by Jade White
Grace stood there with her mouth hanging open, in utter shock at what Shannon had been able to accomplish in a few short days. It was beautiful and exactly what she would have done had she had the time to do it. All of her fears about raising her son on the nature preserve began to fade. The room proved something to her that she hadn’t even realized she needed to know, that the cabin could feel like a home.
“You are killing me, Grace! Do you like it?” Shannon asked.
“It is amazing. There aren’t even words to tell you what it means to me; to both of us,” Grace smiled, tears welling in her eyes.
“I thought it might be just what he needed,” she said with satisfaction.
“I love it! There’s a little piece of every place we have ever been. It’s like he’s been a part of all of it and they will all be a part of him.” Looking around and taking in all of the details made her heart swell with joy.
“We are going to give him a great life!” Shannon exclaimed, clearly excited at the possibility of all of the adventures that they could show Luke in his life.
“So we are,” she said, hugging her friend.
“Let’s get the baby down for the night. The poor little guy looks exhausted,” Shannon said knowingly.
“He’ll have to sleep in this onesie that Aria gave me until I can get some fabric to make him some more.” She felt a bit bad that she hadn’t been more prepared for his arrival, but there was no helping it when he came five months early.
“Taken care of already. Check the trunk at the end of the crib.”
“You are the best!” She knew that she should say more, but she couldn’t find the words to thank
Shannon properly.
“Well, I will leave you two alone to get settled. Good night. Just yell if you need anything,” Shannon said as she left through the door that connected to her cabin.
“Well, little baby, it’s just us now. Don’t you worry about a thing. Aunt Shannon and I are going to take care of everything. I’m sorry that your daddy isn’t here. He’s a good man. I promise you that. He means a lot to your Momma, even though I didn’t get to spend much time with him. You are going to have the best life, my little man. You just settle in and get some rest. I will be right here.”
With that, she laid him down in the crib and covered him up. He snuggled in and drifted right off to sleep. She knew that she should go to her room and get some sleep, but walking towards the door felt unnatural. Instead, she settled in to the rocking chair and pulled a blanket from the back of the rocker and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Dylan and what kind of father he might have been.
During the next few weeks, they all became accustomed to a bit of a routine. Grace and Shannon divided the duties of caring for the baby as best they could, which brought Grace some comfort. She had worried since she found out she was pregnant that she would be the only person in her baby’s life. Knowing for certain that Shannon would always be there for him lessened that concern, though she still felt guilty that he wouldn’t have a father in his life.
Though Grace was still too exhausted from childbirth to return to the field, Shannon came each afternoon and discussed her findings during the baby’s nap and in the evenings after she laid him down for the night. It was Shannon that she was expecting one Friday afternoon, when she heard a knock at the door of her hut.
“Shannon, since when do you knock? Get in here,” she called. She couldn’t remember a time since they had brought the baby home that Shannon had used the external door to get in the cabin. She always came through the baby’s room. She loved any excuse to give him a quick kiss, even if it did mean that she regularly woke him up from his naps to do it.
When she didn’t hear anyone enter, she got up from her desk and stepped outside of the cabin to be greeted by the blue eyes she often saw in her dreams.
“It isn't Shannon,” the familiar voice said, with a bit of reservation in his tone. She looked up and took in the sight of Dylan standing there, leaning against one of the posts outside her cabin. The moment she saw him, all of the feelings that she had been pushing down since he left came flooding back to her. Her heart swelled at the sight of him, knowing that he was close enough to touch and hold once again.
“Dylan,” she whispered, unsure if he was truly there or if she had fallen asleep and imagined him once again. She rushed across the room and threw her arms around his neck. His mouth crashed down greedily on hers. His hands roamed her body, as if he was trying to make up for lost time. She twisted her fingers though his hair and pulled herself as close to him as she could, rubbing her body against his. They continued in that way for what felt like ages, exploring each other.
“Hi Grace,” he said with a tentative smile, as he pulled away slightly to look down at her.
“You’re back!” she said, feeling suddenly very silly for stating the obvious.
“I told you I would be back,” he said meaningfully.
“I guess I didn't really think it would work out that way. Come in. We have a lot to talk about,” she said, suddenly dreading the conversation she knew that they needed to have.
“I know,” he said and if she didn’t know better, she might have thought that he did know about the baby.
“Oh, you couldn't possibly,” she said with an indulgent laugh.
