The Probability Factor

Chapter Twenty Four- Back to Basics

(Dialogue in italics is spoken Sindarin)

The next morning, I introduced Glorfindel to the new world. Haldir and I dressed Glorfindel in some of Haldir’s clothes and we took him out for breakfast, in an attempt to get him acclimatized as quickly as possible. Glorfindel was stunned by the sight of his first car. We had arrived so late the previous night, and it being a weeknight, we had managed to not see any cars directly, only hearing the sounds of light traffic. Glorfindel just about jumped out of his skin when the car sped down the narrow street in front of our building. Haldir smirked, while I punched his arm and shot him a dirty look.

“It is all right Glorfindel. That is what we call a car, and it is merely a mechanical device to transport people from one destination to another,” I explained.

Glorfindel gave me a shaky smile and took refuge between Haldir and me, as he walked with us to Davie Street, and we made our way over to Milestone’s for a hearty breakfast. Needless to say, this was also a shock to Glorfindel’s system. Milestone’s is famous for its brunch. On weekends, the brunch is legendary and the place is always packed, no matter where the location. Glorfindel had a Milestone’s Mimosa and the Californian Omelette. A huge platter was served to him, with the lovely omelette, cantaloupe, and a side of Milestone’s breakfast potatoes. I know he’d never seen anything like that before, knowing what the cuisine was like in Arda.

Once breakfast had been consumed, I paid with my bank card and we went outside to wander down Denman and see what was open. The Royal Bank was, so we went inside, and I checked my accounts and spoke with my PBR about getting a mortgage. I was already thinking ahead about upsizing, and I figured getting a condo or a townhouse would be a good idea. After the bank, which consisted of much ogling by Glorfindel at all the machines and people getting cash from ATMs and tellers, I spent some time explaining how banking worked in Canada. We walked up Robson, and made our way to Sears on the corner of Howe and Robson. I picked up a few items of clothing for Glorfindel, as Haldir was broader in the shoulders, and Glorfindel looked a tad ridiculous with Haldir’s shirts bagging out around him. By this time Glorfindel was overwhelmed by everything he saw, so we made our way back to the apartment to rest.

When we returned, I saw that a packet was sitting on my dining room table, which had not been there earlier. Haldir insisted upon opening it, suspecting foul play. It ended up being a letter from Mithrandir, and identification for both Haldir and Glorfindel. The letter was in Sindarin, and gave us instructions on how to apply for citizenship for both Haldir and Glorfindel. I supposed that Mithrandir had arranged for the applications to be processed, but I had no idea how his influence spread so far. The ID consisted of passports from Norway, that also contained Permanent Residence cards, as well as birth certificates, Care Cards for the Medical Services Plan, and BC ID cards for both elves. I went to our computer and downloaded the application forms, and we spent the rest of the day filling out the paperwork, and giving the information that Mithrandir had set out in his letter to us. Glorfindel was fascinated that our government system was so complex that we required applications for citizenship, as in Arda nothing so bureaucratic was required.

Alistair and Steve came over around dinnertime and we cooked up the food they had brought us. I knew I had to make it to the grocery store the next day, as we didn’t have time, due to filling out the citizenship forms. Alistair had figured we had been busy and had kindly brought over dinner and a few staples to fill our fridge until we could get to the store.

“When do you go back to work?” Alistair asked after he swallowed a bite of pasta we’d made for the meal.

“I have to call and see when they want me to come back. I’ll do that tomorrow, but I figure I will most likely be back to work in the next couple of weeks. Speaking of work, will you and Steve help Finn learn English? He’s going to need it here.”

Haldir looked at me, “I will help Finn learn English.”

I smiled at my husband, “I know, but he needs to learn faster than you did. We have to get him up to date on everything ‘Canada’, so he’ll be prepared for the citizenship test.”

Steve gave me a funny look, “Don’t you have to live in Canada for three or four years first?”

Oops, I had forgotten that Steve didn’t know the whole truth about Haldir and where he came from. I grinned and said, “We’ve got a special dispensation for Finn. He has skills that are needed in Canada.”

While I was hoping for the lie to take, Glorfindel piped up and said, “May I have some more of this delicious supper?”

