.
A NEW JOY ANTICIPATED
(Sequel to A New Love Deserved and A New Life Treasured)
By Linda Ellen
May 2011
Chapter 1 – The Joys of Pregnancy
Michaela smiled as she watched her husband and children scramble into the Escalade in the pouring rain. They had awakened to a deluge that hadn't shown any sign of slowing, and the kids didn't relish running the 100 yards down the driveway in such a downpour to catch their bus in front of the clinic, so their loving Dad had volunteered to be chauffeur for the short trip.
As lightning flashed brightly overhead, she cringed and took a step back from the window, closing her eyes and saying a short prayer for the safety of the bus and all of its passengers on the trip to school.
This has been an extremely wet fall so far...I wonder if we're in for a bad winter... Michaela mused. Shivering, she rubbed her arms and turned from the window, moving over to the kitchen fireplace and adding another log to the fire. She smiled again as she pictured her overly protective husband - if he were there, he would fuss at her to let him do that, lovingly taking the log from her hands. Since the moment they found out she was pregnant, it seemed Sully suddenly considered her as a delicate orchid needing protection at all times.
Sully...
Michaela closed her eyes and let her mind wander, gently caressing him with her thoughts. He's so wonderful...so perfect...I never thought I could be this happy...
Just then, a shiver of fear ran through her body and she shook her head, determined to push 'bad' thoughts away.
Thinking of the night before, she determinedly aimed her mind in that direction – Sully holding her in his arms, warm and snug in their bed as rain fell softly on the roof overhead, and quietly admonishing her to think of only 'good things', not bad. As always, his touch and his words had been just what she needed to pull herself upright emotionally as her feelings seemed to seesaw.
Nothing bad is going to happen...to me...to the baby...to Sully...to the children...to our home. Nothing! She recited to herself as she began to straighten the kitchen from the mess of breakfast, wondering to where her normally upbeat outlook had fled...maybe it's just the effects of being pregnant...so far, actually being pregnant was nothing like she had dreamed and imagined. She seemed to be a bundle of nerves and felt totally unlike herself in so many ways...
Holding her breath, she scraped from the skillet the remains of the scrambled eggs Sully had cooked, and placed the pan in the dishwasher, trying to take precautions against the nausea that seemed to plague her almost constantly. Remembering Sully's concerned expression at the table earlier as he watched her unable to eat yet another meal, she sighed softly and wrapped her arms around her middle, feeling the dreaded queasiness start to return.
Making her way to the downstairs bathroom, she stepped on the scale. Another quarter of a pound gone...that made four pounds she had lost in the fifteen days since the Halloween dance. It had been everything she could do to sit through Hannah's birthday party the night before without dashing to the bathroom, not wanting to spoil the festivities.
Turning towards the mirror over the sink, she picked up a hairbrush, determinedly pulling it through the long strands of her hair as she strove to take her mind off her stomach. She hoped this would be one of the times when her life echoed that of the first Michaela, as an entry she had read in the old journal the day before came to mind.
December 15, 1870
I haven't written much lately, as I've been feeling so ill. 'Morning sickness' seemed to come upon me out of nowhere once we returned from the railroad camp with Matthew. Two weeks...three...I've lost track. I can't seem to keep anything down. I haven't told Sully because I don't want to worry him as he frets over me enough as it is, but I've begun to be concerned...I've lost three pounds since I found out I'm pregnant...
Since that was the only entry regarding the malady, Michaela assumed that her ancestor's bout of the dreaded symptom was indeed short-lived, because she remembered reading later of strange food cravings, such as apple pie and dill pickles.
Just then she heard the front door open and close quickly, followed by her husband's wonderful voice. "Michaela?"
"In here, sweetheart," she called from the bathroom.
Turning, she watched her handsome husband drape his buckskin jacket on the back of a kitchen chair and take his boots off, then head toward her, shaking droplets of water from his hair as he walked.
"Whew! It's rainin' cats and dogs out there!" he joked, smoothing his collar length, honey brown, wavy hair back and drying his hands on his jeans. Stepping up to her, he noticed the hairbrush in her hand. Wondering if that were the only reason she was in the bathroom, he smiled softly and took her in his arms.
