Baby Fever

The Essence of Time

"Daddy!" I threw my arms around the man standing in front of me and hung unto him for dear life. 

I could barely hear over the sound of my heart pounding against my chest. 

He pulled away and held my shoulders. His eyes searched and scanned every inch of my face. "Thank God you're okay."

He shook the tears out of his eyes and pulled me into another hug. 

I pinched myself five times, only to make sure this was all real. 

Wait if my dad is here...does that mean?

I pulled away and looked around the front door. "Is Jeremiah with you?" 

He took my hands. There was a pained expression on his face. "There's much to explain."

Squeezing his hands, I nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, come in, come in. There's so much I need to tell you! There's so much mom needs to tell you!" 

I opened the door wider and began to pull him inside. 

"Austin?" 

My mother's soft voice was barely a squeak. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs, tears glistening in her eyes, clutching her shirt. 

"Sarah." He breathed. 

Slowly, but surely, she approached him. It was as if the world around her had dissapeared and my father was the only thing she could see. He finally let go of me and cautiously approached her too. 

"Austin."

"Sarah."

They said at the same time. 

They were face to face now, their noses only inches apart. My mom had to strain her neck just to meet his eye. 

I nervously bit my lip. 

"You're here," she breathed.

"And you're alive." He chuckled through his tears. 

They put there arms around each other and sank to the floor. My mother was like a baby in his arms. He rocked her back and forth and tried to calm her down as she silent sobbed. I've never seen them this way. 

The sight only made more tears spring to my eyes. 

My dad looked up at me and extened his arm. "Come here. Please."

Silently, I obliged. 

I don't know how much time passed with him holding the both of us on the floor. 

"Things are going to be okay now," he whispered over and over again. 

I rubbed my hand on my stomach. For the first time in a long time, I can actually believe that. 

...

I helped my father settle into the couch, and despite his profits, my mom was preparing him a plate of food. 

Now I sat on the couch with him, legs crossed, as he asked me a million questions. 

"Do you know the gender?"

"No."

"Have you thought of any good names?"

I laughed at that. "At this point, I might just have to have my friends enter names in a jar, and I'll pick blindfolded."

"Have you got a nursery set up?"

"No, well, not really. We have a crib, and Layla and Alanna have already splurged on dozens of baby clothes and toys. I'm running out of space for everything in my room."