Fluuuff
Zeetha walked down the street, tips of her fingers lightly touching her belly from time to time. Time would have told on its own, but she had found herself far too impatient to wait. Children were something that she had both always assumed she would have, but something she had not given much thought to. Once producing heirs was such a given, you really had no need to think of it further, it happened when it happened, when your mother began pressuring you that now was the time. As such, she had really given little thought to whether she was excited about children or not, when would be the right time to have them, and how one had that sort of a discussion with another person.
Every now and then, as she spent time with Jyuushirou, and she watched him interacting with children she would think to herself that he was the sort who would make a good father. Good choice of a mate, she would commend herself, and then the thought would drop out of her mind. Children were for the future, definitely. She had no doubt she would be getting there one day, but she was in no particular hurry to rush things.
But then she had found herself late, and while it was certainly not the first time it had happened, an odd sort of feeling nagged her, and she couldn't tell if it was an instinct or a wish.
What if she was pregnant? Did she want to be pregnant?
Her fingers strayed down to her belly again, protectively. Realizing what she was doing, she yanked them away before people started thinking she was disturbed. She could pat her belly later, in private. Right now there was nothing there to see, nothing bigger than the head of a pin, anyway. Nothing big enough to be a presence. But she still felt different, and that more than anything else was why she had trusted the healer-mage when she had waved her staff over her still-flat belly and made the pronouncement.
She had realized right away that she was happy it was Jyuushirou's, trusting with a reckless optimism that her own sturdy health would assure the child would not be prone to fits of sickness like its father. She was excited to see what kind of person the two of them would produce, excited to get to know the little being that would be slowly waking up inside her.
She wondered what Jyuu's response would be. No matter what, she was happy for this small life, but she understood that even if he did like children, his culture still wasn't the same as hers. They didn't deal with childbirth or families in the same way. In his culture, people married first, and then they had babies. Ideally with the person they married, though she had learned that despite all the social controls they might apply this was not always the way it happened. When it didn't, it was shameful, and she knew Jyuushirou was a proud man.
The corners of her mouth turned down, and a feather of doubt rose in her stomach, the sensation people here called butterfly wings. That would be the sticking point. She hoped it was something they could have a reasonable discussion about, but it might be best to give him time to calm down. It was difficult to think that her news might not be greeted with unequivocal joy, but that was one of many sadnesses one became somewhat inured to living in a place where so many things could seem to be backwards.
She worried her lower lip a bit with her teeth as she let herself in, her satisfaction slipping into something like nervousness. She knew it was a good thing, and she felt herself growing a bit stubborn about that to bolster herself up. Whatever happened, the child would be a good thing. Still, he had been a good thing, too, she did not want to let go of him, either.
"Jyuushirou, are you here?" She knew he should be, but once again she found she had no patience just then, not even to look around a corner.
Every now and then, as she spent time with Jyuushirou, and she watched him interacting with children she would think to herself that he was the sort who would make a good father. Good choice of a mate, she would commend herself, and then the thought would drop out of her mind. Children were for the future, definitely. She had no doubt she would be getting there one day, but she was in no particular hurry to rush things.
But then she had found herself late, and while it was certainly not the first time it had happened, an odd sort of feeling nagged her, and she couldn't tell if it was an instinct or a wish.
What if she was pregnant? Did she want to be pregnant?
Her fingers strayed down to her belly again, protectively. Realizing what she was doing, she yanked them away before people started thinking she was disturbed. She could pat her belly later, in private. Right now there was nothing there to see, nothing bigger than the head of a pin, anyway. Nothing big enough to be a presence. But she still felt different, and that more than anything else was why she had trusted the healer-mage when she had waved her staff over her still-flat belly and made the pronouncement.
She had realized right away that she was happy it was Jyuushirou's, trusting with a reckless optimism that her own sturdy health would assure the child would not be prone to fits of sickness like its father. She was excited to see what kind of person the two of them would produce, excited to get to know the little being that would be slowly waking up inside her.
She wondered what Jyuu's response would be. No matter what, she was happy for this small life, but she understood that even if he did like children, his culture still wasn't the same as hers. They didn't deal with childbirth or families in the same way. In his culture, people married first, and then they had babies. Ideally with the person they married, though she had learned that despite all the social controls they might apply this was not always the way it happened. When it didn't, it was shameful, and she knew Jyuushirou was a proud man.
The corners of her mouth turned down, and a feather of doubt rose in her stomach, the sensation people here called butterfly wings. That would be the sticking point. She hoped it was something they could have a reasonable discussion about, but it might be best to give him time to calm down. It was difficult to think that her news might not be greeted with unequivocal joy, but that was one of many sadnesses one became somewhat inured to living in a place where so many things could seem to be backwards.
She worried her lower lip a bit with her teeth as she let herself in, her satisfaction slipping into something like nervousness. She knew it was a good thing, and she felt herself growing a bit stubborn about that to bolster herself up. Whatever happened, the child would be a good thing. Still, he had been a good thing, too, she did not want to let go of him, either.
"Jyuushirou, are you here?" She knew he should be, but once again she found she had no patience just then, not even to look around a corner.