Haldir got up and filled Glorfindel’s plate, as Steve mulled over what I had said.

“All right,” he decided, “So when will he be doing the test?”

“I don’t know. But it will probably be in the next two to three months,” I replied.

Alistair came to my rescue, “Okay, then we have plenty of time to bring Finn up to speed on all that is Canadian and polish his English skills. Why don’t we start now, over a little dessert, hmm?”

And with that, Glorfindel began his tutelage with Alistair and Steve in the English language.

The days flew by as Glorfindel became acclimatized to Canada, and became more proficient in English. Haldir had managed to reconnect with all of his contacts, and this led to a job as head of security for a biotech firm out in Burnaby. Glorfindel caught work as a model, mostly local, but he did do a few romance novel covers before he cut his hair for jobs in Europe and America. The citizenship applications came through three and a half months after we had sent them in, and Haldir and Glorfindel were only too happy to be on a Canadian passport at last.

One day, after we had moved into a four bedroom character home in Kitsilano, which all three of us had to sign the mortgage note on, just so we could afford it; I woke up to an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of my stomach. We had been back in Vancouver for almost a year at that point and in the new house for about five months. Haldir barely stirred in bed beside me, when I suddenly had the overwhelming need to puke my guts up. I jumped out of bed and ran to the loo, just in time to throw up the contents of my stomach. While I was hunched over the toilet, wondering what could be the cause of my stomach bug; Haldir joined me, kneeling beside the porcelain bowl.

“Susan? Are you feeling all right?” he asked gently.

I puked my response.

Haldir held back my hair as I continued to vomit for distance, and he touched my clammy skin. After a moment, he let go of my hair and got up to wet a washcloth. Once my multi-coloured symphony was over, he gently cleaned me up and helped me back to bed.

Smiling at me, he said softly, “Susan, I think it is time to call for an appointment with the doctor.”

“What on earth are you talking about? It’s probably just the flu. Or I ate something odd,” I replied weakly.

Haldir’s smile turned into a grin, “You will want to confirm my diagnosis, my love, but you are suffering from pregnancy, not the flu.”

“What!?!” I gasped from the shock of his words.

“We are going to have a baby,” he kissed my icky skin.

I was flummoxed by the news. We had never stopped trying since I had lost the baby in Arda. Once I had gotten over my grief, Haldir and I had begun to try for another pregnancy, and once we returned to Earth, we had seen a specialist to make sure my miscarriage had not damaged my uterus irrevocably. We had been told that it may be tricky to get pregnant, but it was not impossible, and if we couldn’t conceive after another year of trying, the fertility doctor would get us started on treatments to help us along. I looked into my husband’s eyes and saw only happiness. Relief swept my body, followed by disgust.

“So yay for pregnancy, but I should hope I’m not going to have morning sickness like this everyday,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound like a total jerk.

Haldir laughed, “Have you forgotten that I am part of the Eldar? Both Glorfindel and I have been trained in the healing arts, and we have not forgotten our lessons. We have natural remedies for your nausea, so you should be fine during your pregnancy.”

This news made me very happy, and I hugged Haldir awkwardly, as I was still a bit weak from my parade of vomit. Haldir got off the bed and walked to our bedroom door.

“I will tell Glorfindel right now, and once you are feeling fit, we will have a celebratory orange juice.”

The word ‘juice’ sent a queasy feeling through my tummy, and as I blanched, Haldir back-pedalled on his statement.

“Perhaps we will make you that tea for your stomach, and Glorfindel and I will break open the juice?”

I nodded, and Haldir left our room to go downstairs and tell Glorfindel, who was no doubt busy making breakfast. When Glorfindel was at home, which was beginning to be a bit of a rarity now that his career had taken off, he liked to be domestic. Never before had I had such a tidy house and excellent meals on the table. Roxy adored him, and followed him everywhere. He spoiled Haldir and me with his kindness and generosity, and I knew he would be happy for the both of us and our impending child.

I heard a yelp and loud laughter, followed by a thunder of footsteps on the stairs. Glorfindel swept into the room, all energy and happiness, as he surveyed the mess that was me.

