“But you still need protection, don’t you?” I asked.
Jared thought for a moment. “We are born to protect. I think He sees it as an infinite waste of resources.”
I nodded. “I see.”
Jared’s brows pulled in and he cocked his head a bit. “You seem different today.”
“I do? What’s wrong with me?”
Jared laughed. “Not your general well-being, I mean you. Your behavior. You seem less on edge. Why is that?”
My brows shot up, and I shrugged. “It’s not because I’m not worried, I can promise you that. I have one more year of college, I’ll be taking over Titan soon after…and I’m pregnant. The best part—my personal favorite—I have to be on guard for the next nine months just to stay alive long enough to deliver our baby, and hope the Creator of the Universe decides against his own rules to help us do that.”
“Ten.”
“What?”
“It’s actually ten months. Forty weeks is ten months.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t help.”
Jared stifled a grin. “I was proud of you at the hearing.” When I didn’t reply, Jared explained further, “With Michael. You made a great case. It might have been what kept me out of serious trouble.”
“What might have happened? If Eli had decided against you?”
“The worst punishment would be death.”
“But…,” I began, thinking as I spoke, “you can’t die unless I do.”
“Or if I’m found guilty of disturbing The Balance. Heaven has zero tolerance for both of those things.”
“The baby supposedly disturbs The Balance,” I said, touching my belly.
Jared put his hand on mine. “God didn’t create the baby, Nina, we did. Free will and The Law are on opposite ends of the universe. I could explain it for the rest of your life, and you still wouldn’t understand. Even I don’t fully understand it all. Just know that The Law is a constant, and The Balance is a variable. In our case, it depended on Free Will, and that makes The Balance a whole new beast.”
“My head hurts,” I said.
“I’m sorry. More water?”
I looked down to my glass. It was empty. “I hadn’t even realized I’d touched it.”
Jared moved his hand up my arm, his fingers pressuring different spots. “Your temperature is elevated, but I believe it’s due to the pregnancy.”
I nodded, staring out into the ocean. “Will it ever be over, Jared? Once the baby is born, will we have to keep fighting for every day?”
“No. Heaven will have to decide at some point that enough is enough. They will either save us or let us die. Once that decision is made, we are protected.”
I looked up to the sky. “Why doesn’t He just make it now?” Jared didn’t answer, and it was just as well. I didn’t expect him to. “Jared…,” I hesitated. I didn’t want to ruin our perfect morning. “I think I should continue my training.”
He sighed. “You’re pregnant, Nina.”
“Yes, I know. But, can we both agree that there may come a time when I might have to defend myself...or the baby? I’m not asking you to beat the crap out of me; I’d just like to spend more time with the firearms, and for you to teach me some more complex moves.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
Jared wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my head. “You’re right. We have to be prepared for anything. We’ll start when we get back.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
He leaned back, and lowered his chin so that I would meet his gaze. “You have to take it easy, though. I mean it.”
“I will. I promise.”
Satisfied, Jared took my glass and returned moments later with a fresh batch of ice floating in the water. I took a sip and sighed, trying my best to relax.
We sat in the morning sun, waiting as it crawled across the sky, hiding every so often behind the errant cloud. Jared and I were wrapped in each other’s arms, enjoying a small moment of peace. Eventually, my stomach began to protest.
I looked down, and then to Jared. “I guess we better find something to eat.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t say anything sooner. You haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
“I’m surprised the baby didn’t say something sooner,” I said, extending my hand to Jared when he stood.
He tugged on my hand. “I can see I’m going to have to take better care of you.”
We made our way to the eating lodge, where just a few other patrons sat at a table across the room. I dove into the fresh fruit bowl on the table, and then eagerly waited for the waiter to arrive.
An hour later, empty or nearly empty plates of Grouper, Callaloo, Conch Fritters and other Caribbean cuisine lay all over our table. For someone that didn’t feel hungry, I couldn’t seem to stop eating.
I mashed the leftover crumbs from the banana bread we requested for dessert with my finger and then licked them off.
“Wow,” Jared said.
“What?” I said.