“I see that you have added on to the cabin,” he said gesturing to the new room connecting the cabins.
“Oh yes, we have had a few additions around here. Come on inside,” she said, trying to find the words to tell him about the most important addition to her life.
“So, it's true then. I heard talk when I got back this morning,” he said without shock or even surprise on his face.
“Yes, I've had a child,” she said, glad to be able to come out with it plainly instead of having to introduce the topic herself.
“It's mine,” he said with confidence and a smile that put her at ease.
“Yes,” she said, her eyes welling up a bit at the emotion of the moment.
“I'm sorry that I wasn't here,” he said, pulling her tight against him and resting his chin atop her head, surrounding her with his protection.
“It's alright. You couldn't have known,” she said, snuggling against his chest. They had only spent one night together, yet his presence was oddly comforting to her. Standing there, with his arms around her, she felt as though she were home.
“I wish it had happened differently for you. What made you decide to stay here?” he asked solemnly.
“Shannon talked me in to it,” she said with a smile. “She was right. People have had babies here for a thousand years. Plus, his life will never be dull, growing up this way.”
“He?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.
“Yes, his name is Luke. Would you like to meet him?” she asked, suddenly realizing that she had not introduced him to his son.
“Very much,” he said solemnly.
“I'll be right back,” she said, getting up and going to the nursery. There, she found their son wide awake in his crib, cooing as he smiled up at her. She lifted him up and looked in to his eyes. This, she realized, was one of the key moments in their lives. Taking a deep breath, she carried him in to her room and hoped for the best.
“Dylan, this is your son.” The look on his face was one of awe. His gentle gaze went back and forth between her face and their son.
What he finally spoke, he said only, “A fine boy.” His face seemed to be full of so many emotions that he could not articulate.
“I certainly think so,” she said, handing him the child to hold.
“He is a healthy babe?” he asked, as though he suddenly realized all of the dangers that face a baby, especially one born in the wilds of Africa.
“He came early,” she explained. “But my midwife got us through it. He was healthier than I could ever have hoped, given the circumstances.”
“Is she a local woman, your midwife?” he asked with a bit of concern in his voice.
“Yes
,” she said, a bit confused.
“And she treated you well?” he asked. The only reason that she could think of for such questions was that he was trying to take in every moment of what she had been through during her pregnancy.
“Very well!” she exclaimed. “She was full of old folktales but she meant well enough with them.”
“What sort of tales?” he questioned.
Grace could tell that he was trying very hard to control the expression on his face, but she could see the turmoil behind his eyes.
“Oh, tales about the lions and the tribe and their history,” she said honestly. Perhaps one day she would tell him that Aria thought he was a werelion whose sole purpose was to get her with child and abandon her, but this didn’t seem the time for that sort of conversation.
“Ah,” he said, not looking at all satisfied with her answer.
“They were actually pretty interesting. I think I might record them in my research,” she said, trying to change the subject.
“How is your research going?” he asked, still cradling their son in his arms.
“It's going very well. They might extend our project for another year. There is so much to explore here.” The university had made them the offer the month before and she and Shannon were still considering what to do about it. They had never stayed in one place for a year at a time, let alone two years.
“So then you and the boy will stay here,” he asked optimistically.
“For another year at least if we accept the offer,” she nodded. The thought of her and Shannon building a home for themselves on the nature preserve was strangely appealing to her. In truth, she knew that they could do a lifetime of research there.
“I'd like to be a part of his life,” he said, staring down at the baby in his arms.
“I would really like that,” she sighed with relief. The thought that Luke would have a father figure in his life took an enormous weight from her shoulders.
“I can be here often,” he promised. She could not imagine how that could be possible with his career, but the fact that he wanted to meant a great deal.
“Won't your travel make that difficult?” she had to ask. Though she hated to ruin the moment, she needed to know exactly what this promise could mean for her son.
“It won't be a problem,” he said solemnly.
“I'm really glad you want to be involved in his life,” she said, still unsure how any of it could work. “Between Shannon and me raising him on our research sites and you coming around with your stories of wildlife photography, he will grow up to be a little adventurer.”
“I think he's destined to be very connected to the natural world,” he said with pride.
“I really hope so,” she said in agreement. “Would you like to see his room?”