Breathing in his wonderful scent, Michaela sighed contentedly and wrapped her arms around his back, resting her forehead against his neck as they swayed back and forth together for a minute. Just being in his arms seemed to make her feel better all over.
Finally pulling back a bit, Sully peered into her eyes, trying to gauge the state of his wife's health, one hand smoothing a lock of her hair behind one ear.
"You okay, sweetheart?" he murmured lovingly. "You didn't eat any breakfast again...are ya feelin' sick?"
Starting to lie, but stopping herself, as she knew he would see through her ruse anyway, she nodded with a self-deprecating grin, admitting, "A little...trying to power through it though..."
Sully pressed his lips together in an almost pout, his eyes filled with sympathy for he knew just how miserable it is to be nauseous. "Can I getcha somethin'? Some of that peppermint tea maybe?"
Michaela smiled and nodded gratefully, raising a hand to gently cup his face in her palm, murmuring softly, "You take such good care of me...what did I ever do to deserve you?"
He grinned teasingly and covered her hand with one of his, turning his head to kiss her palm. "Just bein' you," he answered softly.
Retaining her hand, he led her out of the bathroom doorway and toward the living room. "C'mere and sit down, put your feet up," he ordered gently. "I'll get your tea and finish cleanin' the kitchen," he added as she lowered herself onto the couch and slowly raised her legs to stretch out. He leaned down to maneuver a pillow comfortably under her head, gazing at her with blue pools of liquid love while gently caressing her hair back from her face.
"It feels a little damp in here...I'll start a fire in a minute," he added. She nodded with a soft smile as she watched him make his way to the kitchen, straining to listen over the sound of the rain as he quickly put the teakettle on the burner, then moved around gathering what he needed.
"Did the kids get off alright?" she called, jumping a little at a loud clap of thunder.
"Yeah, they got a little wet, but they'll be under the canopy at school when they get off the bus, so don't be worryin' about 'em sitting in wet clothes all day," he added with a grin, knowing she would naturally project her thoughts into 'what if's' and start to fret.
Michaela chuckled softly and shook her head, placing one hand on her stomach and one against her throat as the nausea began to worsen. Sully came back into the living room, squatting down to quickly and expertly light a fire in the main fireplace. She watched his movements with pleasure; never tiring of viewing her incredibly gorgeous husband in whatever activity he happened to be engaging. Her eyes ran over his physique, the broad shoulders and firm arm muscles under his long-sleeved polo shirt, and picturing the powerful leg and thigh muscles she knew lurked under the dark jeans as he balanced on the balls of his socked feet.
Within moments the small flame grew into welcome warmth and began its work of drying the dampness from the house and warming its occupants.
As Sully rose to return to the kitchen, he glanced over at her and smiled, murmuring, "Water should be about ready to boil." Michaela returned the smile and nodded, closing her eyes with a sigh.
Her mind drifted from listening to Sully clean up the morning's breakfast dishes, to the rain and wind against the walls and roof of their home, to the cozy crackling of the fire, and finally to events in their lives since their marriage.
Smiling drowsily, images flashed in her mind of various scenes from their wonderful honeymoon, their vacation in Boston and the family trip across the country to bring the children home. She saw again their land high above from the basket of a hot air balloon, and how their home had reminded her of a Norman Rockwell painting. The scene changed to the view from 'their' mountain, seen through tears in her eyes, then closing those eyes and opening them to find the face of her sweet husband, his eyes filled with worried love. Another scene came of her husband's face, hovering above her as he skillfully and masterfully made love to her, the brightly decorated walls of an old teepee beyond his head. This thought made her smile again as she remembered it was that night when the precious child she was carrying was conceived. Sighing in pleasure, her hand resting on her stomach moved slowly in a loving caress.
Shifting slightly and breathing in through her nose in an effort to fight against the dreaded nausea, she momentarily pictured her caring husband on his knees beside her on the new bathroom's tiled floor, lovingly holding her hair and caressing her back as she retched miserably, hearing again his whispered words of encouragement and love. She knew without a doubt that if he could take the misery from her and suffer it himself, he would do it gladly. She also knew that he felt guilty that he had 'done this to her' – that it was his baby inside her making her sick at the moment.
Smiling, she concentrated again on 'good thoughts' as her loving husband admonished. Visions came of she and he with their happy, healthy children, sitting together at the dining room table eating a hearty meal as the children shared the events of their day, and many times lately, joined by their young friend, Jared Miller.
