Connor's POV:
I watched the orange flames dance in the fireplace, sitting on the rickety couch with Danielle asleep in my arms. More than anything I was happy to be back home with her and the girls. However, I couldn't help but be troubled by my fiancée's strange behavior: We had been talking while she was massaging my healing shoulder, then she began crying as if somebody had just said a cruel insult to her.
Perhaps she was becoming ill, or she was on some bizarre medication from Mass General back in America…
Or maybe she was homesick…
From everything she had told me back when our relationship was still beginning to bloom, she had lived in Boston all her life. Her own father had been a police officer of the BPD and her mother was a nurse at Mass General before their awful murder a year before Dani had met me and my brother.
Looking down at the sleeping woman in my lap, I was pleased to see that she had dyed her hair back to its natural brown, still wet from the rain outside. One of her hands unconsciously moved to grasp onto the crucifix of my rosary. It appeared that the burn marks along her arms from that damn taser had faded over the passing weeks, which I'm sure she was relieved about.
Whatever was ailing her, I had promised myself and her that I would do everything I could to ensure hers and the girls' happiness and well-being here in my homeland.
The sound of the wooden floor creaking entered my ears as Murphy came in from the hallway. He stopped when he was a few feet away from the couch, wearing a worried expression when he saw Danielle slumbering in my arms.
"What's wrong with her, Conn? Did she catch a nasty bug?" My brother asked with sincere concern.
"I hope not. She looked a lil' sick when I carried her in here earlier from the rain." I heard her sniffle, briefly wrinkling her nose. "I oughta put her in bed 'fore the girls get here."
"'Kay, do yer knight-in-shinin'-armor act, or whatever ya do that gets ya lucky." Murph chuckled as I carefully lifted up my future wife and walked with her in my arms to the bedroom.
When I got there, I could see she had done her share of rearranging. Luckily, my bed was wide enough to fit both of us. Murph would have to take Da's old room… And maybe the girls would enjoy the special upstairs room below the roof.
Deciding to discuss it with her later when she woke up, I gently placed Danielle on the soft bed. She groaned out quietly, so low only I heard it as I slowly slid the sheets and comforter over her body. The petite woman rolled over onto her side and curled up under the blankets.
That action only increased the worry I was feeling for her overall health…
I briefly debated whether to check her forehead for a fever, but I became distracted by the sound of the front door opening in the den.
"Uncle Muffy!" I heard two sweet little voices cry out with glee. "You're here!"
My brother laughed aloud as I walked out of the bedroom, closing the door so the noise wouldn't disturb Dani. Then, I remembered I had left her present for us in the living room. I quickened my pace down the hallway to possibly recover it and greet my beloved daughters.
Both Isabella and Delilah were in Murphy's arms, muttering "I love you" to him. There was no denying the warm sensation in my heart at the sight…
"Izzy, Dee. I've missed ye, too, lasses." He hugged them both tightly, gripping each girl in one arm as he lifted them and spun them around the room. Dee began to wriggle free when she saw me standing nearby, kicking her legs so Murphy would let her down. He obliged, setting the girls onto their feet and allowing them to run to me.
"Daddy!" Delilah almost cried out in her high voice. "I was scared you were in jail forever."
"Me too, Daddy. Mommy's been crying almost every night. We can hear her in her room." Isabella informed me in a sad voice as both of my children clung to me.
"Where is Mommy? Did you see her, Daddy? Is she happy now?" Dee's wide green eyes never failed to remind me of how much she resembled her mother, in both physical appearance and attitude.
My brain tried to make sense of all these questions my daughters were asking me in such an innocent way. As if sensing my anxiety, Murphy came up behind Isabella and gently lifted her up to carry her to the wooden chair by the couch.
In turn, I picked up Delilah and settled down with her on the couch, wanting to answer their questions as calmly as I could without frightening or confusing them. "Aye, girls. I saw yer ma. An' ya know me an' yer uncle Murph here are happy to finally be back with ya."
