Forbidden: Afterglow

Chapter 3

-NINFA'S P.O.V-

   I have never been so worried. Never. I know it has to do with Skylar and this baby.
    If Valerie over uses her magic and harms the baby, she will never forgive herself. Never. And that's what worries most.
"So I sent a message out to everyone from the office computer. All people understand the new schedule. The territories say they can ration with what they have left. I'll do around this area and then the fairy territory."
"Say hi to Codes for me."
"I will, love."
"Thank you for taking it easy."
"I almost always obey your wishes."
"I know you do. Which is a big reason why I love you."
"Ha. That's a big reason you love me, hm? That sounds so wrong."
"I love you cause your mine. Well, I love you for a lot more reasons than that but it's a long list that is far too long to name each."
"I love you too, Nin."
    I feel her disconnect and I know she's working. I pull Emma closer to me as she sleeps. And she has no problem with nuzzling close to me.
    I love my family. My babies lay with me and let me hold them. I don't think I could live without small moments like this.
    Falling asleep is easy. Easy with my littleEm in my arms. I enjoy the warmth as it pushes me to sleep.

    A poke to my side wakes me. Constantly jabbing my side. I open my eyes to a smiling Emma as she constantly pokes me.
"Em.."
"Bathroom."
"Ah. Okay." I get up and help her into the bathroom.
"I big girl." She says and jumps on the toilet.
    Sitting on the counter and waiting for her. I summon my phone and search through the monster web. Like Facebook but for monster. No human can find the app, nor could they see our planet.
"I'm tired. What are you doing?"
"Pretending not to watch our daughter poo. Life is good."
    I swear I can hear her laughing. I fucking swear that I can.
"Momma. Help."
"Fucking save me."
"We're going to have another baby and you're complaining ..."
"Nooo. Shhh."
    I help Emma. Even though she literally had a can of disinfectant spray and sprayed the whole can all over. It's terrible but I try not to choke on the pineforest shit parade.
"You realize you said that in our connection. Pineforest shit parade."
"Hey. Listen. You're not the one wiping your 3 year olds ass. Okay. You're at work. When her next shit comes, you're wiping her ass."
    Emma clings onto me as soon as she's done washing her hands with me. I head downstairs. Walking into Charley. Cooking.
"Hey, Charley."
"Hey, Ninfa. How are you doing?"
"I'm alright. You? You doing better?"
"Y..Yeah. It's just difficult. She doesn't remember our fight, which I'm more than grateful for. But she keeps.. bringing up my human background. She's right. Most humans aren't married for more than a year. And then don't stay with their lover after they enter a coma. I get it. I was human. But I hate how she's talking about it, it makes me feel like I'm suppose to be those things."
"She just woke. She will come out of it in a couple of days. Stick with her, assure her otherwise and try not to be upset by it."
"Alright. It's good. I made lunch for everyone. It's not much but Dakota wanted mac n cheese. Specifically mine. Which is weird."
"It's cause you use the liquid cheese."
"Yeah."
    She dishes out for everyone. And everyone happens to be everyone. Animals included.
    Emma's light comes into view. The ghost like pug pants with its tongue half out and staring at me. It's so creepy.
"Logical question. When has Emma ever seen a pug?"
"She hasn't."
"Then how the fuck... Valerie the ugly fucker is staring at me."
    Leo comes into view and begins batting at the fake pug. "UGLY MOTHER FU.." He stops midword.
"I know, Leo. We all know."
"Momma. Nap?"
"Eat first, Em. Then we can lay down again if you want. Soon we will be going back to school and you can take all the naps you want in day care."
"Yes. Thank. Napgoddess."
     I roll my eyes. "No such thing as a napgoddess. Sandman, on the otherhand, is very real."
"Oooo. Can I see?"
