Miryam's feet throbbed inside her rough sandals. She rubbed her stomach, feeling Yeshua's movement inside her womb.
"Are you well, Miryam?" Yosef asked.
She paused and moaned.
"I can't know for sure, but Yeshua is coming. Soon."
Yosef raised his eyebrows. In the distance, people's voices echoed. Yosef and Miryam looked down at a city of beige houses. Children ran through the city streets. Women called from the houses.
"Children!" They called. "It's time for the evening meal!"
Miryam sighed. Continuing to rest lessened their chances of finding good shelter.
"We need to keep moving," Miryam said. "Otherwise Yeshua might be born here."
Yosef looked behind him. A couple wrangled three children, while the wife held a screaming infant. Jochobed and Silas kept a watchful eye on their youngest children, who played with the other couples children.
"We'll get a place to stay, Eema!" Yosef promised.
"Where?" One of the children whined. "I'm tired!"
They stopped outside a sand-colored door. Yosef knocked on a door. A burly man with slicked-back hair opened it.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Yosef," Yosef said, trembling. "Is this an inn?'
The man opened the door wider and stepped to the side, revealing a room filled with sleeping mats.
"There's no room here," the man said.
He pointed north and added, "The other inn is five houses that way."
Pain shot through Miryam's body. They arrived at the other inn. A woman answered the door.
"Slikhah," she said. "I can't provide you with any room."
"My wife is going to give birth, possibly tonight. Where can we stay?"
The woman shrugged and said, "Micah and Daniel the Migdal Eder are in Jerusalem at this time. My husband can show you their cave."
Yosef grated his teeth.
"It'll work, Yosef," his mother said. "Follow the man."
"Yes, Eema," Yosef said.
A slender, short man exited the inn.
"I'll show you to the cave," he said with a quick greeting nod.