A Kiss For Your Freedom
Chapter 64

Three years later

- Mom, mom, Mélissa shouts, rushing towards me.

I raise my head from the garden to follow the direction of his voice. My daughter, our daughter, runs as fast as she can, holding in her hands a wooden toy that her father must have made for her, as he often does. I smile as I see her deployir all her little strength in this race which is in no way vital. But now, I understand, with children, everything is essential, do to the smallest thing that might seem insignificant but which nevertheless in their eyes is crucial.

I wait in my place, just a minute or two, and see the shadow of her father behind her, smiling at me. Dorian has always been the sweetest and most caring man I know, but since Melissa was born, all these facets of him have multiplied. We a a family and he just wants us to be happy.

He has not regained all the precision of his hand, of his arm, which prevents him from making the same pieces as before this, but he remains the most gifted of all at carving in wood. Jason tried to learn but just like me, he obviously doesn't have the artistic fiber, the creative fiber.

- Look, mom, she writes, coming up to me as I open my arms to her.

These brown hairs come to tickle my nose. We didn't need to ask who she was, although it didn't matter, she was the spitting image of her father, of Dorian. The same sparkle in the eyes. The same laugh. She hands me her new toy, a wood: Wolf, much more detailed than a simple toy you could find in a store. I run my fingers through the animal's mane, sliding down its back before finishing on its erect tail. It's a beautiful piece, a very beautiful piece.

- It's beautiful, my darling. You will be able to show it to your other animals.

She smiled as if she were holding the most precious treasure in the world in her hands. I hold her against me, gently unti she raises her head before breaking away from my embrace.

- Dad, she shouts, resuming her run. Dad.

jason returns from his daily hunting trip and although he has traces of blood on him, she does not hesitate to run into hi arms.

- Look what daddy did to me.

- But it's so beautiful, he says playfully as he lifts her up with the greatest ease in the world. And me, do I have one?

She seems to hesitate, I can see it in the posture of her little body, in the way she holds her toy a little tighter against her as her gaze moves from him to Jason.

- You have to ask dad.

- But I intend to do it, otherwise, how could I play with you,

She laughs out loud and that simple sound is probably the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. Dorian joins me and helps me get up.

~ Thank you, I say as he puts his hand on my stomach.

A few more days, or even less, and I won't be able to take care of the vegetables anymore. I know I'm probably overdoing but with the arrival of a new child, 1 would really like us to be ready for winter.

- You've done enough for the day my dear, you need to think about the two of you now.

I don't even try to fight, I've learned that too, I know that I can’t do anything when it comes to the well-being of our fami He walks me home. Autumn will be here in a few days and with temperatures dropping again. The trees are already starti to change colors for some, as if they already feel that the end of one cycle is near and that it is time to regain strength fo the next one.

We've been living there for a few years now. A few years since I learned to decipher nature's messages. Because this is on the first sign, while temperatures will drop and nature will change, the animals will finish stockpiling their reserves befor going to hibernate in turn. Soon this little corner of paradise will be covered in a heavy layer of snow and we will only be able to rely on what we have collected. On our harvests, on the fruit of our hunts. Depriving ourselves of two arms means depriving us of one more chance to get through this winter without the slightest problem.

“We have plenty to look forward to," said Dorian, pushing open the door to let me in. You know very well that this isn't ou first winter here and that we always plan too much.

Here again he's right, but I know that knowing we're stuck for long weeks always makes me a little nervous, surely a resid of my old life in the middle of the city. A kick pulls me from my thoughts. I place my hand on my stomach, smiling. Just a few more weeks until we meet, a few more weeks until I hold him and tell him how much I can love him already.

jason comes to join us and places our daughter on the floor who runs into her room to drop off her new toy which only adds to her collection. He puts the meat in the kitchen before coming to kiss me while putting his hand on my stomach. - Obviously he’s in great shape, he says as our baby kicks again.

“I think he feels a little cramped,” I said, laughing. I feel like he's gaining at least an inch a day and if this continues I'm going to explode.

- A little more patience love and soon, he will show up and fill us with a little more joy if that is possible.

- And for that, his mother should stop trying to do too much and start to rest, Dorian continues.

- We couldn't agree more. No more work for you love. You're going to spend the next few weeks just thinking about the tu of you, Jason said, kissing my cheek.

“At your command,” I said, laughing. I'm going to spend my time eating and sleeping and gain a kilo a week until the end. - No matter how many kilos you can gain my dear, you will always remain the most beautiful of all, continues Dorian. Melissa comes back and slips between us. Although she is still young, she can't wait to meet her little brother. She can't wait to see our family grow. I would have liked Madeleine to see it too, she who helped us so much, she who sold us the house we live in. But it didn’t survive last winter.

We were all sad when we heard the news. But at least she left smoothly. In his sleep, as we all would like to do. She woul have been delighted to know that a new Cub Scout would enlarge our family, that a new child would make this house eve more lively. I think that over time, we all saw her as our grandmother. Like a pillar that would always be there without seeing that little by little, she was losing her strength.

At least she won't be left alone. Until the end, we will have shared her life because after what she did for us. We began to invite her more often, to go see her and spend entire afternoons there where she never stopped telling us stories from a long-forgotten past. But none of us ever cut it off, we always let her talk, tell as if ultimately she was passing on to us the memories, her memory, a heritage that only we could listen to and when she saw Melissa, when she held him in her arms for the first time, her heart melted to let a few tears of joy flow. She called it our little miracle, which it undoubtedly is. After everything we've been through, after everything we've been through, bringing her into the world turned out to be a second chance for all of us.

Dorian rushes to the kitchen, he knows that in a short time, our daughter will turn into a little monster ready to devour everything. A contraction makes me breathe a little harder. It's happening more and more often lately. My body is starting to prepare for the arrival of our son.

jason immediately turns his head towards me, narrowing his eyes. It's not the time yet, but we're getting closer and it's enough for him to be hyper vigilant.

- You should go lie down for a bit, love. Sit in the chair, we'll take care of everything.

I don't argue and move slowly to the armchair where I lie down, breathing. A few more weeks, just a few weeks and I wou regain my freedom of movement. Mélissa comes to join me with a book of stories. She loves being read to her and I love seeing her happy. She sits next to me, her little head resting on my big belly and I begin to read to her this book that she must already know by heart. I put the intonations, the shapes, I try to make it as lively as possible, which makes her laug when she hears me imitating a grandmother.

Her brother kicks her which makes her laugh even more. It's crazy how such a small being can turn everything upside doy how a child can change the world that we thought would come as no surprise. She is magical, so full of life and with her, time passes so quickly that even though we are still young, we can no longer ignore questions about the future.

She will become a Wolf when the time comes, a Wolf who may want to look for a pack, a companion. A Wolf who would ik to take charge of her life and move away from us. We've been talking about it since she was born. We will do our best, because that's also what being parents are all about. Knowing that not everything you do is perfect, that you make mistakes, but ultimately doing your best is all that matters. We will support her, we will prepare her for the future, as we will do with our son.

I close the book just as Dorian and Jason arrive, their arms loaded with dishes. Melissa sits up quickly, smiling. She loves when we allow ourselves to eat together in the armchair as a little break from our daily lives.

I'm so happy, I who haven't had a family for so long, am discovering what it's like to have the most wonderful of all families. Dorian places a kiss on my forehead while Jason places his hand on my stomach. Only a few more weeks, just a few more weeks and we will all finally be reunited.

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