The Lion's Love Child (4 page)

Still, she knew that she should not hold on to that possibility.  If she did, she would be chasing the high of sex with Dylan for the rest of her life.  She needed to get back to her usual life and stop obsessing about it.  It had been less than 24 hours since she slept with him and it was all she had thought about since.
 

CHAPTER THREE

 
It had been over a month since Dylan had left the animal preserve.  Grace had successfully thrown herself back into her work and she felt as though she was on the verge of getting back to her old life.  From dawn to dusk, she and Shannon observed the behavior of the local lions and at night, she hooked her laptop up to the generator, processed her photographs, and wrote detailed notes about the events of the day.  Keeping herself busy was helping. 

She had almost no time to think about Dylan and his rough hands and soft mouth until she crawled into bed at night.  It was then that she could not keep her mind from returning to their brief time together.  No matter how exhausted she was at the end of her day, she could not help but imagine his hands on her again.  When she closed her eyes, she saw his face above hers, eyes dark with passion.  She could feel his breath against her neck and his hands exploring her.  She knew that she should not give in to the fantasy, but it felt so good to let herself relish in her memories.

It was a month later when everything changed.  She woke up feeling as though she were going to die.  She was so sure that she had food poisoning that she did not even bother to get dressed.  Instead, she curled up in her bed and waited for the end.  It didn’t take long for Shannon to show up, concerned about her when she wasn’t coming out to start their daily research.

“You look awful,” she said without thinking.

“I feel like death. I have been throwing up all morning. I must have food poisoning.  That's what I get for trying to cook an authentic local meal,” she groaned, not even lifting her head from the pillow.

“All morning?” Shannon said, looking worried.

“Yes. Why are you looking at me like that,” she said, unable to sit up without vomiting.

“How long has it been since you slept with that photographer?” she asked, without an ounce of kidding.

“Around a month. Why in the world are you asking me about that now when I am on my death bed?” she said, wishing that she would just pass out and find some peace in sleep.

“Think about it,” she urged.

“I'm too exhausted to think about anything.”

“No, you need to focus,” she said, sitting down beside her on the bed.

“Focus on what?” Grace murmured as she snuggled her pillow.

“Really think about it,” Shannon pushed.

“My head hurts!” she whined.

“You slept with him a month ago and now you are sick...in the morning.” Her expression was loaded and Grace suddenly realized the gravity of what she was saying.

“No!” she gasped.

“Really?” she asked pointedly.

“You know the doctor said that it's almost impossible that I could ever get pregnant. He said if it's possible at all, that it would take all sorts of fertility treatments.”  Hearing that news had been the hardest moment of her life.  It was Shannon’s support that had helped her get through it.  She had even drunkenly promised to carry a baby for her if it came down to it. 

“But it isn't totally impossible,” Shannon argued.

“I don't think anyone has given me any fertility treatments without my knowledge here in the middle of Africa,” she said in disbelief as the reality of her situation settled in.

“Maybe it happened on its own. Stranger things have happened,” Shannon said, trying to make her see reason.

“I am not pregnant,” Grace said stubbornly.  Still, her hand went instinctively to her stomach and she began to realize that Shannon just might be speaking the truth.

“You need to take a test to be sure,” she pushed.

“I am not going to do that.”  She shook her head, thinking of all the things that would change in both of their lives it she was pregnant.

“Grace, be realistic,” she said, wrapping her arm around Grace’s shoulder as she spoke. 

“I am,” she persisted.  “There is no way I am pregnant.”

“Didn't you say that you got a spell of nausea yesterday when you were eating breakfast?” Shannon recalled.

“Oh my god,” she cried.

“I'm guessing you said the same thing when the baby was conceived.”  Leave it to Shannon to make a joke at a time like this.

“We don't know that I am pregnant.  There can't be a baby,” she stammered in disbelief.

“I think you should take a test,” Shannon said, trying to be encouraging.

“How am I going to find a pregnancy test out here?” she asked, shocked that she was even in this situation.

“I brought a few,” Shannon offered.

“A few?” she asked with a chuckle.  Only Shannon could make her laugh in the middle of the craziest moment of her life.

“Better safe than sorry.  Of course, if you had been safe, you wouldn't be so sorry now.”  She shrugged playfully as she spoke.

“It is not funny,” she argued.

“It's a little funny.”

“It's going to ruin everything,” she said aloud, because she had to say it aloud to truly face it.

“Let's not go down that road until we have to.”

“We?” Grace asked in confusion.

Shannon looked at her in disbelief.  With anger in her voice she said, “You know that if you are pregnant I will be there for you and the baby.”

“I really love you,” she said with tears of relief in her eyes.  It was such a weight lifted from her shoulders to know that Shannon would be by her side for it all.

“I love you too,” she smiled.  Then she added, “It will be an adventure.”

It was then that they walked silently to Shannon’s hut and Grace reluctantly took the test.  She couldn’t remember ever feeling so nervous in her life as she sat on the floor of the hut, waiting the endless moments until the test showed the results.  She could not even look in the direction of the desk, where the test sat.  She kept bouncing her leg up and down with nervous energy, while Shannon sat calmly by her side.
“Is it time yet?” she asked after what felt like an eternity.

“Almost,” Shannon said, checking her watch.

“What am I going to do?” she asked in disbelief.

“We will handle this,” Shannon said confidently.

“I'll have to leave,” she said as she started to cry. “We won't be able to finish the year here. I ruined everything.”

“What are you talking about?” Shannon asked, shaking her head. “Why would you have to go home? You’d be miserable.” She laughed at the absurdity of it.

