A Trial by Halves

Who Are You?

Winter was fast approaching and Su Sus belly was growing.  Most of the maternity dresses Ye Hua had purchased for her were still a little big, but she wore them anyway.  She loved the size of her growing belly and many times Ye Hua would find her on the front porch with her dress up around her breasts rubbing her belly and giggling at the movements that were becoming more frequent.

Hammering away at two large logs which he was shaping into porch swing for Su Su, he stopped to watch as she once again hoisted her dress up to stare at her belly.  To his eyes, she looked adorable.  The smile on his face soon turned to soft laughter as he then watched her lean back with one hand rubbing at her tummy while the other kept her body upright.  And the laughter only grew when two crescent shaped eyes turned to smile at him.  Even when she wasn't trying, she made him laugh, and as the days wore on, he laughed more often than not.

The days were still warm enough to enjoy the afternoon sun, but as the nights grew cooler, he knew winter wasn't far away and that had him realizing that their child would more than likely be a summer baby.  They still had another seven months of pregnancy left and having already explained to Su Su that she would have to carry the baby longer than normal because they were in the Immortal Realm which she accepted without question, he made sure she had every comfort he could give her and that included a padded swing for the porch so she could relax in comfort in the sun.

Though as he watched her small hand moving over her belly, he suddenly dropped the hammer to run to her in excitement.  He had felt the small movements of their child several times, but it was the first time he had ever seen the movements and he was positive he saw a smaller lump rise up before gliding across her belly to disappear again.

Wide eyed and a little breathless, his hand instantly snatched hers off her belly to take its place.

Giggling at the delight on his face as the childs hand pushed up to swipe against his own, Su Su didn't think life could get any better.  Ye Hua was finally with her and the long months of waiting for his return or even wondering if he would ever return was now a distant memory.  And the memories they were making brought tears to her eyes, even that one.  She knew with absolute certainty, that Ye Hua would be a wonderful father.  He doted on her endlessly, and every milestone she crossed, he was front and center to witness it with the enthusiasm of a child.  

Seeing the soft way she was looking at him and the tears that were just moments away from falling, soon had Ye Hua reaching up to lightly stroke her cheek.  The love in his eyes for her was endless and boundless and Su Su felt it all in just one glance.

  "Su Su. I saw our child move...." he whispered in amazement when the baby once again pushed up against him.  The roll of what he thought may have been a foot, continued across her belly until it disappeared, only to suddenly rise up again on the other side, only this time, the imprints of two feet kicking against her belly had his eyes widening even more. 

"This child is as restless as you are in sleep Su Su." he laughed, because she had to be the most restless sleeper he had ever met in his life.  Many times he would wake to find her on the other side of his body or almost spread across him.  She loved to hold him in her sleep, and she would move about the bed, even fighting the pillows until her hands found him, then she would latch on tightly before snuggling in close.

Only the longer he held his hand over her belly, the more animated the child seemed to become.  The kicking became more forceful and the for a brief moment he thought the child might actually kick his way out.  But the initial excitement soon turned to concern, when he noticed a distinct chill in the air and it wasn't the climate.

Suddenly jumping, Ye Hua let out a small gasp.  Something in the atmosphere had changed and not only could he feel it but the child seemed to be moving too much, he could sense its distress.