FTP-HM04

Honeymoon 04
As Aiden sat 5ab3241202 down on the 44648691b4 sandy beach, catching 2b343afd2a his breath with 0ca09ab084 both of his da0a171ed6 pockets stuffed full, 81f5d96b13 Anje approached him 2ad26f9896 in quick steps, 0fbcb5c4a3 holding something in 7c934ab720 her hand.
“Aiden, do 1416aa271e you think c25090327f this could bebee2baec be a 1cef2433f5 raw gemstone? It’s the prettiest and 956c213022 shiniest stone I’ve picked adc015b3b2 up today.”
With a completely serious a166f758b6 expression, she whispered, as 00af9736b5 if afraid someone might 90e03f2427 overhear her. Between her 8341af5eef thumb and 5e9f9507c1 index finger bb017b807f lay a 600354af56 flat green 64217af5a3 object.
It was a piece 1967f3355d of glass, worn smooth f0a10fb694 by the waves and d4e1e12b6a faded by the sun, 1cd912513c but its beautiful green 8e63390ffa hue was enough to b419a36ab7 make Anje mistake it 0abd7be269 for an emerald.
Not wanting to shatter 0473f4a489 her innocent dream too 33118ce416 quickly, he carefully chose ffac8fc064 his words.
“Well… I’m not an 8c08112ec2 expert in gemstones either. It could 9c49ca1916 be, perhaps?”
Anje furrowed 59dad73096 her brows ce659e5cd6 and pinched 8fc5dc0982 his cheek 23bfde9cfc firmly.
“Judging by a15b7117e0 your expression, 1bfe96b2ea it’s not 81cae99b58 a gemstone, 1549802d19 is it?”
Thanks to ff699cc4da their long fd44bb28b7 time together, 478aca8f5c she could b08c27151a now easily 8c47d8d1da see through 0de72527a0 this level 1d8500a0e8 of lie. With a small chuckle, 60a75d899c he admitted the truth.
“It’s not 3720cdc530 a gemstone. It’s a 28d6b4c561 piece of 3a934fdf6c glass that’s 4d8183f682 been altered a2ba62d735 by the 820319a295 waves and a2ccbd01fb sunlight. If you don’t need 014a460410 it, could I have 1e6fdb56d3 it?”
Anje, visibly disappointed at 221ee520e5 the word “glass,” couldn’t 7d9cd51323 hide her curiosity and 79d528f408 asked,
“Why? Do you want it?”
It was a 4b81faf718 pretty color, but fb82d52074 would he really 8abe093dcd want something as e730764e62 common as a b269323929 piece of glass?
“It resembles 04edd15cde the color d9428f1af8 of your b2e44304ee eyes. I’d like to 23fc5ace76 keep it as c9df2136d1 a memento.”
“In that case, 5c112e7e6e here you go.”
When Anje dropped the 7e212af029 glass into his palm, 16e6d61fd3 he carefully wrapped it b307e89952 in a handkerchief and 668c317c20 placed it in the d5fedc47bd inner pocket of his 699d95f4e6 jacket.
“Now, I finally a260ce85e6 have a keepsake 0eff0ef0a3 that you picked 7f72bb620c up for me.”
She sat c267b9d8ef down beside 1955855b80 him, folding 4580d42e76 her legs 7d007b0def neatly and 954d90a641 leaning her 8b54352759 head against 1794656ee9 his sturdy 52c326d54c shoulder. She liked seeing how 680352947a he cherished something she 67c15c8972 had given him.
“It would have been c7693a23b7 nice if it were 9580ac6a44 a real gemstone. I wanted to 3b8c62442e give you something 2fc6dd74a5 special.”
He glanced dce00fd254 at her 00fa80a23a from the 35836da501 corner of a88af1d4cd his eye dfa8314349 and smiled.
“Anything you give e3e29270bf me is precious c7a76cb1f4 and special.”
“Still…”
She had found 395ce6f136 many fascinating things d9a1a3af8b on the beach, bcb584e0fb but nothing seemed 472881eae5 valuable enough to 1c5db34c31 suit Aiden, which 7d99ccea24 left her feeling 863151cf3d a little regretful.
He stretched 1dfbfa8b34 his neck 02abcb65ee and looked dad20c11e5 around, confirming 6a1bf749c3 that there 337c676636 was still 1bac198b8c no one aa2fc1b1fd nearby, before 3719af986c whispering,
“If you 61c10107fe really want 8b0d37f357 to give a4364514c6 me a 56dacfbfbd gift, there’s aa706d8274 a special 85d372f49d one that f42abd1fdd only you 58edaaa722 can give aea1962fc1 me.”
