Unbearable Weight of Leaves

A New Beginning

Gaara

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

My stomach twisted as the clock's second hand moved closer to the twelve. It was almost over, my two days of asylum, and I would have to leave. I would have to see what they wanted on the other side of the sand. I would have to go back to work. I would have to figure out a schedule to give to my wife's new attendant to coordinate visitations. I would have to figure out what exactly I should do in order to please the requirements of the minimum amount of outings the council required, including the specific locations they placed inside my list of demands. I didn't want to think on this part. It was almost too much to think about the basics required in just the tradition. This I would focus on, get to the engagement announcement then. My heart leapt to my throat and I shifted my eyes from the clock to my sleeping wife.

One week of outing. Then, a public announcement on the possibility of engagement.

An engagement to be engaged. I couldn't even tell her. It would be a surprise. I wondered if the attendant would tell her. This was going to be excruciating. Difficult. Annoying.

Worth it. As long as I could figure out what happened to the engagement necklace I had given my wife. I could not have the public announcement without it, so what happened to it? Naruto was holding onto the box then she went into labor. Beyond this moment, I hadn't thought of it, until now. It wasn't in the room, I checked. I had no idea. I suppressed a groan and returned my eyes to the clock.

Tick.

Tick.

Ileapedted. Just a mere four measly minutes left. I watched the second hand continue to tick on. I was holding onto my Kimi. I didn't want to leave and take her with me, but in three minutes, forty seconds, I would not have a choice. I would leave her here with her mother, but I couldn't chance it. Not when I didn't know what could trigger her ability, if there was in fact a real trigger. I'd never forgive myself if I allowed Kimi to asphyxiate her own mother with sand just because I was not there.

Three minutes, seven seconds. I let my eyes wander back over to my wife. Her sleeping form looked both peaceful and uncomfortable. How could she sleep in such odd positions? Roughly two hours after she had fallen asleep, this happened. I don't understand sleep. Anything I knew of it was it was supposed to be healing. This, I cannot imagine how such a posture was good for anyone.

My nerves rose and I forced my eyes back to the clock again, my fingers twitching on my daughter. My breath caught and I stilled, hoping I didn't wake her. Two minutes, twenty two seconds. There was no extra movement in my arms, nor sounds so I took a breath. I could still feel the disturbance to my sand barrier downstairs. More than one person now. I wondered what could be so important they would attempt such a thing. They knew better than to disturb me when I had one in place.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

I stood from my chair, then lifted up the makeshift kitchen. It could be this, couldn't it? What the demanding thumps were for. I was careful when I opened the door. I filed the appliances out of the room, then thought better of the counter. This, this might serve useful in this space. I set it back down against the far wall and looked back at the clock.

Forty eight seconds. I glanced at her and accidentally tightened my grip on our daughter. She made a small sound and I patted her back. My heart lept up to my throat. Two more months. Two more months and this woman will officially be my wife. There would be no question, no backlash. I knew she would win over Suna, perhaps even some of those who did not care for me. In a mere week, they would present her. I read over the paper again. After the first round of outings, they would announce our engagement. I swallowed.