Disclaimer: I don't own Tale of Two Cities
`Therese's point of view
Earnest and I do love one another however we did not marry for love. We hardly knew each other when we got married. It was a marriage of friendship and convince. I cannot say when I first knew that I loved him. I cannot say that he first knew when he loved me. What I can say is we did learn that we loved one another. Our marriage is far from perfect and there are obstacles in the way. We lost our daughter 5 years ago and we buried our son 3 months ago. Those were the two most horrific tragedies we could ever face. `Lynnette and EJ both died at that hands of the disgusting swine called St. `Evermond. EJ was born shortly after his sister's death so I experienced being the one that blends into the crowd and the one that stands out.
Today was bitter cold but my doctor said I must walk for ½ an hour each day.
"I am going out for my walk Ernest," I told him.
He took my hand and brought it tenderly to his lips.
"Be careful my wife," he told me
…
She was tiny. She could not have been any older than 2 maybe 3 days old at most. She was left out in the snow to freeze; a beautiful child. Her crying tore at my heart. I picked her up and spoke tenderly to her.
"Hush now my little one," I said softly, "You are safe now"
I wrapped her in my jacket to keep her warm and ran back to the wine shop.
"What is this," Ernest asked an eyebrow raised I could not tell if it was in anger or amusement.
"I found her shivering in the park," I said in a soft whisper, "It looked as though she had been abandoned."
"My wife we can barely feed ourselves," he pointed out not sternly but with concern, "How can we afford to keep this babe?"
"We afforded two before her," I replied, "We can afford her as well. She could die if she is not cared for. My husband please!"
He held out his arms asking for the baby. I held protectively to her unsure if this was a refusal or an acceptance.
`Therese I am not about to let any harm come to her," Ernest said, "But if she is to be my child I think I have the right to hold her… to bond with her don't you agree"
Ernest's point of view
I didn't think I would feel anything for this baby. She was not my flesh and blood after all. I did not contribute to her birth and I was not there for it as I was when `Lynnette and EJ was born. I held my arms out for the baby trying to decide if I should toss her out or if I should bend to `Therese's desires. Her protective hold on the baby told me what I had to do. She needed this baby. Perhaps we needed this baby. The ox-like determination was something I knew I would have to deal with but now was not the time for that. I vowed I would not allow any harm to come to her and would agree to keep her. `Therese handed the infant over to me. When she looked up at me with a smile I melted.
This baby was ours. That smile sealed it. I loved her. I didn't want to love her. I have lost both of my children; why add a 3rd to lose? It didn't matter what I wanted at this moment. I did love her. That spoke for itself.
"We can keep her," I told `Therese, "We have some things from when the children were babies that will do for now and we will get what we need. It will be a tight squeeze but we can handle it my wife. This said we are going to have discussion later about your ox-like determination."
"Ernest," she said, "That would frighten the baby. She has been left in the shivering cold. Any loud noise or such will disturb her and the walls are terribly thin."
I had to admit she had a point there. Mentally I went through a list of possible reprimands for springing this on me without warning and refusing to accept my decision but none of them seemed feasible as much of them were unsafe and the others would disturb or otherwise do ill will for the child.
`Therese's point of view
Ernest agreed that we could keep her but said I had to be chastised for my stubbornness and for springing it on him with no warning. Upon my pointing out the impracticality of it he let it go.
`Therese," he cautioned, "I am only allowing you to get away with this for the sake of the baby"
"I know Ernest," I said, "and I am grateful"
"I take it she didn't come with a name," he said.
"No of course she didn't," I said.
"I figured as much," he told me, "Well then I-"
"I like the name Crystial," I told Ernest.
"Crystial," he repeated not chiding me for interrupting.
"It was my sister's given name," I explained.
A smile came across his face.
"Then her name shall by Crystial-Lynn"
"Please tell me Lynn will be her middle name," I said.
"Yes my wife," Ernest told me with a smile, "It shall"