It warmed her heart to think again of how quickly the four Sully children had become inseparable, in spite of their age differences, and how wonderful a 'big brother' Matthew had become. Her eldest son had soaked up his new father's ways so thoroughly, it was a dream come true and an answer to many prayers as he had grown from a sullen fourteen year old to a bright, happy, responsible sixteen year old.
Thinking of prayers, she paused again to thank the Lord for all of the blessings He had bestowed upon her and her family since the moment she and her wonderful husband had met on that stormy summer night a year and a half before. Remembering the infamous skillet about which Sully still loved to tease her, a small smile graced her lips once again as she mused, maybe I should hang that skillet on a wall in the bedroom next to our wedding picture...
"Glad ta see ya smilin'," Sully's low, gentle voice interrupted her musings. Her multi-colored eyes opened to view him crouching next to her, holding a cup of hot peppermint tea in his hands.
"You want some of this?" he asked softly, eyebrows raised as he gazed into her eyes.
Nodding, she levered herself up on one elbow and clasped the handle as he turned it for her, raising the cup to her lips.
"Careful...it's hot," he murmured lovingly.
Breathing in a little of the aroma, she was immensely grateful to feel an immediate, though tiny, lessoning of the nausea. Blowing into the cup, she took a small sip, waiting a moment to see how her stomach would receive it. So far, so good.
"Did you remember to take your pre-natal vitamins last night?" Sully asked as he watched his beautiful wife slowly sip the herbal tea, reaching out to smooth strands of her long hair behind her shoulder.
In answer he received her wry half grin. "I'm afraid I forgot...again."
He shook his head and chuckled softly. "Ya gotta remember, mé'oo'o. Dr. Bernard said that'll help the morning sickness..."
She nodded, glancing into his eyes as she took another tiny sip. "I know...I'm just so tired when I finally get to bed..."
"Well, from now on, I'm makin' sure you take 'em," he returned with a teasing grin. "Can't have you losin' much more weight..." he added, suddenly serious.
Michaela paused, looking at him in surprise.
"What? You think I wouldn't notice?" he asked lovingly, shaking his head at her in wonder. "I know your body better than I know my own," he declared with a grin. "Besides, when I carried you yesterday, I could tell. What is it...four...five pounds?"
"Four," she murmured reluctantly, then seeing the worry in his eyes, added quickly, "but it's nothing to worry about. In fact, it's quite normal in pregnancy to have continuous morning sickness for several weeks and lose pounds before you start gaining. And I will gain, and get fat," she added wryly. "Then, you'll wish I was nauseous again."
"Hey, that's not funny," he quickly admonished. "I wouldn't ever wish that on you – or anyone. And you won't be fat...you'll be pregnant – and that's a good thing – remember?" he added with a twinkle.
"Yes...a very good thing," she agreed lovingly, managing a grin.
Watching her attentively for a few minutes as she sipped more than half the cup, he noticed her face begin to relax. "The tea helpin'?"
"Yes, the queasiness is subsiding," she answered, reaching out to caress his face. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he murmured, turning his head to press a kiss to her fingers.
Glancing around and through the front window at the storm, Sully murmured, "Don't look like I'm gonna get much done on the new bedroom's foundation today..."
"And probably not for awhile...with all this rain, that fresh dirt will be a muddy mess."
He nodded in agreement. "You wanna go back upstairs and try to sleep some more?"
"Mmm, no," she answered thoughtfully, shaking her head. "The storm would be louder upstairs. Why don't we just stay here on the couch and watch a little television?"
"Sounds good to me," he murmured, leaning over to press a sweet kiss to her lips. "Scoot down a little," he requested as he removed his keys from his jeans pocket, maneuvering to sit down at the end of the couch as he guided her head to rest on his lap.
"Comfy?" he asked after he put his feet up on the ottoman.
"Yes, thank you," she murmured, curling her body toward the television and making herself comfortable, tugging one of Sully's arms around her and kissing his fingers, before entwining them with her own. She settled their combined hands against her belly as he reached for the remote with the other.
Before long, they were comfortably engrossed in a classic who-done-it on the Turner channel, tucked warm and safe inside their home as the storm raged, needing nothing but each other to feel satisfied and complete.
