It Wasn't Meant To Turn Out Like This

Quiet voices pulled Mayza halfway out of her drug-induced slumber, dragging her enough out of the abyss that her brain once again made conscious thoughts. Her stomach felt deflated, empty. The absence of Mae’s kicks and movements saddened Mayza. She felt suddenly alone without her constant companion.

Despite having a smaller stomach, Mayza still felt as though each one of her limbs weighed a ton. Her eyelids felt too heavy to lift them, let alone hold them up long enough to see anything. Keeping her eyes closed, Mayza focused on all that she could hear.

Quiet half-whispers surrounded her, but she couldn’t quite make out any distinct words. She recognized the voices: Brian, who sounded as though he sat right beside her; Val, at her feet; and Zacky or Jimmy closer to the window. Other than their voices, she could hear nothing else.

Brian’s hand gently caressed hers as the people in the room spoke with each other. His fingers rubbed gentle circles into the back of her hand, the back of her wrist, and up her forearm before slipping back down. It soothed and relaxed Mayza, and within moments she had been lulled back to sleep.

!!!!!

The next time Mayza woke up, she could tell that it was only her and Brian in the room now. Thankfully, she felt normal again. Everything weighed normally now. The anesthesiologist had told her and Brian that the anesthesia would make her feel sleepier and would probably last longer than it would with a human. He had assured them, however, that there was nothing to alarm them that anesthesia would harm a fairy.

Mayza felt rested and refreshed. Mae had really been kicking her ass the past two weeks, and for the first time Mayza felt relief that the baby had finally been born. Mayza suddenly realized that she had a beautiful baby girl now; that thought alone was enough to get Mayza to finally open her eyes.

It was now daylight out; judging by the colors of the sky outside the window, it appeared to be late afternoon or early evening. The sky had begun to glow orange and pink as the sun began to set above the rough horizon of buildings.

Brian was no longer holding her hand, or even sitting beside her bed. He was on his feet, walking in slow circles around the room bouncing something wrapped in a pink blanket in his arms. Across the room, Mayza could hear Brian’s quiet cooing to the baby.

“Shh, I know you’re hungry, little one, but they say your mommy’s going to wake up soon and I know she’ll be thrilled to feed you once she does,” Brian murmured, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to their daughter’s forehead. Mayza couldn’t help but smile. Her heart swelled at the sight until she felt that it might just pop. Obviously, all had gone as planned and everything was okay.

Mayza stayed silent until Brian turned around to go in another circle and glanced up at her to see that she was finally awake. He grinned at her and walked over to her, leaning down to peck her on the lips. Mayza held her arms out for their baby, and Brian gently set the baby inside them.

Mayza snuggled the child against her chest, staring down in wonder at the beautiful baby staring up at her.

“Say hello to Mae Christine Haner,” Brian said, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Mayza.

“She’s gorgeous,” Mayza whispered, her voice a little croaky from lack of use.

There was no denying whose child Mae was. She had Mayza’s large fairy eyes, but instead of hot pink, they were deep, chocolate brown. Already, Mae had a full head of jet black, violently curly hair. She had no wings. Except for the large eyes, Mae would have looked human. Mayza was glad she looked more human than anything; life would be so much easier for her that way.

Brian pushed the button sitting on Mayza’s end table.

“There were no complications during the C-section,” he explained. “It was a smooth, clean surgery. The two of you will be released within the week.” Suddenly, Brian blushed and looked sheepishly down at his hands. “I kind of almost passed out during the surgery. I was standing at your head and everything, and there wasn’t any blood that I could see, but I could smell it and it just didn’t agree with me.”

Mayza chuckled. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Val already wheedled it out of me and now the guys won’t shut up about it,” Brian grumbled with a sudden frown.

“They just wait until they’re having their first child. I’m sure they’ll all be a little unsteady too,” Mayza assured him as a nurse stepped into the room to show Mayza how to breast-feed.