Aurora
I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to face the world. Travis was already up and he said he wanted to cook me my favorite breakfast – eggs benedicts.
It’s been several days after the arrest. Travis and I somehow fell into this domestic bliss. I moved out of the short term rental where I had been staying since I left the hospital to Travis’ apartment. It was a simple apartment, not in the greatest neighborhood but all that didn’t matter because I was with Travis and that was all I wanted. There was a natural rhythm between us. We didn’t have to say too much and we were already in sync with each other.
I closed the store for a week since the week after Christmas was generally slow. This Christmas was a quiet one. We roasted a small turkey and brought it to the hospital to have Christmas dinner with his mother. It was lovely to meet his mother, she was an incredibly strong woman. Travis and I took turn filling in the details of what had happened in the last few weeks.
Before we left the hospital, his mother and I had a one-on-one conversation, and I would never forget it.
“Aurora, I’m so happy to meet you, I never thought I would get the chance. He’s changed so much ever since you came into his life. I think his turning around has so much to do with you. I can see the way he looks at you, you give him hope and he loves you for every single bit of it.”
“Mrs. Parker, you don’t need to thank me. Your son woke up me with his kiss and gave me my life. I am eternally grateful for him and I will never be able to repay him in full.”
“I don’t have much longer, Aurora. Please take care of my dear boy. I’m the last family he has. He’s a good man, even though he had some troubles in the past. Love him like the way he loves you.” Mrs. Parker reached out for my hands. I was pressing my lips tight, fighting to hold back my tears from streaming down.
“Yes I will love him with everything I’ve got.”
“Now it’s time for you to go, my dear, it’s getting late.” She smiled and gave my hands a firm squeeze.
It was that very night Mrs. Parker passed away in her sleep. We received the call at 2 am and we rushed to the hospital to say our last goodbye. Coincidentally, while we were at the hospital, I got a call from the OB staff that Jemma was in active labor and she was already 7cm dilated, they were transferring her from the prison to the same hospital that we were at.
Travis insisted that I tend to Jemma and that he needed some time to himself to process his mother’s passing. I couldn’t be in two places at once. I was at the OB ward waiting for her arrival. I thought she would not be thrilled to see me but she was in so much pain and asked me to stay with her as her birthing partner. She was all alone and I couldn’t say no despite our past conflicts. She had passed the point when epidural was an option. Not that I had any experience at all being a birthing partner or coach, I just passed her ice chips and towel whenever she asked for it. The baby was born the same morning at 6:13am. She named the baby boy after our father, George. The experience was magical. I was so happy to be an aunt to this tiny little baby.
It was the cycle of life. One life ended and another one began.
“I’m going to petition the court to raise their child. I don’t think even my sister wants her baby to grow up behind bars.” I woke up this morning with this idea, and thought this was the right thing to do and also it would be a way to heal the relationship with Jemma. As much as I was angry with all that she had done, she was my sister and the baby was innocent.
Travis was at the stove making the hollandaise sauces for the eggs benedicts when I threw this curveball at him. He was quiet for a moment. Either he was focusing on his sauce or he was coming up with a plan to bolt and run, I would not be surprised with either. It was hard to wait for a response.
“Travis, did you hear what I just said?” I came up behind him and lightly touched his arm. I didn’t want to be pushy but maybe he didn’t hear me with the stove going.
“Yes, sorry I wasn’t ignoring you. I was just daydreaming a little when you told me about you being your nephew’s guardian.”
“A good kind of daydreaming?”
“Yes a good kind.” He had this big smile on his face.
“Care to share?”
“Remember it’s a daydream. I don’t want to add pressure to our brand new relationship,” he waited then continued, “I was thinking that one day that we will a family together. I could just imagine teaching little ones how to cook and make pancakes for all of us.”
It was a nice dream, a dream that I could totally get onboard with. I was already smitten enough watching him cook breakfast, the image of him and our mini-me’s making pancakes together totally melted me away.
“I like it. Very much actually.” I wasn’t going to get too ahead of ourselves but I wanted a life exactly like that.
Tomorrow I was to inherit my family fortune, it would be a hefty sum, enough to not worry about finance going forward. I hadn’t said much to Travis. With this sum of money, it would certainly help with my petition to raise little George while Jemma remain in prison.
“I never got a chance to ask you. How many kids do you want Aurora?” Travis asked as he set down a plate of eggs benedict in front of me.
“I would be happy with two, one of each, a boy and a girl. Nothing too crazy.” I took a bite of this deliciousness, I was in heaven.
“That’s fair. OK, here’s another question, would you consider getting married again?”
Oh my goodness, why was he asking me this? I needed to be careful with this one.
I was torn.
On one hand, I was burnt by my marriage to Andy, I gave him my youth and my probably best years. I thought he was the one, and I got burnt. My judge of character may not be the most reliable. On the other hand, I experienced the most unexpected and most romantic gesture of Travis waking me from my coma with his kiss. This magic and romance gave me hope and belief that love wasn’t just a fairytale. It happened to me even when I was being cynical.
“Hmm. Depends on who’s asking.” It was easier for me to play coy for now.
His left eyebrow raised, “Good to know. OK, a follow up question, do you think it’s important to be married before having children? Or I should ask would you have kids out of wedlock?”
“Why are you asking me all these questions?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just answer me.”
“I actually don’t care about the order of things. I would not rush a wedding just because I was knocked up, if that’s what you are asking. I also think it’s perfectly fine to stay together unmarried but still raise a family together too. Does that answer your questions?” I wondered what he had up his sleeves. At the same time, I wasn’t too keen to know so I wouldn’t accidentally ruin it.
“Yes. That’s good to know. How do you like the eggs benedict?”