These are not my characters and make no profit from their use.
Joyful News
Prologue
After three weeks of babysitting the four children while their son and daughter-in-law were on honeymoon in Hawaii, the Everett grandparents were ready to hand over the reins of control to the Everett parents. They had cared for the children a few days at a time and given Phoebe help prior to Christmas, but three weeks of active parenting had stretched their resources.
The time spent with the kids was wonderful, but they discovered that being in charge of them for an extended period of time was much harder than having fun with them and then giving them back to their parents to deal with the difficult issues. They agreed that it was good that they had gotten to know the kids so well, but after raising three boys of their own years ago, they had forgotten how challenging children can be. Their grandchildren were no different.
Hal, the oldest, was in some ways the easiest. At thirteen, he was most certainly the most self-sufficient. However, as the oldest, he took his place in the birth order a little too seriously. Problems arose when his younger siblings did not give him the respect he thought that he deserved. He was also an excellent student, particularly in maths and sciences. He allowed his academic capabilities to define him and had no small amount of hubris where they were concerned. His Uncle Bob could have told him that one of the primary purposes of younger siblings was to keep you humble.
Butch, the middle child, was actually beginning to come into his own as the family athlete. This caused friction with Hal because Butch was redefining the family perception of "superstar." Butch and Rob had taken to one another very well and this had been good for Butch. However, it meant that when issues came up at school, Rob was now the "go to" guy when school incidents occurred. He began to feel like he did back in the days when they were raising Ben and he was on a first name basis with the school principal.
Prudence was a very cute little girl, but unfortunately always into everyone else's business. It was her own challenge to keep up with her and make sure that she didn't completely alienate her older siblings with her spying and tattling. She was even worse when Hal and Phoebe were away because she was used to being very possessive of her Mommy's time. Catherine didn't have the time and energy to keep up with her and run the house. It was one of the many things that made her wonder how Phoebe managed it all by herself.
In addition to her three grandchildren, Phoebe's younger sister was also living there. On the one hand, she did not demand much attention. She spent her hours reading or over at her best friend's house next-door. The potential issue with her was that a custody battle was brewing with her family in England. Phoebe had signed over all of her rights as guardian to Catherine and Rob. The American courts had placed her in their care. They intended to keep it that way.
Neither Phoebe nor Trelawney knew that the family had already raised a legal challenge in the British courts, who had upheld the American court's custody decision. She suspected that the family was now weighing their options and hoping that the girl, who was very impulsive, would give them an excuse to launch further legal action.
The child was aware of her custody issues, but the stress of the situation was taking its toll. Because she had lost her parents less than a year ago, she was troubled to begin with. However, both Catherine and Rob had taken her into their heart. After a long talk with her, they had discovered that she was amenable to any decisions they made to secure her custody, including leaving her sister's home to move in with them.
However, Catherine was looking forward to seeing Phoebe again for another reason. Challenging as the children might be, she was hoping to find out that next summer they would be blessed with another grandchild. There had been signs before they left, but it was one of those things that could only be known in time.
Suspicions
Catherine and Rob greeted their son and daughter-in-law at LAX upon their return from their honeymoon in Hawaii.
"Phoebe's not feeling too well, I'm afraid," said Hal. "She was airsick for pretty much the whole flight back."
Catherine looked at her with concern. She looked washed out and tired, very much unlike herself.
"Would you like us to stay at the house a couple of extra days, just until you're back on your feet?" she asked anxiously. "Managing the four children with Hal just beginning the semester is a challenge even when you're in the best of health."
"No," said Phoebe. "I'll be fine. Now that my feet are back on solid ground I am sure that I will recover quickly."
Catherine looked at her son and could see that he had a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Suddenly she had the feeling that her son was much more aware of what was going on with Phoebe's health than the woman herself.
Once they got home and Phoebe was settled in her bed for a rest, Hal invited them into the living room for a chat.
"I think it's happened," he said. "Poor Phoebe seems to have no idea of all the uncomfortable symptoms, but I am pretty sure that little Margaret will be making her appearance in August."
"Don't tell me that you've been playing with your calculator again, son," said his father shaking his head.
"Dad, Phoebe refused to think of the idea, but I could see that she was getting so worried about it that I decided to give her a little help," he answered. "All I did was make sure that she had a little extra TLC during what we might call the 'prime time.' Nothing was likely to happen if she continued to worry about it so I created space for no worry. Besides, you were a very useful ally at the time, even though you didn't know it."