He stood smoothly, the baby still in his arms, and followed her silently to the room. He stood there, taking it all in. It surprised her that it brought her such joy to see him standing in the baby’s room. To see him standing amongst their son’s things, next to his crib, touched her heart more than she ever thought that it could.
“It's lovely, very representative of the place where he was born,” he said eventually, though his mind still seemed to be processing everything.
“Shannon put it together while I was recovering from labor,” she explained.
“She did a wonderful job. She must be a very thoughtful woman. I look forward to meeting her.” He looked, to her surprise, like he meant it. Nobody she had ever dated had looked forward to meeting Shannon. They usually found her best friend quite intimidating.
Suddenly, they heard the sounds of shouting and running outside the cabin, pulling them from the peace of their little moment. The sounds got louder and louder, with the sounds moving from the center of the village towards them.
“What in the world is all that commotion?” he asked as they walked to the cabin door and looked outside. They saw people scrambling around, rushing to find cover as three lionesses walked the main road.
“The lions have come in to the village. They haven't done that once since we have been here,” Grace said. Months earlier, she would have seen this as only a statistical anomaly. She would have been huddled with Shannon, trying to find a way to observe what was happening and to determine what had brought them so close to civilization. Now, all she could think of was her son and the dangers that the situation posed to him.
“Take the baby back in to his nursery,” Dylan said with an edge in his voice. “I'll check things out.”
“Are you sure that is a good idea?” she gasped. She knew it was illogical, but all she could think of was her son losing his father on the same day that he met him.
“It will be fine, just get the child to safety,” he commanded, handing Luke to her. He stared at her for a long moment, then kissed her hard before letting her go and taking a step back from her.
“OK,” she nodded. “I'll go get Shannon. Her rooms connect to the nursery.”
“That is good. Grab her and get back quickly,” he said, leaving the hut.
“OK,” she said, more to herself than to anyone else. She steadied herself and rushed through the nursery and into Shannon’s room.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Shannon,” she called frantically as she entered her room, unable to find her.
“What's happening?” Shannon said, stepping from behind the curtain that separated her own sleeping area from the rest of the room and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“A group of lionesses have come in the village,” Grace said, still full of disbelief.
“My god!”
“And Dylan came back,” Grace blurted out.
“Dear god, what a day!” Shannon said, shaking her head.
“He's out there now; getting the lay of the land,” she said, unable to keep the worry from her voice.
“Is he mad?” Shannon asked. She knew as well as anyone that a group of lionesses in unfamiliar territory is nothing to tangle with.
“I think he wanted to get photos of them roaming the village,” she tried to explain.
“Oh my,” Shannon sighed, understanding the turmoil her friend was experiencing.
“He said to stay in the nursery until it's over. They were behaving really aggressively when we spotted them.”
They took his advice and made their way to the nursery. Grace settled in the rocking chair, clutching the baby and waiting anxiously for Dylan’s return.
“I'd love to get a look,” Shannon said, pacing from side to side.
“I really don't think it's safe,” Grace said, thinking more of her son than anyone else.
“It sounds so quiet out there now,” Shannon observed.
Suddenly, the wall shook and a loud crash rang in their ears. The carved figures on the wall crashed around them, as the wall was struck again and again with great force.
“What the hell is that?” Shannon shouted over the chaos.
“Something is trying to break down the wall,” Grace gasped.
“My god, it is going to break through,” Shannon said. Both of them were too shocked to flee, unsure of what awaited them outside of the room.
Dylan rushed in the room then and placed himself between Grace and the shaking wall.
“Grace, get away from that wall,” he ordered, pulling her and the baby away.
“Dylan, what is going on?” she asked anxiously.
“They're coming in,” Shannon said, trying to stay calm.
“Get to your hut, I'll take care of this,” he said with a look of determination on his face.
“How are you going to hold off three lionesses?” Grace asked in disbelief.
“I have my ways. Now go, they will be through that wall any moment.”
Before they had a chance to flee, the center of the wall fell away, revealing the three large lionesses that she had observed so many times before during their research.
“Get out of here,” Dylan growled at the lions. When they did not retreat,
Shannon and Grace saw the impossible happen. Every muscle in Dylan’s body began to shake and suddenly, without warning, the male lion who had intervened the first time she had seem this group of lionesses stood in the middle of the nursery. He braced himself between the women and baby and the lions. He growled and snarled, but did not attack. Instead, the lionesses began to back up gradually, then seemed to sense the situation and retreated fully without further fight.