Another Tomorrow
The Christmas After Bonnie's Death...
It was Christmas time in Atlanta. Mammy had just placed a delicious feast upon the table. Scarlett was seated at the head of the table, now that Rhett was no longer present in their home. Ella and Wade were seated on either side of their mother.
"Mama, I cannot wait to open the presents," said Ella happily.
"Yeah! When can we open our gifts?" Wade eagerly asked.
"I know you'd like to open your presents, but we have to eat our Christmas dinner first. Mammy has worked so hard," Scarlett said to her children.
At that moment, the dining room door flew open and a man stepped in, dressed up to look like Santa Claus. "Papa Rhett! You're back! It's really YOU!" cried out Ella as she jumped up from the table and rushed to hug her stepfather.
"Ahhh, Ella- dear, I can't fool you!" said Rhett as he threw off his fake white beard. He smiled as he took little Ella in his arms. Wade ran to him as well, hugging him tightly.
"We thought you'd NEVER come back!" stated Wade.
"I almost didn't," said Rhett as he was looking over at Scarlett, still seated at the table. "But I wanted to bring you and Ella your Christmas presents. I missed... you."
With every word, his eyes were still on Scarlett, his beautiful wife as he remembered the last words she had said to him and how she had pleaded with him not to leave her. Months had passed since that fateful, foggy day and he has missed Scarlett and the children deeply. Something had lead him back to Atlanta. He set Ella down along with the presents he was carrying in a red velvet sack.
"Hello, Scarlett,' he said to his wife. "You're looking as beautiful as ever."
"Thank you, Rhett," she said quietly as she regarded him under thick dark eyelashes. So, he had finally came home after leaving her and being gone for countless days?
"I had to come home. You refused to sign the divorce papers," he said, his voice suddenly gruff.
Looking at Mammy, Scarlett asked her to take the children into the parlor. "We'll resume the meal after I have a little chat with Captain Butler," Scarlett stated.
"Yes, Miss Scarlett," Mammy said as she was leading little Ella and Wade out of the dining room.
"Good to see you, Mammy," Rhett said. "Are you wearing your fine red petticoat?"
"Of course I am," said Mammy as she actually blushed. "I always wear it on special occasions."
"Today IS a special occasion. That is for sure," Rhett breathed as Mammy escorted Scarlett's son and daughter out of the dining room and into the parlor.
Finally, Rhett and Scarlett were alone, staring each other down. "Why did you come back, Rhett?" she asked. "Did you really miss us? Or have you come back to gloat?"
"I told you why I came back. You didn't sign the divorce papers."
"And I won't be signing them," she said softly.
"And why the hell not?" he demanded.
She stood up, revealing her bulging stomach. She was due to give birth any day! Rhett's mouth dropped open. For a minute, Scarlett feared he may faint.
"What in the -?"
"Rhett, we are having a baby," she told him. "You left so quickly; I didn't get to tell you."
Rhett was struggling to breathe. He reached for a decanter of whiskey and poured himself a glass. She watched as he drank it as though he were a man dying of thirst.
"Scarlett, I thought ..." he started, trying his best to form any sort of coherent speech. "After Melanie died, I thought...'
"You thought I'd be with Ashley?"
"Yes."
"I never really loved Ashley. It was just an obsession I had for years and years. I couldn't have him, so therefore I had to have him. It was YOU I really loved. Rhett, I loved you all along."
"I always loved you... but all the pining you did for Ashley; it got to be too much. Then when we lost Bonnie..."
Scarlett winced at the mention of Bonnie's name. "It is so sad she can't be here with us for Christmas. I miss her so much," Scarlett said sadly.
"I miss her, too. I took some roses to her grave before I came here."
"I've been looking all over Atlanta for you, Rhett Butler," Scarlett scolded. "I even sought out that lady of the night... What is her name? Belle Watling."
"Scarlett, you didn't!"
"Well, I had to do something. You were asking for a divorce," she said. "And here I am, in a delicate condition. I can't divorce you, Rhett! I just can't. What about the baby?"
Rhett took another swift drink of his whiskey and then took a few steps, approaching his wife. "No, we can't get divorced now," he said as he was gazing at wonder at her growing belly. "I can't believe this has happened. We are going to have another child... after losing Bonnie and then the other little one we lost; I never thought..."