"I missed you a lot, Daddy." Dee cuddled against my chest, allowing me to put my arm around her tiny body protectively, like a good father should do for his daughter, to make her feel safe.
"You too, darlin'." I whispered, kissing the top of her brunette head. "Do you girls think yer ma is sick?"
"I don't know, Daddy." Izzy answered me, sitting on her uncle's lap. "She's been kinda sad, but then she's happy sometimes."
Well, that sort of explained her sudden mood swing from earlier…
"Where's Mommy now?" Dee looked up at me with those big eyes of hers.
"She's sleepin', sweetheart. We gotta be quiet so we don't wake her, okay?" I asked her, knowing she'd understand without question.
"Daddy, what's that on the couch?" Izzy pointed to the rectangular present lying by me and Dee.
"This is me birthday present from yer ma. She left it in here when she went to take a nap." I reached over to grab it. Delilah crawled out of my lap so I could stand up from the couch and set it on top of the fireplace mantle where it'd be safe. "She said we can't open it 'till mine an' yer uncle's birthday next week."
"Yeah, Mommy always makes us wait until our birthday, too. And she never tells me and Dee who's older." Izzy crossed her arms and glared at her sister.
"I'm older, Izzy. Because I look just like Mommy." Dee stuck out her tongue in defiance.
Murphy and I shared a knowing smile with each other as we listened pleasantly to the girls bickering about how the other was faster or taller…
It made me wonder about how their mother would have them figure out who was the elder twin when they became teenagers… Hell, even our own mother made her special joke about telling me and Murphy which of us came out of her first…
All I knew now for certain was that I loved being a father to these adorable girls and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
.
.
The afternoon transformed into evening quickly as the hours passed and Danielle continued to sleep. The poor thing must have been running errands all day and wearing herself out. Isabella became concerned enough to leave one of her favorite stuffed animals, the green rabbit Clover, by her mother's side so she wouldn't wake up alone…
Not wanting to burden Dani with the chore of making dinner for us, we all participated in making soup for everyone. It was a relatively quiet event since Murph and I hadn't eaten since we were on the barge ship home. The girls obediently set their bowls near the sink after washing them out. Danielle had most likely taught them to clean their dishes after every meal. Keeping her in mind, I saved an extra bowl to bring to her in bed.
By 8:00 in the evening, it was time for the girls to get ready for bed. After my brother and I said goodnight to them, they climbed up the ladder to their special attic-room, which I could tell they already loved. Murphy moved his bag of possessions into Da's old room as I went to take Dani her supper before it got cold.
When I got to our bedroom, I saw her begin to stir from sleep as I opened the door. Finally, she opened her eyes and slowly sat up on her pillow as I sat the bowl by her bedside.
"Connor? What time is it?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Its about 8 o'clock, love. You've been sleep fer nearly five hours straight. That's a hell of a nap ya musta needed." I smiled at her, assuring Dani that it wasn't a problem.
"Crap, I really didn't mean to sleep so long, especially since you just got here. And all that dumb crying. I…I've just needed time to adjust being away from home…" She trailed off, probably waiting for me to reprimand her for her actions.
"Its alright, sweetheart. I understand if yer homesick." I removed my shoes and sat down by her on the bed, adjusting my lower body to get under the covers with her before enfolding my arms around my moody bride-to-be. "Murph and I were the same way when we first moved to Boston. We weren't used to all the loud noises and the different customs than what we had here in Ireland."
"Well, I'm just trying to take it day by day, you know?" She asked nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal.
"I…I just hope you'll be happy here." She looked up at me as I said that, her emerald eyes glowing in the faint candlelight around the room.
"I am happy here, Connor. I've met so many nice people, and I surprisingly get along great with Annabelle." Her bright smile warmed my heart as I pulled her close with affection.
