Neva gently caresses her baby bump, six months along now, she's still filled with wonder whenever the little one stirs, a nudge that she's no longer alone.
Like now, there's the quiet kick in the left side of her belly, as the summer air carries with it the song of verdant fields and the sweetness of ripening fruits.
A smile lingers on her lips as she gazes at the orange sun slipping under the horizon, a prayer of love and gratitude swelling in her chest for her dear Father.
It's a feeling so wondrous and overflowing that it can never be woven into words, carrying this child whose life began after she and her husband became one within the sacred covenant of marriage.
She wishes he were here, even though she'd visited him only hours before, bringing a lunchbox to his workshop, before wandering through the meadows and gathering berries with her little friend, Anna.
And oh... how she loves watching him work, turning a wrench beneath the open hood, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his hands darkened with grease.
His brows furrowed in concentration as he paused every now and then to listen to the stubborn engine. And even if she could never understand its language, she always understood her husband.
Butterflies fluttered in her belly as he tightened a loose bolt, the muscles in his arms flexing with easy strength.
The other mechanics in the workshop blured into the backdrop, like motes of dust drifting through the golden shafts of light spilling in through the windows.
And then he would glance over at her, a dreamy smile curving upon his lips, before leaning toward her to kiss her.
Neva breathes in the cool breeze as she treads slowly through the meadows, her fingers brushing against the wildflowers, when a realization dawns upon her:
she has come to love the scent of engine oil and old metal in their workshop, too.
"Hi," a voice comes from behind her, drawing her from her reverie.
Neva glances over her shoulder to find Jayden, Mrs. Barlowe's youngest son, a faint blush colouring his cheeks from his walk beneath the summer heat.
"Hi," Neva replies.
Jayden's gaze drifts across the meadows. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just picking some berries." Neva lifts the wicker basket filled with a resplendent assortment of wild strawberries, blackberries, and mulberries.
Jayden nods, a smile curling at his lips. "Shall I help you?"
"Oh, no," Neva says, shaking her head. "I've gathered enough."
"Will you mind if I walk you home?" Jayden asks, then pauses, as though catching himself. "I mean... you are alone… No, I meant—"
"I'm alright." Neva smiles. "And I'm certainly not alone."
Jayden gives a slow nod, his ears growing red with embarrassment.
He's only trying to be a gentleman, but now he's probably worried she might have taken his offer the wrong way.
She understands his intentions are friendly, yet she isn't entirely comfortable being escorted home, even by a well-meaning man who isn't her husband.
And she'd only met him yesterday, late in the morning, when she'd been out with Anna at the local market for the infamous sweet bean buns and savoury meat buns.
"You are not alone?" Jayden asks gently.
"No—"
"Brother Jayden!" Anna's cheerful voice cuts Neva off mid-sentence.
"Where are you going?" Anna asks, huffing as she gathers her skirt and makes her way through the tall grasses.
Anna had spent most of their time eating the berries as she plucked them from the wild alongside Neva, and so she'd gone to gather more for her father.
"It's you," Jayden says with a smile. "I am on my way to Charles's house."
"Enjoy your trip, then," Anna says, before glancing at Neva. "Shall we go, big sister?"
"Sure," Neva replies, her gaze drifting towards the meadows, bathed in the warmth of the setting sun.
She takes in the enchanted landscape one last time, savouring the quiet beauty before darkness descends.
It's almost time for her husband to come home, too.
Neva steps onto the dirt road, Anna following close behind as they make their way home, her thoughts already turning to what she might make for dinner.
Yet, beneath the soft rustling of leaves stirred by the breeze, quiet footsteps trail behind them.
Anna glances over her shoulder. "Brother Jayden, why are you following us again?"
Jayden remains silent for a moment before reaching over to ruffle Anna's hair. "Can I not have a change of heart?"
"You will mess up my hair!" Anna exclaims, lifting a hand to smooth her hair back into place.
Jayden chuckles, his eyes meeting Neva's for the briefest second before darting away.
If she didn't know better, she might have thought he was almost shy around her.
Anna lets out a huff before turning her gaze to Neva, then glancing down at her belly. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"
A smile softens Neva's lips. "We're still not sure."
A flicker of dismay clouds Anna's eyes.
"You'll know when the baby is born," Neva adds gently.
"Whose baby?" Jayden asks.
Anna looks over at him with a frown. "The baby inside big sister's tummy?"
"What?" Jayden whispers.
"Did you not know, big brother?" Anna asks.
"She's married?" Jayden asks.
"Big brother, surely she couldn't have a baby without being married!" Anna shakes her head with a sigh of disappointment.
Neva only smiles, her hand resting over the gentle curve of her belly.
Even in her sixth month of pregnancy, the bump remains easy to conceal beneath the loose, flowing cotton dresses she favors,
keeping her cool in the summer heat and shielding her unborn child from prying eyes.