"Do you mean that you manipulated me into taking the kids that weekend and then insisting that you give her the attention she deserved?" he asked in frustration.
"It was a very useful decoy," answered Hal with an impish grin. "I wanted to keep my motives a secret from her and you were very helpful."
"Rob," said Catherine. "I know how much Phoebe wants a child and how worried she's been. If Hal's little scheme worked, then just think of how happy she will be."
"And how happy you'll be," replied her husband, with a smile. "Okay, and how happy I'll be. I agree. This is all for the best, but just make sure that you don't get her hopes up."
"Dad, her hopes should have been up for at least the past four weeks, but she seems to have been too busy to notice," replied Hal. "In a couple of days when she hasn't recovered from this 'airsickness,' I'll take her to the doctor for the official confirmation."
"And then you'll call us first thing," said Catherine.
"Absolutely" he assured her. "In fact, we'll tell you before we tell the kids."
Catherine and Rob looked at each other when he said the word "kids." Hal was getting more perceptive.
"Which one is it?" he asked.
"We might as well tell you now," said Rob. "Then we can all figure out when to tell Phoebe. It's Trelawney. Right before she left, Emmeline had a talk with me. She wants us to take Trelawney into full, physical custody. We had a conversation with Pastor Jason and he agrees that it's better for both of them."
Hal looked into space. He had been afraid of this. Of course the alternative might be a custody challenge by the family and the forced return of the girl to England. After all, she was a British citizen. However, if both Pastor Jason and Emmeline were recommending it, he would have a hard time arguing against it.
"Before we discuss Phoebe, how does Trelawney feel about this?" he asked.
"We have talked to her," said Rob. "And she has agreed. She said that she must stay near the good queen and follow the counsel of the wise gentleman."
"I asked her if living down the street from her was near enough," said Catherine. "She told me that if the wise gentleman feels that she needs to move to our house she accepts his judgment."
"Phoebe is not going to take it so well," responded Hal. "And feeling as ill as she does right now, it might not be the right time to tell her."
"Son," said Rob. "I am going to let you make the final decision, but I think that the quicker we do it, the easier it will be. Trelawney does not have that many possessions. It will be easy enough to move her in. It would also set my mind at rest"
"I think that when she has time to think about it, Phoebe will see it is for the best," said Catherine. "But we haven't even asked. How was your honeymoon?"
Hal smiled. "It was perfect. We spent most of our time at the bungalow. Phoebe didn't have the energy to do a lot of sightseeing and I didn't care. All I wanted was to be with her."
"Good," said Catherine. "That was what you both needed."
"Especially Phoebe," said Hal. "I know that she wants more time with me and, quite frankly, I want more time with her. Somehow I will figure out how to get it. Now that I'm home and we've been talking about Trelawney, I feel that I need to stay close to her. There is nothing more stressful in her life right now than that child."
"Well," said Rob. "One of the reasons that Trelawney is so amenable to moving is that she wants to keep her lovely lady safe. She is very fragile right now. We took her to a doctor and he has given us advice on helping to build her back up physically. He wanted to send her to a psychiatrist but we talked him out of it for now."
"You cannot take her to a shrink," said Hal seriously. "If you do that the family will use it as pretext to get her back. And they will. They will say that living with us has caused her to have psychological problems. And there is no way that we are going to raise the issue of the real cause of her psychological troubles in court. I don't even want to think of the stress that that would cause for Phoebe."
"We will keep her safe," said Catherine. "She has been told in no uncertain terms to go nowhere and with no one other than the good queen. I will care for her as if she were my own."
"I know you will, Mother," said Hal. "I also know that when Phoebe realizes that she is pregnant, her focus will be on her own child. I want there to be no reason for her to feel guilty that she shifted her focus from her sister."
"As it should be, son," said Rob. "As it should be."
For about the thousandth time since he had gotten the news, Hal was grateful that his parents were living so close. And truth be told, he was happy that Trelawney would be moving out of the house. Having her around was very stressful for Phoebe.
Besides, he still planned that the room she was presently sleeping in would be the baby's room. At this point, his feelings about the girl were mixed, but he couldn't argue that she didn't put her sister's needs first. For all she was a difficult child, at least she wasn't selfish.
Confirmation
When the alarm went off at 6:30 am, Phoebe reached over with a groan and shut it off. It wasn't just the thought of leaving her husband's arms in their warm bed, she was TIRED and had been very tired for the last few mornings. The jet lag from their flight back from Hawaii had certainly caught up with her. It was unusual, since she normally was never bothered by jet lag.