     I sigh. "Val. Could you send a message to heaven asking Sandman to come to the house."
"Why?"
"Emma wants to meet the napgoddess."
"Oh. My. Fuck. That's so cute."
"Evidently so."
"I'm coming home soon. I'll see if I can grab him on the way back."
"You're going to enter heaven while pregnant?"
"No. Send word and he will meet me in the yard."
"Oh. Okay."
    I kiss Emma's cheek. "Mom said she's going to bring him around when she gets home."
"Color?"
"You want to color?"
"Yes."
"Lead the way, Em."
    She takes my hand and begins pulling me towards her room. I sit with her and color. I mean, I've always loved arts and crafts, but this is easy to kill time with. Especially since nap went out the window...
"You partly stick your tongue out when you're focusing on something too hard."
    In a way she's right. I do. But so does she.
"Knock knock. I brought you a friend, Em."
"Mommy." She runs and jumps on Valerie. It's cute but she can't be doing that much longer.
    The Sandman walks through Emma's door. "Hello, Emma."
"Hiiiii."
"I'm Sandman." He holds his hand out for her to shake. She does but she does so shyly.
"Napgodess."
"I'm very much male and I assure you, I am no god." He laughs lightly.
"Still."
"Do you want to go on an adventure?" He smiles to her.
"Yes.."
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
    The Sandman sprinkles a shimmering dust over Emma's head. She goes into awe over it. A big yawn comes from her and she rests her head on Valerie's shoulder.
"Goodnight, Emma."
"Nini." She says as she falls asleep.
"Where did you send her?" Valerie asks.
"Her wildest dream is rather interesting. This one happens to be a room filled with giant pillows."
"Oh. Our children are so weird."
"Yes, I firmly recall Dakota dreaming the same. And Finnley too, I believe."
"Yeah. Our children are weird."
"I do have a question, Sandy."
"Of course, my lord. What is it?"
"Is me being extra tired your doing?"
"No. I can feel your baby but they're not grown enough to have a mind for dreaming. It isn't me that is making you sleepy, I am not trying to get a dream to your little one. I do believe that the child may hold extra abilities, considering the parents."
    Valerie sighs. "Yet I feel no difference in their powers between our other children. So this must be what Nin had gone through."
"I'm sure it was." He laughs lightly. "I will see you guys around."
    He vanishes before our eyes. Valerie takes my hand and drags me off to our room. She lays down slowly and carefully and Emma snuggles close to her. I do the same and she holds Emma and I.
"I don't know if I like being tired like this. It makes me feel... lazy."
"Nah. Just your body telling you to take it easy so the baby will grow properly. Maybe you should listen and rest."
"Today wasn't as bad. I wasn't in a total hurry. I have this territory and the neighbor done. Took breaks between the batches of things we, they and all needed. I am trying but you know that laziness isn't me, it's hard to just sit back and rest while I could be helping people."
"I know. But it's okay. It will be okay."
     Her light breathing tells me she's fallen asleep. Not even a few minutes after my words. My poor love.
    I enjoy listening to the baby heartbeats. So tiny. So small. And I'm glad she's the host because I can tell she really wanted this.
    But I can also tell that she is scared and I understand. But I won't let anything happen to her. I don't let anything happen to our child. Not if I can do anything to help out.
    I fall asleep to all the heartbeats. Each one different from the others. I can hear our son, both our daughters, our carried and all the animals. Each sound beats together in different tones and all is a perfect melody. I know that they are alive by their heartbeats and that's all I ever need to feel complete.
    I fall asleep. Mainly listening to my Valerie's heartbeat. My love and all her greatness. A woman I couldn't have gotten with far without.

