Tampered Beauty

Exhilaration

Pregnancy was hard. The more she grew, the more painful it was. The child constantly kicked and squirmed and attacked from the inside whilst his mother desperately tried to rest. Sleep was almost impossible, she ate all the time and regularly vomited it back up. Her legs hurt and her feet swelled, fatigue was constant and her moods swung on a pendulum. Back pain and hip pain and headaches wouldn't go away, her stomach was so large that Mary couldn't remember seeing her feet. It was all so hard.

Kick!

Mary winced, hissing in pain. As if hearing his mothers' internal complaints, the baby kicked again. And the baby had quite the strong kick. She made a noise of irritation, rubbing the lower part of her stomach. The swollen bump on her abdomen was obvious, even under the skirts of her white gown. Donned in slightly sparkled lace, her shoulders and arms bare, a sparkled line on the sweetheart neckline, the cut exposing a few inches of her swollen breast. Mary hunched over a little, trying to take in a deep breath, the pain of the latter part of pregnancy easily forgotten in her previous time, but quite overpowering now.

"Mary, are you all right?" Francis asked, rushing towards her. He placed an arm around her back, the other around the lower part of her stomach. He steadied her, eyes wide with alarm, fearful as always. 

"No, no. He's just kicking." she said. But, Francis payed her no mind and picked her up anyway, placing her down on their bed. He untied the satin ties of her satin, flat shoes, starting to worriedly rub at her feet and ankles until the tension left her face and she relaxed underneath his fingers. 

Fluttering her eyes open, Mary smiled softly at her husband, grateful for his comfort, one she hadn't had before. He took her hand, gently running his thumb over her knuckles. She inhaled softly, leaning up on her elbows.

"Thank you." she said, her voice soft, suddenly filled with sleep and fatigue.

"You've nothing to thank me for." he said, his own voice soft. "I don't deserve you, nor your forgiveness." he said, his voice dripping with awe and love. Mary's smile grew, a hand -slightly swollen fingers and all- reaching out to cup his cheek. His skin was soft, the small stands of his beard scraggly. Francis leaned his head into her hand, enjoying the heat and the softness of it. 

Leaning down, Francis pressed a soft kiss to her gown, speaking to his child that lay within her.

"Je t'aime, ma chère." his voice gentle, the other hand pressing to her large stomach, feeling the child kick and squirm from under his mothers' skin. The parents looked down at her abdomen and shared a smile. Mary's eyes filled with tears of pure happiness, before they closed as Francis pressed a lingering kiss to Mary's lips. They'd been so happy over the last few months, especially now seeing as though Greer carried another child within her. It had been a nice surprise, seeing as though Mary had been getting restless in confinement over the last few months.

"I cannot believe it, another child! My dear, you are the grace of my life! I love you! I love you!" Castleroy had smiled wide, bringing his arms around her tightly. Everybody around them -the select few chosen to retire to the country with Mary- cheered the happy couple as much as possible, watching their happy embrace as Greer's announcement finished. 

"I love you, too. I cannot wait." her voice was soft, dream like, almost. She smiled as he embraced her, feeling nothing but love and security in his arms, as she always had. It had been just after supper as they sipped their teas, coffees and wines as they watched the moon fully open up to them. Greer had stood in the middle of their small circle, giving the news to everybody and Castleroy himself. They had been so happy. They were so happy. And in seven months, they would be even happier.

It was silent and serene and perfect for a few sacred moments, before the door suddenly snapped open, banging against the wall.

"Francis!" a voice cried. Jumping, Francis broke the kiss and gripped her hand, trying to soothe her as she jumped underneath him, also feeling the child startle from underneath his mothers' stomach.