Chapter 5: Friday

Delenn looked from John and back to the dangling gift in her hand. She'd been staring at the trinket for a solid minute, John growing impatient with the I don't know what this is and why John bothered to give it to me look. John remembered that frowning face well, the same one his wife donned when he'd given her the diamond engagement ring.

John reclaimed the delicate item, holding it tenderly in his large hands. It had taken all of his powers of persuasion to convince the jewelers that sometimes speed is better than perfection. Not that John wanted to give Delenn anything that was less than perfect, but if he went by Minbari standards, he would have had nothing to give his wife on the first of many Mother's Days.

Okay, so it wasn't exactly Mother's Day, even by Earth standards. But it would be soon, and John was just too impatient to wait. Once the idea formed in his mind, he'd simply acted. Material gifts were foreign concepts to Minbari, possessions meaning very little to them. Gifts, for a Minbari, were intangible, spiritual, or intellectual in nature.

Well, John didn't do intangible. He wanted to shower Delenn with as many gifts as she would allow, spoiling her with his love, leaving her with as many physical reminders of their time together as possible.

But gift giving had to be done carefully, without giving Delenn the appearance of being the recipient of frivolous, selfish consumption. So, John decided to celebrate Mother's Day without full disclosure. At least this first year, depending on how receptive she turned out to be toward the gift she was still eyeing with patient sufferance.

And the fact that she hadn't exploded and was waiting calmly for him to explain, was a testament to his lovemaking. Well, not exactly lovemaking, for they hadn't actually had intercourse. But they'd thoroughly explored each other's centers of pleasure, John being careful not to consume any of Delenn's fluids. So kissing—both set of lips—were out. And what that left was basically the Shan'Fal sans the oral play.

Yet it was enough to get them both off, especially Delenn, who'd needed the release of her pregnancy hormone, more than John had realized. And if she hadn't been so tight-lipped, John assumed from embarrassment, he could've given her what she required much earlier. But they hadn't exactly reached the point in their marriage where Delenn felt totally comfortable discussing what happens between them in the bedroom. Hell, John had yet to convince Delenn to wear one of the many teddies he'd purchased for her . . . for him before leaving Babylon 5. But he held out hope, and they were still early yet in their marriage.

"It's lovely," Delenn said. "Umm, what exactly is it, John?"

John smiled and ran a finger over the first crystal. "It's called a charm bracelet. It's a form of jewelry to be worn, like your wedding and engagement rings, but on the wrist." John touched Delenn's small wrist, thinking it was as delicate as the bracelet he held.

"See," John said, pointing to the three dangling charms, "the great thing about a charm bracelet is that the woman gets to create her own design, each charm meaningful to the wearer because it was selected with her in mind. I started this one for you with the three crystal pieces here. Give me your wrist, honey."

Delenn extended her right arm to John who pushed the wide sleeve of her white robe up a few inches and out of his way. He unclasped the bracelet and secured it on Delenn's wrist, and then admired the way the white, green, and multicolored crystals sparkled.

"Keeping with the theme of spring, your bracelet has three charms that represent different aspects of the human holiday of Easter."

Delenn nodded. "I've read about this Easter of yours. Do you wish us to practice that tradition, John? Is that why you gave me this . . . charm?"

"In part, yes. There are aspects of Easter I would like to share with you and our child, but there's no rush. Actually, that's kind of what I'm getting to. Take a look here, Delenn."

She did, giving him her full attention, the way she always did when John spoke. "The white charm depicts a rabbit, often called a bunny. It symbolizes birth, reproduction, or fertility." John patted his hand against Delenn's tiny protrusion. "I've already planted that particular seed, so maybe the bunny is redundant."

"Ah," Delenn said with a laugh. "I took your words too literally the other day. You had me thinking you had intentions of burying plant seeds somewhere on the compound grounds."

John also laughed. "No, honey, I may do a little spring cleaning, or try my hand at cooking, but I draw the line at horticulture. Look," he said, raising his thumb, "it's not green."

