Isobel took the baby over to a corner of the room, after Richard cut the cord, to give the distraught mother some distance, so she could access the situation "Come on precious boy breath for Aunty Izzy" Isobel coaxed rubbing his chest and patting his back. "Oh, there we go" Isobel cried tears of relief as the baby gave a piercing hungry cry. Isobel walked back over toward the distraught parents "look Elsie he's ok see your baby boy is ok" Isobel smiled handing the baby over towards his mother who reached her arms out for her son
"Oh my precious boy you scared mommy so much oh my baby boy" Elsie couldn't stop crying kissing her son over and over again the fear of almost losing him was too great for the emotional mother
"ok petal I know you don't want to put him down but can you hand him over to Charles so we can deliver the afterbirth and get you cleaned up, so you can hold your babies" Richard asked as he took the bucket Isobel had brought in to place the after birth in. "ok little pushes Els you know the drill" Richard encouraged "alrighty that's one now one more to go" Richard instructed "ok all done now I have to stitch you up alright lassie squeeze Charles' hand love alright" Richard directed before he started to stich her back up "Alright and the nasty business is all done lassie you did so well" Richard said reaching his hand out to help her back in the bed with the help of Charles
"Now who wants which baby" Isobel cheered having taken the baby from Charles to clean them up
"I want both of my babies, but I guess Charlie can hold his little princess" Elsie giggled tiredly reaching her hands out for her baby boy who had fallen asleep. Kissing his forehead gently a single tear slipping from her eyes.
Charles was perched next to Elsie on the bed Baby girl Carson in his hands ever the gentle soul Charles kissed his daughter's forehead lovingly she opened her unfocused eyes and looked at her father "well hello little one" Charles said looking lovingly down at her
"oh my big bear of a man" chuckled looking over at her daughter and husband. Turning slightly to wipe his cheeks and steal a kiss from him "Richie please come here" Elsie said sticking her hand out for him to take
Looking to his wife for support Richard stood still not sure what he should do "Go love" Isobel soothed placing her hand lovingly on his back
Walking slowly over to Elsie he reached out to take her outstretched hand. Both choking back tears Elsie looked at him and said "I know you miss Bennie Richard but him Lorelei and Fergus are all looking down on us and protecting us and I know they sent these twodown here for us to be a family or as close as we once where" Elsie said squeezing his hand tightly "now please Richie hold your niece or your nephew just please hold one of them" Elsie begged looking him in the eyes
"go on love hold him" Isobel nudged gently placing her hand on her husband's shoulder placing her chin on top of her hand kissing his neck in a loving manner
Reaching out to take his niece from her father "hello you aren't you just precious little one you know you remind me of your big sister a spitting image of your mother" Richard choked when the baby started to fuss Richard started to gently rock her "Ssshhh my darling petal uncle Richie has you you're safe love" Richard soothed
"I think they might be hungry" Elsie reaching out for her daughter as Charles helped her to get their son situated at her breast before helping her daughter to latch on to her other breast her fresh night gown having a tie at the front Isobel claiming it was one of the one she had from when Mathew was a baby. Clarkson's leaving to give the new family some privacy deciding tea would be a welcomed idea.
Once down in the kitchen Richard finally broke the weight of everything going on at the moment finally hit him.
"Oh, Richard love it's alright" Isobel soothed taking him into her arms
Calming down enough to talk Richard rasped "I'm so happy for Elsie she is like the little sister I never had we grew up together and she deserves happiness but I don't know how I can get passed the feeling of thinking it should be my niece's child I'm holding but I'm not because my brother and my niece where both taken from me before their time"
"oh, Richard I know it hurts to think these things, but Elsie needs you. She needs her big brother" Isobel replied
"aye" Richard replied
While this revelation was going on in the kitchen another revelation was going on up in the bedroom in which the new father and mother along with their much loved and wanted babies resided.
"Charles you must know I didn't tell you the complete truth about my first marriage because it is too painful of a past for me to bare so you see I would rather not bring it up, but you deserve to know. You see my first marriage was an arranged marriage my father arranged it wanting me to have a vast amount of land to take care of so that way I would have money to care for my sister. My son Fergus he was born the wrong way around like our little boy here except her never breathed he was a stillborn, the cord was wrapped around his neck. About a year later my little girl Lorelai was born she was a princess from the day she was born she had her dad wrapped around her finger from the minute she was born just like our little girl and you but she died four months after her birth I had to run to the market for some things for support really quick and Bennie was asleep on the settee with her on his chest when I left and the house caught fire while I was gone. And when I got back, and the house was burnt to the ground I ran from Scotland as fast as I could I ran from the past and the pain and never said anything until Richard my brother-in-law found me here, then I married you and these two miracles came along and now you know. I get it if you want nothing to do with me, but please at least have something to do with your children." Elsie was silently crying looking down at her children as they nursed she was so distraught at the idea that her husband wanted nothing to do with her.
