To Build A Home

Chapter 9- Don't Panic

"You're quiet active today, aren't you?" Krolia asked her child, moving her hand along the surface of her stomach, smiling as she felt them respond with a few gentle kicks.
Two weeks into her third and final trimester, and things were going smoothly. At thirty weeks, she has just under three months until her baby arrives, and she could not be happier.
"Don't do anything too crazy..." she whispered pleadingly. "It's just Mama at home now."
Steven had left earlier than normal in hopes to come home earlier as well. He had called in saying he had some 'things' to do at home and would like to take the morning shift to have the rest of the day off. It was no surprise that he was allowed to make this sudden change, he was a good man, a hard worker, and tremendously skilled at what he did. He was, in a sense, the favorite.
In recent days, Krolia had gotten into the habit of listening to the radio or watching the news. Not the usual, searching for danger type of listening, this was more so for personal comfort. The music selections of this planet were not her taste, thus she stuck with broadcasted news to distract herself from the fact that she was alone.
Even now, the portable radio was on, at a quiet volume, but still turned on.
Krolia often found herself in the nursery. Not because of nesting instincts, but instead, by choice. It had a comforting aura to it. Which is a good thing. If it can keep Krolia calm, even with all of her mood swings and discomfort, then it would be a perfect environment for a child. Their child.
Taking a seat in the rocking chair by the window—a type of chair she still found rather odd— she gazed out at the desert around her. The usual sights, sand, rocks, hills, shrubs and cacti. This was all she knew. Krolia was aware that Earth had much more than this, she knew of the forests and the plains, the oceans and the beaches, the mountains and the caves. She knew it all existed, and a part of her wanted to see it all, with Steven and their child. Though she adored where she lived, she still longed to see the rest of the planet. But she is Galra, not human. Their child is part Galra, not full human. The two might never get to leave this house.
She ran a hand over her abdomen, "I promise you this," she began, her voice soft and caring, "one day, you and I will venture out into the world. We'll experience it all. And maybe, when it's safe, I'll take you to see the stars..."
Her baby seemed to like her talking to them, as they moved about at the sound of her voice.
"You like that too, don't you?" Krolia let a giggle escape her lips as she smiled down at her round stomach. "I'll keep that promise. I will take you on an adventure one day. Maybe soon, maybe when you're all grown up, maybe when I'm all old and stiff. It won't matter to me. I will take you on a tour of the word."
Although Steven would most definitely disagree with her views, Krolia very much so like the idea of seeing more of their planet than just the desert.
"We'll start small," she told her unborn child, "seeing the Blue Lion is a must. Maybe the two of you will even grow close..."
There were two ways that statement could be taken. Bonding with a lion meant becoming its Paladin. A paladin is something Krolia did not want her son or daughter to be. The war was no place for a child of hers. But on the other hand, if her child grew up with the knowledge of the lion, maybe they would help protect it. That was what she hoped, since protecting a Voltron Lion on Earth was a simple task.
   "Your father is not a fan of us going outside of the house," she informed her child, shaking her head slowly, "but Mama will find a way to convince him."
   Krolia knew the chances of Steven ever letting her leave the desert were slim. He had been growing more and more protective of her and their child in recent weeks. It was most noticeable in the ways in which he treated and spoke to her. There was obvious change in his reactions to the smallest things. As of last week, it seemed as though even a tiny kick from the child was enough to worry him. Steven was clearly going through some sort of pre parental panic attack. Krolia's limited movement due to the size of her stomach only worsened Steven's worries. He wouldn't allow her to put away the groceries or unload the dishwasher, much less leave the house until their child was strong and healthy enough to go across the desert.
   Her child repositioned themselves into a position that was terribly uncomfortable for Krolia. She felt the walls of her uterus being stretched far too much by her baby's feet. Krolia let a deep groan escape her lips as she sat up straight, rubbing her stomach in an attempt to get them to move.
   Normally, Steven would be the one to massage her back and calm the child, but he is not here. For the past three weeks, she had been having worsening back pain and awful discomfort in her abdomen. Knowing nothing of these feelings, she had asked Steven about it. His explanation was simple. Terrifying, but simple. The infant was reaching its final size, limiting the open space around it substantially. Plus, her body was simply readying itself for labor, a long, painful, inevitable, and exhausting task.
   "You just had to stretch out, didn't you...?" Krolia took a deep breath, feeling an immense amount of pressure build on her back. "Really...? Are you sure you want to do that? You know Mama absolutely hates when you stretch out like that." She continued to breath through the pain, hoping it'd stop sooner rather than later.
   After seemingly endless minutes of massaging the underside of her abdomen and sitting in multiple positions in desperate attempts to rid herself of the pain, the unborn child finally relaxed.
   Krolia felt them move their feet, pushing just hard enough to make an imprint on her skin.
   Acknowledging the child's new position, she rested her hand over the point at which she felt their protruding feet.
   "You can relax now... Trust me... Mama is well aware that you're in there..."