You look tired, Rachel. Something’s wrong, something’s different.
We had a strange connection so it didn’t surprise me that he picked up on the change right away. Oh that, I thought at him. It’s probably because of the baby.
Alexander’s mouth opened in shock and he covered it with his hands, jumping up and down just like someone had told him he’d won the lottery. Gavin laughed knowing what had happened. Ryan and Leiv just stood there, confused. He hugged me once again, this time swaying back and forth with happiness.
“C’mon buddy,” Gavin said pulling a box out of one of our suitcases. “I got you this plane. It hangs from the ceiling in your room. Let’s go put it up.”
Ryan excitedly grabbed the box and headed for the stairs, Gavin trailing behind to put up his new toy. “Ok, spill,” Leiv said. “I know you two have a secret. What’s he so excited about?”
“I…” I was nervous for some reason. This was really the first time I’d had to tell anyone I was pregnant, last time everyone in the clan had known and by the time I got back from Halifax I was starting to show, so I didn’t really have to announce it. “I’m pregnant,” I said, a twinge of excitement lighting up my insides as the words came out for the first time.
Leiv’s eyes lit up and he came in for a second hug as well. “Oh, Rachel. That’s great news. You must be so happy.”
“Yeah,” I said, finally letting myself feel the full extent of the joy. “Yeah, I am.”
I tried to take our suitcases upstairs but Alexander and Leiv grabbed them, not letting me lay a finger on them. “Really guys? I’m a vampire. I could bench press an eighteen wheeler. The suitcases aren’t a problem.”
“Oh hush,” Leiv said. “If you can’t have people do things for you when you’re pregnant when can you?”
I laughed. “I suppose you’re right,” I said. A vampire doesn’t have to take the same precautions as humans when she’s expecting, but I relented, letting them carry out their chivalrous gesture just the same. Honestly, I was touched.
We were sitting at the table having tea that Leiv insisted on making when Gavin came back downstairs. “Did you get the plane flying, Daddy?” I said.
“Oh yeah. He’s up there pushing it around right now.”
“Good, I’ll wait until bedtime to give him his new books. He’ll need something to calm him down.”
“Well, we better get going,” Leiv said, putting his cup in the sink.
I was disappointed. I’d hoped to spend some time with Alexander and catch up. We emailed all the time but it just wasn’t the same. “You’re not staying the night at least?”
“No, we have to get back. We have an appointment tomorrow.”
“Appointment?”
Yes, we’re pushing for an early turning. The authority in Sydney have agreed to meet with us again. We’re hoping they change their mind. Really, there’s no reason to wait. We’ve been together for four years. I think that should be enough.
“I agree,” I said, out loud. “I hope they let you.”
“Me too,” Leiv said.
“How do you feel Leiv?” Gavin asked him. “You’re not nervous at all. It’s a pretty huge deal, to say the least.”
“I know. But this is what I want. And it’s what Alex wants. If we can’t we’ll just…” Alex shot Leiv a look from across the room cutting him off. “Well, we’ll be stuck waiting a little longer.”
“Well, make sure you email me tomorrow night and let me know how it went.” Alexander nodded and bent down to hug me goodbye. I hugged Leiv goodbye as well and they were on their way. Gavin and I spent the rest of the night just hanging out with Ryan, making up for lost time. We both snuggled into the bed that night as I read him his bedtime story, and stayed right there with him as he drifted off into sleep.
As we settled into our nightly routine of research I was distracted by thoughts of the baby. The child was no bigger than a speck of dust at that point but I felt its existence on me like a weight. Gavin was sitting across the room in his easy chair typing away when he suddenly stopped, noticing I was distracted.
“What’s the matter?” he said. “Are you tired? You should rest if you need to. You’ll need more sleep now that you’re pregnant.”
“No, I’m not tired,” I smiled, weakly. “I’m just…thinking.”
“About what?”
“About what the professor said about banked blood. Will we do that?”
