306: The Best of This World

The Best of This World

** Six Months Later **1

"Is a baby's foot really that small?" I stared at the socks I was knitting and wondered. "These barely fit over my two fingers. It's like … almost the size of a cat paw."

Bai Ye chuckled. His cheek was still pressed against my belly, and I could feel through the fabric a wide smile stretching across his face. "That little cat paw is quite energetic," he stated. "It just kicked me again."

Ever since he felt the baby's first movement a month ago, the legendary immortal master Bai Ye had found his newest obsession in life—listening to our baby kick and roll. Every evening while I sat in bed knitting little sweaters and socks, he would curl up beside me and gently lay his head over my stomach, counting the kicks like it was some kind of secret communication between father and child, and he could never get tired of it.

"She's kicking more today than yesterday," he added. "What does that mean?"

I couldn't help but smile at the genuinely curious eyes staring up at me.

The truth was, neither of us actually knew much about children. I was too young when I left for Mount Hua, and Bai Ye hadn't been in touch with the commoner's world for hundreds of years. His knowledge in medicine was enough to help us keep the baby healthy and safe, but anything beyond that was blank space to us, which meant there was never a lack of surprises coming our way every day.

Fortunately, we had moved into this new house we were currently living in at the center of a southern village, not far from the Misty Mountains. The weather here was warm, and the neighbors were even warmer-hearted. The families nearby all took a liking to us, and the wives were almost too eager to teach me everything I needed to know about becoming a mother. From how to knit clothes and prepare diapers, to what to read and sing to the sleeping fetus, they showered me with new knowledge every day, some of it completely changing the way I had always thought of motherhood.

Though of course, we were still left with many questions that we could only hope to find answers to over time, such as how tiny a baby was and why they particularly enjoyed kicking.

"Maybe she liked the sword moves you read to her this morning," I ventured. Bai Ye had been reading all kinds of books to her throughout the day, claiming that she needed to develop a wide range of interests. "Maybe she's practicing them."

He blinked. "She likes swords?" Then he nodded thoughtfully. "She takes after you. Great material for swordsmanship if she chooses that path."

He traced his hand casually over the swell of my belly, his eyes gleaming with expectation. I had seen that look enough to know he was doing his routine envisioning of our child growing up again—how we'd teach her to talk, to walk, to hold a sword and protect herself. How we'd play with her, show her all the wonderful things in this world, and watch her find her own happiness in life. He would tell me about that future he pictured for us every day, and whenever he did, those dark pupils would sparkle with the most beautiful light I could ever imagine.

I smiled, lowering the knitting in my hands. "She'll take after you and be good at everything she does. Swords, medicine, spells … Even exotic languages and literature." I brushed my fingers over his hair. "Speaking of which, I went over the names you came up with. They are all marvelous."

Since he was the one that could write poems when he was young, I had assigned him the important task of picking a name for our child, and he had been diligent at work ever since we found out the baby was a girl. I'd seen him searching through dictionaries, classics, folk ballads, and even meditation chants for inspiration. It took him months before he finally handed me a list of a dozen options, and I didn't even need to look to know how perfect each of those names must be with all the work he put into it.

"I'm sure she'll love all of them too," I continued, seeing his anticipating look. "If I have to choose … I think I like Bai Qingling and Bai Qingxin best."

Bai Ye had made all the given names start with Qing. Needless to say that my heart had fluttered at the meaning behind it. The second character all carried special meanings for us as well—Ling as in spirit, for example, and Xin as in heart—but together as a word, they became something more. Qingling meant free and bright. Qingxin meant pure and peaceful. Just the perfect wishes we had for our girl.

"Then we can go with Qingling this time and save Qingxin for her little sister." Bai Ye dropped a kiss onto my stomach. "Bai Qingling … Kick to tell mom and dad you like your name."

The words had barely left his lips when our girl kicked. As if to make sure that we heard her, she rolled and kicked again, even harder the second time around.

"… She really understands us?" Bai Ye gasped in disbelief.

I laughed, finding the bewildered look on his face too adorable to resist. "I told you she'll like it." I pulled him up into a soft kiss. "She knows her father would only give her all the best in this world."

He smiled. Shifting his weight, he cradled me in his arms with just the right amount of force to hold me close without too much pressure. "Of course she deserves the best," he whispered against my mouth, "because her mother has worked so hard to bring her into this world. She is the most precious gift I could ever expect, and I'll never be able to treasure her enough."

Then he parted my lips, deepening the kiss.

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