First love

The heart of summer in the air, green lavish fields erupting marvellously from beneath the softened earth. Dulcet trickling water streams, glitters the reflection of the golden sun, the white clouds, the pure blue sky, the green trees in the rippling rivers.

Whistles and sings the vivid, feathery little, pretty birds in love on the tree branches.

The fresh wind of undern, beneath the unfurled sky, the scattering shadows of the great trees, such glamour of green meadows, as abundant as the eyes could see off; adorned in mesmerizing flowers.

Neva has her heart overflowing in enchantment of wonder and admiration of the beauty the nature has unveiled, bestowing such blessings upon her.

"Are you aware if it is a boy or a girl?" Anna asks, her curious eyes searching Neva's own.

Neva looks at Anna, beside, sauntering along in the mushy strait road, stamping feets on the primmed grass underneath.

Wild green bushes, tall slender trees, wide meadows by their edges.

"I'm not." Neva returns, smiling at her. All Anna could talk about with her after she uncovered about her gestation, were mostly concerned with the baby. A glint of dismay flickers in Anna's eyes.

"You'll know when the baby's born." Says Neva, and Anna smiles wide. "I cannot forbear the time to meet the baby!" Exclaims Anna, her andrenaline rushing in exhilaration.

Neva chuckles at her, and a happy Anna picks up a red ripened cherry from her woven, oval willow wicker basket she holds, the similar as the one Neva carries. Anna pops it into her mouth, savouring it's melancholy flavour.

The delicate breeze flows Neva's free hair, sweetly grazing her face, flutters her short puffed sleeve white floral cottagecore dress, alike the wings of a butterfly dancing.

Her graceful presence, such heavenly face, from afar a young man walks, his enraptured rivited gleaming brown eyes on this petite, insanely, never seen beautiful woman.

"Oh! It's brother Jayden!!" Exclaims Anna, her eyes tracing the frame of a tall slender but sturdy, dappered man. His good boy trimmed hair, shaved intricate jaw, sharp tall nose. He was good looking.

He smiles, closening to the girls. Neva strips her eyes away from cherishing the meadow, and lands onto him. He looks at her, eleven steps away, their eyes tangle, and his heart stops.

"Brother Jayden!" Anna calls out, frowning, he had not been responding to her.

His legs kept it's pace, and his eyes painted Neva to his soul.

"Brother Jayden!!" Anna exclaims aloud, Jayden blinks away from the bewitching woman, now, an arm distance from her. He shyly smiles at her, "Sorry, you were saying something?"

Anna huffs—crossing her arms. "I inquired when did you get home?" His lips curved up still a beautiful smile, he ruffles her hair, "Just this morn."

He glances at Neva beside her, she smiles at him, and he forgets to breathe.

Her large almond cocoa eyes mesmerizing, shimmering, long curved deep black eyelashes, lean light dusk, slightly arched eyebrows.

Smooth faultless, small fair delicate oval face, dark wavy curls cascading down her shoulders.

Her rosy cheeks, perfect little nose, plump pink pretty lips...

Lord... she is, divine...

"You rumpled up my hair!" Anna scolds him, her voice fainting far in his ears.

Neva glances at an irked Anna, and at the man gawking at her, "Uh, hello?" Says Neva. He widens his eyes, he stared too great, she might think he's a pervert. "Hi," he says, embarrassed, he gazes away.

Anna glances at him, "Big sister meet brother Jayden, and brother, meet big sister Neva." Jayden, dazed blinks his eyes, he nods.

"Pleasant to meet you." He mumbles out, smiling, holding out his hand for a shake. Neva takes his hand, "Likewise." She smiles, and her warm, soft touch has his breathing ragged. She peels their hands away, leaving him hanging for more.

"Where were you going?" He asks Anna, Anna raises the willow wicker basket with assorted summer berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, raspberries.

She had mostly eaten it on the way, while Neva still has her basket overflowed.

"We just returned from uncle Fabel's farm, now we are going home." Shrugs Anna, she and Neva, after supper, went out for a stroll in the slow countryside, harvesting sweet mellow berries which they had picked themselves. Breezing in a special kind of contentment and has you swim in the lovely gratitude life puts forward.

Jayden nods, "That is nice," "What about you?" Anna asks, "I will come by Charles house." He answers. "Then you enjoy your trip. Shall we get home big sister?" Anna smiles, looking up at Neva.

"Sure." Neva says, bowing her head a little at Jayden. He messily bows back deeper at her.

They walk away...she walks away, and he stands there, in enchantment, staring at her, dainty, pretty back.

⑅ ⑅ ⑅

The Barlowe's cottage was particularly blissful and ecstatically loud today. Their younger son had returned home, livening up the surround.