She quickly dressed and got ready to begin her day. Before she left the bedroom, she went over to wake Hal. As always, he looked up at her and asked, "Where's my kiss?"
She never disappointed him, leaning over so that he could grasp her tightly and fully lock her lips in place. She ended it quickly though. There had been a couple of mornings when they had become so lost in each other, that they had gotten up late and had to run around to get everyone out of the house on time. She was in no mood to hurry around this morning. Hal must have sensed this because he didn't protest when she pulled away. Instead, he leaned back and looked at her curiously.
When he entered the kitchen later, he could see that she was still dragging. The kids were so busy that they didn't notice. When the last one was out the door, she sank into her chair at the table and rested her head on her arms.
"I'm going to call in sick today and take you to the doctor," he said.
"Hal, you don't need to do that," she said. "I don't need to go to the doctor, and even if I did, I could drive myself."
But now it was Hal's turn to have the cryptic smile, "Sorry Phoebe, but I say that you are going to the doctor and I want to go with you."
"Well, I'm too tired to argue about it. You take care of the arrangements," she said.
Seeing her fatigue was clouding her perceptions, he was inwardly pleased. He was looking forward to seeing her reaction when she got the news.
Two hours later she was sitting on the exam table in the doctor's office.
"I'm what?" she looked stunned.
"Mrs. Everett, by my best estimate, sometime near the middle of August you are going to have a baby!" he said
Hal watched her face as the words sunk in. Slowly the shock turned to realization and then joy. She looked at him in bewilderment and he came over to the exam table.
"I will, ahem, leave you two alone to share the moment," said the doctor."
"This is your first child, Mrs. Everett," he said gently. "This is one of those times in your life to cherish. Congratulations."
Phoebe barely noticed him leave. She looked up at Hal, who was standing beside with a look of amusement and wonder on his face.
"You knew!" she said.
"I suspected," he replied. "But I decided that I wanted to be with you when you heard the news. The doctor is right, Phoebe. This day is special. Today you found out that you have been sharing your body with another human being for the last nine weeks. In another thirty-one weeks, that little person will make his or her appearance the world. It's the miracle of life, our little miracle."
She saw the tears in his eyes and realized that her own were wet. She had waited for this day for months and suddenly it was here. He leaned in to kiss her and she grasped him tightly. His response was tender, but she wanted more. She sought his mouth more deeply and he gave in. When they were done, he held her.
"Thank you," she said looking up at him.
"Thank you," he answered softly.
In a moment, the doctor returned to the room with a nurse. "Okay, you two, enough of that. There's plenty of time for that when you get home. Now lie back Mrs. Everett, there are a few things I need to check out."
The nurse smiled and helped her back. Hal kept hold of her hand and faced towards her so that he could give her support. As the doctor prodded, she squirmed with discomfort.
"Squeeze my hand," he whispered softly. "It will make you feel better."
She nodded, now a little fearful of the uncomfortable sensations in her lower body. She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand tightly. She felt his other hand softly caressing her brow and looked up into his blue eyes. As always, his quiet strength soothed her. She knew that he would always be there for her, for them.
Announcement
The first call was made to Rob and Catherine, requesting their presence at once. The minute Phoebe opened the door Catherine could see the radiant glow in her aura and joy in her eyes. She was going to be a mother, carrying the child that they had all been praying for. Catherine was glad that her son had played with his calculator. The joy in Phoebe's face was incalculable. She couldn't wait to get her daughter-in-law in her arms for a hug.
Hal came up from behind her and said, "Don't I get a hug too? You know she couldn't have done it without me!"
Rob laughed. "Son, I think that somehow our part gets overlooked as soon as they get the word."
"No it doesn't, son," said Mother. She stepped aside so that she could give her son a big hug and Rob could give Phoebe her hug and kiss.
After they sat down, Catherine asked, "So when is the blessed event to happen?"
"The doctor says around the middle of August," replied Phoebe. "So I guess that we won't be able to call her a honeymoon baby."
"No," said Hal. "I think that it's pretty obvious that she came along on the second honeymoon anyway. At least she had the courtesy to wait until we got home before she really made her presence known. She's a very thoughtful child I must say!"
Catherine was amused. "You two both seem pretty sure that this baby is a she."
"I suppose that we really can't know until she's born," commented Hal. "But I much prefer saying 'she' to saying 'it' like so many people do."
"That's interesting, son," said Rob. "Most men would say 'he.'"
"And most men haven't been harassed by their daughter for the last few years for a baby sister," he replied cheerfully.
