Forged in Fire (Forgotten Series, #2)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Two and a Half Months Later

I rocked gently back and forth in the rocking chair, I looked at the phone resting on my rather obnoxious belly. The video was facing me but the speaker was pressed against the significant bump. A large thump from my belly nearly had the phone falling off and I quickly settled it back into place.

I scowled at my belly slightly. "You think I'm lying, Heidi, but I will shut Gramma's video off if you do it again!" I tapped my fingers in warning along the bottom of my belly where I could feel the kicker's head. Little Miss' mama was in no mood to deal with antics, I was already stressed out enough. I smoothed my hand along the bump, feeling her move. I smirked. Not even born and already listening to her mama. I turned my gaze back to the muffled video and smiled softly at it.

Lily was reading a Dr. Suess book, Fox in Sox. I knew each video off by heart. There were over a hundred we had found hidden in Richard's old laptop when I had been up searching for old baby things. When Lily had learned she had Alzheimer's she had made it her goal to leave something for Luka's children. She had found and read all of Benjamin, Derek, and Luka's favourite bedtime books on camera. A small gesture for the grandchildren she had been aware she would most likely never meet.

Fox in Sox had been Luka's favourite and it was a current favourite as well. I watched as she showed the pictures and read each tongue twister without having to look at the page. I could only imagine how often Luka had wanted to book to be read to him for her to know the rhymes by heart. How often he would have grabbed the book and crawled into her lap for her to read it. There was a smaller thump and the phone jumped again.

"Heidi Abigail!" I snatched the phone up before it had a chance to hit the floor where I wouldn't be able to pick it up. I patted my belly and heaved myself out the rocking chair. I listened to Lily's soft voice for a moment, basking in the feeling of having her close before I turned the video off and set the phone on the small end table Norah had picked up for my at a flea market. There was a harder kick that made me hiccup. Someone wasn't happy. "Don't be petulant, Heidi. I warned you. Can't you behave for the day?" I stretched with a wince, my back was sore but I was looking like I was at six and a half months at only five. There was a smaller kick that caused another hiccup. "Heidi, don't be starting that!" She was a pest. There was a small thump that seemed almost disgruntled from lower in my belly and I rubbed it soothingly with a small sigh.

"Amelia, I know your sister is trying to pin this on you. No worries. Mama knows not to fall for her tricks." Luka was getting doubly murdered. One murder for each little surprise I had found at my first ultrasound appointment. He didn't just have enough guts to knock me up. He had enough to do it twice. "I am going to kill your father." There was a flurry of kicks that made me wince as one of them booted my bladder. "Easy!" I shuffled around the room as their kicking settled down.

Once they had done their tantrum, I set about straightening the already straight room, the need to keep it perfect was nearly obsessive. The room was filled with my own scent, no other lingered. My wolf and I preferred it that way. No one was allowed in the den we had put together for the babies. That had been a weird urge. I had wandered frantically around the house until I had found the walk-in closet in Luka's room. I had it half ripped apart before Michael had found me.

I had begun 'nesting' as Gamgam called it. I was trying to build a den for my pups. Somewhere my wolf and I could keep them safe. The walk in closet was decently sized and I had already started its destruction so I had it converted into a nursery. I had been agitated the entire time as people walked in and out of it. We didn't want anyone in the den.

Then the realization had hit me that I was preparing a den for babies and I started freaking out again. Ainsley had to come and calm me down, she was one of the only ones my wolf and I trusted in our sanctuary. Very few people was allowed in our room and none were allowed in the nursery. It fucking pissed us off to no end when people had to come and put furniture in it. Thankfully that was all done and no one had been in there for a month and a half.