To Be A Father

"I'm trying not to say bad things but this hurts so bad and it's partly your fault!" Meggie groaned, collapsing back on her pillows.

"Partly. Only partly." Farid said, struggling to hold onto her hand. Meggie's mother stood at the other side of the bed, calmly smoothing her daughter's hair back from her forehead.

The past months had been an adventure for the Folcharts and their family. Every detail had been carefully planned right up until the baby decided it wanted to make its grand entrance at 39 weeks. The midwife, a kindly, older woman that reminded Meggie of the Which in The Phantom Tollbooth, graciously drove up to the Loredan/Folchart/whomever else ended up in the family Home. Needless to say, Meggie was pleased that her midwife was even nice at 4 in the morning.

"Meggie, dear." Charlotte, the midwife, said calmly. "Perhaps Farid should take a break. I can't deliver a baby and handle an unconcious daddy at the same time."

Meggie nodded and smiled up at him tiredly. He looked uncertain for a moment before kissing the back of her hand and darting from the room.

"He's taking this remarkably well." Charlotte commented.

"Trust me, he's excited." Meggie laughed. "You should have seen him when I told him."

"You have to come see this new trick, Meggie!" Farid exclaimed as he poured himself a glass of water.

"Farid-"

"I burned my arm the first couple of times, but it's not too bad."

"Farid, I wanted to-" Meggie felt Dustfinger put a hand on her shoulder.

"Farid." he said sternly. "Meggie has something important to tell you."

Farid instantly turned around and Meggie dropped her gaze. Dustfinger's hand gently pressed against her shoulder.

"I'm pregnant and you're the father." she said slowly.

Meggie was expecting fainting or yelling or something other than what Farid proceeded to do. Farid put down his water glass, strode across the kitchen, and hugged Meggie hard.

"Are you alright?" Meggie asked uncertainly.

"Alright?" he pulled back and looked at her. "Meggie! I'm going to be a father!"

His smile was infectious and she couldn't stop it from spreading across her face. Even Dustfinger smiled when Farid grinned up at him.

Dustfinger and Mo found Farid in a tree out in the garden.

"How'd you find me?" he asked.

"After all these years, do you really think I don't know you better than that?" Dustfinger asked.

"Besides, you left your shoes in the doorway." Mo added. "Now, are you going to come down or are you going to make us climb up there?"

Farid dropped down the the ground next to him. The three sat down under the tree. Neither Mo nor Dustfinger had a son and Farid was the closest thing either would ever have. The complications of their current situation left them at an utter loss for anything helpful to say.

"How do you do it?" Farid asked, looking anxiously at Mo. "How do you make a good father?"

Mo was silent for a moment as he thought back on the long road that was raising Meggie.

"There's no real answer to that question. All we do is raise our children the best we can and hope that everything turns out alright. Some parents think that a structured home with a stable school is what a kid needs."

"But Meggie never had that." Farid pointed out.

"Well, that was what worked out for me. I raised Meggie for nine years by myself and I was scared out of my mind."

"Were you..." Farid looked up at Meggie's window. "Were you in there with Resa when she had Meggie?"

"Well we were at a hospital but yes, yes I was in there with her." Mo chuckled. "She nearly broke my fingers holding onto my hand."

Farid nodded staring at the ground. "Where were you when your daughters were born, Dustfinger?"

"They wouldn't let me anywhere near her either time." Dustfinger said, smiling. "No, Cloud-Dancer and I went to the inn to wait out the storm."

"So you weren't there at all?"

"No, I went back before the wine made it to the table. Paced outside the tent like a marten outside a hen house."

"And why did we decide to have the baby here instead of a hospital?" Farid groaned, looking up at Meggie's window.

"I want to have the baby here." Meggie announced over dinner one night. Mo nearly dropped his fork in surprise.

"Why would you want to do that?" he asked.

"I think it's a marvelous idea!" Elinor exclaimed. "You know, Mortimer, I was born in this house. My sisters and I all were."

"See?" Meggie said. "Besides, the hospital is so far away!"

"No." Farid said. "No it's safer in the hospital and I won't allow it."

The table fell silent. Dustfinger leaned back, amused, interested to see how this would play out.

"You won't allow it?" Meggie asked.

"Why'd you say that?" Darius groaned, sensing another fight coming on.

"No I won't!"

"It's my child!"

"It's mine too!"

"Well you're not the one that's carrying it!"

When the fight ended two days later, Meggie was looking up local midwives.

Dustfinger put a hand on Farid's shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"You should probably go inside now." Dustfinger said, looking up at the window. Farid followed his gaze and saw that Resa was waving at them to come inside.

"Listen, Farid." Mo said, helping him up. "There's no great secret to being a good father that Dustfinger or I could give you. All we can say is don't be afraid to come to us if you need help."

Farid looked up at Dustfinger who nodded in agreement. Farid smiled and turned to run inside. Dustfinger and Mo stood under the tree, looking up at the window. This might be the last moment of peace before the house became chaos.

"How long before he's asking for advice?" Dustfinger asked.

"I give him a week."

"I give him three days."