"It is interesting that you have a girl's name picked out," said Rob. "But not a boy's."
"Well, the name Margaret has a great deal of special meaning for both Phoebe and me," explained Catherine.
"Yes, it does," agreed Phoebe. "I like the sound of Margaret Mary, it's very musical isn't it? She could be our little Maisie."
"I like the sound of that!" said Hal. "It's a bit of an old-fashioned name, but then you are an old-fashioned girl!"
Catherine was very still. Trelawney had referred to Phoebe's baby as Maisie months ago, when she had told Prudence that the good queen was there to care for her and her sister. She had named the sister as Maisie. Pastor Jason knew of Maisie as well, but he had told her never to speak of it. She did not know why, but she thought that this was still a good idea.
"Well, why don't you keep all of your name ideas a secret?" she suggested. "Who knows how Prudence would get something like that tangled up? And she certainly does get things tangled up!"
"Yes, she does," agreed Rob. "Sometimes when you talk to her, you begin to wonder if you really aren't the one who is crazy."
"That is quite true," said Hal. "And there's no reason to announce any names until we fill out the birth certificate anyway."
Phoebe shrugged in agreement. Catherine noticed that she was touching her stomach in wonder, still not believing that what she had heard earlier that day was true. She suspected that when she had her own private conversations with her child, as pregnant women always do, that she would address the child as Maisie.
Yet the prescience of the Trelawney was still astounding. Guessing at the name Margaret made complete sense, Phoebe would of course want to name her first daughter after her mother. But Maisie was a most unusual nickname for Margaret. That could not possibly have been a guess.
Big News
That night at dinner, Hal quieted the family down and said, "Mom and I have news for you."
The children looked expectantly. They all knew that this could only mean one thing. Trelawney was broadly smiling. Phoebe was simply radiant.
"Next summer, you are going to have a baby sister or brother join the family," he said proudly.
Trelawney jumped up and threw her arms around her sister, "Oh, Phoebe, I'm so happy for you. I know how you've longed for a baby of your own!"
"I hope it's a girl!" said Prudence. "When will we know?"
"When it's born, dummy," said Butch. "And I hope it's a boy. The last thing I need around here is another sister."
"I don't care," said Hal who then added with a smile, "I have a feeling there'll be more after this one."
Trelawney grinned at the implication. But before she could say anything, her sister whispered to her, "Please don't."
"Well, I think that we all need to realize that a few things will have to change around here," said Hal. "Mom's not going to be able to do everything that she usually does. She's going to need more rest and spend less time on her feet."
"Don't worry, Dad," said Hal. "We'll all pitch in."
"I know that, but please do me a favor and resist the temptation to invent any more labor saving devices," said Phoebe. "Invariably they just create more work for me."
Hal's face fell as the other three children laughed. "And more of a mess for the rest of us to clean up," added Butch.
"We'll be very organized about this," said Trelawney seriously. "We'll make a new schedule. Hal can make some more placards for the board. Starting tonight we'll all have our own jobs for cleaning up the kitchen and putting things in order. Tomorrow morning we'll make our breakfasts and lunches and begin the housework. Phoebe, I guessed this a bit ago. You have been looking rather green in the mornings."
"Thanks for the compliment," remarked her sister. "But you don't need to rush into anything. We've still got a bit less than seven months to go."
Trelawney gave her an odd look. "I would prefer to organize this now."
"Sounds good to me," said Hal. "I'll take the first clean up shift. Boys, why don't we get started."
"You must be excited about this baby, Professor," commented Trelawney.
"What makes you say that?"
"You hate doing the dishes," she replied with a smile.
"But I love my beautiful wife," he said and tenderly kissed her.
"Come on, Dad, let's get to work before I lose my dinner," said Butch, who hated these parental displays of affection.
Prudence had been quiet this whole time.
"Come on, Pru," said Trelawney. "Let's go upstairs and get our homework done."
Obediently the little girl stood up. Reaching up, she gave Phoebe a kiss and gave her stomach a kiss.
"Little baby," she said softly. "I don't care if you're a brother or a sister. I will love you just the same."
There were tears in Phoebe's eyes and oddly in Trelawney's as well. Putting her arm around Prudence she led her upstairs.
"What's up with Trelawney?" Butch asked Hal.
"I dunno, she's never been so eager to do housework," said his brother.
"Well, I'm eager to get this work done," interrupted their father. "I have other work to do for school and so do you."
"This is silly," said Phoebe, getting up from the table. "There's no reason why I can't do this and I have no schoolwork to do for tomorrow."
