Can You Hear Your Heart

Chapter Thirty

I cannot believe this little one is still growing. I mean....how much bigger can my belly get?!

But midnight leg cramps aren't at all what I worry about now in the next two weeks. I enjoy my time with Shaun in the apartment, but we still need to stay inside as much as possible.

I get bored. Yes. I already want to hear her cries and hold her, but I must hold on to the strong jabs at my ribs for now. I can tell that she is head down. I have to use the restroom every five minutes.

My sisters have been coming around ever so often. On New Years Eve, they stopped by to tell us the last update on my mother.

She has held back to Peter's words for now. She knows I'm around the city, but the facility is on the look out. Especially the Narnians. They will not rest until they see her either far away or dead. While the white witch will not stop until she has me in her clutches. Even if it means fighting armies of useless royalties so she called them.

At the moment, a shiver ran down my spine at this, but then Shaun tenderly took my hand and smiled at me. I gave him a nod and let his strength make me recover.

With this, my sisters decided to let me stay here. For my safety and the baby's. They don't want me to wake up at night with fear that someone is watching me. I mean....this little lady already wakes me up at night, but I prefer to stay with Shaun instead.

On New Years Day we finished her crib. My sister brought our stroller in, and Shaun and I designed the room good enough for her to sleep in. Now on my side of the bed where the window is at, the crib sits there, and just on the other side there's a small rocking chair he bought for me. I sat down on it and let my body get used to the feeling of this chair. My arms urged to have a little person in them, but I looked out the window and smiled at her strong movements instead.

The crib was quite the struggle for him though. I giggled whenever I watched him from the couch talk to himself in frustration. He scratched the back of his neck and I'd fill up his mug with tea.

"Let me help," I said to him at one point when his eyes burned with frustration. "Maybe you should try reading the instructions first."

"I already did. I don't know what I'm doing wrong!"

I go over to where he stares at a loose part. I sigh and lean over a little to the point where my belly allows me, and fasten a small part. I put that part he had difficulty with in its place. "You forgot to fasten that part over there," I said to him.

Shaun stared at me with shock. He then blinked and said, "Oh. Okay. Thank you. Um....let's continue." I giggled at this, and continued bothering him all up until he finally sighed with relief, and we both admired the finished crib.

Nights are getting very restless for the both of us. If it isn't leg cramps, it's back pain. If it's her jabs, it's my headaches. There was one night where I sighed with frustration and sat up. I tiredly touched my shoulders and closed my eyes; praying for sleep.

I heard Shaun scoot near me and start soft massages on my shoulders. I let out a relieved sigh and happily let his massages relax me. That night was hard. But I caught up on those hours of sleep when Shaun left for school.

Although tonight, it seems like my little lady has agreed to let me rest for once. My eyes slowly start to close and my mind drifts off to sleep.

"Vivica?" A whisper in between my sleep makes me furrow my brow.

"Vivica?"

I grunt and say, "Mmm?"

Shaun puts a light hand on my arm as he looks over at me. "Vivica? Are you awake?"

I do a small sigh and whisper, "I am now."

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "But....I had a dream. I had to tell you!"

I can tell he wasn't going to let it go, so I slowly turn on my back and I turn my head to face him. He's also on the same position as I lay a tired hand on my large belly. "Mmm. Is your baby kicking tonight?"

"More like my mind is!" he whispers excitedly. I close my eyes and smile at his voice. Then I feel him touch my arm and say, "Vivica."

"I can hear you," I whisper back.

"Okay!" he whispers. "So....it was a dream about us going to the mountains."

"Mmm," I say as my mind slowly starts to drift off to sleep.

"And we were in a car."

"Mhm."

"And it was snowing."

"That sounds like fun," I whisper tiredly.

"I know right! We should have gone this year! But next year for sure! With Hazel!" This was the last thing I heard from him as I fall asleep quickly at his voice. He gives me a light shake and says, "Vivica! You can't fall asleep. You have to hear this!"

I wake up and say, "Hm? Snow? What? Shaun please. Just get to the good part because you always tell me your dreams with so much detail." I'm surprised this little lady has not woken up yet to show me her new karate moves. It must've been all that cleaning I put in Shaun's apartment.

"Okay. Okay. So we were driving. And we stopped by this snowy area."

"Mhm..."

"And when we got there, I got off."

"Shaun. I'm tired."

"I know! You're going to love this. Listen." He takes a breathe and says, "It was so vivid. Lots of white snow and then you got off the car. But you weren't big like you are now."

"Gee thanks," I say with a smile.

Shaun does a small chuckle and says, "Well. You look beautiful with or without belly. I--"

"Continue," I quietly interrupt and he says, "Right. So you got off and then I looked up at the mountains. I remember looking up at the blue sky. So bright and vivid."

"Mmm..."

"And then I heard someone call me. But it wasn't your voice. No. It was....it was this tiny voice calling me."

I've opened my eyes at this point. My hand on my belly feels the roundness of it. I let my thumb run small circles on it as I continue listening with my full attention now.

"She said Daddy, Viv. And when I turned around.....I saw that you were holding the back door open and out came out this little girl."

A smile starts at my lips at these words and my heart flies at the description he starts to give me.

"I saw her. She had your nose and your smile. But she had my eyes and light brown hair like me!"

I do a small chuckle and scoot closer to him. "And what else did she do?"

Shaun gently puts his forehead on mine and says, "She ran up to me and I swung her around. Viv. I've never felt such happiness like the one I felt in my dream. I heard her giggles and her laughter. It was your laugh. The ones I love to hear....."

I open my eyes and see his bright blue eyes shine in the moonlight. His smile wider than ever. I give him a kiss on his nose and say, "You're going to be a great father, Shaun. I know it."

"You really think so?"

"I know so," I whisper to him as my eyes start to get heavy again. He does a small scoff and I can tell his mind is taking him back to the vision he had of our daughter. I can feel his hand hold mine tenderly. "What did I ever do to deserve this? To deserve a happiness so amazing."

I smile in between my sleep and whisper, "All you did was save me in those woods...."

I can feel the way he kisses my forehead and starts to hum. He's going to have a long night. I can tell. That dream won't let him sleep with an excited heart like his.

But I let him hum to me. I let him hold me. And I let his dream lull me into a peaceful sleep.