Delenn shook her head. "One thing at a time, John, I don't think I've released enough pin'cha to cope with deciphering human symbolism and sayings at the same time."

Delenn was right, and the last thing John wanted to do was initiate a mood swing. Thanks to his magic fingers, he'd been mood swing free for nearly thirty-six hours.

"You're right. Okay, the multicolored crystal is an Easter egg. Eggs also represent birth but they are often boiled and dyed to be used in a children's ritual called an egg hunt. When our child is old enough, maybe two or three, I'll show you both how it's played. It's simple really. Liz and I used to have great fun trying to outdo each other, the farm ideal for having a good old-fashioned Sunday egg hunt."

"Easter egg," Delenn repeated, gazing at the charm with interest. "I've also read about Easter eggs and the hunt. I won't pretend to understand how searching for the dead offspring of a chicken is considered entertaining, or why humans allow their children to beg neighbors for sugary snacks while dressed in strange, ghoulish costumes."

"My god, Delenn, is that all you got out of my description of Halloween? It's so much more to it than that. Besides," John said, feeling the need to defend the holiday, although begging wasn't so far off track, "it's a perfectly good tradition."

He should've known the Halloween conversation would come back to bite him in the ass. John blamed the sleep watching ritual and its damn restrictions. How was a man supposed to get any sleep with the woman, he'd most wanted to see naked, stretched out in his chair wearing nothing but his bathrobe? So, yeah, they'd talked and talked and talked. And somewhere in all that talking he'd foolishly mentioned Halloween and trick-or-treating, and he and Liz's day after chocolate hangover.

"If you say so, John," Delenn responded, her face showing doubt. "So you'll teach our child how to locate dead chicken eggs that have been dipped in dye?"

John squinted at his wife. "The chickens aren't dead," he huffed. "Okay, okay, yes, they're technically dead, but no deader than they would be if we scrambled and ate them for breakfast."

"At least then they're deaths would serve a purpose. What purpose is served with this Easter egg hunt?"

John eyed his wife carefully, waiting for the smile that had to be hidden behind her disapproving words. "The last charm," John said, pointing to the green one and ignoring her comment, "is a plant. As you already know, plants symbolize life."

Delenn held her arm up, the silver bracelet shiny in its newness, the three spring charms accentuating her lovely, pale wrist. "You gave me two charms that symbolize birth and reproduction, and one that represents life. You know, John," Delenn started, her gaze trapping him, "I'm only capable of carrying one child at a time. If you want others, I think we should wait until the first is born before we have that discussion."

"W-what? Delenn, I can barely keep up with you now. Between the mood swings, vaccination shots, abstinence, and the pin'cha hormone, I don't think I'll survive another pregnancy—''

And she began to laugh, hearty wails accompanied by genuine, bust-your-gut laugh tears.

"Oh, Delenn, that's not fair." And it wasn't. John had planned everything he wanted to say; down to the symbolic rationale for the gift that would have Delenn so moved, she wouldn't question the expense or extravagance. Hell, John even imagined a few shed tears at Delenn's very sensitive and loving husband. Well, John got the tears all right, and mocking laughter to boot.

Delenn kissed John's cheek and stood. "I love the charm bracelet, John. It's sweet and will remind me that not every woman is blessed with the opportunity to create life, the rabbit, Easter egg, and plant perfect in their symbolism. It's a most thoughtful Mother's Day gift."

John opened his mouth wordlessly and Delenn laughed at him again. "Your mother sent me congratulations on my first Mother's Day earlier in the week. We talked for a while and she explained the tradition to me and how much she always loved your gifts, especially when you gave her jewelry."

"That's not fair," John repeated, feeling duped, his mother having let the air out of his spring balloon.

"Now," Delenn said, beginning to unbutton her robe, her voice that aroused pitch John knew so well, "my memory is failing me; I need your assistance."

John jumped to his feet, already pulling his shirt over his head, forgoing his pride in the face of something so much more rewarding. "The forget-me-not room?"

"Oh, yes, I feel myself remembering already."

"In case you need help; allow me."