Broken

.42.

Five months later

I wiped at my forehead and pressed a hand to my back in an attempt to ease the slight twinge I had. I scowled at the crib. I had wanted it moved. It had sat in it's spot for the past four months but now the spot bothered me. I managed to move it a few feet but it seemed as though it has gotten heavier in those four months it had sat there.

I grabbed the side of the crib and pushed, grunting as I did so. It scraped across the floor as it moved several inches. This was far too difficult. Either it was getting heavier or I wasn't as strong as I had been. I rubbed my stomach as I pushed some hair from my face. I frowned. I was probably weaker. Carrying an Orrian baby was hard on human women and I was learning that first hand. I loved my little girl but she took a lot out of me. Not to mention she was a little... rough.

As if to punctuate my thought she gave me a rough kick that made me wince in pain and rub at the spot. She was strong and I happened to be a bit more delicate. She had a tendency to bruise me if she kicked too hard. I stared at the crib and gave a small huff and grabbed it again.

"Liviya..." Rhex's voice came from the doorway. It held a faint note of amusement and I scowled darkly.

"Don't use that tone with me. I just need to move this thing." I huffed the words out as I attempted to push the crib again. His footsteps came closer and he gently took my hands off the crib before moving the crib to the wall I was attempting to put it. I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "I could do it." I could have. Probably would have taken me over an hour but I would have done it.

"I know but you must limit yourself." He shuffled the crib until it was sitting where I wanted it and I almost stuck my bottom lip out.

"I don't like not being able to do things." The further I got into my pregnancy the less independent I was becoming and I felt like I was losing control and becoming a burden. I didn't like the feeling it gave me.

"You can still do things, just not the big things. You have limits now." How I hated that. I didn't like being limited or feeling trapped in my body but I was.

"I don't like that." Tears burned my eyes and I fought against them. I didn't want to go on another emotional tangent. The pregnancy were making my emotions go all over the place. I felt like I had no control over my own body and mind. I felt my chin tremble and Rhex's expression softened as he came over.

"I know. I know." He enclosed me into his arms and I clutched at him, sniffling. "Only a month and a half more." A month and a half and then I would be having a c-section to get our little girl out. If we let her go to term her strength would break my bones and she would be too big to have naturally. It was apparently common practice for human women with Orrian soulmates. Although they assured me that the more our DNA mixed down the generations the easier it would be on human women to naturally have children.

"A month and a half and then we get to meet her." He let me go and pressed a hand to my bulging belly. Our daughter thumped against the contact, her movements rather erratic and excited. I hid a wince as each kick thumped against his hand. My belly was starting to look slightly multi-coloured with the bruises that were just starting to show. "Are you done fighting with the nursery?" The amusement was back in his tone and I gave him a small frown.

I pushed the stray hairs away from my face as I looked around. Nothing was bothering me so I figured it looked okay. Well, for now at least. "I think so." I would probably start moving things around in a few days again anyway. I was highly indecisive and kept changing my mind about everything. I think that was just the anxiety about the pregnancy emerging in a different way. Growing a baby was a nerve wracking, anxiety filled process. My body was changing, hormones were surging and I had no control over myself anymore.