OOOOOOOOO
Sometime later, a loud clap of thunder and the sudden plunging of the house into quiet, shadowed darkness woke the dozing couple.
Michaela jerked awake with a start, moving to sit up from her husband's lap. Sully stretched awkwardly and reached to gently rub his wife's back as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"We musta dozed off," he murmured. "Looks like the electric's off again," he added, scooting forward to peer into her face. "How ya feel?"
"Better. No nausea, thank goodness," she answered softly, sitting up a little straighter and leaning against him as she looked around and out the front window.
"I can't believe this rain. You would think the sky would run out of water at some point," she joked, yawning sleepily.
Sully chuckled softly and pressed his lips to her temple. "Yeah, you'd think." Smoothing her hair to one side and caressing the nape of her neck, he asked softly, "Ya hungry?"
"Mmm, I don't know..." she began, in truth a little afraid the nausea would return.
"Ya gotta eat somethin'. Tell ya what...how about I make you one of my special peanut butter and honey sandwiches, hmm? That'll give ya protein and energy..."
Michaela smiled softly and leaned to give his lips a soft kiss. "Sounds good," she replied, moving to stand.
"Nope," her husband instructed, gently pressing her back against the cushions. "You stay there...you don't get as sick lying down, right? I'll bring it to ya." He stood up and sprinted to the kitchen. "Milk alright with it?" he called.
"Yes...and you're spoiling me," Michaela returned with a happy grin, settling herself back against the cushions in a semi-reclining position.
"You deserve to be spoiled – you're pregnant with our baby and its been givin' ya a hard time – and besides that – I love ya," he called as he worked.
Glancing at the fireplace, she noticed the fire from earlier had completely gone out. Starting to rise, she called, "The fire's out..."
"I'll get it...stay put!" he returned, and she shook her head, chuckling.
"I'm not an invalid, Sully...just pregnant."
"Right," he answered, leaning to see past the kitchen chimney. "We worked hard to get ya that way, and I ain't takin' no chances," he added with a wink.
Several minutes later he returned to the living room, carrying a tray and a kerosene lantern he kept handy for emergencies. Laying the tray on the coffee table within her reach, he crouched down and made short work of relighting the fire, then lit the lamp and placed it on a side table.
Sitting down next to her, he reached for his plate and they curled up together on the couch, each one feeding pieces of their own sandwich to the other.
"Mmm," Michaela sighed, her eyes closing in pleasure, immensely glad that something actually tasted good to her again.
"Oops," she murmured as a drop of honey escaped and landed on her hand, but before she could react, Sully gently grasped it and raised it to his lips, suckling the sweet stickiness from her fingers.
She returned the favor, taking one of his honey-laced fingers into her mouth, suckling the sweetness from it and gazing deeply into his eyes in the flickering light, hers filled with overflowing love.
"Mmm, I would say 'be careful, that'll getcha in trouble'...but you're already that way," he teased softly, blue eyes twinkling.
She smiled that half smile he loved and nodded, teasing back, "Mmm hmm, and it's all your fault."
His mouth dropped open in mock offense. "My fault? And just who seduced who in the teepee that night?" he teased gently, tilting his head back as he gazed down into her eyes. "I can still hear you whisper, Sully... please give me a baby tonight. I just gave ya what ya asked for," he added with a dimpled grin.
"Mmm, you certainly did," she returned with a twinkle, leaning in to gently rub his nose with hers. "Have I thanked you for that?"
"Once or twice," he murmured, succumbing to the pull of her magnetism and leaning in for a kiss, which immediately deepened.
Pulling back a few moments later, he whispered, "Have I told ya lately that I love ya...Dr. Mike?"
She grinned at his use of her nickname and whispered, "Yes...once or twice."
He chuckled as she pulled back a little and broke off another piece to feed him.
"This remind you of anything, Mr. Sully?" she murmured softly as she slipped the bite into his mouth.
"Mmm hmm...our weddin' cake...our honeymoon...chocolate covered strawberries," he grinned.
"Yes...but I was thinking of something further back...that time you took care of me during the ice storm, and fed me bites of a honey and berries sandwich."
