A Definite Sign

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 13th May 2013

Characters: Merlish, Eilomar
Description: Merlish gets her answer...
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 6
Notes: Follows "Could It Be?"

Merlish could not sleep half the night. All she could think about was
"I'm going to be a mother." There were moments of absolute joy to the
point where she almost laughed out loud into their darkened room. But
in the next, she could be in near hysterics at the thought of just how
great a responsibility becoming a mother would be. What if she made a
terrible mother? What if she made a mistake? She didn't not even want
to think about the possibility that the child might not be... normal...

Finally sleep came, but it was full of dreams of babies that were cooing
one moment and crying the next, and Merlish just didn't know what to do!
But always Eilomar was there to help her, that gave her surprising
comfort. In her heart, she could not claim to love her husband in a
romantic sort of way, but he was kind and caring. He always gave her
good advice and provided more than adequately for her needs. And now,
it seemed she would have to rely on his experience to guide her more
than ever before.

Her husband was still asleep when she slipped out of bed in the morning
and walked down to the kitchen to put the kettle on for tea. As she
waited, she put her hand on the small of her back. She must have slept
wrong, she thought. It sure was sore this morning. But didn't they say
pregnant women felt pain in their back? Could this be a sign that she
truly _was_ pregnant, she thought hopefully?

After putting some klah into the pot to brew, she took a trip to the
necessary. And that's when the answer revealed itself. Merlish was two
shades paler as she stepped out of the toilet. **Oh shards... What am I
going to do?**

Eilomar had been snoring contently when Merlish got up. The familiar noises of klah making and the aroma of fresh klah woke him up. When got up to his feet and got a robe pulled over his pyjama's, there was no sight of his wife. "Merlish?" he called.

No, she didn't want him to find her! She looked around for somewhere to hide, but where? She was still in her pajamas! And wherever she might try to hide, she'd have to walk right past him! So she turned back around and locked herself in the toilet again.

"Are you in the privy, Merlish? I need to use it too," Eilomar finally deducted the only place she could be and walked over to knock the door.

She was found. Shards. Merlish felt like when her father came to find her after she cut her sister's hair when she was back in harpers classes. **For Faranth's sake, you're supposed to be a _woman_ now!** she admonished herself. But sometimes it was just so hard. "I'm... yes... I'll come out..."

"Merlish? Something wrong?" Eilomar asked when she finally stepped out. Even someone as dense as him could clearly see from her face that something wasn't all right. She looked upset to him.

"I... It's just..." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry, husband, I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Eilomar wasn't always the sharpest person in Pern. Then he remembered what had happened yesterday and realized what she meant. "Oh, Merlish," he said with surprising gentleness and engulfed her inside his big arms.

She collapsed against him, tears wetting his shirt. Her words came out muffled against his great chest. "I'm sorry, husband. I should have been sure."

"So it was a false alarm, these things just happen," Eilomar replied and stroked her hair. He was trying to comfort her.

"But I feel like such a fool." His previous wife probably wouldn't have made that mistake!

"You just wanted something and got your hopes high. That's not foolish," Eilomar answered.

"I was so scared and for nothing. And you were being to supportive and kind, and I was getting so worked over being a couple days late..." She leaned even further into him. "And when I thought that maybe I was pregnant, I wasn't even sure that I truly _did_ want to be. If that's not foolish, what is?"

"I think it's just all part of growing up to be mother...you know, mental preparation," Eilomar didn't sound so sure anylonger. He was totally at loss with these matters.

"Do you think I'm growing up? I have so tried since we were married last Turn." But she still didn't _feel_ much older.

"Yes, you are. You're turning out to be a wonderful woman," Eilomar said. His apprentices would never believe he could sound so soppy.

She smiled softly, grateful that he was always so kind and careful with her. Although he was not everything she had hoped for in a mate, she really had no right to complain. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you a child this time. But it will happen. I know it will." And when it did, he would help her and guide her, and keep her safe.

Last updated on the May 31st 2013

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A Definite Sign