate dinner around the glass and wood coffee table, and slept in our rooms. Annabeth slept curled between me and Trevor, her little snores making us chuckle.

Annabeth was growing too fast, I thought. By the time school rolled around in January, she was the size of Abigail. Just as smart-witted, too. I rolled my eyes as the two girls played in the Calming Tree I had just pruned. Trevor laughed beside me. “Does this mean puberty will be quick?” I laugh,”God, I hope so.”

Once school was about to begin, Trevor and I packed. Annabeth was coming with us; we would claim to anyone who asked that she was my little sister visiting for a while. Annabeth simply refused to be left behind, so we had no choice but to take her along.

The farewell was a happy one, with each of us getting two slices of cake that Laurel and Pete had made the day before. Abigail hugged Annabeth goodbye, then hugged me and Trevor. Little Annabeth decided to fly on the way down the long drive, so she could stretch her wings for the last time before being confined to a plane. I smiled as the little gusts of wind Annabeth’s wings made brushed my face. I looked at Trevor, and quayed, to see our child through his eyes.