"I knew she'd like ya, love." My own smile formed on my lips as I leaned over to the bedside table and took the bowl of soup into my hands. "On the other hand, I brought ya some dinner. If ya feel well enough to eat…"
"Actually, I'm suddenly really hungry." Her pupils dilated in focus as she nearly snatched the bowl out of my grasp. I could almost hear her stomach chanting out "Food"…
"Careful, darlin', yer gonna make a mess." She was practically devouring the entire bowl in one fell swoop.
Dani responded to my words by attempting to eat slower. I quietly reached over and pushed her braid of hair behind her shoulder so it wouldn't accidentally dip into the bowl. The color started to return to her cheeks as she took each individual bite, satisfying her hunger. In those few minutes, she was finished with her meal, wiping her mouth with the napkin I had brought and setting the bowl back onto the table.
What made me laugh was that she had to crawl over me to get to the table, incidentally revealing a pair of boxers under that sweater of mine she was wearing…
"What? It was just me in the house earlier today. And I figured you'd get a kick out of seeing me in your sweater. Doesn't a man always secretly enjoy seeing his girl wear his shirts?" She asked me, sitting back down to display her feather-light legs across my lap.
"Ya know a man always knows the difference in between 'girl' and 'woman'." I informed her gruffly, running two of my fingers down the length of her smooth leg, from her knee down to the calf, ironically the one that still displayed the area where it had to be cauterized. "You…you are the very definition of a woman, me love. You're gentle an' understandin', kind an' brave, an' ya possess a rare natural beauty that may even give the Virgin Mary a run fer her money."
My entire hand caressed the width of her bare leg, goose-bumps forming along her soft skin.
"Connor…" She sighed out in a whisper. "I'm starting to feel hungry again…but for something other than food."
Before I could respond to what she said, her leg slipped out of my grasp and she found her way into my lap again. "What can I do to satisfy yer desires, me lady?" My hands gripped onto her thighs so she'd stay balanced on me.
Without saying a word, she bent down and pressed her sweet lips to mine in a lustful lock before pulling away so she could speak. "Let me get you out of that shirt, Lion. Then, you can satisfy your lady all you want."
I chuckled in a darkly humorous way as I obliged her wishes, allowing her to take the wife-beater off my upper body. Her delicate fingers ran along my disrobed chest in a slow, relaxing way that only increased the instinct for me to make love to her again and cherish this time alone with my future wife…
Once she removed the sweater off her own body and revealed that she wasn't wearing a bra, her flowing chocolate locks loose around her, framing her face, that ended it for me…
"Tu sei la quintessenza della bellezza vera, Danielle dolce." I whispered as she leaned down close to lay her naked body on top of mine, as we reunited in the most unforgettable way as a man and woman in love.
.
.
The following week trudged by as mine and Murphy's birthday approached. Danielle became even antsier by the day, being on alert whenever either me or my brother were within earshot. We managed to get the cottage in order as we settled in the small house we used to share with Da during our dark time of isolation from America.
During that week, we showed the girls and Dani around the stable so they could see the horses. The huge animals immediately took a liking to all the womenfolk. One black stallion particularly caught Dani's eye, the intimidating creature sensing her admiration for the equines. She dubbed him 'Il Duce' since the tall beast reminded her of our dearly departed father.
The strange thing was that when I offered to let her ride him, she refused, claiming that she hadn't ridden in years and felt inexperienced. I sought to ask her if that was the only reason she didn't want to ride, but I figured she'd tell me when she felt it was right. As a soon-to-be married couple, we had to be honest with each other, but I didn't want to smother her with any overprotective tendencies.
Instead, the horse was content to just have her in his presence, permitting her to pet his muzzle, brush his mane and feed him sugar-cubes.
At last, on the big day we had all been waiting for, it rained so hard that we decided it too hazardous weather to celebrate at our Ma's house, so we settled for having the little occasion at the cottage. We all sat in front of the fireplace, Dani shaking her whole body with impatience.
Murphy and I held the present from her, sitting on the couch next to one another, anxious to see what had been keeping Danielle on her toes for the past week. We began arguing over who'd get to open it until Dani defused our fight and suggested we take turns on each side of the rectangular present.