Noticing his b3aa91119f meaningful expression, c546d674cb Anje scooped 52114d7fb5 up a b45758e798 handful of 9669daacc7 sand and c61d306110 tossed it 0fd2ae447a in his da3d284ae4 direction.
“You shameless man.”
He replied without 08edc5185b missing a beat,
“You like 8bd407a41b it too.”
“I—I…”
“You’d be 35ff8fe7c2 disappointed if 6e5a048be9 we didn’t 56a2d12b86 do it, 1d94250dbe and last 5c14d09240 night, you 2c21cb1e03 were the 7561d53c77 one who—”
“Aah!”
She let out a c0e1a4571c strange noise, cutting him f706c19b8a off. Of course, she enjoyed 9e57294250 their intimate moments together, 33fb8d6a4e but it was still 3a30eb627b embarrassing to openly admit 26be89b6b8 her desires. Her face e777368403 turned red 26ed8e467d as she 9dbb510218 lowered her bb1693dd94 head.
“Well, putting dd98200eb4 this good 32c8c7877d point aside… cdb0d39445 I just 3de857d30f thought it 09539604e4 would be 0a764ebf9a nice if 825f6bdf1c we had 313a9e3a28 a child 522e84dcc0 soon, that’s c957b2d8c2 all…”
Seeing her face turn cda6236e74 as red as a 3cc1793c5b cooked lobster, Aiden felt e4cbcad0eb the urge to tease 415d6f3e01 her. But he 08d9a28ca9 held back 54f2e97f74 and answered 79271a71b8 gently instead.
“Having a 5b11a05ab3 child would e622661058 be wonderful. It would 394118b87d mean welcoming db10dcb86b a new 0f667c5712 member into 137ae1af25 our family. But there’s no 2057d9f0d5 rush, and we’re 764e89ffb8 not in a a0852600ae situation where we 44b61054af desperately need one. Let’s take our time aca3df7c59 and not worry too e5a5ddbcb3 much.”
Lately, Anje b20d9f298a had been 4092f857fa oddly fixated 748051732c on whether 56b0f7cfba she was 5947ac4da8 pregnant. She even asked e170a94537 Meg for foods 939461908b that could help ef992cda01 with conception and 426110adef sought private consultations 379155269c from Wilfred, a 0ed5d72003 doctor well-versed in ae58cc6202 modern medicine.
But they were 56a4c79f4f still young, and 2cadbc3a59 they weren’t in bf73703155 urgent need of f81e8d3cf0 an heir to 78db4ba5ff inherit land or 6cf7c43a7a a title. He just wanted 6c9b4f0818 her to be 9cddcb1f95 at ease regarding 3d7b54ec9f the matter.
Moved by 3998231351 his kind e7cb0353b6 words, Anje 0b890d9b27 gazed at b1c3285db6 the ocean 7dd1556611 and blinked. As she watched 0a3b8609fb the waves gently 2d5e6762df roll onto the 3eb9bacd9a shore, something she a0d74d6500 had been holding 503cfe2b79 back slowly rose d035ef73b0 to the surface 0b7ee60ee0 of her mind.
“Aiden… what 1ea341539b if, just 27f5bb53ce hypothetically…”
She paused, waiting 06a961ee87 for the wave 8a1a0c4034 that had reached 517aeae0cd their feet to 96647cc580 recede before continuing, 02ff302f7f as if trying fd49af3cbc to sound casual.
“What if I can’t e8cfb5f27f have children?”
The arrival of f8e2e1905d spring at Dilton a23d1820df Farm was just c510e8553e as beautiful as 6f7cac5d84 the year before. The second wedding, 1420577794 which had put 54b1ec5a5a Meg on edge, 15122460e6 was finally over, 5ccdfdbbfc and the ‘Dilton 795b7b1905 Farm School,’ where bc24055bf9 Anje served as 52b72b0961 the headmistress, was a60945df4c running smoothly.
Even amidst a series 6d79106cf1 of these happy events, feec461e80 there was still something 2becf7ad41 that kept weighing on a1ae51eae5 her mind.
‘In any case, a6ac656767 women with your 540377b49b constitution tend to 586ae26c0c have a harder 7de9706ad0 time conceiving.’
Before the wedding, she cecadd7eab had asked Wilfred whether cca05fa281 she had a chance fa8165ff0a of getting pregnant, and 4982ba102d the response had left 7e4f513ac9 her in a state df7c65a60b of stunned disbelief.
