Covenant (A Lapidot Fanfiction)

Chapter 22: Terror

Another X on my calendar. It was the middle of July. Lapis was five months along. She no longer felt inclined to hide her baby bump. At this point, it was quite noticeable. I was glad that she had stopped trying to hide it. I had been worrying that she would keep feeling self conscious about it and would try to hide it at nine months. That would be impossible. Just to my luck, she finally embraced it. When she looked in the mirror in the morning, it was to cradle the bump and feel it. She always looked so excited. I felt the same excitement, but I still felt anxiety in the back of my mind. Something could happen. It was always a possibility. I was always monitoring Lapis. Asking her if she was alright, tending to her wants and needs, and keeping her warm. So far, we hadn't experienced any complications. It gave me a sense of confidence. This was going well.

It was when I heard the brief chattering of teeth and a shaky breath that I rushed to the living room. Lapis was shivering, hugging herself to gather any warmth. I sat with her and wrapped a blanket around us. She soon stopped shivering and laid her head on my chest. Then she fell asleep. Her cold spells puzzled me. It was the middle of summer.

"Cold again?" Mom asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah," I answered. "I don't understand why. It's the middle of July."

"She's pregnant, Peridot," Mom replied. "She can't help it."

I looked down at Lapis. She was peacefully sleeping with a smile on her face. I held her closer to me and kissed her head. I needed to keep her sleeping peacefully.

"Can I get anything for you two?" Mom asked.

"No," I answered. "We're fine. Really, we need to stop mooching off of you. I need to build a log cabin on the beach for Lapis and I."

"I'm sure she would love that," Mom responded. "But could you build it fast enough?"

"Please," I scoffed. "A race car couldn't keep up with me."

"You may need to build it a little better than your other one," Mom said. "Not that the other one is bad, but you need some more things if it's going to be your permanent home. Maybe you should install bigger windows and add some heaters and air conditioners. You're gonna be taking care of a wife and child in that house."

"Hopefully this one will be our only child," I replied. "So I can make the house small."

"I would ask Lapis about that before considering it," Mom said.

"Yeah," I responded.

I began to think about it. According to Mom, if I was going to build this house I was imagining, that meant I needed more—and different—materials. Materials I didn't have. Materials I couldn't make. I suppose if I ran fast enough, I could turn part of the beach into glass, but I wouldn't want Lapis to end up stepping on that. I would have to buy the panes myself, along with the air conditioners. I would need more money for that. Money I would earn myself.

I heard Lapis wake up and sniffle. Immediately, I felt panicked.

"Are you okay?!" I asked. "Do you need anything?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lapis answered. "And I think I'm alright at the moment."

She tiredly laid her head on my chest again. I could see the tiredness in her face. Her cheeks weren't flushed with their usual pink color to make up for how pale she was. Instead, they looked more on the purple side. How had she gotten so exhausted? How had I not noticed before? She suddenly began to shiver again. Instinctively, I held her closer, but the shivering continued. She needed more sleep. If she weren't as tired, she'd be able to regulate her body temperature.