"Yeah...I forgot about that," he mused as images from that night resurfaced. "Although I don't know how I could have...you about drove me crazy wantin' ya that night...but I couldn't even say it out loud," he added teasingly, referring to their agreement when they began their courting that he would keep those thoughts to himself.
"Mmm well, your eyes are very expressive, Mr. Sully, and that night they were speaking volumes. I knew exactly what you were thinking," she informed him, mockingly stern. Then turning playful, she grinned and added, "Partly because I was thinking the very same thoughts, when I could concentrate."
"You were so sick...I was so worried..." he replied, waxing serious.
"I couldn't have been in better hands. You did everything perfectly," she complimented softly, closing her eyes as he leaned in for a soft kiss.
"Thank you," he whispered, nuzzling her nose.
They lapsed into companionable silence then as they finished off their lunch, each remembering their passionate courtship from their own perspectives and how in many ways it was the longest year of each of their lives.
Later, as Sully rose to clean up their impromptu snack, Michaela leaned back against the cushions, taking precautions to keep her lunch down, sighing as she said, "I hope the bus has no trouble bringing the children home..."
"They'll be fine. John's a good driver, he'll take it slow," Sully assured her confidently.
Coming back from the kitchen moments later, Sully stood for a moment gazing out the front windows at the incessant rain. "One o'clock in the afternoon and it's so dark it seems like evenin'. I wonder how far the power outage is, or if it's just us...think I'll call Robert E."
Stepping back into the kitchen, he took his cell phone off the charger. "Glad I charged this thing up last night..." he murmured as he pressed his friend's speed dial number.
After several rings, the other man answered.
"Hey Robert E."
"Sully. You guys stayin' dry in this weather?" he joked.
"Yep. And thank goodness for fireplaces – our power's out. Is it out at your place?"
"No, our power's still on, though I been wonderin' for how long. Hang on a minute," he added, stepping to the door of his shop and looking up and down the road. "I see lights on everywhere. Probably those dang lines of yours, Sully. They've always give you trouble."
"Yeah, I was afraid of that. And it won't do no good to call CSU till the storm lets up."
"Probably not. You really outta think about havin' an underground system put in, man."
"I know...I just hate spendin' that much money on something like that," Sully agreed with a sigh.
"Yeah, I know whatcha mean. Well, you know you guys are welcome to stay with us tonight if you want to, if it don't come back on before then."
"Thanks, man, but we'll be okay. That's the great thing about these big old fireplaces, they come in handy."
Robert E. chuckled and nodded. "I hear ya."
"Talk to ya later."
"Ok Sully."
With that the men disconnected and Sully turned to his wife. "Well...looks like we might be in for another pioneer adventure tonight," he quipped with a soft grin.
OOOOOOOOO
The Sully kids jumped down the last big step of the bus and scrambled to the waiting Escalade, very grateful for their thoughtful father.
Slamming the SUV's door shut against the downpour as the bus made its way on down Hanover, Hannah groused, "Good grief! Is this rain ever gonna stop?"
"This reminds me of the trip we took getting to Colorado Springs the first time," Colleen commented, smoothing her damp, long blond hair back off her face.
"Yeah, the rain followed us all the way from Boston!" Brian piped up, leaning up near his father and watching him negotiate backing up in the clinic's front parking area to begin the short drive down to the house. Sully grinned and winked at the boy, fondly ruffling his hair.
"Well, not quite from Boston, little brother, but almost," Matthew corrected, flashing a grin at his brother from the front seat.
"Hey guys, the power went out a few hours ago," Sully informed his children during a lull in their remarks.
"Aw man!" "You're kidding!" "Not again!" they chorused, slumping back in their seats.
"What're we gonna do?" Colleen whined, thinking about an episode of her favorite television show she'd been looking forward to watching.
"Well, we did alright during the ice storm last winter, right?" Sully reminded them, pulling the vehicle up near the house and turning off the motor.
"True," Matthew agreed.
"Can we make popcorn in the fireplace again, Daddy?" Brian squeaked, his opinion of the situation immediately flip-flopping in typical kid fashion.
"Sure Brian, and we'll find lots of stuff to do, don't worry. And this time, your mom's not sick, and it's not freezing outside," he pointed out.
"Is Mom feeling better today?" Hannah asked, concerned about her mother's bouts with nausea and vomiting she had witnessed over the last three weeks.
