Sharing the Vagabond 》Desna x OC x Eska

Chapter Twelve: Parturition

By the time the heirs to the Northern Water Tribe were ready to enter the world, their mother was positively miserable.

Surpassing the expectations of the healers, Kaida had managed to carry the twins to full term, which was a collective effort between her and her spouses. Desna and Eska had been waiting on her hand and foot, helping her with practically everything and doing most things for her, as well as ensuring that she remained as stress-free as possible. They insisted upon frequent prenatal massages, spa days at least once a week, and they encouraged her fondness of the Spirit Portal, as it brought her a great deal of peace. All three of them were all quite pleased that their little buns had stayed in the oven for a full forty weeks, but being extremely pregnant with twins left Kaida monumentally uncomfortable.

Kaida's back ached incessantly as soon as her bump began to show, her feet and hands were persistently swollen even with the healer's treatments, the nausea never fully went away and was still triggered by certain smells, she was constantly horribly fatigued, hot flashes were a frequent occurrence, and worst of all, it was difficult to do anything due to her massive belly.

At six months, Kaida looked to be nine months along with one baby, so by the time she was full term, she felt like an elephant-koi. She couldn't help Desna and Eska with the nurseries, after their architectural team added a room onto each of their bedrooms, because if she sat on the floor while she did so, she was unable to get back up without assistance, and she couldn't help construct the wooden cribs with her belly in the way. Both of her spouses wanted her input on the setup and design of the nurseries though, so the very first thing they added to each room was a glider chair – as Malina recommended they have one, for when they're rocking the babies to sleep – and Kaida would sit there while the twins worked.

And, even though Kaida felt unyieldingly atrocious, Desna and Eska both thought she was absolutely beautiful, and they made it a point to remind her of that frequently. Without fail, every morning, Kaida would do one final check of her clothing and hair in the mirror before beginning her day, and this was usually when the negative thoughts about her changing physical appearance would set in. Also without fail, every time Desna witnessed her evaluating her appearance in the mirror, he would walk up behind her, kiss her temple, and tell her she looked "lovely" or "enchanting" or "ethereal" – whatever word happened to come to mind that day – always with his hands rubbing small circles on her lower belly, prompting kicks in response from his baby. The way it made her smile and the kiss she'd give him in response made Desna feel butterflies in his stomach, just like when he'd first met her, so it was just as much for his benefit as it was for hers.

Eska's compliments were more randomized. Sometimes she'd catch Kaida reading alone, so Eska would walk up to her, tilt her chin up, tell her she looks gorgeous, and press a kiss to her lips before carrying on about her business. Most mornings, ever since Kaida became pregnant, Eska was the first to wake up, so she'd lay there with her palm flat against her wife's upper belly, feeling all the adorable movement from her baby until Kaida woke up, and Eska would ensure that the first thing Kaida heard that day was that she was beautiful. Other times, the two would be in the middle of a conversation and Eska would grow quiet, admiring the way Kaida's eyes would light up when they'd talk about their child, the way she'd talk with one hand waving in the air but the other always rested on her belly, how her hair framed her face so nicely. When Kaida would ask if Eska was alright, confused by how quiet her wife had become, Eska would reply, "Of course I'm alright. I have the most gorgeous wife in the world."

Despite how loved Kaida felt throughout the duration of her pregnancy, when the healer declared that she had made it to full term, she was more than ready to get the babies out. She had assumed that it wouldn't be that hard, as most women gave birth to twins weeks before their due date. But Kaida had waddled her way around the entirety of the palace several times, she'd eaten the spiciest meals the North had to offer, she'd spent hours bouncing on some yoga ball that the healer said may induce labor – nothing. Their babies refused to make their debut, and Kaida was getting progressively more exasperated.