Their Miracle Baby

“First, we must open the windows and air the place out. I haven’t been here in a while,” she said, unlatching the widows. “Then we’ll collect some firewood for a cooking fire. We might need the warmth as well, it can get cold up here.”

Venetia followed her lead, and before long they had the hut just the way they wanted it. They worked in silence, which was okay with Venetia, who had too much on her mind to make idle talk. Ronnie sensed the great weight Venetia was carrying and left her to her thoughts, knowing the time would come when they would talk.

Finally, they sat down to a dinner of the prepared food they’d brought, and Venetia felt ready to speak. “Thank you for taking me away from that. It feels like I’m always running away from Lewis, but I was totally unprepared to see him standing there. I still can’t believe he followed me all this way.”

“There’s nothing wrong with running away if you later plan to go back and face what’s scaring you. Sometimes we just need a little time to process our feelings,” Ronnie said carefully.

“I suppose that true. I just never expected to see him here,” she said, then asked, “Do your guides have any idea what I should do?”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, I wish it did. You have a few days to think about what you want to do. Don’t rush things, they might become clear if you let them.”

They went to bed silently, Venetia so tired she was asleep almost immediately. Ronnie was awake longer, trying to understand what she was supposed to do, get them back together or split them apart? The guides were being very silent on the matter, forcing her to trust her instincts, which told her that their life forces were destined to be intertwined. She just wished that she had more to make her feel secure in that assessment.

For the next two days, they traipsed though the jungle, collecting plants which would be later processed back in the village. Some they hung to dry in the cabin, others were put in moist bags to keep them alive. As they explored, Ronnie filled Venetia’s mind with all the knowledge she’d been given. There was so much that Venetia knew that it would take her days to write it all down.

She was becoming increasingly interested in the holistic side of medicine here in the jungle. A spark had formed, and Ronnie was doing everything in her power to fan it into a flame. Until Venetia was ready to go back, a distraction was just what she needed. On their second night, Ronnie built a fire out in front of the hut and pulled a rug out for them to sit on.

“How are you feeling? Ready to go back?” Ronnie asked.

“I think so, I can’t avoid him forever. I still don’t know how I feel about him. It’s all been too much too fast, including him coming after me.”

“I understand, but it must have been a real sacrifice for him to travel all this way. It might be a good idea to keep an open mind,” Ronnie said gently.

“I know, but it’s hard. I feel so vulnerable when I’m around him. And he does things to me that no one has ever been able to do before.” She shivered when she remembered how he could make her feel.

Ronnie was silent for a long time. Finally, she said, “Sometimes the heart knows what the mind doesn’t. It’s all about balance.”

“I’m so tired of hearing about balance. What does that even mean? Everyone talks about it, but how do you actually live it?” Venetia said, sick of hearing about balance.

“I think it’s different for everyone, but sometimes it means just doing nothing, taking the time to enjoy where you are and who you’re with. Too many times we’re looking so far forward we miss what is happening right now.”

Ronnie had a habit of taking in riddles and circles, often leaving Venetia behind, but this time what she said made sense. For as long as she could remember, she’d been working toward some big goal: a scholarship to college, high scores on tests, medical school, then the clinic. Along the way, she’d lost the capacity to enjoy the present.

That thought was like an epiphany; it wasn’t as hard as she thought to have balance in her life. It was just a matter of teaching herself to live in the moment, to enjoy what was right in front of her instead of always looking for what was coming her way. One fact was also clear to her, no matter how much Lewis thought he had balance in his life, he too was looking to the future and ignoring the present.

With a big sigh that Ronnie knew meant that Venetia was beginning to understand what she was trying to teach her, Venetia added more wood to their fire and looked to the skies. Tonight, she’d enjoy the stars and the company of a good friend; tomorrow, she’d face Lewis and all the turmoil that surrounded their relationship.

They took their time getting home the next day, stopping frequently to harvest more plants. When they finally reached the village, it was late and dinner was over. Venetia was tempted to go right to the medical hut and confront Lewis but knew that she needed to help Ronnie put away all their plants. If not cared for properly, they might lose their healing power.

By the time they were finished, it was late and the village was dark and quiet. She went to bed promising herself that first thing in the morning she would deal with Lewis and his appearance here. She felt stronger than she ever had before, capable of facing him and everything they’d been through together. But one thing was clear, if they were going to be together, they would have to make a fresh start.