"Elsie love I could never want nothing to do with you. And I'm not mad I know how hard it can be to bring up past tragedies that hurt as much as I could only imagine it would" Charles replied kissing her forehead "I love you too much for that"
"I love you too Charlie always" Elsie sighed nuzzling into the crook of his neck
"Always" he replied brushing his hand over his daughter's head kissing his son's head which was still nuzzled against his wife's breast
"now I believe these two need names" Elsie chuckled looking down at her babies before moving to burp her baby girl showing her husband how to burp their son properly "now I want to give them good strong Scottish names" Elsie replied
Elsie and Charles had decided upon names for both of their children Elsie winning out on the Scottish names allowing Charles to have an English name for each the perfect mix of the two. While Charles and Richard where down in the den having a drink to celebrate the new arrivals
"you know I had the oddest thing happen while I was on the train here" Charles said looking at Richard deciding that if Richard was going to be in his and Elsie's life from now on he mine as well get to know the man.
"aye and what was that" Richard replied
"I met a lad names Edward Clarkson he said he was coming to see his uncle that apparently he hasn't met before, but he heard that he had recently gotten married" Charles answered
"aye that is odd my sister doesn't have any sons named Edward he's probably just someone who happens to share my name" Richard replied
"most likely but I figured I would warn you just in case he comes around" Charles replied
While this conversation was happening down stair with in the den Isobel and Elsie where upstairs cuddling with the babies Isobel with baby girl Carson and Elsie with her little boy who she was keen on parting with due to almost losing him.
"now that you know about my past and my relation to Richard I want to ask you and Richard a question" Elsie said not taking her eyes off her son
"well I'll go call for our husbands then "Isobel replied
Coming back into the room with Richard and Charles both.
"what was it you wanted to ask us Petal" Richard asked walking towards the bed with Isobel
"well Charles and I decided that we would love for you two to be our babies god parents" Elsie said with tears glistening in her eyes
"oh Elsie I don't know what to say…… of course we will" Isobel replied whereas Richard just looked at Elsie tears glistening in his eyes. They made eye contact and he whispered thank you before walking out of the room to collect himself. Growing up Richard had always thought of Elsie as his younger sister that he never had. Elsie just motioned for them to give him a minute. Walking back into the room Richard was beckoned over to the bed by Elsie.
"would you like to hold your new nephew" Elsie asked. To which Richard gave a shy nod to. Elsie handed her newborn son over to her oldest friend wiping tears from her eyes.
"Isobel Richard I would like you two to meet your new niece and nephew Theodore Graham Carson and his sister Fraya Nannette Carson." Elsie smiled
"oh Elsie those are beautiful names" Isobel said "hello little Fraya" she cooed down at the baby in her arms
"well hello little Theo do you know that you're a middle name with your uncle Richie's little brother" Clarkson choked out even to this day thinking of his little brother made a lump form in his throat. Swallowing past the lump her thought about how happy he was that Elsie had a second chance at love and motherhood. "thank you for honoring our Ben in such a way Elsie and thank you Charles for letting her honor him in such a way"
Speaking for both of them Elsie said "Richard I will always think of you as my brother and Bennie will always be with us and so will Lorelei and Fergus, but I want you to move on with me. It's what Benny would have wanted for the both of us" Elsie said sitting up slowly with the help of Charlie reaching out to brush her sons head lovingly "I believe that Benny sent me Mr. Carson and then little Fraya and Theo for I reason which I think is to give us a second chance at being a family and to heal our once strong relationship" Else sniffle her voice cracking as she spoke reaching back for her husband's hand for comfort and support.
"aye Benny always wanted the best for his lasses" Richard replied his voice breaking as he spoke
"aye that he did" Elsie chuckled bittersweetly
"Richard, I know this might be awkward for you it's a bit uncomfortable for me, but I agree with my wife, you deserve to be our children's Uncle from what I've heard you were like a big brother to my girl her. So that means you protected her when I wasn't around, you protected her so that way she could find me, and for that I will forever be grateful to you" Charles choked reaching his hand out for a friendly handshake
Theodore started to fuss so Richard bounced his body soothingly in a rocking motion whispering to him humming to sooth the fussing. Elsie not moving an inch to take her son and sooth him herself but allowing Richard to sooth him knowing it was a big step for her brother-in-law.
"Isobel do you have any paper I could use to write a letter to a friend that demanded to know when my baby arrived and I wanna do it before I forget this whole pregnancy brain kicks back in" Elsie chuckled looking to Isobel
"I'll go grab some and bring it up with the tea" Isobel replied handing little Fraya over to her mother before leaving the room
"who are you writing to may I ask Petal" Richard inquired
"Mags actually she works in Beck's care home and we ran into her when we went to tell her about Charlie and the baby" Elsie replied
"ah I haven't seen Margaret since she ran off to be a nurse" Richard replied
"aye she wants to come down and meet the babies well she thinks it's just one baby" Elsie replied
"tea and paper" Isobel called before Charles opened the door for her walking into the room she deposited the tea tray and the paper over Elsie' lap
"thank you, Isobel," Elsie replied as she began to write her letter to Margaret.
A few days later once everyone recovered from the storm the night of the twins' birth there was a knock at the door. Running to answer it Isobel looked through the peep hole seeing a woman and a man about her age she assumed it was Richard and Elsie's friend who had come down from Lytham St. Annes.
"Hello, you must be Margaret" Isobel said opening the door
"And you must be Isobel Elsie told me all about you this is my husband Benjamin Clarkson" Margaret Replied.