"When will Jason be home?" Asks Jayden, taking a bite out of his medium well cooked steak. Just the way he loves.

"He is a postgraduate, their schedules differ, mayhap, their vacation starts couple of weeks later?" Replies Mrs. Barlowe. Placing more vegies and meat on his plate.

"Ma! I cannot eat no more." Remarks Jayden, Mrs. Barlowe shakes her head.

"My dear son, you appear so scrawny, look at what the wrecked city has done to you. I shall fatten you up the weeks you are home." Declares Mrs. Barlowe, dismissing a whiney, complaining Jayden.

Mr. Barlowe beside her clears his throat. She spares him a glance, and she shakes her head at his urging eyes.

She brutally denies him, "Nay, no more meat for you dear. Your cholesterol shall make you cross the boat."

Mr. Barlowe sighs sadly, having the bratty son chuckle with no empathy.

After a delicious dessert, Jayden helps out his mother with the dishes in the kitchen. "You have done enough son, go and be at ease." Mrs. Barlowe says, cleaning the sink, for they were done with the dishes.

Jayden dries his hands with the kitchen towel, and he nears his mother, "Ma...I may have lost my heart to a lady." Declares Jayden, his eyes daydreaming.

Mrs. Barlowe ceases her chores, glancing at his lovestruck son. She chuckles, "At end, and who shall be my dear daughter-in-law?" She asks, her consciousness all, on her son.

"I ponder you are familiar with her." He smiles at his mother, his besotted gaze, warms her heart. "What is her name?" She asks.

"It is a surprise." He returns. "When shall I meet her?" Excitement rushes in her aged bones.

"You shall, soon. It was love at first sight." He leans his back more in the kitchen counter. "How did it feel?" She inquires, deep enamoured by such scene encircling her son.

"It felt as if, I floated in the clouds... I had not felt if I was there, she seemed not real Ma. I was, awestruck. She was, so beautiful..." In a world of his own, his eyes dives to his soul, caressing the picture he painted of her.

⑅ ⑅ ⑅

"I drifted away for a while. I can't put it into words." Declares Rhett, looking up at her. Neva tilts her head, "Try to," she murmers, a book, with the abscence of attention in her hands.

He lay his head on her not so large bump again, great fascinated by the motion of their little baby. It had been more active than any other night today, and he was over the moon.

Neva's back leaned on the velvety pillowed headboard, her lower body rested flat on the bed. Rhett nestled on her tummy, wanting to bond with the baby, he lay below, by her legs.

"I saw no one, nothing, but you," He smiles, threading eyes with her, his chin on her twenty-seventh weeks pregnant belly.

"I went after you, as I wished to live. And you were all I could see and adhere to. The moment our eyes met, you took everything away from me: my heart, oxygen, my brain. You were a stranger; but you felt home."

He softens his voice, "I was not my own anymore, and from that on, my life and death were in your hands Angel." He says, smiling. And her eyes burns with tears.

She laughs, "Gosh, I can't believe you said that to me," she wipes her trickling tears. Pregnancy made her unfamiliar of herself, she's stunned at her crying at his cheesily sweet confession.

He chuckles, "Weren't you the one who wanted to know?" Neva gasps, the baby kicked her.

He looks at her with astonishment, "I felt the baby!" He exclaims, enthralled. She chuckles, "It was strong."

"Does it hurt?" He worriedly asks her, his hands rubbing her stomach.

"No, but I think it won't be the most comfortable in the following months." She utters, placing her book on the nightstand.

Rhett peels up her loose, couquette white cotton maternity blouse. Caressing her swelling bump, he admires the baby moving, her stomach resembles alike a tranquiled, floating wave in the ocean.

"It's insane that you have a living, breathing human growing inside of you." He says, smiling up at her. Garnering adoring eyes from her, he's already such loving father.

She smiles, caressing his fluffy, longer hair, "You'll make a great dad."

He laughs, raising his form, closing the distance between. A hand still placed on her bare bump, he kisses her so earnestly.

"I love you so much." His whispers hover her lips, their heart overwhelming with more than love for each other. "And you're gonna be the perfect mom."

Caressing his cheek, she kisses him, "I love you too." She gasps once more, the baby wished to embrace this sweet little while with his mom and dad, kicking hard to feel included.

"We love you too." She says laughing, hand over Rhett's own fondling her bump. "He or she, will cost me a lot of your attention." He frowns, scrutinizing the future of their family of three ahead.

He makes her laugh still, and he captures her lips in a loving kiss. "Let's make love, we have to make out the most before the baby borns." He seriously says, his eyes pervaded with hunger for her.

Neva widens her eyes, now she did not see it coming. Pregnancy did not spare her from her husband's passion in any way.