Antibody

"Sleeping on the job huh?" Alfie teased. 

"Hm?" Lucia replied half asleep. 

She stretched her arms out wide, yawning while waking up. 

"It was just a tactical nap," Lucia answered. 

"So, what brings you in so early honey?" Lucia asked while smiling. 

Alfie shows a slightly awkward smile. He grabs her hand and looks straight into her eyes. 

"Did you know you were pregnant..?" He asked. 

Lucia looks shocked, her secret having been revealed. 

"I- … I was going to tell you. It was just I wasn't sure," She clarified. 

Alfie grips her hand, with a hurt expression smeared across his face. 

"How long. How long did you know," Aflie asked. 

Lucia looks away, unable to face Alfie's gaze. 

"Since the first night, four months ago," Lucia answered. 

Alfie looks confused and hurt, not only by how soon she had known but also by the amount of time she had to inform him. 

"Why didn't you tell me sooner if you knew that soon? How'd you even know that soon?" Alfie asked for clarification. 

"I had a vision that night. When we went to sleep, I was brought into a luxurious chamber high above the clouds. And it was then that 2 goddesses met with me." 

"At first the All Mother congratulated me on our marriage but also the conception of our son. That's when I first knew about our baby." 

"We're having a son? Are you sure?" Alfie asked.

"It was All Mother so probably.." Lucia answered. 

Alfie suddenly stood up and went over to Lucia's side of her table. Lucia, still in her chair, looks up towards her husband who's now standing over her. 

In a swift motion, he goes down and hugs his wife tightly. 

"What happened, after? What'd they do?" Alfie asked. 

Lucia melts into his embrace, "After her, it was the goddess of wisdom… She was the one that explained why I was brought there. Our son Alfie, he's something special. They said that the moment he was conceived a tremor spread across the whole universe." 

"A tremor? What tremor?" Alfie looked confused. 

"They said it was something we couldn't perceive, a higher plane of reality," Lucia explained. 

"But they said this knowledge had a cost.." Lucia went on. 

"A cost? What? Did they do something to you?" Aflie asked with worry.

"No, nothing like that. They said I wasn't permitted to tell anyone about what I learned until they knew I was pregnant." Lucia answered. 

"But why? That's so stupid... Did they just do it to spite us??" Alfie says in frustration.

"I don't know. I really don't know. But they told me that you were a nuisance to their goals." Lucia begins softly weeping.

Alfie holds Lucia tight as she crumbles inside his arm. 

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry…" Lucia repeats.

"It's not your fault, it's their fault. I'm here now okay, I'll make them pay." Alfie reassures. 

"Will they do anything to you after he's born?" Alfie asked. 

"No, they said that I was still needed to raise him.." Lucia answered.

"Everything's gonna be okay. You'll be safe.." Alfie reassures.

"But you won't be there.." Lucia said while weeping.

A sense of powerlessness grips Alfie's heart. In his current state, he can do nothing but accept the fate he's granted by those more powerful than him. 

But at the same time, an even stronger sense of determination resonates deep within his soul. He knows it's only a matter of time before he gets his revenge in full plus interest. 

But for now, all he does is hold and comfort his wife. 

After a good while of comforting and reassuring that he's there for her, she manages to fall asleep in his arms. 

With all the emotional weight hanging over her finally gone, she can finally sleep easy for a little while. 

Alfie looks out the window, the clouds that hung a few miles away now grow closer. They show occasional flashes of lightning, seemingly taunting him about the impending doom he faces. 

Looking down, Alfie sees the sleeping face of his wife resting on his lap. He combs his hands through her hair, gently caressing her face. 

She was his first everything, someone who he loved dearest in his heart. Now, she was even the mother of his child. 

He wondered what kind of life they would've had if the gods weren't around. They'd grow the city of Pronoe into something magnificent. 

They'd get to raise their little baby boy till he could take care of himself. 

Alfie wondered what kind of person his son would turn out to be. Would he be a scholar like his father or more of a warrior like his mother? 

He wanted to instill values and show his son how to be a man. Alfie wondered if he would've been arrogant like a spoiled rich brat. No, he and Lucia would've made sure to not let that happen. 

Speaking of which, they hadn't decided on a name yet either. Usually expecting parents had till their child's birth to decide, but they didn't.

Alfie thought of countless names he could run by Lucia with. He wanted it to be special for his son. 

Names are a central part of someone's identity; they hold the hopes the parents had for their child.

While Alfie was still contemplating his final list of names, Lucia began to wake up from her light nap. 

Excited at being able to share his ideas, Alfie softly shook Lucia awake. 

"Baby, Baby what do you think of the name Alexander?" Alfie asked.