“Well, I was thinking about that too,” he said, averting his eyes. The same thoughts were running around in his head about Ryan and he felt just as bad about it. “If there’s one and a half gallons of blood in the average human body that’s about all he should need. That’s not a lot if we just take a little bit over time and store it. If we can do it safely we should try. I mean, as long as it wouldn’t hurt her. We would have to wait until she is older.”
“Yeah,” I said. Lowering my head I began typing, searching for how much blood is safe to take from a young child at one time. This child would be about ten by the time Ryan was fifteen. “Assuming it’s a girl. When do you think we should start telling everyone?” I said.
“Well, we’ve already told Alexander and Leiv.”
“Yeah, but they won’t say anything if we ask them not to.”
“True, but I can’t think of any reason to hide it, can you? Everyone will just be happy for us.”
I wasn’t so sure. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Of course,” he said, as he began typing once again. We sat in silence the rest of the night, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Ryan padded down the stairs sleepily at his usual wake up time, seven a.m., looking for some cereal. I kissed him good morning, fed him and then got him ready for preschool. I looked at my little boy wondering where the last four years had gone. They flew by so fast and the next ten would go by just as quickly.
Gavin saw the tears in my eyes just as he was about to load him into the car to drive him into town. “Don’t worry, Mama,” he said, kissing my cheek. “It will all work out. Everything’s going to be fine.”
I nodded, hugged Ryan quickly and then headed upstairs to shower and change. Seeing as how I had the next few hours free I figured I’d go to the sanctuary and pay a visit to Holly and whoever happened to be with her. If I wanted to see one or both of Gavin’s parents I had gotten used to checking out the sanctuary before even going to their house.
When I pushed the door of Holly’s room open however, I found not John or Margie by her side, but Kenzie. They were sitting on the room’s tiny loveseat, his arm around her. She smiled wide as I entered, greeting me with more warmth and energy than I’d seen from her in almost five years. “Rachel!” she said, “I heard you guys went away. Did you have a nice trip?”
“We did,” I said. “Holly, you look so well.” I smiled taking her by the shoulders and looking her over. Her skin seemed to have more color and her hair and eyes shined with a brightness that wasn’t present the last time I’d seen her. “What a difference a week makes,” I said.
“Yeah. I really feel I’ve turned a corner. I’ve been feeling better every day, little by little, but in the last few days something’s lifted. I literally feel lighter. I thought I was going to die Rachel, but now… now I feel as though I can live and be happy again.”
She took my hand leading me to the chair next to where she had been seated with Kenzie and motioned for me to sit as well. “You remember Kenzie?” she said.
“Of course.” He extended his hand to me and I shook it politely. “How are you Kenzie?”
“Very well, thank you,” he said, his thick Scottish brogue ringing off the walls in the small room. “I’ve been keeping our missus here company. I think we’ve both enjoyed it.”
Holly smiled, casting her eyes down in embarrassment, almost blushing. “That’s true,” she said. It was easy to see what was happening between them. Although it had only been a week, Holly and Kenzie were definitely smitten with each other. He clasped his large hand over hers an
d they smiled at each other, something silent being said between them. My heart filled with happiness as I watched her. There was nothing more powerful than hope, and now it seemed, after years of feeling hopeless due to the loss of the blood bond with Daniel, she dared to feel hope again. I felt it too just by looking at her.
“So,” she said, shying away from saying anything further, “anything exciting happen in Greece? I haven’t been there in seventy years at least, but it’s always been one of my favorite places.”
“It’s quite beautiful, although we didn’t do much sightseeing. I do have news though.”
“News? What is it?”
I patted my stomach in a small delicate circle. “We’re having a baby.”
“Oh, Rachel that’s so wonderful.” Holly’s excitement was palpable. “I’m so happy for you,” she said. “When are you due?”
“I’m only a few weeks along so I’m guessing March.”
“Wow. Well it’ll be here before you know it. If I’m well enough and if it’s ok with you I hope I can deliver this one.”
“Deliver it? Are you coming out of the sanctuary?”
“Yes, I think so. I think it’s time.”
