DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the gentle souls in this fic, though god knows I wish I knew them….Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon get credit for their creation. I'm just fantasizing a little.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Any Day Now
By Kieli
Silver rays moonlight filtered through the large bay window, illuminating the living room in ghostly white in stark contrast to the dim, warm light that glowed from a small fire in the hearth. A woman wearing a heavy flannel overshirt and sweatpants sat in the window seat, leaning back against the wall, absorbing the deep quiet that pervaded the room save for the invariable cracking and popping from the fireplace. Her crystal blue eyes gazed absently out the window, her blonde hair suffused with pale luminosity giving her an almost regal appearance. The loosely held fountain pen and heavy parchment paper by her side gave testament to work that had been momentarily abandoned. Long, flowing strokes graced the half-filled page, the handwriting meticulous and precise.
My lovely one,
I can't begin to tell you how rich my life has become now that you're a part of me. Never have I dreamed that this moment would come so soon, that meeting you could change me in ways unimaginable. But here you are, a testament to love that I never thought I deserved. To a life that I thought I could never have. I wish that I could say that this was all by accident, a very quirky twist of fate. Somehow, that would sound like a lie. Sitting here basking in the blessings of the Goddess, I don't think I could have been, nor ever be, as happy as I am now.
The woman gently massaged her lower back while her thoughts flitted in and out of her mind like playful sprites. Time was growing short and she still felt there was so much to write. It seemed like only yesterday that her life was different, that hope was such a far-off thing. The blonde stood up and walked toward the fire, her hands outstretched seeking its warmth. She picked up an ornate Mont Blanc clock from the mantelpiece to check the time. Frowning slightly, she realized that she only had a half an hour left.
She jumped a bit as a slender pair of arms encircled her waist from behind.
"You almost ready?" whispered the gentle voice near her right ear.
"Almost. Just a line or two left."
Clear blue eyes met the deep green ones of the speaker as she leaned in to plant a kiss on the blonde's cheek. "I'll be waiting. And Tara?"
Tara turned her head, tearing her gaze away from the hypnotic dancing of the firelight. "Yes, Willow?"
"I love you." Willow moved towards the front door, pausing only to retrieve a bundle from the foyer. "Come out when you're ready, ok?"
Tara brushed her fingertips along silken skin of Willow's cheek and nodded her assent. She stared admiringly after her lover, waiting until the door closed before turning back to the task at hand.
There is so much to say and yet words seem so inadequate to truly make my feelings known? Hopefully, by the time you read this, you will already know the things that my words could explain. You are mine, flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood, and I will always love you, will always want the best for you. And soon, one of my wildest dreams will have come true.
With all of my love.
The blonde reached for an envelope made in the same parchment style while blowing on the ink to help it dry faster. She folded the letter carefully, placed it in the envelope, sealing it with a hot wax stamped design of the family crest Willow had designed for her a few years ago. Satisfied with what she had created, Tara picked up a silver cylinder from the side and got up gingerly from the window seat and went to join her lover outside.
The moon's radiance lit up the night sky and it was so bright that she could see Willow waiting for her next to a freshly dug hole in the yard. Her back was aching so badly by the time Tara reached the porch, her stride became halting instead of smooth flowing. She finally reached her lover's side after what seemed like hours.
"You could've asked me to come help you," Willow chuckled.
"That's ok. I'm not all that helpless anyway, " the blonde remarked wryly.
"Do you want to do this yourself or do you want me to?" Willow laid a gentle hand on Tara's extended abdomen, feeling the warm firmness beneath.
"No that's ok. I think I can manage."
Gripping the cylinder she carried from the house in one hand, Tara gently took Willow's hand and placed it on her swollen belly. Together they recited a blessing each had been memorizing for the past few days.
"Little person who comes from beyond ourselves, welcome to this, the only world we have. Welcome to the warmth of our bodies. Welcome to the songs and feasts of people you do not know. Our blessing is a touch, a friend you will know as your darkness turns to light." **
Tara gave the cylinder to Willow who then placed it very carefully within the hole and covered it back up with dirt. When she was finished, the couple stood for a time in silence. The blonde's eyes misted with unshed tears brought on by emotions she was sure Willow felt as well.
"Do you think this time capsule is enough?" she asked, her voice breaking the stillness.
Willow wrapped her arms about her lover's shoulders, taking a deep breath of the chill night air. "It's perfect, baby. She'll love it," she reassured Tara.
"How do you know it's a 'she'?"
"Ancient Chinese secret," Willow smirked. "How long before we get to see her?"
The child in Tara's womb kicked slightly as if responding to her other mother's question. Tara winced at the movement, a slow smile spreading across her delicate features. "Any day now."
(**Author's note: Normally this baby blessing would be performed with the child being passed around among people that are present for the ritual and each person would speak the baby's name as well as their own and say anything else they deem appropriate to the child. I took a few liberties for this vignette.)
The End