Childish, I know, but it had to stop before we started cursing in front of the girls…
I tore the wrapping paper quickly but carefully, not wanting to damage whatever it was concealing. Murphy did the same, trying to be gentle with the gift Dani wanted to give us. What we saw just made us stare in silent contemplation.
It was a framed picture…filled with a bunch of blurry, scanned images of something…something alive. I saw a tiny head and the text below the image said that a healthy heartbeat was clear…
Then, we both caught sight of the scribbled marker under the picture: "Baby MacManus at Six Weeks".
It all suddenly made sense as Murphy and I looked at each other in disbelief: Her mood swings, the ravenous appetites for both food and carnal sex, the long periods of sleep…
"Danielle…yer…" I only managed to breathe out those words as I saw the tears flow down her cheeks.
She only nodded, standing up from her chair and carefully placing her hands on her belly. "It…its too early to tell if it's a boy or girl…but I went to the doctor before you came back and everything's fine."
"Well, I'll be damned!" Murphy cried in elation as the girls started cheering.
"We're gonna be big sisters, Uncle Muffy!" Both girls cheered, running to their uncle to wrestle him in excitement.
In turn, I stood up from the couch slowly, not taking my eyes off Danielle, the picture clutched tightly in my hands. My feet began to take me across the small space between us. She didn't remove her eyes from me either, waiting to see how I would react to this certain huge surprise she worked so hard to keep special for me and my brother.
"Happy birthday, Connor Liam MacManus…my precious Irishman." Her voice was choked up with delighted tears, which I wiped away from her face when I got close enough to her. "I hope you…you like what I got you." She let out a small laugh as she took my hand in hers.
The initial shock wore off as I stared harder at the digital portrait of my baby growing in my fiancée's womb, warm and healthy. While I still felt a little scared, I was happy that this was the resolution that resulted from Danielle's secretive behavior.
"Danielle…ya could not've given me anything better than this." Two tears slid down my own cheeks as I held my love's face in my hands with greater care than ever. "We're havin' a baby." I leaned forward to touch my forehead to hers before finally giving her a kiss of gratitude and everlasting love.
Everyone else stopped celebrating loudly in the background when they noticed me and Dani having this poignant moment together. Reluctantly, I reached down toward her belly, glancing up at her for permission.
"It's okay. You can feel. I won't break." She smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling even more than I'd ever seen them before.
I kneeled down on my knees in front of her, much like when I had first told her how much I cherished her as a man did a woman and placed my hands onto her clothed stomach. It was too early to feel much movement from my perspective, but I was still absorbing the news that there was my child growing within the woman I loved more than anything in the world.
"That…that's me baby inside ya?" I looked up into her eyes, the question sounding like how a young boy would ask his mother a question about something he really wanted to know about.
She only nodded her head in response as another damn tear escaped my eye. This was probably the only time Murphy would let me get away with crying like a pussy. I looked behind me to see Murph holding the girls in his arms, tears brimming in his own eyes. The girls only watched in fascination at my communication with their mother.
Danielle ran her fingers through my hair as I lifted up the hem of her top, exposing the vulnerable skin of her belly, where this extraordinary little one was growing. Not finding any words for this moment, I pressed my lips to her stomach, hoping the baby could somehow sense that I was here. And that I wasn't leaving my family's side again, like I had done years ago.
"Happy birthday, boys." Dani whispered, breaking the silence in the small living room.
"Thank you, me love. Thank ye." I murmured, looking up into her eyes as I still sat on my knees. I owed so much to this woman and I was determined to repay that debt by the way of being the man she had wanted her whole life and being the father my children deserved.
AN: The phrase Connor says is Italian for: "You're the epitome of true beauty, sweet Danielle".
Also, I start class again on Monday, so my updates will be less frequent. I know, it sucks, but it happens. In the meantime, reviews are appreciated and wanted. Thanks, and please enjoy!