"No!" the three men said together firmly.
"You better get used to this, Mom," said Butch. "We're going to make sure that you get lots of rest. Dad, do we have pickles in the house?"
"What for?"
"I don't know," said Butch. "Everybody always says that pregnant ladies want pickles."
"Well not this pregnant lady," answered Phoebe. "If you really want to see me turn green, then just pull out a jar of pickles."
Her husband walked over and put his arms around her.
"Phoebe, my love, if it will get you out of the kitchen and relaxing in the living room, then I'll be the one who pulls out the jar."
For a moment she let herself rest in his arms. She hated to admit it, but she had been feeling more tired. She could feel his hand gently stroking her hair. It was very soothing and it had been an exciting day. The official confirmation that she was indeed carrying his child, the child she had been dreaming of for almost a year had made it happiest day since her wedding day.
She knew that the family would be somewhat mollified back in England, especially since the due date was over ten months since the wedding. Maybe now that it was obvious that they had married for love and not necessity, Aunt Henrietta would finally leave.
She allowed Hal to walk her to the living room and settle her with a book. But before she knew it, she was asleep.
Rest
After finishing up in the kitchen, Hal walked out to the living room and chuckled. There she was curled up on the couch, sound asleep. He remembered this scene from the last three times. His son Hal stopped on his way up to his room and looked.
"Just like Mom," he said softly.
"Do you remember?"
"With Prudence. I used to come down to say good night, and there she would be," he answered.
"Son, why don't we keep that between us?" asked his father.
Hal nodded. He remembered his Mom better than Butch or Prudence. His stepmother, also his Mom, was great too, but in a different way. It was hard not to make comparisons with his Mom, but he knew that she wanted to be special. She was, and he didn't want to say or do anything that would make her feel less so.
No sooner had Hal settled in to start his paperwork than Trelawney walked in and stood before him with her hands neatly folded in front of her. It was the posture that she assumed whenever she was being serious.
"Professor, might I have a word with you?"
"Have you finished your homework?"
"Yes, sir. Please, it's important," she said a bit anxiously. He looked at her. Normally with all the work he had to do he would have chased her off, but between the anxious look on her face and the fact that she was being so respectful, he knew that she was very worried.
"I'm not only respectful when I'm worried," she said.
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Only when I want something, I guess," she admitted. "But it's about Phoebe."
"What's the matter?" he was now concerned, wondering if the girl was aware of something that he wasn't. As deeply sensitive as she was to her sister's moods and feelings, it was entirely possible that she was sensing something that he needed to know.
"Please make sure that she gets enough rest," she said. "You know how she tries to do everything."
"Yes, I do, honey," he replied."And it is very good of you to want to help get organized."
"I don't have much time," she said quietly. "I must place myself in the care of the good queen."
"Have you said anything to Phoebe?" he asked sharply.
"No, sir, please," she begged. "The gallant knight must listen to the wise gentleman."
"The gallant knight will act when he thinks that the time is right to tell the lovely lady," he said firmly, but with a hint of annoyance. "No sooner."
"Professor?" she said somewhat hesitantly.
"Yes, little one?" he asked relenting a bit
"Please act soon" she replied, with sadness in her eyes.
"Is it so important?" he asked.
"It is vital," she answered seriously, and slowly walked away. She did not want to leave but knew that she had to for her sister's sake.
Hal looked after her. His father had been on his back again to tell Phoebe so that they could move her down to his house. Mother already had the room prepared and waiting. Now the girl herself was telling him to act. But Phoebe was so happy right now that he didn't want to spoil it.
He returned to his work and was so focused that he didn't realize how much time had passed until Phoebe was standing by his side. She kissed him on the cheek. Purely out of habit, he grasped her and pulled her onto his lap and began to respond with his usual passion. She in turn responded with equal enthusiasm and then said,
"Sorry I fell asleep."
"I told you that you needed rest. Now maybe you'll listen to me," he said. He lay his hand gently on her belly, where he knew the baby was. "It takes more energy than you realize to carry this child. Wait until she really starts to grow."
Phoebe thought for a moment and then, "Will you still find me . . . desirable, then?"
He smiled. "I will always find you desirable."
"Are you almost finished?" she asked playfully.
"Almost, why don't you go upstairs and I'll join you in a bit," he said and gave her another kiss.
