“You
are so beautiful.”
Anakin
drinks in the sight of his wife as she brushes her
glorious hair. The Coruscant night is her backdrop,
but it pales in comparison to her radiant beauty. So
many months have past and Anakin can hardly believe
he is standing where his heart most wanted to be. He
is in Padmé’s apartment, their secret nest, where
they can indulge in private pleasures…or simply
enjoy the company of one another.
However,
tonight is different. It’s a special night and
Anakin can barely contain himself. His adoring wife
is carrying their child. It’s taken some hours for
him to adjust to such a revelation and his impending
fatherhood fills him with excitement and wonder. As
he watches her, mesmerized by her simple movements,
he can’t help thinking of the future. Will their
child have her stunning brown eyes or endless curls
of hair?
In the
end, it doesn’t really matter, he silently
muses. As long as our child is safe.
Unable to
resist any longer, Anakin walks forward and takes
his wife into his arms, his face instantly buried in
her hair.
Padmé
embraces her husband, grateful that he has come home
to her safely. After learning of what had transpired
with the Chancellor, she feared the worst. Of
course, the rumors circulating among her colleagues’
did nothing to assuage her anxieties. But he was
home…and in her arms at last.
As if to
interrupt their reunion, Padmé’s stomach moved as
their baby gave her a healthy kick.
Anakin
drew back and glanced down, astonished by what he’d
just felt. “She’s already very strong.”
“She?”
Padmé queried, her lips curling into a smile.
Anakin
looked askance at his wife, his grin displaying his
playfulness. “And you think otherwise, Mrs.
Skywalker?”
Padmé
nodded. “I think we’ll have a boy, strong in the
Force like his father.”
Anakin
reached down and softly glided his hand across her
protruding belly. “I’ll wait and be surprised.”
“Anakin,”
Padmé’s voice suddenly became more serious. “I-I
know this isn’t what we planned–”
“Ssshhh,”
Anakin hushed her as his fingers touched her lips.
“Our baby is a blessing. You’ve made me the happiest
man in the universe.”
Padmé
looked into her husband’s eyes; those blue orbs that
dazzled her now sparkled with love beyond what she
imagined. He will be such a wonderful father,
she voiced in her mind.
“You look
tired, my love. Let me escort you to bed where you
can rest in my arms and sleep peacefully.”
Padmé
tried to stifle her yawn – unsuccessfully.
Wordlessly, Anakin tenderly picked up his wife and
carried her into their sanctuary.
This
night belonged to the Skywalker’s…and not one they
would soon forget…
