The Dawn of Autumn

When September Ends (I)

A/N: At long last. Here we are. Previously on 'The Dawn of Autumn': Hot girl on bike steals Queen Bee's heart. Hell's Angel makes it her mission to protect her Uptown Girl. Uptown Girl makes it her life mission to do the same. Some crazy stuff happens. Hidden secrets, deadly enemies, past trauma, babies (what?!), and all that jazz. But these two girls belong together, and nothing can tear them apart.

From bike rides to the rollercoaster ride of life, love, pain, and sacrifice...these characters have taken quite the journey. Thanks for trusting me to handle that journey. Thanks for coming along.

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Chapter 46:

When September Ends

The week before summer ended Alison and Emily were trying to get Autumn adjusted to a new sleep schedule. It was not going as planned. Every time Autumn made a noise they couldn't resist the urge to check on her. They couldn't help themselves. It was usually Alison who broke first.

One of her favorite things to do was go get the baby when Emily got up for work in the morning. She would bring her back to their bed and lay down with her, watching her, conversing with her without words. Staring into Autumn's eyes was like being transported to an entirely different world. Alison didn't know what love was until she'd become a mother.

Autumn had spent almost ten months inside of Emily, getting to know her intimately. Alison had done her best to connect to the baby, but there had been long stretches of time when she wasn't around. During the pregnancy she couldn't lay in bed with her every night or share her every meal. Emily had been with the baby constantly. She had carried her for nearly 300 days. Their bodies had been physically connected, and that created a strong emotional bond. That was the art of pregnancy. Now, Alison was making up for lost time, connecting to her in her own way.

Alison laid Autumn down on her back in their bed. Alison was on her side, propped up on her elbow and smiling down at her daughter. She lied with her for a few minutes, the two of them looking at one another, having a quiet conversation.

Autumn's brow was creased in concentration, her mouth forming a little "o" shape. After a few seconds a wide grin broke out on her face and a string of giggles filled the room. It was like a light-bulb had gone off in her head. She recognized her mama.

Alison loved it when Autumn smiled at her. It was her favorite thing in the world.

A soft rumble of thunder from outside startled the baby, but Alison regained her attention by tickling her bare feet. She picked them up and pretended to eat her toes. Autumn howled in laughter. Alison blew raspberries against the bottoms of her feet and then made a silly face at her. Autumn's laughter got louder.

Alison was so lost in her own little world that she didn't hear Emily coming towards the room.

The brunette paused when she reached the entryway. She leaned against the door frame, her hands cupping a mug of hot coffee as she watched Alison watching Autumn. Of all the beautiful sights she'd seen in her life, nothing came close to seeing her daughter smiling at the love of her life. There was a certain magic to their bond that defined a love so powerful that it defied nature itself.

There was a tugging sensation in her chest.

My heart.

That's what her family was to her. Her heart.

Images of the past year flashed through her mind. She reflected on the isolating loneliness she'd felt after moving back to town. Autumn had been the tiniest bean, barely larger than a grain of rice. Alison had been a shrewd ice princess that seemed impossible to thaw. Yet that tiny little human and the frozen queen came together in a magnificent way. They were a deeper part of her, a part she would not be able to exist without.