“NO, it’s too soon! I am not ready!” Another contraction strikes faster and stronger and she finds it hard to breath. Everyone begins talking at once, Polly runs for towels and Ruby joins her.
Hunter calmly tells Alex, “Get my medicine bag.” Alex pops out and back in a hurry. Elina rushes forward and grabs her hand in support.
“It’s going to be okay, Varena, I deliver babies all the time” Hunter tells her. They move her to a back room, they strip the bed while Ruby helps her change out of her soaked dress. She finds something in the pocket, Ruby places it on the end table as she rushes out to help. The scroll rolls off the table and onto the floor.
Ten hours later, they watch the archangels pacing in the living room. Ronnie beats Alex at another hand of poker, while they hear another scream as Varena pushes a new life into the world. They hear a pause and a cry of a newborn coughing and spitting as it takes its first breath. They all move as one toward the back room. Elina comes out smiling through tears.
“It’s a girl!” the sound of the baby crying fills the house and everyone laughs.
An hour later, Varena feels blessed holding her daughter with a head full of black hair.
“She is tiny at five pounds, but her lungs are strong.” Hunter reassures her. “Babies are born early all the time, she will be fine. The best thing you can do for her is rest and breast feed. It’s the perfect nutrition for her.”
Alex pushes his way inside and drops down beside Varena. He stares at the baby in awe; he reaches out to touch her tiny fist. The baby clutches his finger and holds on tight. He smiles. “She is perfect.”
As Varena looks at the people around her, she sighs, “Yes she is.” Fear fills her heart when she sees the way the archangels look at her daughter. Clutching her tighter to her chest, she waits to see what they say. They move back to allow Simeon and Malach closer to see the baby.
Elina and Alex flank Varena standing at the head of her bed. Each one places a hand on her shoulder and she smiles at her tiny gift. She feels safe and protected for the first time. Simeon is the first to speak.
“So fragile, how do they survive this world?” he asks in wonder. “Truly she is perfection; I will protect her with all I am.”
Tears fill Varena’s eyes as she looks at him, “Thank you” she whispers.
“It isn’t the world you have to protect her from, but her father,” Malach reminds them. Looking at the tiny bundle his heart fills with awe. “Is it not amazing that our Maker would choose this form to come to the world? He could have chosen any shape, but he chose to humble himself and allow a human to care for him, protect him and guide him. How could we do any less for this child? I, too, pledge to protect and guide her, if you will let me?”
Varena’s tears join all the others and they all celebrate the gift of new life.
Polly rushes them out of the room, so they can finish cleaning up and let Varena rest.
Exhausted, Rena looks at Hunter and asks him, “Will you stay with me and hold her while I rest?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” he says smiling from ear to ear. Holding the tiny bundle, he sits quietly in the corner of the room and rocks the baby with a Cherokee lullaby while watching Varena fall to sleep. Alex listens from the doorway and smiles at his father and follows Elina out of the room.
Ronnie groans as he hears Ruby say, “We need to go shopping.”
With a nod of agreement, Polly smiles, “I will get my keys.”
Putting his shoes on, Ronnie tells the others, “I guess I should go and hold the bags.”
Elina pokes her father, “Yeah right, pick out a blanket from me, something super soft. Kissing her dad on the cheek, she smiles as they rush out.
“Wait for me!” Alex calls out following, the excited voices.
Elina glances at the two archangels standing near the fireplace and asks, “What’s wrong?”
Unsure what to say or how to say it, Malach faces Elina. “This has never been done before. Never before has a human and angel given birth to anything other than a demon. They are given many names, but always the result is the same, demon. She is special and must be protected. This changes everything.”
“I don’t understand.” Confused Elina looks at them. “How does this child change things?”
Simeon looks at her and responds excitedly, “Think about all the Fallen. The children born to them were abominations. How many more will choose to fall if they know it is possible to create a hybrid child that is not demon?”
Shocked, Elina looks at him. “No Simeon! They fell because they sinned against the Maker!” Elina says defiantly. Looking at the two of them, she is afraid. “You told me, Malach, never to think for a moment that I know what my God is thinking. Now I tell you the same thing. Nothing happens that he does not allow happening. This child is a gift, maybe to Varena because of her faith, or maybe to our world. That has yet to be seen, but I agree she needs to be protected. No one can know of this baby!” Hearing the baby cry, she turns to go help Hunter. “We will talk more about this.”
Simeon paces away to the window with all his thoughts on Elsbeth. “Why is it that a demon is given this gift?” Feeling
