Wicka

4. REVELATION

Wicka and subsequent books belonging to “Chronicles of Elizabeth Blake” series are available on Amazon.

The next morning, I awoke to the most delicious scent I’d ever known. I couldn’t get to the kitchen fast enough. This time, Natalia had beaten me to it, and I could see why. Mrs. Shaw and Lauren were making sticky buns. That, coupled with the coffee, made me never want to leave that kitchen.

William and his dad were outside. Their conversation looked intense. Mr. Shaw put his arm around his son in a very comforting way. Charles brought me a sticky bun, hot from the oven. I’m not sure if it was meant as a distraction, but it definitely worked. A couple minutes later, the guys came inside.  Mr. Shaw hugged me and wished me a “Happy Christmas.”

William kissed my forehead and then stole a bite of my very hot sticky bun—something he regretted instantly.  Laughter ensued again when he tried to wash it down with a gulp of my very hot coffee. “Now that’s Karma!” Jonathan said, laughing so hard his sticky bun dripped down his chin. 

After everyone was sufficiently full or unable to move from the food coma that Mrs. Shaw insisted everyone take part in, we moved into the parlour once again.  I was very excited but also a little embarrassed about my gift to William; I wished he could open it in private.

Natalia always wanted to go first; patience was not her strong suit. I thought it endearing how the family indulged her. She opened some clothes and supplies for school. She also received a lipstick from Lauren, which seemed to be her favourite gift, causing Mrs. Shaw to give Lauren a disapproving look.

I was distracted watching this exchange, so I didn’t realize William was opening my gift.  When I looked at him, he had already unwrapped it. He was looking at it and studying it with such amazement.  “It’s a bookmark,” I said hesitantly, thinking he might not know what it was. “The tree reminded me of the garden the first night we met.”

I’m sure I was scarlet after saying that out loud.  He looked up at me with wonder in his eyes. Lauren said, “What’s wrong?” William showed her the bookmark, and she immediately handed it over to her mother. “I’m sorry if you don’t like it,” I told William, totally freaked out. “I thought you could take it to university, but you can return it if you want.”

He hugged me and said it was perfect.  His mother smiled and handed it back to William. She looked at me and said, “It’s beautiful.” I felt a little better, but there was an unmistakable tension in the air, like someone wanted to tell me something but didn’t know how.

“Ow!” Lauren grabbed her belly, smiling. “The baby is kicking, quite aggressively,” she said.

I noticed the paperweight from the night before sitting on the table. I must have forgotten to put it away. I picked it up just as Lauren asked me if I wanted to feel the baby kick. I had never known anyone who was pregnant before, never mind felt an unborn baby kick. So, she took my hand and put it to her belly. After a couple of seconds, the baby kicked hard. I immediately smiled; it was very cool. To think something that’s not even born yet could kick me was unbelievable.

As I turned my gaze to William, I noticed something in the paperweight, like a flash. It was a baby, a baby boy. I had to look twice. I was frozen. I looked from one hand holding the paperweight to the other hand holding Laurens belly, and I let go of them both as though they were on fire. I was trying to make sense of what had happened. Was I seeing things? It seemed so real. What was happening?

Everyone was on their feet, alert, like they knew what was going on but weren’t sure what to do. “This can’t be real! Proof, I need proof,” I thought, unable to speak or even move. As if Lauren heard me, she spoke to me. She said, “Everything is going to be okay. We will help you come to terms with who you really are.”