Welcome to Gaia! ::

Elnara lay her head against Lore's chest and closed her eyes gently, slipping her arms around his back. She could feel tears forming in her eyes, but even as she determined not to let them fall, she felt them slip from the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she laughed softly, wiping her cheeks with the back of one hand. "I'm just ... I think I'm a little overly emotional tonight ..." She smiled and tucked Lore's hair behind his ear. "I know exactly what you mean," she whispered softly. "I used to dream ... every night, about the day I was raped ... but ... after meeting you the dreams lessened ... and now ... now it's an event so far removed, it's like it wasn't even me that it happened to."

She wiped away another tear and laughed again into Lore's chest. "I must definitely be pregnant," she giggled, "I've never been so emotional before."

Elnara giggled and wiped at her eyes again, then took Lore's hand and continued on. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and leaned against his shoulder, smiling warmly.

"I don't think I'll have any trouble sleeping tonight," she murmured softly. "I'm so exhausted ..."

Not that that was necessarily a bad thing.

Elnara smiled and leaned against Lore for the rest of their walk home, and when she stepped inside she released his arm and hung up her cloak before making her way slowly to their bedroom.

"Is there anything that needs to be done before we sleep?" she asked Lore softly, leaning against the bed.

Elnara nodded and began to undress, no longer ashamed of the scars that covered her body and had caused her to wear even a scarf in the hot desert. Once she was wearing her nightdress, she pulled back the covers of the bed and slipped inside, watching Lore as she waited for him to join her.

"I think tomorrow I'll ask Ulani if she's planning any trips to the city any time soon," she smiled. "Maybe she can pick up some cloth for me, and I can do some sewing ... I'll be needing bigger clothes in a while, too, after all."

With the busyness that accompanied a pregnancy, the next month and a half (3 Gaian months) passed very quickly - at least in Elnara's estimation. Clothes needed to be made of course, plus preparations for a room for the baby (Ulrich was kind enough to make a cradle for them), and with the constant exhaustion of simply being awake, Elnara found that she never seemed to have enough time.

By this time, winter had already set in, and though there was always a fire in the fireplace, Elnara was always found wrapped in a warm shawl or blanket.

"Aliya came to visit yesterday," she commented to Lore as they were relaxing by the fire after a late breakfast. She was reclining on the couch, her feet up on the table in the middle of the room, and pinning together some pieces of cloth that she was going to sew into some warmer clothes for Lore. "While you were out visiting Adonai. Alyse has offered to stay with us and help out once I can't keep up anymore."

She knew in her head that that point had already come, that she couldn't keep up with everything that needed to be done, but she had discovered that she had a proud streak in her, and that she wanted to try to do as much as she could for as long as she could. Already halfway through her pregnancy, her belly was quite large, and walking could - at times - be quite a chore.

Elnara smiled. "Better," she replied, "though I think the cold weather might have something to do with that. Still, if it weren't winter, I think I'd venture outdoors more often ... I'm not used to sitting around all day every day."

She laughed.

"Ah well," she smiled warmly. "There will come a time soon enough when I won't want to do anything else, and be grateful for these moments."

"Good Day to you too," Lore replied with a grin as he rose from his seat, "The rack is fine Adanedhel thank you."

There was no lack of visitors and he was grateful they had help. Also it was one of the few chances to see Adanedhel, he was just as hard to find as Ahren really.

"How are things today?"

Elnara laughed softly. She couldn't argue with that.

"Then we'll get a room ready for her, I suppose," she smiled, setting down her sewing. "Lore, will you give me a hand? It's better to have it ready earlier than later, I suppose."

She lowered her feet to the floor and rose slowly, carefully. "Maybe the room down the hall from ours, then the one directly across can be for the baby. Nice and close."