#buvalu

Finally, Ella's late-night shift at the tavern had come to an end, and she was more than ready to make her way home for the rest of the evening. As she neared the end of her third and final trimester, nearly eight months along, she found that it was growing harder and harder for her to work the hours that she did. The moment that she had found out she was pregnant, and against Elijah's better wishes, Ella had found herself a job working as a waitress, and at first, though it had taken a bit of getting used to, she had genuinely enjoyed herself for the most part, and it was comforting for her to know that she was able to save up a bit of money for the baby. Now, though...her back ached, and her ankles were swollen, and her unborn child seemed to protest more and more each and every single time Ella left the warmth and comfort of her bed in favor of heading off to work at the local pub. She knew that most women took their maternity leave during their second trimester, but she simply couldn't afford to. Elijah already worked so hard every single day just so that he could support the two of them, but with a baby on the way, there was going to be a lot more that they needed to get by, and...as distressing as it was for her to admit to herself, Ella had no clue whether or not Avery would stick around long enough to...to be there for them. He had promised her time and time again that he wouldn't abandon them once more, but after having already lost him once, it was difficult for Ella to truly believe him, and her constantly fluctuating hormones didn't help in the slightest.

Now, she was standing outside of the tavern, directly beside the one torch that remained lit during the night so that Elijah, who always picked her up from work when she had to stay late, would be able to see her and know that she was waiting for him. He didn't like leaving her alone in the dark, and she couldn't exactly blame him. Just working at the pub as it was meant that she dealt with her fair share of...well, harassment, and being a young and unwed mother-to-be who was visibly pregnant didn't exactly make things easier for her either. Still, Elijah was almost always on time, and even without going back inside to check the clock, Ella could tell that he was running late. Nervously, one of her slim hands fluttered down to rub at the swell of her tummy, and she winced as she felt her baby shift deep within her, turning over as he readied himself for bed. She had come tor recognize each of his actions with complete and utter ease, and though sometimes they hurt, especially when he felt the need to kick at her bladder, they were reassuring in the sense that they reminded Ella that he was there, and that he was alive, and so really...she wouldn't have it any other way.

Another handful of minutes went by, and Elijah had still yet to make his presence known. Worriedly, Ella caught her lower lip between her teeth and worried it, growing more and more anxious as she glanced around nervously. There was a group of men across the way that had been there long before she had come outside, and she could feel them leering at her, bleary eyes dropping down to rest upon the curve of her tummy before rising back up to linger on her visibly frightened face. If there was one thing about her pregnancy that she didn't like, it was the attention that it brought her. Men and women both stared at her with cruel and judging eyes as she walked by, gazing at her like a vulture in search of a wedding ring and sneering when they failed to find one. Then there were the men like the ones staring at her now...the ones that saw her as prey.