As Delilah laid back on the pillows her mother had brought her, she placed her hands on her stomach. Being pregnant and living with her parents again felt strange. Doubt often crept into her mind about if she had done the right thing by leaving Zarda. Each night, she dreamt of him and could still feel his presence. Regret weighed heavy on her heart as she longed to see him, to feel his embrace, and to kiss him once more. Tears welled in her green eyes as she struggled with feelings of loneliness, despite being surrounded by loved ones. Delilah found herself resenting the unborn child, blaming it for the separation from Zarda. She felt torn between conflicting emotions and fears that her love for the child would diminish. The idea of terminating the pregnancy crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it, knowing Zarda would surely despise her if she did such a thing. Overwhelmed by crying and nausea, Delilah felt frustrated with her current situation. It had been two weeks since she last saw Zarda, and the longing for him had only intensified during that time.
"Dee, are you hungry, sweetheart?" called Delilah's mom, using her beloved nickname.
It was a term of endearment her father had given her when she was young. Lately, he had been distant and disappointed in her poor decisions. He had always wanted her to have a successful career, find a good man, get married, and then have children. But Delilah had her own plans, and it was her life to live, not her father's. Vivian, her mom, was more understanding and supportive, while Edward, her father, couldn't see past his own expectations and judgments. Delilah knew he would never understand, and she was grateful for her mom's unconditional acceptance.
Her mother possessed a gentle demeanor and a carefree spirit, mirroring Delilah with her dark brown hair and green eyes, appearing as though they were identical. Her father, a suave and handsome man, clean-shaven with dark brown eyes and short brown hair, had deep dimples in his cheeks. Though he always appeared serious and lost in thought, he shared his daughter's passion for science and archeology. In her younger years, he frequently traveled on mission trips to excavation sites, sacrificing time with his family in order to provide for them. The sacrifices he made for his wife and children were nothing short of admirable.
"No, I'm fine, thank you for offering, Mom," Delilah replied.
Vivian entered Delilah's bedroom and sat down beside her daughter. "Still not able to eat normally, huh? I remember those days. Thank goodness they pass quickly. Before you know it, you'll be indulging in all sorts of foods you never thought you would enjoy. Babies really do make us crave the strangest dishes," Vivian commented. Delilah laughed and tried to sit up, but her mom gently urged her to lay back and rest. "Mom, what's the weirdest thing I ever made you eat?" Delilah inquired. Vivian smiled and reminisced, "Hmm, I think the craziest dish was chocolate pudding with butter and pickles. I have no idea why, but it tasted surprisingly good." Delilah made a face of disgust, exclaiming, "No way did I subject you to that! I can't stand pickles." Vivian laughed at her daughter's reaction, revealing, "Believe it or not, you had me craving that combination all the time. Maybe that's why you dislike pickles now." Delilah added, "I also dislike pudding and prefer plant-based butter, so it all makes sense now." After sharing a laugh, Vivian rubbed Delilah's belly and then left the room. Delilah heard her dad's old pickup truck arrive outside and sarcastically remarked, "Oh great, Edward's home. What a joyous occasion. NOT"
Delilah rolled over in bed and pulled a knitted throw over herself, pretending to be asleep in order to avoid any interactions with her father, whom she did not want to speak to. She could hear her mother welcoming Edward home as she tried not to think about them kissing. Delilah listened as Edward's footsteps drew closer to her door, but to her relief, he did not barge in as usual. Instead, he stood quietly outside her door for what felt like minutes before continuing down the hall to their bedroom at the end of the house. Their home was a small, modest three-bedroom house made of beige brick with gray trim and shutters. Most of the walls inside were white, except for the recently remodeled bedrooms, inspired by Vivian's favorite DIY house show. Delilah's room was painted a medium slate gray with white trim and oak wood flooring, while her parents' room was a quaint teal hue with white trim. The guest bedroom was a deep hunter green with light maple stained trim.
