My shelter from the storm

Chapter 7

Raven

It was two agonizing days before I could go home. We'd have to stay with my parents until I was capable of getting around for myself. With my fractured left wrist and multiple fractures in my left leg, it's at least three months before I can use crutches. By then we should be okay to go home.

My mom had set up the guest room on the first floor for me so I wouldn't have to climb the stairs. The only problem is there's another storm tonight and it's not soundproof for Anita. Having to sleep two nights without me and I knew she'd deal with the sound of thunder than sleep another night away from me.

She was currently helping me get comfortable in my parents living room, elevating my leg. Though we didn't have eye contact at the moment I could still see the battle of emotions in her eyes. I take her hand from fluffing the pillow under my leg and her eyes flick up to meet mine. Pooled tears threaten to roll down her cheeks as I watch her lower lip tremble, fighting against her crippling emotions.

I gently pull on her arm and she doesn't hesitate to take the spot on my right side. I wrap my arm around her as she sniffles, trying to fight the tears that fell against her will. I let my hand up the back of her shirt and her breaths shutter at the contact.

I kiss the top of her head as Lexi walks in with my mother. My mother smiles lightly and comes over to cover us with a light blanket. She tucks hair from Anita's face before kissing her forehead. "We'll let her sleep," my mother says quietly, adjusting the pillow under my leg.

"Mom, Anita already thoroughly fluffed the pillow, thank you," I say in a soothing whisper as I notice8 tears in her eyes.

"You weren't here Ray, listening to her cries, her begging for you to be able to come home," she says in a wavering whisper. "Watching her cuddle with Amelia at night with this lost, distant look in her eyes, unable to sleep."

A rumble of thunder sounding like a booming cannon made me jump a little, catching me off guard, but Anita didn't so much as flinch. She just snuggles closer to me with her head over the beat of my chest before letting out a content sigh. Moments later Amelia comes running in and cuddles at Anita's back with her head on Anita's waist. She reaches her small hand up Anita's shirt, letting it rest on her stomach.

She shutters a calming breath as she instantly falls asleep. I felt my throat constrict as I fought the urge to break down. Tears literally stung as I tried hard not to expel them with thoughts of what they could be going through if I had died a few days ago. Judging by how my mother described how Anita was while not being able to sleep and begging for me to come home.

I woke up with Anita lightly trailing her finger over my facial features. Her eyes were following the motion of her finger, tracing the scar above my eyebrow. Her eyes meet mine and I could see passion burning in them. Anita rarely ever needed words to express her feelings, at least not with me. I could always read it in her eyes.

I raise my right hand to caress her face and she immediately leans into the contact. Her eyes close, as if admitting my touch to memory or to just embrace this moment, a blessing on its own. When her eyes open a moment later a different emotion had bled over the passion that once filled them, but it was still here, deep in those cobalt eyes.

Relief could be seen as clear as words on a page. I knew better than to ask what was bothering her to wake me the way she did or why her sudden switch in emotions. It wasn't hard to guess her reasons because I already knew the answers.

These last few days have been extremely emotional for her and I couldn't blame her for feeling the way she did. I almost died in less than a day we learned that she was pregnant and after I asked for her hand in marriage.