Coming Home


Epilogue

Rachel sat down on her hospital bed, cradling her tiny newborn baby girl in her arms. She looked down at her, admiring how not only quiet she was, but also how absolutely beautiful she was. Her skin was so soft and new, her hands and feet so small that Rachel was almost afraid to touch them in fear that they would break. In silence, Jack entered the room, walking over to the bed with a small smile on his face, "My two gorgeous girls," he whispered in a hush, kissing Rachel's forehead.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Jack shook his head, "Not right now, Rach. I don't want to disturb her. She looks too peaceful in your arms."

Rachel smiled, watching Jack gently stroke their baby's soft head of hair. It was a bittersweet moment, because Rachel felt happy, but also sad at the same time. The awful news still came as a big shock -

"Hey," began Jack, with a soft, almost soothing, voice, "I've got an idea for her name."

"Oh yeah?"

He leaned closer to Rachel and said into her ear, "Hm. What do you think of Frances, after Frank? First or middle name..."

Rachel closed her eyes, thinking back to just two days ago, not long after she had given birth.


"A yacht has been found washed against rocks near the entrance of Sydney Harbour during today's wild weather. The Water Police, who were alerted to the wreckage, hold grave fears for its sole occupant, a 47 year old man from Sydney, missing since the yacht was discovered earlier this afternoon..."

The news report on the television continued, but Rachel tuned out as she felt her heart skip a few beats, and her stomach tie itself into hundreds of knots. Her mouth opened and she gasped, saying, "Frank..." in a hoarse whisper. Rachel looked down when her hands started to ache; she was clutching the bed sheets with a tight grip.

"Rach..." Jack walked into her room hurriedly. The expression on his face said something was wrong, but he could see that she already knew. Her eyes were filled with tears that refused to leave their place. Jack kissed her forehead, her cheek and lastly, her lips.

"They're not going to find him alive, are they?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Be positive, Rach," was all Jack could manage to say, before he looked over at their baby girl, who was quietly lying awake in the humidicrib next to Rachel's bed. Jack put his hand through one of the holes in the crib, touching her tiny hand. The baby's automatic reaction was to grab hold of his index finger and not let go.

Rachel turned her head to face Jack, smiling sadly, as a couple of tears finally fell from her eyes. "He shouldn't have left, Jack... he was so stupid for leaving," there was a tremble in Rachel's voice as she spoke.

"I know."


"Rach?" came Jack's calm voice when she had not answered his question. "You don't like it?" he wondered, running his fingertips through some of her hair.

She blinked, looking across at him as a small smile appeared on her face, "No, no, I do like it, Jack. I do," she finally replied with a nod, before suggesting, "Frances... Abegail... Christey."

Jack looked particularly pleased with the name choices. "Well, that's it settled then!" he exclaimed, looking down at the little girl peacefully asleep in her mother's arms, "How do you like your name, hey?" he asked her, despite knowing he wouldn't get a reply, "Frances Abegail Christey."

Smiling as Jack put his arms around her shoulders, Rachel closed her tired eyes. Frank would have been happy, and he would have been proud, she thought, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.