"Ohhh Rhett, please don't speak of it," Scarlett said with tears shimmering in her eyes.
Seeing her eyes fill up with tears, Rhett drew her into his arms. "I am sorry I left you. Can you forgive me?" he asked.
"Yes, if you can forgive me for all the awful things that I said and did."
"I missed you, Scarlett... most of all. I missed you so much I ached inside."
"So did I," she admitted as a tear slid from her eye. "All I wanted was for you to come back... and you did. You came back to me, Rhett. I believed it... and I knew you would."
"How did you know?" he asked as he lightly cupped her face.
"Because there's always another tomorrow," she said as she gave him her lips in a tender kiss.
He deepened the kiss as he drew her close - as close as they could possibly get with her bulging stomach getting in the way. "When will the baby be here?" Rhett asked after he had ended the passionate kiss.
"Any time now. Maybe tomorrow," Scarlett told him with a little smile.
He laughed wholeheartedly as he imagined Scarlett going into labor at any second. "We better enjoy this Christmas dinner and open the presents then. We don't want to keep our child waiting," he said teasingly.
"Mammy!" Scarlett called out. "You can bring the children in now.'
The Next Christmas...
The stockings had been hung by the chimney with care - all five of them. There were sweet treats in Ella and Wade's stockings when they awakened on Christmas morning and hurried downstairs.
"Mama, Santa came!" Ella cried out as she saw all the toys under the tree.
Scarlett came downstairs, still in her nightdress. Rhett followed after her, carrying their sweet, little bundle of joy.
"What did Santa bring?" Rhett asked Ella and Wade.
"I got a dolly!" Ella exclaimed. "Look! I can pretend she cries and pees!"
"Ella!" Scarlett scolded. "You mustn't talk in that way. It's not ladylike."
"I am sorry, Mama, but the dolly really might pee her diaper," Ella stated.
Rhett just laughed as he loved his stepchildren dearly. Wade was chatting happily as he was exploring his gifts from Santa. Rhett sat down near the fireplace, holding the baby.
"This is for baby Katy,' Ella said as she brought over a special wrapped present that said "From Santa, To Katy Scarlett."
Rhett and Scarlett looked at each other, because they were wondering who had left the mysterious gift under the tree. "Open it, Papa Rhett," Ella encouraged.
While holding his dark-haired infant daughter in one arm, Rhett carefully unwrapped the gift with the other. As Scarlett helped him uncover the box, they were shocked to see what was nestled inside.
"Ohhh Rhett!" Scarlett gasped.
It was an Christmas ornament with four tiny portraits inside - one for Ella, one for Wade, one for Katy, and one for Bonnie, the little daughter who was so loved and missed. Rhett wiped a tear from his eye as Scarlett hung the ornament on the tree.
"It's beautiful!" Ella said in amazement. "Bonnie's smiling in Heaven, looking down on all of us!"
"Rhett, did you...?" Scarlett whispered to her husband, wondering if he had anything to do with the package marked to Katy from Santa.
Rhett shook his head.
Standing in the doorway, Mammy smiled happily, seeing that her darling Scarlett was so joyous with her family. When Scarlett had lamented over the loss of Bonnie and the death of their beloved Melanie, she never gave up hope. Even when Rhett left her, Scarlett had declared, "There's always tomorrow." And now, all of those tomorrows had came and went. Captain Butler had returned to his wife's side, just as it should be.
No one would ever know that it was Mammy who had placed that special gift under the tree, but to Ella and Wade, it was the magic of Santa. "Santa must be with Bonnie in Heaven!" Wade cried out.
Scarlett thought of her two little children in Heaven, Bonnie Blue and the little boy she and Rhett had lost when she had fallen down the staircase. She knew her precious little ones were safe in Heaven with her dear father and mother and someday in the future she would join them all again. Until that day, she'd enjoy her time with Ella, Wade, Rhett, and their new baby girl.
Katy was reaching out for her mother, wanting to be held. Scarlett lovingly took Katy in her arms and kissed her sweet, little cheeks. "Merry Christmas, baby girl."