A Different Divergent: Everyday Love

33

Chapter 33

I don't know how but I'm 100% confident that I'm dreaming. I'm being violently tossed around in the swells of a large, angry body of water like an insignificant rag doll. Just before another wave crashes down on me, I see Tobias' and my beloved lighthouse in the distance, a bright yellow-tinged light pulsing like a steady heartbeat in the storm-darkened sky. After I struggle to the surface, I gasp in several much-needed breaths and try to swim towards safety before yet another wave rolls over me, pulling me down.

I wake with a start, my upset stomach churning violently. I groan loudly as I roll over and hurriedly climb out of my warm bed. I cover my mouth, breathing as evenly as possible as I run to the bathroom. I hit the switch on the wall and blink back against the soft white light that fills the room as I fall to my knees in front of the toilet just in time to empty the contents of my rolling stomach. I don't know how long I'm kneeling here, retching into the porcelain basin, when Tobias comes in. He immediately squats down beside me and gathers my bed knotted hair in a ponytail at the back of my head to get it out of the way. I'm thankful he's here to help me but I absolutely hate that he has to see me this way. It's embarrassing. Once my stomach totally empties and the dry heaving stops, he helps me to my feet, puts the seat down, and flushes the toilet.

"Are you okay, love?" he asks.

"Honestly, I'm not sure yet," I mutter as I sit down, the room precariously tilting then spinning. I lean over and put my head between my knees and breathe deeply and smoothly. "I just want to sit here."

"Can I get you anything?" he asks as he tenderly runs his hand up and down my back.

"I could use some ginger ale," I murmur, my voice muffled by my position. Thankfully, it's helping the vertigo but it's not doing a thing for my poor stomach. I hate nausea.

"Okay. I'll get you a glass," he says. "Will you be okay up here by yourself while I go get you some?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I say.

"Okay. I'll be right back." He kisses the top of my head then I hear his soft footsteps leave the room. I stay in the same position until I'm absolutely certain I'm no longer nauseated and the room is no longer spinning then I get up, brush my teeth, and rinse my mouth, twice.

I slowly pad into our bedroom and look at the clock on Tobias' nightstand. I see that our alarm is set to go off in 30 minutes so I switch it off. Ugh! What a way to be woken up.That's definitely a new one. I thought maybe I was going to get off easy this pregnancy with the morning sickness or puke whenever the babies thinks it's funny sickness, whatever you want to call it but the past three days have been horrendous. I can't keep anything down and it seems like I'm always nauseated. I should climb back into bed but it doesn't look nearly as inviting without Tobias in it to keep me company, and I'm wide awake now anyway, so I head toward the door but stop when I hear whimpering through the baby monitor.

I immediately detour into the nursery and find Teags lying in the middle of her crib, quietly keening in her sleep. I lightly run my hand soothingly over her back but it does nothing to quiet her so I pick her up without managing to wake her then I sit down in one of the twin rocking chairs. I gently rock with her, rubbing little circles on her back and she finally stops mewling. I press my lips to her forehead checking for a fever but she's not warm. She must have been dreaming. I wonder what would make her cry like that. My poor baby girl. Maybe she's picking up on the tension her father and I have been under. It's been one hell of a long week.

Shortly after we went to bed Monday night, the doorbell woke me up. Thankfully Tobias hadn't fallen asleep yet, and he was able to make it downstairs before the noise woke the kids up. I managed to slip into my robe despite the over stimulated nature of my body and followed behind him. I honestly wished I wouldn't have. It was Purple-Hair and Snake-Tattoo checking in on us. Just as we thought, several people wanted patrol to do a welfare check on me. I don't know who was more embarrassed when we explained the noises being heard was just sex and not homicide, them or us. With as red as their faces got, I'd bet money it was them. We had to promise to keep it down from now on.