Be With Me

Chapter 26

In December, and at the holyday's week, James and Rafaela were already living in their new house in Marin. They haven't been there for too long, just about two weeks, but they were all settled. James spent these months in panic Kelly would show up to hurt Rafaela, or even try to damage their relationship, but fortunately, she had been out of sight. He thought about her sometimes and wondered how she was doing, since the last time he had seen her, she was in a really bad shape, but at the same time, he was relived it turned out that way. Maybe he had scared her away after all, or maybe she was just too lost in the world to care about them. It didn't matter to him, as long as she was away from them.

"James, are you ready baby?" Rafaela yelled at the door of the bedroom.

James opened the door of the bathroom. "Almost." He said.

"Hurry up baby, it's almost time for the doctor." She said impatiently.

"I'm going, five minutes more." He said.

Rafaela came back to the living room and stared at the window while it poured rain outside. Her baby kicked and she ran her hand over her five months belly with a smile on her face.

"We're going to know if you're a boy or a girl." She talked low to her belly and then giggled as the baby kicked harder. "Hey...calm down! Or are you as excited as mommy and daddy?"

"Talking to the blueberry?" James appeared behind her.

"The baby's kicking James, come here..." She called him. When James got near her, she grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly, at the exact spot where she was feeling the kicks. After a couple of time a huge grin appeared on James's face, even his eyes glittered. That was such an intense moment that he couldn't put to words. He never thought it was possible to love someone that was not even born yet that much.

"It's so good when I can feel the baby like this. It makes it so real already."

"Yeah...I know..." Rafaela whispered rubbing her belly in a caress.

James bent down and placed a kiss on her belly, then on her lips. "We can go now." He said.

She grabbed her purse that was on the couch and they headed to the door. The rain making huge noise as it hit the roof of their porch.

"Jesus!" James exclaimed zipping his jacket and pulling the collar up. "Not only it's raining a lot as it's cold. Stay here babe, I'll pull the car closer." Rafaela shivered as a gust of wind blew and watched him turning the car so he could pull over near the door. Then she ran to it feeling heavy drops of water falling on her.

"Could the weather be worse?" She commented closing the door.

"And today of all days, when we have to go to town and shop for Christmas."

"You've been spending quite some time in the studio, so we don't have much days left. Tomorrow is the 23rd already." She said.

"I know..." He sighed. "But hey, when we come back, we can lit the fireplace and stay warmly inside." James smiled.

"Sounds nice." She agreed.

James drove carefully until they reached the hospital. The rain clouding his vision as it hit the front window, the radio playing the news and announcing a lot of accidents, due to the rain, on the road but they arrived safely.

At the hospital they headed to the fifth floor as usual and waited for about half an hour until being called and the doctor received them cheerfully.

"How are you kids doing?" She asked. James and Rafaela were her youngest parents and so she addressed them tenderly that way.

"We're doing great." They said almost at the same time and feeling anxious.