"Yeah, she is, sweet girl," he answered, reaching back to caress her cheek with a smile. "I got her to eat a little bit of lunch, and she kept it down."
"Good. I've been worried about her," she replied as she returned his smile, identical blue eyes twinkling as he answered, "Me, too."
"Yeah me too, but mostly, it's made me decide I don't ever want to have a baby!" Colleen interjected with a grimace, remembering several times of holding her mother's long hair back while watching her helplessly empty her stomach, and then continue with miserable dry heaves.
Sully grinned and shook his head, understanding her point of view, but knowing she would change her mind when the time came.
"Well, I'm really hopin' today's gonna be a turn-around for her, but I want us all to make sure she takes it easy the next few days, okay? She feels a little better when she's laying down or sitting."
"Yeah. But you know how stubborn she can be when she wants to do something," Matthew contributed, flashing a knowing half grin at his father. Sully nodded with an answering grin.
"Yep, but I think between the five of us, we can overrule that stubbornness."
"Okay Daddy," Brian answered as Matthew opened the front passenger door.
"Here we go again!" Hannah hollered as she opened the back door, dashing through the rain and up the steps to the porch, followed closely by her siblings and their father. All five burst into the living room, laughing and shaking water out of their hair as their startled mother and wife sat up from the couch.
"My goodness! Have you all turned into ducks?" she quipped with a grin. Brian threw his jacket over a chair and ran over to her.
"Quack quack!" the little boy squawked, falling into her arms with a giggle.
Michaela laughed and hugged him to her chest as the others joined in the merriment, moving into the living room to gather close to the fire and discuss plans for the evening.
OOOOOOOOO
"Mmm mmm, this sure is good, Daddy," Brian complimented before stuffing another handful of popcorn into his mouth.
"Yeah, how come it tastes better when you cook it over the fire like this?" Matthew asked, popping several pieces in his mouth.
"I don't know, but it sure does. Microwavin' it probably takes some of the flavor away," Sully answered, popping a piece in his own mouth and winking at his wife across the kitchen table.
"You want some, sweetheart?" he asked her softly.
"It does smell delicious..." she answered, tentatively reaching out for a piece from his bowl.
"It's got lots of butter..." Sully warned as Michaela tentatively put the piece in her mouth. All five family members stopped chewing and stared at her to watch her reaction. Turning to glance at them, Michaela blushed a little to be under such scrutiny.
Swallowing the piece and waiting a moment with no adverse reaction, she smiled and murmured, "So far...so good," and reached for more.
Sully grinned and winked at her, then turned to answer a question Hannah asked. The conversation turned lively, with the kids, Sully, and Wolf competing to see who could toss a piece in the air the highest and still catch it in their mouths, everyone laughing and having a great time. Wolf never missed, plus he served as clean up man for every piece the others dropped.
Suddenly, Michaela, who had been quiet, put a hand up to her throat and grimmaced as she swallowed another piece of the popcorn. Sully's eyes snapped to her and before she could blink, he uttered, "Oh no," and swooped her up in his arms, calling over his shoulder, "Matthew, take the kettle off the fire and pour some in that cup there on the counter, the one with the tea bag in it. Hurry!"
"Got it!" the young man called as he quickly complied.
"Oh no, not again," Colleen murmured, exchanging glances with her sister as they rose from their chairs to follow as Sully carried Michaela quickly into the living room and laid her down on the couch. He reached for a medical journal on the table to fan her with as Matthew hastily made the tea.
"Sully...I..." Michaela began.
"Breathe in through your nose, sweetheart," he interrupted as he vigorously fanned. "This time I'm gonna make sure you keep your supper down..."
"But..."
"Ssshhh...just relax," he encouraged as he continued to fan her, lovingly smoothing her bangs from her forehead as the girls gathered around the couch in concern, fiercely hoping their father could come to the rescue. Hannah knelt down at Michaela's side and took her hand, softly caressing it as she held it against her chest, her blue eyes watching every expression on her mother's beautiful face.
"Let me take it to her Matthew!" Brian's voice was heard from the kitchen.
"All right, Little Brother, but be careful," his big brother consented, making sure Brian had a good grip on the cup before allowing him to walk carefully into the living room.