I was shocked. Even though she was doing so much better it still seemed very soon. “That’s a big step. Where will you go?”
Holly clasped Kenzie’s hand tighter and said, “We’ve found a little place, just a small house on the old back road. It hasn’t been lived in for years but I think we can fix it up.”
“Wow,” I said. “Well, I guess we both have things to celebrate then, don’t we?”
“We sure do,” Kenzie said. “A new beginning for us and a new beginning for you and your new child. Congratulations, Rachel.” I detected the note of concern in his offering. I could see he was remembering our situation and the conversation we’d had. Holly just kept on smiling though, blissfully ignorant to what Kenzie had told us when he’d arrived on our doorstep.
“When is the vote?” I asked.
“In a few days. I know it seems a bit silly to be making plans when I haven’t been officially accepted into your clan yet, but I feel confident that everything will work out.”
“I’m sure it will,” I said standing. “I hope you’ll be happy here, Kenzie.”
“I know I will,” he said, standing as well to see me to the door.
“I’ll see you two later,” I said, and turned to leave.
As I exited the door of the sanctuary I ran into Gavin’s mother. Margie was carrying a big bunch of summer wildflowers in her arms. “Hello, Rachel. Thought I’d brighten things up a bit in there.”
“Those are beautiful, but she seems plenty bright all on her own today.”
“I know, isn’t it wonderful? She and Kenzie have really taken a liking to each other and it’s done her a world of good.”
“Yes, it would seem that way. Happening a bit fast though isn’t it?”
“Not uncommon,” she said dismissively. “It didn’t take me long to fall for John. And how long did it take you to realize you and Gavin were a pair?”
She was right, it was perhaps a week, maybe two when I realized I was madly in love with him. “I suppose you have a point.”
“We immortals can cut through all the BS when we need to. It’s important to get right to the things that make you happy, otherwise eternity just drags on. To really appreciate this existence you need someone to share it with. Holly had that for a long time and she’s been missing it. This will be good for her.”
“I take it nobody’s brought any serious objections to his joining the clan then.”
“No, of course not. That would be silly. It’s more of a formality at this point.”
I could hear the relief in Margie’s voice. The long years she’d spent caring for her daughter during her convalescence finally seemed to be coming to an end and she was brighter as well, able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. “Here, take a couple. How is everything with you guys?” she said, handing me some of the flowers.
Since I had just spilled the beans to Holly I figured now was as good a time as any to tell Margie our news. “Pretty good actually. You’re going to be a grandmother again by the way.”
Margie stood there for a moment, her arms falling to her sides in surprise. “Oh wonderful,” she said giving me a squeeze. “Well, things just keep getting better and better.” Margie was beaming. You wouldn’t think news of another baby would be a big deal, seeing as how she’d had so many children and grandchildren herself, but the look on her face said she was overjoyed. “I’ll be by to see you guys soon. Does Ryan know yet?”
“Not yet, we’re going to tell him soon,” I hadn’t given much thought to how Ryan would react. Hopefully he’d be just as excited as Holly and Margie.
“Well I’m sure he’ll be thrilled,” she said. “See you later.” With that she disappeared into the sanctuary, the large black wooden door creaking shut behind her.
I smiled to myself as I walked in the direction of the house. Margie was right, things were getting better, but they’d only be really good once we knew with certainty whether or not we could turn Ryan. But that was a question we would not have the answer to for a long, long time.
Chapter eight
I slept that night, without even meaning to, falling effortlessly into dreamland. It seemed I was more exhausted than I realized. When I woke the next day Gavin had already taken Ryan to preschool. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You need your sleep,” he said, pulling back the blankets to lay next to me. We huddled close in the bed, burrowing down into the pillows and enjoying the silence of the early summer morning.
The evening before had been so busy that I’d completely forgotten to tell him about my trip to the sanctuary. “Hey, did you hear the good news?”
“More good news? No, what is it?”
“I saw Holly yesterday and she’s so much better. She looks really good Gavin, and she was talking clearly too, telling me all about plans to come out of the sanctuary and get a house.”
