Chapter 14
Pregnancy was not glamorous. Felicity didn't think it would be, but that was more because she had not thought much about it than anything else. She had some very intense morning sickness that stretched into all day sickness. Having a knowledgeable witch around who helped with nutrion and suspicious elixirs that Felicity usually just dumped down the toilet was helpful. Rosa seemed to know exactly what to do when it came to pregnancy, or at least pregnancies of the supernatural variety.
Having Rosa around was nice, but it wasn't the same. Felicity was not prepared emotionally to have a baby. Demitri being gone made the situation worse. She had no way to communicate news of her pregnancy to him and she still didn't know where he was or if he was in danger. Pregnancy was even harder alone, and as she slowly passed milestones that Demitri would never witness, it was impossible to forget how alone she was.
Though Rosa had promised to give Felicity some magical training, she had yet to go through with it. Felicity was too often fatigued, and after some research, Rosa decided it would be better for Felicity to wait until after she gave birth to try her hand at magic.
Instead of actually trying to make potions or cast spells, Felicity read books about babies and belladonna and translations of long spells written in obsolete languages.
When she wasn't reading, Felicity painted. The days passed with litte variation, stretching and molding themselves into weeks and later, months.
With the first snowmelt came the first flutterings in Felicity's belly. She rushed to share the moment with Rosa, the delight on the other woman's face echoing her own. Every small kick sent a little rush of unmitigated joy through Felicity, quickly followed by the realization that Demitri would not get to experience this with her.
Spring came to Hidden Springs, bringing with it a hoard of tourists that occasionally wandered out to the edges of town where Rosa lived. The air still held a hint of coolness and sometimes the nights were downright cold, but the flowers were blooming and there was no more snow.
Since the weather was warmer, Felicity began to spend more time outside. She loved to look at the flowers and feel the sun on her skin. Her last spring had primarily been spent in a basement, making this one even more precious. Felicity still had her fears abou Jackson, but there had been no problems in the last few months. Rosa's ward was working well. Though she doubted she would ever feel completely safe again, Felicity felt as secure as she ever would in Hidden Springs.
Her days continued to go by, each one almsot exactly like the one before it.
Sometimes the monotony of waiting was too much for Felicity. She was waiting for a baby she wasn't ready for but already wanted more than anything, waiting for Demitri to come back to her in one piece. What was that saying? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Felicity no longer had any lingering doubts about her feelings for Demitri. There were some that she didn't know existed until she had time to think about them. Now all Felicity wanted was for him to be with her, and to be safe.
Spring melted into summer. Rosa's cooking was improving by leaps and bounds. Felicity gladly ate whatever was put in front of her, her nausea a thing of the past. It had been replaced by an intense fatigue.
When Felicity wasn't painting...
...she was sleeping.
One evening as Rosa cooked dinner and Felicity napped on the couch, Felicity was jolted awake by the opening of the front door. Blinking sleep out of her eyes, Felicity realized it was Kennedy. It had been ages since she had seen the blond vampire. Kennedy departed shortly after Demitri and this was her first time visiting since.
Felicity hauled herself to her feet as quickly as she could, which was not very quickly at all. Kennedy stared at her in shock.
"Whose is it?" she asked hostilely. Felicity recoiled, one arm circling protectively around her belly.
"You know whose. It's only ever been him." Felicity hissed, angry that Kennedy would even entertain the thought that there had ever been anyone but Demitri.
"Whose is it?" she asked hostilely. Felicity recoiled, one arm circling protectively around her belly.
"You know whose. It's only ever been him." Felicity hissed, angry that Kennedy would even entertain the thought that there had ever been anyone but Demitri.
Rosa hurried over, her presence doing little to diffuse the tension. "Why don't we go and have a nice chat." Rosa said, crowding Kennedy towards the door. "Felicity, dinner is ready and the stove's off. I'll be back once Kennedy and I have gotten caught up."
Felicity didn't see Kennedy again. Rosa had explained the situation and Kennedy, still not entirely believing that Felicity was pregnant with Demitri's child, thought it would be best if she just left. Felicity took a break from painting long enough to put the finishing touches on the nursery. Rosa bought a vampire teddy bear as a gag, eliciting a seldom heard laugh from Felicity. She was sure the baby would love any teddy bear, especially one with such a delightful cape.
The summer heat had reached its peak as Felicity reached the end of her third trimester. She felt as big as a horse and her back was always killing her. The longing she felt for Demitri settled, leaving a dull ache in her chest. The night had been particularly rough. The baby moved around like crazy, keeping Felicity from getting any sleep.
She took the opportunity to watch the sunrise and enjoy the peacefulness of the morning. Once the baby came there would be very few moments like these.
She spent the rest of the morning working on one last painting for the baby's room. She would have to push to get it finished in time.
Later she went out and checked the mail as she had done every day since the day of Demitri's departure. Her heart lept into her throat as she pulled put a battered postcard covered in stamps that read I'm on my way. -Demitri It was the first thing he'd sent her since the week after she left.
Rubbing her belly, Felicity whispered to the child inside. "Did you hear that? Daddy's coming home."
The next day Felicity felt restless. She wandered around the house, picking up and putting down her paints several times before deciding to read a book.
Felicity jolted awake when a piercing pain shot through her stomach.
Demitri was on his way home, but their child wasn't going to wait any longer. Staggering to her feet, Felicity called out for Rosa. The baby was coming, and it was coming now.
Thirteen long hours later Felicity gave birth. Rosa delivered the baby and made sure she was healthy. She also checked to see what exactly what the baby was.
Felicity had given birth to a completely healthy, completely human, baby girl.