The anxiety comes and goes over the weeks that follow. Some days, Alistair's nearly his usual self; others, he paces around the house (and the surrounding village, and sometimes even the Rutherford homestead) in random fits of nervous energy. He tries to stop when he catches himself doing it. It's too much like how he acted after the Fade for his own comfort.
So there's labor around the house, and play-wrestling with Gru, and grabbing onto any distraction he can find. He just has to -- stay steady. Do his best not to make Cullen worry overmuch, futile as that might be.
(If he's being honest with himself -- and those are the nights he doesn't fall asleep until late, late, late -- it isn't just Fiona's pending arrival that's grabbed him by the chest and squeezed with all it's got. It's what she'll bring.
It's knowing that he may, at last, have to set aside all the thin hopes that buoyed him along.)
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The anxiety comes and goes over the weeks that follow. Some days, Alistair's nearly his usual self; others, he paces around the house (and the surrounding village, and sometimes even the Rutherford homestead) in random fits of nervous energy. He tries to stop when he catches himself doing it. It's too much like how he acted after the Fade for his own comfort.
So there's labor around the house, and play-wrestling with Gru, and grabbing onto any distraction he can find. He just has to -- stay steady. Do his best not to make Cullen worry overmuch, futile as that might be.
(If he's being honest with himself -- and those are the nights he doesn't fall asleep until late, late, late -- it isn't just Fiona's pending arrival that's grabbed him by the chest and squeezed with all it's got. It's what she'll bring.
It's knowing that he may, at last, have to set aside all the thin hopes that buoyed him along.)