“It would be best for the baby; if there is a baby,” she said, thinking of the boring life she would have lecturing full time at the university for the rest of her life while Shannon went off on all the adventures that they had planned.

“People have babies in Africa every day.  They have for thousands of years,” Shannon said as though the idea of her leaving was the most ridiculous thing that she had heard.

“Are you suggesting I have a baby in a hut and raise it on the road, traveling from country to country like we do?”  Though she knew the idea was ludicrous, it had a certain appeal that Grace could not argue with.

“Yes,” she said plainly, as if it was the clear and obvious solution to the situation.

“That is crazy”

“No kid could ask for a better life,” Shannon said before checking her watch again. “Time to check.”

“I can't look. You do it,” she said as she buried her face in her hands.

Shannon crossed the room in what felt like slow motion to Grace.  As she lifted the test from the desk, Grace felt her nausea return in full force.

“Well, we are in for our next adventure,” Shannon said with a small smile.

“I'm pregnant?” Grace asked, though she already knew the answer.

“Yes,” Shannon said, unable to think of a more graceful way to say it.

“I never thought I would be pregnant,” she said softly, standing and crossing the room to see the test for herself.

“Are you sorry?” Shannon asked.

“No,” she shook her head. “I'm just shocked.”

“I meant it; about having the baby here. We can do this,” Shannon said with confidence.

“How can I do that?” she asked, clearly torn.

“We'll find out who helps the local women during their pregnancies. Maybe this is where you are supposed to have your baby.”  Shannon wasn’t one who believed in fate, but neither of them could deny that there was a bit of an otherworldly tone to the whole situation. 

“Can I really do this?”

“We can do anything.”

“OK,” Grace said, as solemnly as a vow.

“OK, we're having a baby.” Shannon smiled.

“Oh my god, we are having a baby!” Grace said as it finally sunk in.

“Can you think of a more perfect life for a kid?” Shannon asked her, with a big grin.

“If it turns out anything like us,” she laughed.

“Well, we are going to be the ones raising it,” Shannon pointed out.

“I don't know,” she said honestly.

“I do. This is going to be something special.” She smiled then and wrapped her arms around Grace.

“OK,” Grace said through her tears.  “Let's do it!”

It did not take them long to find a local midwife.  The entire village told them to go and see Aria, an aged woman who had delivered nearly every baby in the area for more than twenty years.  They took the jeep to her little hut a few miles from the nature preserve.  The scent of flowers and the feeling of coming home greeted them.  Grace was instantly at peace and Shannon seemed to relax instantly. 

When they parked the jeep, an older woman with greying hair and bare feet greeted them with a big smile and a welcoming gesture.
“Aria?” Shannon asked.

“Yes,” the woman nodded.

“Hello, this is Grace and I'm Shannon.”  The woman nodded while she spoke, as though she had already known that.

“Oh yes, come in, come in,” she said, ushering them inside.  The hut was comfortable and cozy.  It felt like the sort of place where new life should start.

“Is this a good time?” Grace asked hesitantly.

“Yes, yes, it's always a good time for babies,” she said as she bustled about the room.

“That you for seeing me,” Grace said with a tentative smile.

“Of course.  When do you expect the little one?” she asked, getting right to business.

“Another 8.5 months,” she replied with confidence.

“You seem very sure,” the old woman noted.

“I know exactly when it was conceived,” she nodded.

“Well that is good knowledge to have. Sit down and let me feel your stomach,” she said as she gestured to a makeshift exam table.

“Alright,” Grace said with a bit of hesitation. The old woman moved swiftly, placing her hands on Grace’s stomach.

“You're sure you're a month and a half along?” she asked, as though she was sure it was not true.

“Absolutely,” Grace assured her.

“Lay back and lift your shirt up so I can have a listen,” she said with a serious expression that worried Grace and Shannon.  She then took out a stethoscope and placed the cold metal against Grace’s skin.

“Is everything OK?,” Shannon asked, unable to wait.

“Yes, fine, fine,” Aria assured her.

“You look concerned,” Grace whispered.

“No, the baby is just coming along well. Strong heartbeat. You're putting on good weight, lots of weight for so early on.  Is the father a local man?” When she asked the question, it was clear that she was looking for some sort of critical information. 

“I met him here but he is a photographer so he travels,” Grace explained.

“But you met him on the preserve?” she pushed.

“Yes,” Grace answered with some confusion.

“Interesting,” she nodded.

“Can you help me?” she said, a bit worried the woman would turn her away.

“Of course, child.  We will bring this baby into the world happy and healthy,” she promised.

“Thank you,” Grace said with a smile.

“It will be my honor.  You will come once a week to see me,” she ordered.

“That often?” Shannon asked.

“I just want to be sure, since it is her first,” Aria explained.

“We will see you next week, then,” Shannon said as they made their way back to the jeep.

From that day on, they continued their research as planned, taking time out only to go visit Ms. Aria one day a week.  It was three months later and things were progressing as well as could be expected when everything changed.

They were at Dalton’s point, observing as usual, when they saw an unusually large lion that was familiar to Grace.
“Look at that male,” she pointed out.

“Larger than average,” Shannon observed.

“That's the one who intervened with that odd group of females I told you about.”  She looked up at the creature and was a bit surprised to see that he was staring at her intently.  There seemed to be some spark of recognition.  Its eyes met hers and it was as if the world around them faded away.  Then, the animal’s eyes dropped to her pregnant stomach and he let loose a loud roar.