"Here Mama, here's your tea...it's not real hot..." he offered, crouching down next to Sully, his face a picture of worried concern just like his father's as he sought to try and be of help. So far, there hadn't been much the little boy could do to help her, as his father had admonished him to do when they had found out about the baby weeks earlier. It seemed she was always sick.
"Oh Mom, I hope you're not gonna throw up again!" Colleen murmured, leaning over the back of the couch and gazing down at her mother.
Michaela blinked several times as she held the cup of tea, sheepishly gazing around at the anxious faces of Hannah, Colleen, Brian, Matthew, and especially Sully, who was perched on the edge of the couch, vigorously fanning.
"Oh dear...um...I don't know how to tell you all this but...I'm not feeling nauseous..." she began gently, taking her lip between her teeth as she waited for their reactions.
Sully stopped fanning and stared at her, dumbfounded. "You aren't? But...you put your hand up to..."
Michaela nodded, raising her eyebrows and trying not to grin. "Yes...it's just that it was a large piece of popcorn and..." she stopped, shrugging as she couldn't remember why she had even put her hand to her throat to begin with.
Several silent moments passed as they all stared at her, stunned, and then Sully shut his eyes, pressed his lips together and hung his head, his shoulders shaking with silent mirth. The children, seeing their father dissolved in laughter, began giggling, then chuckling as they met each other's eyes. Then everyone burst out in loud, relieved laughter, even Wolf seemed to understand the joke as he leaned his head back and barked loudly. Michaela looked around in amazement before finally joining in the merriment.
"Wow," Sully gasped, swiping at tears of laughter with the back of one hand. "Talk about overreactin'. I was so determined to be your hero, I didn't take time to find out if ya needed rescuin'!"
Michaela smiled lovingly and handed the cup to Hannah, then held out her arms to Sully, which he went into immediately. She welcomed the others, and they leaned down and joined the embrace as she murmured, "Thank you for caring about me so much...I feel like the most loved pregnant woman on the face of the earth!"
"Well, maybe not the whole earth, but ya are in this house!" Brian quipped with a dimpled grin, laughing when Matthew reached over and mussed his hair.
As everyone pulled back, Michaela looked around mischievously. "Now...may I have some more of that popcorn?"
OOOOOOOOO
"Ok, you guys wanna try sleepin' in your rooms, or do you want to camp out down here?" Sully asked the kids several hours later. Three voices immediately squealed, "Camp out! Camp out!"
Sully chuckled as Matthew groaned, knowing he would be assigned watchdog and fire tending duty for the night. The amused father clapped his hands, ordering, "Okay, scoot upstairs and get your sleepin' bags and pillows." Then, turning to his wife sitting on the couch, he asked with a grin, "Camp out or bedroom?"
Choosing to ignore the naughty twinkle in his eye since they had an audience, she answered, "I really don't relish a night on the hard floor, thank you. I think I'll go on upstairs and get ready for bed now."
Sully grinned and nodded as he watched the girls and Brian racing up the stairs. "Okay, sweetheart. I'll be up in a few minutes, I'm gonna bring in some extra firewood."
Michaela made her way up the stairs, knowing the kids would be in capable hands through the night with Matthew and Wolf.
Thirty minutes later, Sully entered their room with a glass of water, glancing at the brightly burning fire in the fireplace and grinning as he realized that his wife had set and lit it herself. Looking to his left, he smiled to see Michaela snuggled under the covers of their bed, her eyes closed. He wondered if she had slipped off to sleep already.
Kneeling down next to the bed, he whispered, "Chaela?"
She stirred sleepily and opened her eyes. "Hmm?"
"You take your vitamins?"
"Oh my...why do I keep forgetting?" she answered guiltily.
Her husband chuckled and reached for the bottle on the nightstand.
"C'mon, take 'em...here," he urged gently, handing her the pills and water as she sat up.
Several minutes later, snuggled together in the warm covers, Michaela leaned her head back a bit to view Sully's handsome face in the flickering firelight. "Sully?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you...for taking such good care of me...of all of us," she murmured sincerely.
He smiled and glanced at her, leaning in for a soft kiss. "You're welcome."
"Did you talk to Cloud Dancing today?" Michaela asked, settling down again.
"Yep. And Snowbird's fine...although bein' sick like you in the mornings," he answered, knowing she would want to know.
