Jamie McGuire - Eden

“So, that was the first time I bested Dad, although I’m pretty sure he let me win,” Bex said with a broad smile.

“I remember that,” Claire said. “He didn’t let you win. He wouldn’t stop talking about it after you went to bed.”

“Really?” Bex said, his eyes bright.

“Really.”

Bex’s smile faded. “He died four days after that.”

Everyone lowered their chins, unsure how to advance the conversation.

Jared finally spoke. “That must’ve been hard on you, Bex. I don’t think I ever asked you if you were okay.”

Bex shrugged. “I was, I guess. What else could I be?”

“In pain,” Claire said. “We were all so wrapped up in our own, we didn’t even try to help you through it.”

“I missed him. And then…I missed you guys. I was glad when Jared brought Nina around. The family kind of came back together, then. Now we have Ryan.”

“We don’t have Ryan,” Claire said.

Ryan shot her a dirty look, and then softened his features for Bex. “Yes you do, man. I’m here if you need me.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “What would he need you for? To help with a school bully?”

“To talk to,” Ryan said. “You know, what we used to do before you became so hateful and mean.”

Claire crossed her arms over her knees. “You don’t give me a choice,” she mumbled.

“What?”

Ryan’s acerbic tone lit Claire’s eyes. “You don’t give me a choice!”

“C’mon, guys,” I said. It was far too claustrophobic, even in the large cavern, for anyone to fight.

Ryan stood. “What kinda choice would you like? The one that includes you stalking me all day without us talking? Or the one where we get along?”

“We can get along without you trying to land the unattainable blonde!”

Ryan’s mouth fell open. “Is that what you think I’m trying to do?”

Claire stood, meeting his glare. “Just…back off.”

Ryan took a step forward. “I love you. I l ove you, and you act like I’m some random frat boy trying to get lucky.”

Jared sighed. “I should have packed ear plugs. I have nowhere to go.”

“You just….” Claire trailed off.

I knew she must care about him. She had bit her tongue to keep from hurting his feelings, which Claire never did.

Ryan took another step. He was only a few inches from her face. “Say it.”

“I’ve told you. A million times! It’s not going to happen.”

He shook his head. “No, say you don’t love me. Say you don’t see me in that way and I’m just a helpless human to you. Say you hate me! Say something! I’m tired of your vague excuses!”

“I don’t need excuses!” she yelled. “I don’t want that!” She pointed to us. “I don’t want a family like I had or they have! You want children! You want a normal life, Ryan. I’m not it!”

“I just want you! Whatever that is, I want it!”

Claire frowned. Her body shook with anger. She grabbed his collar with both fists. Ryan leaned away slightly and winced, waiting for her to land a punch on his face. Claire’s lips pursed together, and then she pulled him to her, pressing her lips against his, hard.

“ Agh ,” Jared said, turning.

Ryan paused in shock, and then his body melted against hers. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, and she wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck. The kiss was so intense that it looked nearly painful.

Bex giggled, but they didn’t hear him. After a minute or two, it was uncomfortable to watch, so we all meandered to the other side of the cavern. Jared seemed to be in a foul mood, which bothered me. Why he was so against Claire and Ryan was a mystery to me. They were perfect for each other, and clearly loved each other.

“I wonder if that will happen for me,” Bex said, glancing back.

“Don’t look. No telling what’s going on back there,” Jared said, picking up a rock and throwing it.

“It might,” I said, smiling. “Don’t listen to Jared. He knows I’m the best thing that ever happened to him.”

Jared grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Of course you are. Why would you believe I’ve thought otherwise?”

I shrugged. “You’re so against them.” I gestured behind us. “Like my mother was so against us. Because it makes things hard.”

Jared pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around my knees. “I just don’t like Ryan. It has nothing to do with you, or us.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you like him?”

Jared shifted nervously. “Ryan is the closest I’ve come to losing the love of my life. That’s not something you get over.”

I touched his face. “I love you. Ryan loves Claire. Get over it.”

Jared laughed once, and looked to Bex. “I hope it happens for you. I really do.”

Bex rolled his eyes and stood, walking to the back of the tomb where the altar held the book. Kim spent a lot of time in that area, even slept there. Bex sat next to her, and their voices became a stream of quiet conversation.

I balanced on all fours trying to navigate my large body to a standing position. Just as I pushed myself from the rock floor, my stomach clenched, and I stumbled. Jared caught me, but I couldn’t stand straight up.

“Contraction?” he said, frowning.

“I don’t…I don’t know,” I said, breathing through the pain.

Bex and Claire were immediately at our side, with Kim and Ryan trailing behind.

“The baby?” Bex said. “Should I set up?”

“No,” Jared said. Let’s let her rest. See if it eases up.”

Claire nodded, and assisted Jared in helping me to our makeshift bed. My feet up and relaxed, I tried to think about something else other than whether that pain would return. Labor was going to be a nightmare if I had to look forward to hours of that . I had hoped that my new abilities would anesthetize the pain a bit, but if the previous encounter with contractions had been any indication, I was screwed.

The pain crept up again, like a wave swallowing me whole.

“Breathe, sweetheart.”

I sucked in through my nose and blew out from my mouth, but it didn’t help the pain. A large fist had gripped my uterus and was digging in its fingers while I suffered the worst case of food poisoning ever recorded — that was what I felt.

“Should we set up?” Bex said again.

“No,” Jared said firmly. “We’re just timing them now.”

We waited several minutes, and then I felt another contraction, but it wasn’t nearly as painful. They became less frequent painful before stopping all together. Everyone in the room breathed a collective sigh of relief when Jared deemed the event a false alarm. He wouldn’t allow me to sit up, though, or even leave the bed after that. He or Claire would walk me to the hole in the floor if I needed to relieve myself. It was half-humiliating, half-frightening. My body hadn’t felt like my own for quite a while, but now there was no control over the situation.

We had no idea what went on in the world aboveground. I wondered what Beth and Chad were doing, if they worried about us, and about Cynthia and Lillian. If they leaned on each other for support, waiting to hear their grandchild had been born and that all of their children were alive. Even though I knew I needed to stay positive in those last difficult days, lying bed with nothing to do but read the same magazines, or think, my mind effortlessly traveled to less trivial things.

Checkers and chess were no longer entertaining. Even watching the others play cards irritated me. We were nearing the end of July, and I was so large I could barely maneuver. I had to let my mind wander to get away from the darkness of the tomb, from the fact that we were living in a tomb at all, and the dripping. For the love of all things holy, the dripping. That sound alone nearly pushed me out of my mind.