* * * * *
Some days later we lay side by side in bed, our hands clasped beneath the blanket. Then Llywelyn rolled over and put a hand on my belly. "I spoke of luck," he said, "and our lack thereof."
"Yes."
"But you are more than lucky for me. You give me the hope that God has seen our plight and seeks to aid us in our time of need."
I put my hand on his. "I hope so, Llywelyn, but I'm scared."
"Of the birth?"
"Of everything," I said. "I'm scared of loving you so much and not deserving that love. I'm scared of losing you. It was a near thing. How many more chances do you get?"
"Fourteen years you gave me, Meg. I plan to use every single one of them."
"Did you think of that, there on the hill?"
"No," he said. "I was so damn scared that all I could think about was dying and leaving you and our son unprotected, with only Dafydd standing between Wales and England-Dafydd and his loathsome designs on you."
"But you want to name our baby Dafydd, if it's a boy?" We'd talked about names over the last months, and he'd always come back to that one.
"It was my uncle's name, and the name of the patron saint of Wales. What name could I give him that wasn't that of an enemy or one who has betrayed me? Owain? Gruffydd? Rhys? I think not."
"Okay," I said, laughing at his predicament. "But your brother is going to think he's named for him."
"Let him think that," Llywelyn said. "We know the truth." He rolled onto his back and soon was breathing gently, easing into sleep. I was glad and gently rubbed the top of his shoulder. He was going to need his sleep, because I was feeling an ache in my back that meant baby, and soon! It's early though, if my dates are right.
I awoke some time later to a cry from the next room. Feeling the need to use the guarderobe, I swung my legs over the bed, heaved myself to my feet, and walked to the curtain that separated our room from Anna's. I pulled it back and found Anna sitting up in bed, but no nurse beside her.
"Where's Maud, sweetie?"
"I don't know," she said. "I need to pee."
"Okay," I said and held out my hand. Anna clambered out of bed and toddled toward me, staggering slightly on sleepy feet. I eased open the latch to the door, not wanting to wake Llywelyn, and left it ajar. Anna and I walked down the hall to the toilet. I opened the door and stuck in my head. The room was empty, and the smell wasn't too bad. Llywelyn had ordered the toilet cleaned daily because I had a tendency to lose my lunch if the stench got too bad.
I hiked up Anna's nightgown and lifted her onto the seat. She leaned forward into my belly, clearly very sleepy, and I crouched in front of her so she could rest her head on my shoulder. As I shifted to find a more comfortable position, the room shifted with me.
Pop!
I clutched Anna to me. She gasped, and I gasped, and then we were gone.