At the end of May, Elisa was five months pregnant, and her belly was already very noticeable.
Being pregnant with one baby was tough enough for Elisa, and now with two babies in her belly, she was experiencing backaches and tiredness. Although Louis massaged her with essential oils every day, her legs were still swollen, and she preferred not to stand if she could help it, but sometimes she had no choice.
The morning sickness had subsided, and now she was just enduring the weight of her belly as it grew day by day.
The two little ones seemed to have feisty personalities, as they would move around in her belly, kicking and squirming.
She gently touched her belly and spoke softly, “Winnie, Eli, don’t fight.”
As soon as she said that, the movements in her belly decreased, eventually calming down.
Louis was running a bath when he heard Elisa’s voice and quickly came out.
“Are these two troublemakers causing a ruckus in your belly again?” he asked.
“Yes,” Elisa replied.
Louis squatted in front of Elisa with an authoritative demeanor, staring at her swollen belly, and said, “If you two keep fighting inside your mom’s belly, I’ll make sure you’ll be dutiful children when you come out.”
Elisa playfully tapped his forehead, “They don’t understand all that you’re saying. It’s better if they move around a bit; it’s scarier when they don’t.”
Louis thought for a moment and nodded, “I guess you’re right. But they shouldn’t be troubling you like this.”
Elisa was feeling heavier by the day. She got up as the bathwater was ready, and with Louis’s help, she made her way over to the bath.
Seeing his worried expression, Elisa sighed and said, “You don’t need to worry so much about me. I can bathe by myself.”
“No, there’s water on the floor,” he insisted. Whenever Elisa wasn’t in his line of sight, he would get anxious. He worried about her tripping over tables and chairs, slipping on water, or getting bumped into by people in crowded places.
Elisa smiled at Louis, “Alright, just help me a bit.”
Louis chuckled, “As you wish, my queen.”
Louis was an award-winning actor, and so was Elisa. Though she didn’t enjoy the entertainment industry’s atmosphere, the time she spent as an actress was quite enjoyable.
Being a couple of actors, they would occasionally act out scenes together.
The day before, it was the domineering leading man falling in love with her, and yesterday it was her portraying a female CEO. Today, it seemed like the scene was about an empress raising a male pet, making Louis seem increasingly insignificant.
What else could he do? He had to spoil her.
…
By July, the cicadas were out in full force, their loud buzzing adding some liveliness to the otherwise calm summer. Elisa, nearing the end of her seventh month of pregnancy, found it uncomfortable to lie flat due to the weight of her belly. Sleeping on her side compressed her heart, making her chest feel tight. Insomnia had become a regular occurrence, tossing and turning throughout the night. But thankfully, she had Louis by her side every night, getting her through the difficult evenings.
The hardships and fatigue only made Elisa look forward even more to the birth of the two little ones.
Mrs. White had ordered a lot of baby supplies online, and the nursery was already full, the bunk beds they had bought for aesthetics now serving a practical purpose with the arrival of the twins. Louis had finished filming “Starbound” and started his break earlier to experience fatherhood firsthand. He had enrolled in a training center to learn how to change diapers, feed the babies, and ensure Elisa’s well-being.
Postpartum depression was a concern for Louis during Elisa’s period of confinement. She had already endured ten months of pregnancy; it was time for him to take care of her once the babies were born, as his wife deserved to be cherished and looked after.
Elisa occasionally accompanied Louis to parenting classes, and the routine monthly prenatal check-ups at the hospital continued. With plenty of free time at home, she would shop online for baby items, read books, listen to music, do prenatal yoga, or learn how to knit with Mrs. White.
Now she had mastered quite a few knitting patterns, having knitted a sweater for each of the two children. She planned to knit one for Louis next, using white cashmere yarn.
In the living room, the sunflowers were in full bloom in mid-July. The golden petals surrounding the flower center symbolized vitality, mirroring the meaning of sunflowers to strive towards the sun. Elisa couldn’t help but wonder if her Mimi had found a new life. Was it faring well without her by its side?
Every thought of Mimi caused a sharp pain in her heart, as if needles were piercing through her veins, spreading throughout her body.
She gently stroked the flower petals, the soft gesture almost as though she was caressing Mimi in its pristine form.
…
They say pregnant women have short tempers, but despite being pregnant for so long, Elisa had never once lost her temper. Louis was observant of her every word and expression, a skill he had honed from his time at the orphanage. Despite being naive, as someone raised in an orphanage, he had earned the trust of the orphanage director, who entrusted him with various responsibilities, including caring for the children.
In a place like the orphanage, where comings and goings were a regular occurrence, the children brought in were particularly sensitive. To care for them, Louis learned to handle them with care, being attentive to each child’s words and expressions, making them laugh, and wiping away their tears.
Having experienced the hardships and joys during that time, he now cherished every moment.
…
Elisa was eight months pregnant by now, and her belly had reached an astonishing size. The tiny blood vessels were clearly visible, and her navel had been flattened by the growing bump. Louis watched helplessly as Elisa endured discomfort, feeling helpless and useless. No amount of “I’m here for you” or similar words could ease her exhaustion and pain; merely being by her side didn’t make her any less tired or sore.
Louis could only massage Elisa more diligently, taking care of her daily needs and comforting her to alleviate her physical discomfort.
Mrs. White sent various supplements and fruits, while Brittany carefully selected skincare products for pregnant women. As for Mr. White, he sent a poster of a doll to be placed in the bedroom, under the belief that staring at beautiful babies during pregnancy would result in beautiful babies too.
Receiving the poster, Louis pretended to agree but secretly tossed it into the trash. With his and Elisa’s looks, did they really need such aids to enhance their child’s appearance? Besides, there was no scientific basis for such claims; if looking at such things could make babies more beautiful, there would be no plain-looking people in the world.
…
By the end of August, the season for sunflowers was coming to an end. Elisa couldn’t sleep well at night, feeling easily fatigued and exhausted. Despite being very sleepy, as soon as she closed her eyes, she would suddenly wake up, and even when she managed to fall asleep, she was plagued by vivid dreams.
But today’s dream was different. Elisa dreamt of Mimi-a beautiful ragdoll cat walking towards her, swaying its fluffy tail, purring softly. It kissed her cheek upon nearing her before finally approaching her swollen belly, meowing a greeting to the two unborn babies.
Elisa wanted to hold it, but before she could do so, Mimi vanished before her eyes.
“Mimi… Mimi…”
“Elisa.” Someone called her name, waking her up. Opening her eyes, she saw Louis looking at her with worry.
He held a tissue and gently wiped her face. It was only then that Elisa realized she was crying from dreaming about Mimi.
It had been so long, but the pot of sunflowers was already in its fourth year-blooming in summer, withering in winter, sprouting in spring, and blooming again in summer.
Every time Elisa looked at the pot of sunflowers, she couldn’t help but think of Mimi, the cat who was afraid of fire but tried to save her in the blaze, left scorched and broken from the flames.
During the time of Mimi’s death, Elisa would often dream of her being tortured to death, struggling and screaming in agony on the ground.
Perhaps to spare her further sorrow, the wise Mimi had only appeared three times in her dreams and never appeared again. She could only rely on memories or thoughts. Maybe, as Elisa believes, there’s reincarnation, and Mimi might have already found a new life.
No matter how deep the scars, they would slowly heal over time, but healing wasn’t the same as erasing. The wounds still lingered, causing pain whenever thought of, which is why when she dreamed of Mimi in her pristine form, untouched by suffering, she couldn’t help but shed tears.