Abe Sapien and the Witch

Chapter 43

Chapter forty- three

"She's moving!" she shouted, hopping up and down on her toes as Abe and Red clambered closer from across Reds cat-filled living space. "Are you sure it isn't just trapped wind?" Abe asked, his hands at a loss in the air as she looked up at him. She started to laugh, taking a gentle hold of his left hand to place it down over her bump.

There was silence for a moment, until Abe piped up, "Yes, oh there she is! She's dancing!" He wound his other arm around her shoulder to bring her close. "You too!" she exclaimed, reaching for Reds arm so he too could feel the odd fluttering sensation under her skin.

"That's really awesome..." he said, and Abe was surprised by the tender tone of his friends voice as he spoke. "Definitely not wind," he added, cracking a smile at Abe who stuttered a response. "Yes, well, trapped wind can cause all sorts of strange sensations..."

She stood between the two men as their banter continued and realised for the first time in a long time that she felt completely and utterly safe. "Let's go get some ice-cream in the cafeteria!" she said, the first to the door as the men followed on, not shy to turn down the promise of ice cream.

"I wonder if Johann could feel when this happens too, through his gloves and all..." she pondered, as they entered the busy room. Johann and Liz sat at what was by now the groups usual table across the room. She all but flew across the tiles to tell them that she had felt her daughter really move for the first time.

They were delighted, though also a little bit disappointed that there were no movements now to feel, and so Ice cream would have to suffice. "You haf a pain in your back?" Johann asked, noticing her take her time to sit down, and she nodded. "Nothing awful, just an ache really. It comes and goes."

Abe chided himself for not realising and promised himself that he would give her a nice massage tonight, to ease her sore muscles.

*****

The days turned into weeks, normalcy was well returned within the BP (at least, the BP's version of normality) and her bump was growing as steadily as her hair was. Now her locks reached to her shoulders, and she took to wearing it in what Abe thought was a very pretty side plait.

"Package for you." a delivery person from the legal offices said as he dropped off the unassuming cardboard box to the desk in the library. "For me?" she asked, rising now with a little more difficulty from the seat to reach forward and inspect it. "Yup!" he said and was gone, leaving her to lift the light box and shake it near her ear, curious.

"Abe?" she called towards the tank, at her love who currently hung mid-water listening to a favourite CD over his earphones. He didn't hear her, though he turned right away the moment her hand was on the glass, sensing her presence.

"Yes, darling?" he asked, swivelling himself to float down to her eye level, "what's that?"

"A package for me," she said, looking into his eyes now as confusion filled her own gaze, "No return address though...and who knows me outside of the BP?" "Well that's very strange..." he said, heading towards the tank exit to come and join her.

Once he was at her side, she pulled back the thin line of cello tape that held the cardboard flaps shut. The colour left her face as the box popped open, revealing what lay inside.

"Oh, my Gods..."