"John?" Hannah amusingly echoed her daughter, who'd finally come home from visiting her cousin. "But nobody in the family bears that name."
"Yes, but Zechariah himself proclaimed that the baby would be named so on the day of his circumcision," Mary told her mother, still in awe after the whole scene had unfolded right before her very eyes.
"Well," Hannah resigned, "whatever the child's name, I am more than overjoyed to hear that the barren Elisheba finally bore a son. It is quite miraculous, considering her old age."
Mary nodded in agreement. "The Lord works in mysterious ways."
It was only after the birth of John that she'd changed her original plan. She'd talked it through with her cousin, whom as expected, gave her wonderfully insightful advice concerning her situation. Over the three months she stayed in the countryside of Judea, Mary had consistently prayed to the Lord for guidance and courage, as she knew that troubles were inevitable. In the end, however, she's always knew what to do; stay in Nazareth and give birth to their nation's savior.
"How about you, darling?" Her mother inquired as she shifted from a kneeling position to sitting. "Did you enjoy your sojourn in Hebron?"
"It was delightful," Mary candidly answered. "Elisheba and her husband were such caring hosts."
Hearing this delighted Hannah. "Good! So, now that you are back and indispensable, would you go help Miriam fetch some milk for the next meal?"
"I'd rather rest, the journey back was very strenuous."
"Really? You were perfectly fine the last time we went up to visit around Passover."
"I took a few more detours. Nothing too important, but still tremendously trying on me."
"Are you certain nothing else happened? You seem especially tired, dear."
"Thank you for your concern eema, but I will be back to myself once I've had a little bit of rest."
"If you say so. Oh, and you have a small branch stuck to your clothing." Her mother swiftly reached for Mary's stomach.
Her daughter tried to recoil, but in vain. "Wait! I mean please, you don't..."
"M-Mary!" She exclaimed with a sharp whisper. "How... When...?"
The disappointment on Hannah's face was a knife through Mary's heart.
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Shining Bright | ✓
Short Story❛ . ╱╱ ❪ 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 ❫ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Ambys 2023 Winner | 2x featured As the Roman empire reigns over Judea, a couple from a small town is chosen to fulfill a prophecy that will deliver their people from persecution. (...