"Shi.."  I stop myself from cursing.
    My eye don't stop throbbing and I ..I can't see anything from it.
"Are you okay?"
"Em punched me in the eye. I can't see."
"Are you sure it was her?"
"You don't hit in your sleep, you rarely even kick. And if it was you, you never leave a bruise."
     I stumble upward and head to the bathroom. First look in the mirror and I'm beyond impressed. But also disturbed.
"She had to have used magic, Val. I don't know how she's using magic in her sleep. But. I'm an angel. I don't get bruises."
"Let me see, Ninfa."
     I could crack a joke about seeing. But it seems a little too soon and I can hear so much worry in her voice. Which is another reason I don't want her seeing.
"Nin.."
"I'm fine."
     I hear rustling before I actually see her. I hate this. I don't understand how the fuck..
"Look at me."
"So many jokes just set on a silver platter, Val."
"Ninfa, I'm serious."
"O..Okay.."
    I face her. She lifts my chin up. I can feel her trying to heal me but I feel no difference.
"I..I can't.. I can't heal you. I..I can't."
"I'm the one who got punched in the eye and you're the one going to cry."
"I'm sorry. I just want to help and.. it hurts when I can't."
"I'll be okay."
"Can you see at all?"
"Out of that eye, no."
"Nin.. I'm sorry. I..I feel so useless.."
"Valerie, it's okay. I'll live. It hurts and I can't see but I'll be okay."
    She wraps her arms around me and pulls me close. "I think being pregnant has messed with my emotions."
"No, Valerie. That was all you."
"N..No."
"It was. It wasn't the hormonal thing. That was all you. And you know it was."
"Our daughter just punched you in the eye. You're not healing. I can't heal you. I feel pretty fucking useless, Ninfa."
"Okay. Make use of yourself and hide it from the kids. If Emma sees this, she will start crying and I don't think she's ever stop."
     I feel magic run through me as she kisses my forehead. I wrap my arms around her and just enjoy the small moment. Even though I'm in literal pain. It's weird though, I've never had this pain before. Or really had pain at all anyway.
"I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing."
"If you can't see within the next day or so, I'll try and have Finnley and Dakota heal you. They've got the same magic as Emma, hopefully that would work."
"Last resort."
"You are not a last resort."
"No. Using our kids."
"Like I said, you are not a last resort. They would help immediately of they knew."
"Yeah. But. We don't know of they could even help."
    She cups my cheek and lightly runs her thumb across my upper cheek. I can feel her trying to heal but there's nothing. It still hurts like hell but I won't tell her how bad.
    She worries about me. But I'm worried about her.
"Stop using your power like thst, Val."
"But I'm trying to.."
"I know, babe. I know. But you can't. And turning up your power to the max and continuing to try isn't good. You can't overstress. I'll be okay, just relax and stop. It will be alright."
"I just want to h.."
"Valerie. The baby. We don't know if that much magic use is bad or not."
"Okay. Okay. Okay. I won't. I'm just worried. And sorry. And.. worried."
"You said that already."
"Our daughter punched you in the eye in her sleep and it.."
"Val."
"I'M STOPPING. I SWEAR. I PROMISE. FUCK."
    I lean up and lightly kiss her cheek. "I love you, dumbass."
"I love you too. Even though I'm worried as fuck."
"Yeah. Well. If you don't mind, I'd get much like to go back to bed."
"I'll have Emma's arms covered. I seriously don't want her doing this again."
    Sudden fear takes over me. And I just see a flash back of Skylar being torn out. If Emma punches in her sleep.. She could.. I..
"Nin, what's wrong?"
"She.. She punches.. in her sleep. Val.. She could.. She could possibly hurt the baby.." the fear running through my system so fast. I don't want Valerie to go through that again.
"Hey. It's okay. She will probably cuddle against you. She loves you morw, obviously."
"Pft. Now a not the time to joke, asshole. I'm worried. You're worried. I..am so.. tired. This night has been too crazy for me."
"Let's go back to bed."
    We do so. Emma curls up against me and I feel better knowing that she did. I can't have Valerie go through that again. And if Emma was the one who caused it, I fear.. I don't fear.. Valerie would still love Emma the same and would accept it as an accident but it would still crush her heart.
     I begin to fall back asleep. Valerie brushes the hair from my face and wakes me again slightly.
"You know I love you, Ninfa, don't you?"
"Of course."
"Even if I can't fix this?"
"Yeah. And I love you too."
"Even if I can't fix this?"
"Even if you can't fix it. It's alright though. I'm alive, aren't I?"
   Her thumb lightly brushes under my eye. It throbs and hurts. Badly but I won't tell her.
     She leans in and kisses my forehead. "Let's rest."
"Can you do the time thing?"
"Of course."
"And avoid worrying so much?"
"Not a chance."
"That's what I thought. But try. Try for me. I really don't want you stressing."
"Okay. I will try."
"I don't believe you."
     She smiles. "I know. Rest."
     I fall asleep a lot faster than I thought I would. The pain from my eyes radiates into my sleep but at least I get rest. In hopes for a better tomorrow.