There Will Be Freedom (not mine)

23. The Time that Passes

MADDIE POV

The summer months always seemed to pass the quickest to me. Maybe it was like that for everyone, so you learn to appreciate the warm weather and blooming flowers and chirping birds at a young age. You know it's only a matter of time before the harshness of winter descends.

This year, like all the other years, was no different. The end of May drifted into the pleasant heat of June, which then transformed into the scorching fires of July. I didn't even realize that the months had sped up until I checked the calendarto pencil in my OBGYN appointment dates. That's how I lived my life now. On the babies' schedule.

I had just hit the five-month mark. 20 weeks.

Every day brought new and exciting developments in my pregnancy. I was getting bigger, for sure. I was tempted to just throw out all of my "regular" clothes because I never wanted to see them again. I couldn't even wear jeans anymore. They were too restricting and hard to take off when I had to pee. On top of that, I was always eating. I couldn't stop. I just had to consume food, because it was never enough. Thankfully, I had Justin who kept me on some sort of a diet so I wouldn't be the size of a house.

At night, before I went to bed, I would stand in front of the mirror and rub my belly. It was a cute thing that stuck out at a smooth angle. I could still see my feet so that was a plus, but I knew that soon enough, I would be waddling through the house with a stomach that probably wouldn't be able to fit through the front door.

One of the best things about the pregnancy was the kicks I felt. They made me smile every time. At first, I thought it was just gas. Then light fluttering started to pass across my back and I had no idea what was happening to me. I rushed to the doctor and he laughed, telling me that it was just the babies' responses. They were growing.

Soon, the fluttering turned to light taps, almost like a soft drumbeat. I placed Justin's hand on my stomach, but he couldn't feel them. Neither could anyone else. The doctor said that was normal. They would just have to wait until later to feel, but I loved it. Sometimes I would just sit in bed and let the kicks take over. There were two sets of feet so I expected more movement as the months went on.

I was healthy. The babies were healthy. All was well.

The ding of our doorbell brought me out of my thoughts, and I jerked back to reality, putting the baby book I was reading down on the kitchen table. I walked into the foyer, and then stopped when I noticed that my body was moving from side to side.

There goes that waddle...

I was determined to just keep going with one foot in front of the other. It immediately corrected my gait, but felt less comfortable.

I looked at the small screen on the side of the door to see Olivia and Bridget, both nearly bouncing on my front steps.

"Hurry up, Maddie. This stuff is heavy," Bridget complained.

I opened the door and the rushed in carrying bags and boxes.

"Did you forget that it was Giornata?" Olivia pouted.

Food Day...

About once a month, Olivia, Bridget, and I got together to just cook. It was a massive undertaking, and it usually took all day, from the early morning until late at night. We would make pasta sauces, cheeses, breads, cured meats, and all kinds of assorted Italian favorites. Then the food would be divvied up and each family got a generous portion of the feast. We would eat off of it until the next month when we'd do the same thing again. It was a ritual. A constant day to catch up and stay connected.