Delilah pretended to be asleep, but her mind drifted back to Nexus. In her thoughts, she could see the plain white walls of the science lab and the red glow of the emergency lights. The strong metallic-bleach odor filled her nostrils and she felt the bitter cold of the Antarctic-like temperatures blanket her body. Suddenly she saw a large, dark figure at the end of the hall. It was shadowed, with no light touching it, sparking fear and curiosity in her. Delilah gathered her courage and moved closer, but the figure seemed to slip further away as she approached. The shape-shifting hall made her frantic, until she found herself inside the very room where scientist Hopkins had tormented her in. Panic set in as she heard her colleagues evil laughter. The room spun around her, leaving her feeling sick to her stomach. like a carousel, it spun faster and faster, until she was ready to vomit.
Delilah awoke abruptly from her nightmare, feeling unwell. She rushed to the bathroom, where she unfortunately vomited up her last meal. After flushing the toilet, she collapsed to the cold tile floor, wiping away the remains of her sickness. her mother Vivian rushed in, alarmed by her daughter's frail appearance.
"Edward, quickly, something's not right," she called out.
Edward didn't hesitate and hurried in, seeing Delilah's exhausted and emaciated body on the floor.
"See, Dee, this is why you should have followed the proper way. You wouldn't be suffering if you had," he scolded sternly.
Despite his love for her, he couldn't help but feel guilty for not supporting her better in the past. He left the bathroom and grabbed Delilah's favorite blue cup and filled it with water, placing it by her bed. Delilah was too weak to argue with him, even though she found his comment disrespectful. Vivian helped her daughter back to bed and covered her up, wondering what had caused the baby to make her sick this time.
"Rest up, Dee. You don't need to be up as much during this trimester," she advised before leaving the room.
Vivian suddenly halted Edward in the hallway.
""Listen, you're being incredibly unfair to Dee. Your constant criticism could be stressing her and the baby out. If you cause my baby to lose hers, I will leave you for good. Damn it, She needs love from her father, not constant correction. We've been through tough times ourselves when we were her age. At least she has a successful degree and can work anywhere. We were two young, naive kids with nothing but an unborn child. Let's not be hypocritical and start being a father, okay?" Vivian exclaimed angrily.
Edward's gaze remained fixed on the ground as he fought to control his temper. He knew he had a tendency to explode at any moment, but he managed to stay calm. Reflecting on the lack of proper beginnings in their marriage, he couldn't help but acknowledge how well their lives had turned out: a beautiful house, a decent job, a healthy daughter, and a happy wife. Finally, he lifted his gaze to Vivian, his smokey brown eyes and deep dimples adding to the intensity of his expression as he observed her before uttering a word.
"I love you, and I will do whatever you ask, including becoming a better father," he answered.
Vivian's bright green eyes sparkled as she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tightly and placing a soft kiss on his lips. They remained in each other's embrace for a minute before going about their normal daily activities.
After their lips parted, Edward flashed a toothy grin. "Mmm, that was really nice. Maybe I should be on my best behavior more often to earn this kind of treatment," he said with a charming laugh. Vivian joined his laughter with her own.
Delilah could hear fragments of her parents' conversation from outside her bedroom door, but she was in and out of consciousness. She fell back asleep and found herself once again in the dream world of Nexus, experiencing the same feelings as before. Wondering how she kept returning to this place, she felt her heart race as she spotted a dark figure down the hall. Instead of running towards them, she bravely called out to it.
"Hello, can you hear me? The hall seems to be keeping us apart. Please come to me. Who are you?" she asked.
Delilah thought she saw the shadow move, but it may have been her imagination playing tricks.
"Please, won't you come to me?" she shouted.
The figure began to approach her, and Delilah felt a rush of joy at the prospect of finally seeing who it was. But as it drew closer, the shadow enveloped the figure, concealing their true identity. Just as the figure faded away, a familiar voice called out to her.
"Delilah, my love, why did you leave me? What did I do to lose you? Don't you love me anymore?" said the voice.
She recognized it as Zarda's voice, but she couldn't understand the significance of the dream. Waking up in her room, Delilah was overwhelmed with sadness. She cried, longing to see him again. Looking out the window, she poured out her heart in tears.
"I love you, Zarda. You didn't lose me. I love you so much, an I'm missing you like crazy." she sobbed.