His lips spread wide in a happy smile. “Wow, really? That’s incredible news. Sounds like her blood sickness has started to lift.”
“Yeah, your mother thinks so. There’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Yes, well, I just hope it’s not the train.”
That seemed a strange thing to say given what I’d just told him. “What do you mean?”
“Sometimes you get a brief reprieve from the sickness, and then it comes back worse than ever. She’s not out of the woods yet.”
“I didn’t know that. You think that could be what it is?”
“Anything is possible. We’ll just have to wait and see. I need to talk to her.”
“She was very well yesterday. If you think this is just temporary you should probably make it soon.”
He stretched and reached out, pulling me closer. “You’re right. I think I’ll go this morning.”
“I’m sure she’d love to see you, honey. Oh, and when I went to see her she wasn’t alone. It seems she and Kenzie are an item.”
Gavin stiffened. “You’re kidding me?” he said, his jaw clenching as he spoke.
“No. Is that a bad thing?” I said, turning to face him.
“It’s alright I guess.” Gavin took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, puffing his cheeks in agitation as he did.
“You’re not still upset about what he told us are you? The professor told us basically the same thing.”
“I know. I just, think it’s too soon.”
I remembered the conversation I’d had with Margie. “How long after you ran across me that night in the woods did it take you to decide that you loved me.”
Gavin’s face softened and he smiled, as if reliving the moment. “It was instant,” he said.
“Well, there you go. I’m sure lots of people told you it was too soon for you to know, but you just knew. I think Holly and Kenzie do too. We should be happy for them. Honestly Gavin,
go and see her. She’s a different person than she was even a week ago.”
“Alright,” he said, kissing my forehead. “I’m going now. I have to see for myself. You coming?”
My stomach growled and twisted with a loud noise, signaling a sudden and urgent need for human food. “No. I fell asleep before I had a chance to check my email last night. I’m going to get something to eat and see if I’ve got anything from Alexander.”
“Ok,” he said patting my stomach once more. He seemed to love doing that. “I’ll go to the grocery store on the way home from preschool today. We should be keeping more food in the house so it will be here when you need it.”
“Oooh. Get some dried lima beans.”
“Rachel…gross.”
“Don’t judge me,” I said, whacking him on the arm.
“Fine, fine. What Mama wants, Mama gets.”
I laughed. “There’s the right attitude.”
Gavin jumped up and left. I dressed and headed downstairs, downing a bowl of Ryan’s kiddie sugar cereal, followed by toast and scrambled eggs. This was one part of pregnancy I was definitely going to enjoy. It made me feel a little bit human again. You don’t realize how much your life as a mortal revolves around food until you become a vampire and your life shifts to revolve around blood. The feeling of actual food filling me up was something of a comfort. I wondered if it wasn’t part of why vampire women prefer to have so many children, if only to feel a little bit human again temporarily.
When I was finally full I sat myself down at my laptop and opened it. Sure enough there was one unread email from Alexander:
Hi Rachel,
Bad news. Things didn’t work out for us. The Authority said no. Leiv is very upset and so am I. We don’t know where to go from here. Hope to hear from you soon. Maybe you’ll have some ideas?
Alex
My heart dropped. Alex and Leiv were crushed and I was crushed for them. I had opened the email with the hopes of more good news, but it seemed our luck had run out. I found myself wishing I was with him now so I could put my arms around him and tell him everything was alright. If he was verbal I could at least pick up the phone and comfort him that way, but there was no possibility of that and so, for now, I’d have to settle for an email. I wrote back quickly, apologizing for not getting his email the night before and telling him not to worry. That both he and Leiv were still very young and it wasn’t a matter of if he’d be allowed to turn him, just a matter of when. I wanted to ask what reasoning the Authority gave for the refusal, but figured that would be prying. If they wanted me to know they’d have told me. I quickly sent it off and headed for the shower.
The Vampires of Soldiers Cove: Progeny Page 6