“Congratulations!” he cried, as he leaped onto the bed. “This is such exciting news! May I be the first to offer my services as a wet nurse?”

I laughed weakly, “And when would you be available to do that? You are booked well into next year.”

Glorfindel winked at me, “As long as you have a healthy baby, I am willing to rebook, cancel, whatever. I know how long you have wanted a child, and this is a miracle for both of you.”

“What about you? Don’t you want someone to have your own children with?” I asked.
“Perhaps. Perhaps my destiny is to be alone, with you two as my constant companions. We will see what Eru bestows upon me,” he said seriously.

Haldir came into the room with my tea and Glorfindel moved over to the chair beside the bed and watched us intently.

“This tea will help ease your nausea, and once you are feeling up to it, we will call the doctor and see him as soon as possible,” Haldir handed me a steaming mug of lightly scented tea, which I sipped cautiously.

A couple of days later, we managed to get into see the specialist. He confirmed our news and gave me instructions as to how I should conduct my pregnancy. We were all concerned about my losing the baby, so I was given strict instructions, a diet to follow, and he warned me that I may have to resort to bed-rest if things got dicey.

After a few days at home, Glorfindel was off to Europe for work, and Haldir and I sank back into our schedules. I didn’t want to inform work until I knew that the baby was going to stick, but I knew I’d have to tell my manager once I began to show.

After the requisite three months had passed, and I was deemed as doing well by my doctor, we told my family. Needless to say, my folks were beside themselves with joy, and even my brother was happy for me. He still needled me about waiting so long to have a baby, but I ignored it, instead concentrating on how wonderful it was to make it past a month.

One day, Glorfindel came home from a shoot in the Caribbean with some news. He had met a girl. She wasn’t one of the models, but was a location manager for the magazine that Glorfindel was shooting with. She was originally from Zambia, and was apparently not only exotic and beautiful, but smart and funny. When I asked when the wedding was, Glorfindel told me he hoped she would be amenable to moving in with us. He wanted to take baby steps. I was showing quite prominently by this point, and I wondered if this girl, whose name was Katherine, would be okay with living with another family. Glorfindel seemed sure that Katherine would be fine with our living arrangements, and since he was so happy, I decided to be happy for him.

Katherine ended up not moving in with us, so Glorfindel spent quite a bit of time in New York, courting her formally. Haldir prepped the baby’s room, and we found out that we were having a baby boy. My dream came back to me when I got that news, and I wondered if he would be the tow-headed child I saw in my dream. Alistair and Steve had gotten engaged amidst all the hubbub and were planning an August wedding. I was due in late September, so I knew I’d be the size of a house when I stood up for Alistair.

Haldir was so relieved that my pregnancy was going well; he kept a blog to let our friends know how I was doing, which he peppered with digital photos of my ever-growing belly. I was amused at his pride and teased him about his status as father-to-be.

After a low-key ceremony for Alistair and Steve in August, we sent them off on their honeymoon on a cruise to Alaska. My belly was huge by this point, and I spent most of my time in a seated position. The only problem was that every position was dreadfully uncomfortable, so instead of standing at Alistair’s wedding, I stood, sat, wiggled about, and generally distracted everyone at the ceremony.

On September 15th I finally went into labour, a smidge early, and Haldir rushed me to the hospital. Glorfindel had come home, not long after we had left for VGH, and he had quickly figured out where we had gone, rushing to meet us at the hospital. While Haldir and I went through the labour, which was hard on me as the baby was a whopping 10lbs 5oz; Glorfindel phoned all my relatives and our friends to let them know what was going on.

After fifteen hours of labour, and the exhaustion of every swear word I knew in both languages, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. His ears were not as pointed as Haldir’s, but did have tiny little points indicating his heritage. He had a shock of whitish-blond hair, almost the same colour as his father’s. I knew his eyes would be a bluish-green, from what I remembered from my dream. As I held the tiny bundle in my arms, tears ran down my cheek.

“Are you happy, my love?” Haldir softly asked me.

“Very,” I replied with a sob.

We cuddled our son and kissed each other while the doctor and nurses bustled around us. It was a beautiful day for our little family.