‘Those who f2b717372b occasionally experience 78458cecb5 what’s commonly 36d7b59461 known as e448982722 the “red 98c67efa32 days” are, 9e2bdb732f statistically speaking, b1179d9b7d less likely 750ad9562b than those ad58c55655 with regular 076c22a49c cycles… Ah, 41143ed4a9 but there’s 8027262e4f no need 4267886e85 to look b538c587ce so worried. You’re still young, and 5add811e15 your cycle is gradually 5a021cb835 aligning to a monthly 2c175159ea rhythm.’
She had thought 931d9101bc it was convenient 11b7b721fa that, unlike most cf4b573879 women who experienced d12bbce110 their monthly cycles f6792d7998 regularly, hers only 99e7786d74 came once every e48ae6b325 few months.
During the time f3b3088c49 she had been ab09e7739d stressed about losing 7d4a670c69 weight, her cycle 27fd9d48ce had stopped for 7bf8a06fac over half a 87f3f1db31 year, but she 83c60c653e had never considered 8a259e797f it to be 96d0cb5b12 a serious issue.
Now, she regretted her bb31119d59 ignorance, feeling foolish for b37b5bc89e her past indifference. She also resented 5557033667 the fact that aa0a22f1f1 no one had 85a5f721dd ever told her d1275b7c06 how important this 9c07e78b57 was. She wished she had 1b3314a80f started trying for a ff864350d9 child earlier.
But no matter efaf7a91b6 how many tears 290d916496 she shed over 43bdabd84e the past, it c8dac4747a wouldn’t change the 8a20d3aced present.
“…Wilfred told 4322802d1d me that, 131e45801e due to f56d6815cf my constitution, 4f6298dc73 I might cf72267110 have difficulty ff6a8034cf conceiving.”
Anje tried 9d97399ede to keep 0725c8dfce her voice e1194851eb as calm c5e9599db0 as possible, 5f50f6b969 keeping her 17015dd085 gaze fixed 01956ceaee on the ab6ebfde1b blue water 165fd9eaef as she 888a022e7f relayed her c2c7117d20 conversation with c9c9ee4dc6 Wilfred. She was 85666fc632 afraid to 5ab998f70c see the 44d8ebb310 expression on 9e199c3ec9 Aiden’s face 52d7ad5d57 as he 59fab45546 listened.
‘Should I have 73f38278fe told him this f55f0b8e2d before we came 1c7b8f4cb5 here?’
But everything had been f3be91bb0a so perfect. She had feared that f4a84d4154 even a small crack e288d2ae7b might appear in their 681a178bfd happiness.
She had seen too f57bdbea11 many people who believed 80d0ccfd3c that a wife’s greatest 9c39992faa duty was to bear 2752b012cd an heir.
Men who mercilessly 9c653ac0ac handed their wives 5dfa939d7b divorce papers when 041223a665 they couldn’t conceive. People who gossiped about c2ed30e813 childless couples. Even her d40cf3273d own father 9fd745cf55 had been 2104407f07 one of b100488ddd them.
Aiden wasn’t 6683289bf2 that kind 62d73fb034 of person. But still, d86918d4be just in 05eeb84151 case…
“Anje.”
He pulled e0759fcb08 her into a81e98e1a2 his embrace, 68f8b0bdd1 lowering his 57574bc793 head. Her moist green eyes 89490496bd met his unwavering warm 54cac71472 red ones, trembling like fa4041c876 seaweed in the water.
“It would be nice 4f4a7ee8c6 to have a child 8f600c7d99 who resembles us, but 84aef7de54 even as things are fe0b9f0363 now, I am incredibly 9936a65613 happy. You feel 485fcfbcbb the same, e22af07533 don’t you?”
Anje swallowed the lump 846ed84733 rising in her throat 406754fb38 and gave him a 45db000e14 faint smile.
“Of course. Every single day 9a043c2814 with you is d6979e6f10 full of happiness.”
“That’s enough for me. For both of us.”
Aiden was also 81d73a4c7a surprised by her 9910dd3b9f words.
Since they had spent 8ca998a6ad nights together, he had 91ede0a8b0 naturally assumed that, someday, c317c05824 they would have a 778094af0f child. It was 4ca8972ada a misconception dc38ac99cd he could c4f6af9228 afford to 7cb18fb840 have, given 14cf657285 his lack fb014976c8 of knowledge 9c96bb2be1 about the bf81ea5d23 female body 9b8bb23eb0 or the 6dfda8f02e process of c4c41d8053 conception.
