This scent had a hint of mint blended with the smell of wood. It was a scent Cornelia knew well. Even though it had been months since she last smelled it, she could still recognize it in her dreams. She knew she was dreaming, about that man she shouldn't be dreaming about.
This dream felt particularly real. She could not only smell his unique scent, she also felt him massaging her feet. His touch was just right, like a professional masseuse, both comforting and a little ticklish. Involuntarily, Cornelia pulled her leg back in her dream and mumbled, "So ticklish." However, the next moment, her foot was gripped by a large hand. He applied some ointment on her foot.
The ointment was cool, quickly easing the swelling in Cornelia's foot. She sighed contentedly and went back to sleep.
After a while, in her dream, Cornelia vaguely felt the large hand gently touching her belly. He was saying, "Baby's being good, daddy knows you're not disturbing mommy. Mommy's having a hard time being pregnant, so you should always be considerate of her, okay?"
Cornelia felt ticklish again, and swatted his hand away, "Jeremy Artis, buzz off, don't disturb me and my baby. My baby's already good, doesn't need you to teach her." After she said that, the hand stopped bothering her, and the annoying voice disappeared.
But Cornelia felt like someone was there with her and her baby. So that night, she slept particularly deep and sound. When she woke up, yesterday's fatigue was gone. Her swollen feet were better, and she felt refreshed.
Looking around, the room was just as she left it before sleep. The door was still closed, no one could have been there. Everything that happened last night was just a dream. Cornelia smiled to herself, thinking, "Cornelia, you're such a foolish woman! After all this time, you're still dreaming about that man, I'm gonna despise you."
She touched her belly, saying to herself, "You need to learn to forget him, set an example for the baby in your belly." Perhaps the baby understood her, it gave her a kick.
Cornelia's stomach hurt, but she was happy, "Sweetie, you can kick me now. Are you eager to come into this world and meet me? Don't rush, if you're born now, it'll be premature. You're due in two months, you should be born at full term to be a healthy child."
As she was talking, the baby moved a couple of times in her belly. This time was much gentler, as if truly understanding how hard it was for her to be pregnant.
"Nelly, are you awake? If you are, come have breakfast, I'll take you home after." Grandpa Augustine was worried about Cornelia not having enough rest, so he came to her door early.
Cornelia composed herself, took a deep breath and replied, "Grandpa, let me freshen up a bit, I'll be right out."
"Good." Grandpa Augustine replied.
Cornelia quickly got out of bed, finished brushing her teeth and washing her face in just a few minutes, skipping any additional skincare routine.
Her skin was naturally good, and it had only gotten better since her pregnancy, very smooth. Like Hannah would say, "Your skin is smoother than a freshly peeled boiled egg."
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