Sweet Lantern

Chapter 31

Darry

"You're having my baby... what a lovely way of saying how much you love me", I sing to Alice as I spin her playfully around the livingroom. I can't believe my girl is pregnant. She married me, I still haven't quite wrapped my head around that one, and now she's giving me the greatest gift anyone could ever give. I don't care if it's a girl or a boy, I don't care if it's green or yellow or bright orange! This baby is a testament to our love for each other.

I hope he or she looks just like his or her mommy.

She looks so beautiful right now, glowing even. I'm so glad the sickness part of her pregnancy seems to be over. Now she's just very hungry, all the time. I find her constant cravings kind of endearing. Until she's waking me up in the middle of the night asking me to go get her a pickle... or strawberries. My lord, the girl can pack away some strawberries. We've been having to bring them in by the crates. But hey, it's what she wants. And seeing as she is giving all the sacrifice here to bake my kid, I'll do whatever she asks of me.

Alice plops down on the couch, a bright smile on her face, and as if she's reading my thoughts she says, "Will you get me a bowl of strawberries, please? I've been craving them since first period."

We started our senior year three weeks ago. It was odd at first, walking into the school we had been in for three years, seeing all the same familiar faces, but it felt different too. Here we are, married – and pregnant. You can imagine how fast news travels in a town with a population like that of Mayberry.

Everyone stared as we walked through the double doors, holding hands. Those that weren't at the wedding, offer their congratulations and ask to see the rings, the girls oohing and awwwing over Alice's diamond.

Alice started school at 12 weeks pregnant. Her petite frame looking so adorable with her tiny little baby bump. In the beginning people were always wanting to feel her belly. It was very odd. And I wasn't sure how to feel about it. I love to feel her belly... but it's mine. But what I really enjoy is watching her when she doesn't know I'm looking, as she hugs her belly and stares down with such a sweet look of love in her eyes for our child. Like she can somehow see right through the barrier of flesh, right into the face of our baby. Sometimes at night, I will pretend to be asleep just so I can hear her whisper sweet promises to him or her.

"Darry?" Alice's voice brings me back to the now and I fill the bowl with the many slices of the strawberries I've just finished cutting up on the counter. "Almost done." I sprinkle a tiny dusting of sugar over them and walk back into the livingroom.

Handing her the bowl I tell her, "Sorry, I cut them up how I know you like them, and I got lost in thought."

She takes them and smiles at me, picking up one slice at a time, putting it into her mouth and then sucking the sugar off of her fingers, each time. I love this. I can't stop watching her as she eats the whole bowl of strawberries and sets the empty dish down beside her on the end table. Still licking her fingers, making the cutest smacking sounds, she smiles up at me, "Thank you. I love when you make them. They're so much better when you do it.

It's the dusting of sugar. I don't know how she hasn't caught on yet.

I grab her tiny little thumb before she gets to it and I put it in my mouth, lightly sucking the sugar and strawberry juice off of it. Her eyes go wide and her cheeks turn red. "Darry", she whines at me, feeling the same pull in her stomach as I felt the whole time, I watched her eat that bowl of strawberries.

She looks so good sitting here next to me, her long brown hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, the tight gray t-shirt hugging her body, showing her belly and the curve of her hips. She's got on gray yoga pants, these pants... I'm telling you; they drive me up the wall. Her small, round butt looks amazing in them. Every time she puts them on, I have to fight back urges.

But not today. Today, we have nowhere to go. It's after 6pm, all schoolwork is done, all of my farm work is complete, and it's just us, here in our home.

I stand up and bend down to hook my arm behind her back and then the other under her knees, lifting her from the couch. She wraps one arm around my neck and one around my shoulders. I kiss her soft lips, still soaked in sweet strawberry juice and carry her to our bedroom.

I lay her on the bed and pull my arms from underneath her body. She lays there, looking up at me, her eyes so soft and sweet. I can see the love exuding from her and feel it on me as if it's a physical presence in the room between us.

Kneeling beside her, I lift her shirt and kiss the skin just above her hip. She squirms under my lips and wraps her fingers into my hair, tugging ever so gently. We've come a long way in this aspect of our married life. We know each other better now in this way. We know what the other likes and what buttons to push to drive each other absolutely mad. But we've also come a long way from where we were just three weeks ago when I was terrified to touch her, scared I'd somehow harm the baby.

She had talked me through that though, so patient and so calm. I know I wouldn't have made it through it without her. Heck, I'd still be hesitant and keeping my hands to myself if she hadn't convinced me that we were OK, and the baby would be OK too.

I kiss her neck and then nip at the skin just below her ear, a gentle moan escaping her lips. I can feel the warmth move through me, the tingle moving up my spine and I have to have her. Being close to her in this way, it's like nothing we had before. Her trusting me like this and giving herself to me, only to me, just makes me want her more. I can't imagine ever wanting anyone or anything more than her, ever.

"How are you doing in your math class?" she asks when we're lying in bed after our shower. She's next to me reading, "What to Expect...something or other."

"It's getting better. I got a 90 on my last test, so that's an improvement." I tell her, hoping she'll be proud of the improved score. I don't know why I've been struggling so much with that class. I'm usually pretty good at math, but this year, I've been having a harder time. I think it's because it's one of the three classes we don't share. I spend a lot of my time wondering what she's doing, how she's feeling, is she OK, is the baby OK? I'm just distracted.

We both decided to drop Drama this year, instead taking Home Ec., which we both thought might come in handy when the baby gets here. We know the basics from when our younger siblings were born and we'd help out with making bottles, burping, and even watched as diapers were changed, but I don't think it'll be the same when it's our baby and we're the ones solely responsible for caring for him. Or her. I don't know why I keep thinking it's a boy. I've thought that since we found out about him. See? Or her...

We find out the sex of the baby in eight more weeks, hopefully.