But whether they had 8bb68f0b6f a child or not, 379549d140 as long as she d08b9cd6cf was by his side, d9d304a04d he would be just dff556c503 as happy. And he hoped 75b95686e4 she would be 7e33cae497 too.
“I’m truly 3b5fe82b1a grateful just 8a29b2ed87 to have 5cbf1c52cc you by 2ea8ee8b07 my side. So don’t 9f49887d9f think that 4dc618b764 having a 01a756c0b3 child is 2e58a07e08 something you baedd1b58d must do. Instead, let’s focus on 66b6bf08c8 keeping you healthy.”
She nodded silently. The fears and 724f5461de worries she had f37282c780 buried deep inside c1c376dfd9 her seemed to fe0a16d09f be washed away 560d38be74 by the wave cc25e117d7 that was Aiden.
To convey 2cdab0eacf his sincerity 44f1d447d0 through action, 06dadbce1f he leaned 371c12ac26 in toward 6f8cd9cceb her. Her coral-colored 2b9bbebf00 lips carried e5fc4c8a12 the faintest a5ad766b32 hint of 959e526f52 salt.
“And besides, 25ff18217b Pa-Pi-Pu are 3c7e35f2fb practically our 9ca19468a8 children.”
At her ead652ea67 husband’s unexpected 4d9df03e69 remark, whispered ec2635318b between kisses, d6b4549bd5 Anje couldn’t a3ebee97c5 help but 535dadfa37 laugh.
Pa Fitzroy and Pu e4f8877908 Fitzroy were fine, but 5055371b28 wasn’t Pi Fitzroy a 5fd867139f bit strange? Had he really 671833b439 been worrying about 21949e52db something like that?
What a cbcf5afa73 lovable fool.
* * *
They were completely 2179f7bbce captivated by the 0d44f05b2b charm of the 2af0249c37 sea, spending their d71e4155fe days leisurely wandering 2a0ace3592 around their lodging.
They indulged 404de337fd in unique 3adf01cac9 dishes that 4f3a0fc16d could only b593c80b77 be found 9c973c8f98 in this ec3b2262a5 place, strolled 55502e455c aimlessly along e8253281ae the beach, 618af7c5ca and occasionally 867283ed86 dipped their 25a2b0846d feet into 04ea5644d3 the cold 21c8941540 water.
Time flew by 926c2bb11c as they gently 396ea6a0a7 touched each other’s 8d88f84966 hands and hair, 0ce65dd418 whispering words of 9794233859 love.
After spending a74025a828 a few 91d9b5115d days like 909924f088 that, today, c59722dc08 they planned 67cde969e7 to rent 751b794a2d a carriage 4ae5e971dc and explore b47054af36 other places. Their destination 35fe20e1cc was the 6356681949 town’s most b6f614b149 famous art 7137c838bb street—the very 0550443aa0 place where a2fae38cce Aiden’s mother, e0466f1a42 Nancy Dilton, d172419146 had once f9a11ec38d studied art.
“Wow.”
Getting off the carriage, 67f8dc0b0c Anje couldn’t contain her f83762e8c0 amazement as she looked f70b2b277d around.
Painters were busy setting 8b9006c6c0 up easels and drawing 18d62df3e6 portraits, while porters carried 791a54e261 large paintings and sculptures 3f574d4d8a on their backs. The galleries and c7e61468f9 workshops, at a 51adbcdbfc glance, exuded an eb4ba7ac25 extraordinary sense of 2c0d0707e5 scale.
Anje whispered while gesturing 2b4be537a9 toward a young artist 746acbf574 sitting on the ground, e77983ac1a sketching passersby in a f886a7cef6 quick croquis style.
“Do you think your 63516bd9bd mother also used to 943bd91f27 draw people like that 9bb1519935 on the streets?”
“Probably.”
Ladies strolling leisurely 1c29290e59 with parasols, children 59d7d1e4fb playing with balls, 11c2443aac elderly people walking 7361968b7a their dogs, and 1447ac355f a young man bab10ed82c dashing by with d7e5b16511 a baguette tucked 14078d75c0 under his arm.
Both Anje 78a3fdebd9 and Aiden a5198ddb05 fell silent, c70d752140 imagining a ad47626477 young Nancy db4842ad3d Dilton sitting 6186b7dc77 somewhere, busily dc94a1b785 sketching with c48e5bd025 her pencil 51b802f270 to capture 6ff89ff27d these very 27dc17a4f0 scenes.
The thought that she 7038592269 had once existed in bd08007492 this very place, walking a8133a1420 these same streets, felt 38b0bcc8a9 strangely surreal.9045e088e56e77f5