After checking on the children, she walked back her room. She placed her hand on her stomach, which was still flat. She wondered when it would begin to expand. She had always maintained a trim figure, but she was now looking forward to the day when her condition became noticeable. Then she undressed and stood before the mirror. She looked at herself, but still couldn't see any difference. Then she jumped a little, startled as Hal walked in to come to bed.
He looked at her with open admiration. Walking over, he pulled out the clip that drew her hair back from her face so that it fell loosely around her shoulders.
"Now you're perfect," he said. Picking her up, he carried her over to the bed and after tucking her in, went to the bathroom to get himself ready. Within minutes he had returned to her and lay down beside her. She pulled him on top of her and started to passionately kiss him. Before he let go of himself he asked,
"Are you sure?"
She smiled knowingly, "I won't break. Do you think that I could possibly go for all these months without you?"
"As long as it won't hurt you, or the baby," he said tenderly.
"We'll be fine," she said. "Now enough talking."
She drew him down to her once again. Hal sensed the hunger in her. He was amazed that her appetite could be so strong, considering her condition. But his own appetite was just as strong, made more so by her desire. He intended to satisfy both their appetites. When they were done, he took her in his arms and they fell asleep as always.
He had known for weeks that he was holding his wife and child throughout the night. The confirmation had been just that, a confirmation. His last thought before he drifted off was Trelawney's anxiety. The child was perhaps being too fanciful again, but it would be just like Phoebe to try and do everything. Now that he was aware, he was determined to watch Phoebe carefully and keep them both safe.
Epilogue
Hal returned home after one of the best days that he had had at work in a long time. He spent most of the day getting back slaps and handshakes from his male colleagues and hugs and kisses from some of the females. Some of those who had chosen dates in July for the baby pool threw in the towel, but others thought that a preemie was possible.
The only truly disappointed were those with dates in September. No one for no amount of money would wish a tenth pregnancy on any woman. Since Phoebe was now officially pregnant, Lynn and Alice shut the pool down. There was close to a thousand dollars in it. Some people had picked more than one date.
However, a betting pool of another kind had sprung up: boy or girl. Hal shook his head and wondered when the math department had been transformed into a gambling den. He couldn't remember such a fuss being made over any other pregnancy of a colleague or colleague's wife since he had been there. But he was much too happy to care. It was all harmless fun.
When he opened the door, he saw his mother waiting for him in the living room.
"Where's Phoebe?" he asked, anxiously.
"She's upstairs resting," answered Mother. "Trelawney called me up to ask me to help her cook dinner. She is in the kitchen now and the other children are doing their homework."
"Is she okay?"
"She'll be fine. I think that she had a little too much excitement today," explained Mother. "You know morning sickness is kind of a misnomer for early pregnancy nausea. She went to the nursing home to see her friends, then to see Pastor Jason. She had to drive Hal to his Junior Scientist meeting, Butch to basketball practice, and pick up Prudence from Brownies. Trelawney said that by the time she got home she looked very tired. She sent her to bed and called me."
Hal was thoughtful. He couldn't remember if Helen had had any of these problems. Of course Bernice was always around and the kids were much younger. There were no activities to drive around to. He looked at Mother.
"We're going to help with the driving again," she said. "She'll be passed this in a few weeks, but she really needs to take it easy now."
Hal tried to process the information that he was just given. All he really wanted to do was go upstairs and make sure that his wife was okay. His mother looked at him sympathetically.
"Son," she said gently. "She's going to be just fine. This is normal. Most women with three children aren't going through a first pregnancy. She's young and healthy. The kids are eager to help and Rob and I are here. She needs you for moral support more than anything else."
Hal sighed. "I'll be here."
"Good," said Mother. "One more thing. It's time for Trelawney to move. She knows that and she's ready. But the final decision is yours."
"Not yet," he replied. "Not while Phoebe isn't feeling well. This will upset her more."
"Hal . . ." she began.
"No," said Hal firmly and then went up stairs to see his wife. He found her in bed with her eyes closed, but she wasn't asleep. The minute she heard his footstep in the door, she sat up. Closing the door behind him, he went to the bed and took her in his arms.
"I've missed you," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Don't worry, darling," he whispered. "I'm here. Is there anything that I can do?"
"Hold me," she said.
He knew that that was all she really needed. He leaned back and she curled up beside him. He softly stroked her hair. Mother was right of course. She was a young, healthy woman. All she needed was a little extra pampering from him. It was great how the kids had pulled everything together. But he knew that the thing that she needed the most from him was his time and attention. He would make sure that she had it. He would not forget his promise. This time, there would be no regrets.
The End
Where should the story go from here? Suggestions appreciated.