"Mmm, I hope she gets through it quickly."
"Yeah, for her sake and his," Sully chuckled.
Grinning with understanding, she asked, "By the way, did you find out if we are the only home without electricity?"
"Yep. Called Loren, Jake, and even the Reverend, plus our closest neighbor, the Kellys. It's just us again."
"Oh Sully...do you think we should have the lines put underground?" she wondered worriedly.
Sully sighed resignedly. "Probably. I got a few estimates one time, and it wasn't cheap. The problem is that canopy of trees up and down the driveway, even though I try to keep 'em trimmed up. All it takes to short out the wires is one small limb blowin' down in a storm and touchin' 'em, but I sure as heck ain't gonna cut those trees down. They've been there for decades - I don't even know how old some of 'em are..."
"Oh, I love our tree-covered driveway, it feels almost...magical," she murmured with a sigh. "Sully...maybe you could do part of the work yourself to save some money...like digging the trench for the wires or something..." Michaela suggested.
"Maybe," he agreed thoughtfully. "I'll look into it again come spring," he assured with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder.
Michaela relaxed against him, and they were comfortably silent for a few minutes, just listening to the wind and rain outside of their windows and the occasional crack of firewood in the hearth.
Sully began thinking about a passage he had read in the old journal several nights before after Michaela had gone to sleep exhausted from a day of frequent nausea and vomiting...
November 21, 1870
I am such a lucky woman to have a husband as attentive, as loving, as thoughtful and as romantic, as my Sully. Last month, he spent hours upon hours making a Cinderella carriage in which to carry me to the Halloween party, and yesterday, he surprised me with a special night.
He said for our six-month anniversary he wanted to recreate a part of our honeymoon, but he couldn't afford to take me all the way to Denver. So, he and Robert E. fashioned a private 'dining room' in one corner of the café using a wooden frame on which white 'curtains' were draped. A 'chandelier' hung above our table. He borrowed elegant China dishes and a music box from Loren's store, which played a beautiful song that reminded me of the one we danced to when he took me out to dinner in Boston. We dressed in our finest clothes, and Horace had volunteered to transport us in his beautiful fringe topped surrey. We dined on Grace's Lapin Etouffee and other Creole delicacies, attentively served by the daughter of one of Grace's friends (who seemed mesmerized by Sully's blue eyes and nearly fell over when Sully tipped her a whole dollar) and it was such a lovely evening, even unseasonably warm.
After we ate, Sully wound up the music box and came to my chair, bowed low over my hand and asked if I cared to dance. I was totally entranced! So there, in our private corner away from prying eyes, we danced and danced, and laughed together as Sully had to keep rewinding the music. He made me feel like a princess, and he was my handsome prince, as always. It was an evening I shall cherish forever.
Smiling as he recalled the words and hoping that tonight marked a turning point in his pregnant wife's run of morning sickness, Sully softly caressed her shoulder and arm, clearing his throat before murmuring, "Hey...I been thinkin'..."
"Yes?" she returned, softly caressing his chest.
"You wanna do somethin' special this Friday for our six month anniversary?" he asked softly, eyebrows raised in expectation as he glanced down at her.
"Mmm, I don't know...like what?" she answered hesitantly, wondering if she would ruin it by being nauseous.
"I thought we might make a night of it...go to that restaurant where we had our first official date...maybe go dancin'...would you like to go?" he murmured, sealing his invitation with a soft kiss.
Michaela smiled dreamily at the thought of having her wonderful husband all to herself for a whole evening, receiving his undivided attention and able to give him her own.
Sighing in sweet contentment and snuggling deeper into his arms, she murmured, "Sounds like a plan."
"Good," Sully murmured, pleased with himself. "Né-méhotatséme, mé'oo'o," he whispered.
"I love you, too, my wonderful sweetheart," she readily responded, tilting her head back to offer him her lips again, which he immediately covered with his own. The kiss was both sweetly gentle and firmly loving, leaving each of them sighing blissfully.
Finally Sully pulled back and pressed a sweet kiss to her nose, whispering, "Night, honey."
"Goodnight, Sully."
With that the couple closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, each saying a little prayer that Michaela would be feeling herself again by the weekend, and that nothing would happen to spoil their plans...