Chapter 1 The Baby

The animals were gathered in the log. All were crowed around Ozzie the opossum and his loving wife Juliet as their new baby was being born. Juliet sat on a leaf pile bed with Ozzie at her side.

Ozzie: Just hang in there, Sweetie. Take a deep breath and push.

Juliet: I can't! *pant*

Juliet squeezed her husband's paw and cried.

Stella: Aww. Would you look at that.

Stella picked up the little baby possum.

Juliet felt light-headed and she panted.

Stella: It's a little baby girl.

Verne went out and grabbed a few giant Maple leaves and took them back to Stella to wrap them around the baby like a blanket.

Ozzie looked so thrilled that he nearly fainted.

Juliet: Oh, Ozzie! She's gorgeous!

Stella handed over the baby to Juliet. She cradled the infant possum warmly.

Juliet: So much hard work and effort. But it was all worth it.

Ozzie: She is beautiful isn't she? Just like you.

Stella: We'll leave you two alone for a while.

Stella lead the others out of the log to give the new parents some alone time with their new loving child.

Juliet: She's got your eyes you know.

She handed the little possum over to its father. The possum looked at her father and gurgled a little.

Ozzie: I love her. And I'll always love her for as long as I live.

Juliet: We still have to name her.

Ozzie: Oh, oh, of course! Okay, I've been thinking about it for a while how about, Willa? You know like William Shakespheare only a girl... (Juliet gave him a 'not really' look.) Never mind. I know that's dumb. Okay, how about, Annie! Like little orphan Annie only of course she wouldn't be an orphan, we'd take care of her of course just... never mind that either. Wait, I've got a good one. How about Anastassia.

Juliet: Uhh- well it's pretty but I'm not quite sure that it really, you know, fits her.

Ozzie: Right, right. Too formal. Anastasia? No. Grizabella?

Juliet: Isn't that the name of a cat?

Ozzie: Well, yes, but... uh- Belle? It's French for beauty. No! How about, Glinda? Elphaba? MacBeth?

Juliet: That's a boy's name, Sweetie.

Ozzie: *shakes pointer finger forward and backward (not side to side) and winks* Lady MacBeth.

Juliet made a crooked smile trying not to hurt his feelings.

Ozzie: Okay! How about...

Juliet ignored her husband's babbling on names and thought up her own. The little possum looked up at her with her bright blue eyes. Juliet looked deep into the sparkly eyes and new in an instant.

Ozzie: We could always do Claira or Odette from those ballets.

Juliet: You know, I was thinking about Heather.

Ozzie: Heather? What play is that from?

Juliet: It doesn't have to be from a play. Although I love the stories and plays that your ancestors have passed down to you, even though I have no idea what they were from, not everything has to be thespian related. You may teach her some of your talents though.

Ozzie: And you can teach her some of your singing talents.

Juliet nodded.

Ozzie thought about the name again and kneeled down to where his new daughter, Heather was.

Ozzie: Heather? Heather. Heather.

He held her again and looked at her closely.

Ozzie: Heather. What a beautiful name. She's very lucky to have a mother like you. That's better than anything I would've ever come up with.

Juliet smiled. Happy for her husband, happy for her new daughter and just happy for her new family.