Sincerely, Aurora [completed]

~Thirteen~

Jude Christopher Brahm,

I'm still here. I'm still curled up under your arm, against your side, head pressed to your heart.

I know that soon your nurse will come to check in on you and will make me get up, but until then, I'm just going to hold on. Let the future come as it will, but until it kicks me in the rear I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere.

I'm not going anywhere.

That's a promise, Jude. Solemn as the grave, I promise that it's a promise.

Wake up for me? We can scare the nurse together, if you'll agree to it.

She wouldn't know what to think.

It would be hilarious.

It would be wonderful.

~ ~ ~

I was seven weeks along, according to the doctor, the day after I discovered that I was pregnant.

(You were so enthusiastic about finding a doctor and 'doing things right.' You were precious.)

And on this particular day I was nearly twelve weeks along, sitting in the passenger seat of our car.

We were slowly but surely making our way back to North Carolina, where our parents waited with baited breath for their children and grandchild to come home.

You held my hand in yours as you drove, smiling a soft smile as you watched the road.

I studied you for a moment before looking outside as well, to the boring landscape. (Do you remember how visually enrapturing Kansas was? Me neither.)

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, wishing we were done driving for the day.

I no longer suffered from morning sickness, but I was far from feeling entirely comfortable. I'm not sure what it was, but I just wasn't able to get comfortable.

"How are you doing?" you asked, glancing over to smile at me.

"Good," I said softly, grabbing a bottle of water from the center console. "But thirsty."

I took a couple of sips, sighing.

Then, there was a fluttering in my stomach like butterflies.

I sat perfectly still as the sensation continued, not even blinking. It tickled a little bit, honestly, just the lightest touch brushing around inside of me.

"Jude," I whispered, still perfectly still.

"What?" you asked, glancing over.

"I think... I think the baby's moving."

"Wait, really?" You almost drove off the road.

I laughed a bit and the fluttering stopped. "Yeah... but it's stopped, now." I looked up at you and grinned.

You grinned, too, watching the road. "But... didn't the doctor say you wouldn't start feeling it until like twenty weeks. This is only week twelve, right?"

"Tomorrow it'll be twelve weeks. But you know, people and babies don't always do what the doctor says. Some people--even with their first babies--can feel movement as early as ten weeks."

"Wow."

I laughed softly. "Yeah, wow."

The inside of the car was quiet for a moment, then you reached over and took my hand. "Are you happy?"

"I'm very happy," I said softly, turning my head to smile at you. "And are you?"

You grinned, took a deep breath. "I'm happy. But I want you to be happy, first."