THE GIGAS

pg 3

I wobbled on unsteady feet. The hurried sprint more of a stumbling gait.

But I was getting there. Holding onto the walls whenever I felt like I was about to fall over.

The short hall way echoed the soft wail of a distressed child.

I could hear the cry of my little brother and my eyes filled with tears too.

Joseph must be devastated and I was the one who broke his heart.

Panting and already sweating from the strain. I burst through his door clumsily.

" Joseph! Joseph! I, I was wrong. I love you, I WANT TO BE YOUR MOM." Wildly shouting at the top of my lungs.

Joseph stared at me wide eyed, half frightened and half stunned by my declaration.

He had stopped crying, a lone tear rolling down his cheek.

" I am so sorry" kneeling down slowly yet deliberately. My voice a strained whisper.

He crawled from the bed he sat on top of to the floor where I was. I didn't even move.

" I love you too, mom"

His eyes already puffy from crying.

My heart skipped a beat figuratively and literally in my chest.

He flew into my arms, embracing me in a bear hug. I held him and he held me.

Both of us crying our eyes out.

For a long time we stayed in that position. Until we pretty much cried ourselves out, blubbering about our mutual acceptance between us as adoptive mom and son.

I let out a deep hiccuping sigh.

" I will talk to Junior so don't worry about anything else"

Joseph nodding into my chest.

"Let's sleep together, come on" talking into his soft hair, my lips kissing the top of his head tenderly.

We slowly pulled ourselves from each other's arms -- and the floor.

Walking back to my room holding hands with a silly victorious grin across our faces.

My belly felt floppy inside with each step and I could feel the strain my muscles had done.

Good thing, that I listened to the drones.

I could feel fluid starting to escape from my body into the newly acquired absorbant underwear I was wearing.

The new bloody postpartum period coming down in full force. Which has been, in retrospect, vastly different and not to be confused with my MIA period of these last few years.

It felt weird to be so comfortable. From the books I've read I should be sore, torn, or inflamed generally everywhere that pregnancy put any pressure on my body.

Both the healing drones and the pod have helped immensely with my postpartum progress.

Teka has really taken care of me..of us.

He had saved Joseph all those years ago.

He saved me from looming threats one after another and in the process also our whole family.

But one thing at a time, we can't get too ahead of ourselves.

The biggest obstacle for our newly blended family to get off without a hitch would be to talk to Junior.

Tiny eyeroll.

His refusal or cooperation could make or break this family for years to come.

He is the second oldest and because we haven't had a man around for years. He has been firmly cemented as the fatherly figure of our family.