a @jilymicrofics - gather
“Lil?” The unanswered call bounces around the house. “Lily?” Nerves start building, twisting his stomach into a knot. “Lily? Where are you?”
Jasper, their orange tabby, is curled up by the back door, which James now sees is cracked open. “Thanks Jas,” James says, running long fingers along the back of the cats head as he shuffles past him and out into the back garden.
The sun is kissing the horizon now, sending warm hues into the sky. The grass is dry under James’ bare feet, crinkling with each step. It had been a dry summer. Ignoring both of these things, James searches the area for some sign, any sign, of his wife, but right as he’s about to call for her again, he spots her, sprawled out on the ground. He runs.
“Oh, hi there,” she calls to him, a sheepish smile on her face as she turns to look at him.
Relief washes over him but he doesn’t slow his pace until he’s next to her. “Oh hi there? That’s what you have to say for yourself?”
She laughs, pressing a hand against her swollen belly. “Don’t make me laugh when I’m like this, it’s painful. Help me up?”
James acquiesces, kneeling down to help her. “How exactly did you get yourself into this position?”
“I came out to gather some flowers for the table, bent down to grab them and sort of… stayed.”
She’s embarrassed and he wants to kiss her even more. He does so, a quick peck to her lips and then her nose, before he hoists her to her feet. “Perhaps you should leave the gardening to me until after the baby’s born, yeah?”
At her nod, he reaches down to scoop the fresh flowers into his hand and offers them to his wife.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Lily comments as they stroll through the garden toward the house. “I had a nice little nap, actually.”
“Glad to hear it. Tea now?”
“Sounds delightful.”
