Rock Valley

“Not now darling”

Aideen spoke to her daughter, who was whaling on the floor, waiting to be picked up. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching her husband prepare the babies breakfast. Caleb was more than any girl could ever hope for, and she was about to test his patience once more. Aideen had something to say to him, and she knew he would not like it.

“Caleb? Husband, do you have a moment?” she spoke softly, thoughts rushing through her head about how he would respond. She knew what they had said, the women, when she had given birth to Maerwyn eleven months ago. They had explained to the young woman that she should not tempt her husband any longer. That it was no longer her duty to oblige him, but to refuse him, if she wanted to be able to raise her child and serve her husband longer than the nine months it would take her to carry next babe to term.

And here she was, ready to confess to him that the one night neither of them could refuse the other, the one night since the dreadful evening of Maerwynn’s birth when she had nearly lost her life giving her daughter hers, that that night she conceived her husband’s first and probably last child.

She closed her eyes before she spoke, hoping that she would find the right words. She had grown to love him so very dearly in those past few years that the thought of leaving him, even if it meant she would be able to go to heaven hurt her more than any weapon could.

She sighed, trying to get enough air in her lungs to speak in one breath, for she knew that if she would have to stop in the middle of what she was about to say, that she wouldn’t be able to say it ever again. This was to painful, more so as it should be a moment of great joy, for she had just felt the new life quicken inside her and her unborn child made every attempt to make its presence known.

“What’s wrong wife?” Caleb asked, sounding both defensive and worried. She didn’t know what was going through his head, what he believed was wrong with her. She knew she would have to break his heart in a few moments, tell him that he probably would be a widower in a mere six months. That he would not only be raising his own little baby by himself but that he would also have to care for his wife’s illegitimate child, fathered by a man that was now considered dead to the world.

“I’m with child.” She blurted out, forgetting about everything she had prepared to say to soften the blow for him and make him feel less abandoned. For she did not want to abandon him, not in a million years. She had vowed to honor and obey him and for herself, she had vowed to protect and love him for as long as he would live. Not for as long as she would.

He smiled a sad smile as the consequences passed his mind. She saw that he realized she would be leaving him, once the babe would be born.
“Three months.” He spoke, knowing exactly when he had gotten this child upon her. “Six months” he then repeated, his eyes glistering with tears.

He embraced her with all his might, as if he was already trying to hold on to her while death was tearing her away from him.

But then all of the sudden he let her go.
“NO!” he screamed. “I am not going to accept this wife. Aideen, my darling, my love. We are going to fight this. You will have our baby and you are going to live to see it get married and have children of it’s own. You are not leaving me, do you hear me!”

She let her tears flow freely. She wanted to do everything he said, she had vowed to do everything he said, but she knew it would be impossible, yet she did not say so. “I’ll try, my husband. I’ll try.” She spoke between her tears. “I’ll try.”

He dried her tears with his hand and then gently placed his hands on her slightly swollen abdomen and sat down before her.

“You there, little one. Don’t hurt your mommy, do you hear me? I am your father and you’ll get a good whipping before you even get your first feeding if you hurt her in any way. Understand!” he said, before embracing her and gently laying his head against her stomach, kissing it between tears. She could do nothing but cry with him.