Thank you all for the lovely comment, especially the new commenters over the past few chapters. I hope you enjoy this one!


"She's perfect Ken," Rilla said softly. "Truly perfect, ten little fingers and toes."

"She may be perfect but it seems like our children enjoy surprising us?" Ken said if he had thought walking into a hose to find out his wife was in labour was a surprise. Waking up to Rilla shaking him was something else entirely.

Contractions she said as the thunder clapped loud above them and when he went to turn on the lamp. It showed them that the power was out as well. It had been storming since dinner time when Rilla started noticing small tinges. They had felt like the Braxton hicks that she had been experiencing for almost a month. A warm bath had quieted them enough that she could fall asleep rather easily.

"How are you doing?" Rilla asked him from her spot on the bed as she cuddled her daughter.

"Well, it's not every night you practically get to deliver your own child," Ken spoke quietly still in disbelief.

The telephone had been out as well as the power and a tree had fallen over on the main road that turns onto their street. Even if they could have called for the doctor, no one could have made it. Jimmy had woken up to the commotion. They had planned to send him and Oliver to Ken's parent's house, no child needed to be in the house and hear a woman scream.

The only saving grace was their neighbour to the right as Ken ran over after Rilla mentioned that their neighbour was a doctor of some sort.

"My wife, she's in labour, your husband is he home?" Ken spoke rapidly as he stood in his rain slicker.

"He was on call tonight," Julia shook her head. "My mother though is here. She used to help in her small town to deliver babies. Do you want to bring the children over here they know me I can watch them?" She asked.

"Can I?" Ken asked

"Of course, go get them and bring them over quickly. No need for them to have to listen to what will happen," she told him. "Do you have enough lamps? Kerosene, candles? Was this planned to be at home?"

"It was, and we do," Ken nodded.

"Go get the children, I'll wake up my mother," she told him. "She at least can walk you through the labour and delivery." Ken nodded knowing that the elderly woman had bad hands.

"You will have to catch the baby, but I will talk you through it," The older woman told Ken. "My hands are not steady enough these days"

"I can't," Ken said shaking his head.

"But you will," she shook her head. "I don't think it will be long, second babies never take long."

"Thats what her doctor said," Ken said.

"Who is her doctor?"

"Doctor Thompson from the Women's Medical Hospital," Ken answered her. The older woman nodded.

"This is what you need to do." She told him and Ken listened intently.

It went much faster than Rilla anticipated. She wasn't sure exactly what to expect of course. No one ever did. Still, it was oddly romantic to go through such an experience surrounded by flickering candlelight and lamps. Thunder rolling across the skies as lightning flashed through the library windows. It was the warmest spot with the fire going and the easiest spot to prepare for her at that moment. It also had the best lighting available.

They caught each other's eyes, for a brief moment. His was a mixture of anticipation, anxiety but still had a good ounce of calm to them. She wondered just how her father and her brother managed, delivering their children. She didn't have much time to think of it before she felt the messages her body was sending her.

There was no nervous minute accompanying those moments of relief as Ken nervously caught his child. Who swiftly let out a cry once he used the rubber snot sucker on her nose and inside her mouth.

"It's a girl Rilla, it's a little girl," he said through his own trembling emotions.

"Put her down on Rilla's chest," The older woman told Ken.

"I am so amazed by your strength," Ken said kissing her hair later on. "I'm amazed by her, her red hair."

"It will always be around in this family," Rilla said as she traced over the bridge of the squished nose. Down over the tip and over the little rosebud lips.

"Does she look like her name?" Ken asked. "Rowena?"

"I think she does if you still like it," Rilla said quietly still enamoured over their daughter.

"Rowena Marianne," Ken said going over her name. " How do we want to spell Marianne? Like Marianne or Mary-Anne so it resembles more of your mother as well."

"I think Marianne as in Marianne looks nicer," Rilla told him. "Either way it will be for both of them."

"Little Roe," Ken said as Rilla offered him a chance to hold her.

Ken had spent the better part of the early morning, holding his daughter. Memorized by her little nose, ears. Every sound she made as he sat in the rocking chair and Rilla slept a few hours. The doctor had come and come, checking over Rilla and the afterbirth to ensure everything had come out as it should have.

"But I feel like I've been waiting for you all my life. You have two older brothers, one who is eager to meet you. His name is Jimmy, he's twelve and then there is Oliver who isn't quite sure what he getting into being an older brother."

When Rilla woke up Ken helped her to the bathroom, cleaning the sweat off her skin and braiding her hair for her. He settled her into the bed, prepared in the way that the old lady told him. Rubber sheeting, lots of towels, changed and soaked, Rilla would remember her ways of dealing with the days following birth which she did.

She used a few minutes of quiet to show and entice her daughter to nurse. Grimacing at the feeling, the one that accompanied the early days where everything was fresh and sensitive. Shortly after she watches, Ken tackles that first diaper.

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about not getting a stream of urine in my face this time around," Ken said as he pinned the diaper and wrapped her back up quickly.

Rilla laughed and shook her head at his comment as the doorbell rang.

"Are you ready for the calvary?" Ken asked as he passed her their daughter.

"Bring them in," Rilla nodded. Ken kissed her before like a deer hopped out the room. Leaving her alone for a moment with her daughter, who was content in her mother's arms.

"Can we come in," Ken said a touch louder than he usually worlds.

"Yes," Rilled called out. She smiled as Jimmy poked his head in and Leslie was holding Oliver who was still in his pyjamas. Ken having picked them up from the neighbours.

"She really pretty," Jimmy said as he approached the bed.

"Well, she has Rilla as her mother, so that is a given," Ken told him with a smile.

"What did you name her?" Owen asked sneaking a peek at the small face the peaked around the blankets.

"Rowena Marianne," Rilla spoke up.

"Rowena?" Owen said spelling out the name in his head with a smile. Rilla smiled back to him and nodded her head at his conclusion. "I am honoured," Owen said. "Can I hold my granddaughter aptly named after me?"

"Of course," Ken said rising from where he was perched on the side of the bed. He took Rowena from Rill and carefully handed the newborn to his father.

"Oh she is a heavy one," Owen said.

"Almost nine pounds," Rilla said and she saw Leslie grimace for her. "It was all very straightforward though." She told him.

"How on earth did the doctor get here last night?" Leslie asked looking around the room. "We had to park on the street and walk down the lane."

"Well he didn't," Ken told them after a moment. "The lines and power were down, I ran next door to our neighbour who is a doctor, but he wasn't home. His wife though was and her mother was some sort of midwife back in the day. She walked us through everything, or me through everything. Mrs. Ludgate offered to watch Jimmy and Oliver. Mrs. Clarke kept the fireplace and hot water in constant supply. Rowena was born about 3 am in the library." Ken explained as Oliver wiggled his way out of his grandmother's and climbed up onto the bed with help of his father.

"Baby?" He asked.

"Baby is behind you," Rilla said as she carefully turned him around where Leslie was holding the baby.

"She's so much bigger than Oliver," Jimmy noted as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"She had an extra three weeks and half weeks to grow before she was born," Ken told him. "Three weeks makes a fair difference."

"How are you feeling?" Leslie asked Rilla.

"As well as one could be, the doctor stopped by this morning when the telephone lines came back up. " Rilla told her. "Rowena seems to be thriving and I am well considering the event."

Leslie nodded as she gave one more small cuddle to her granddaughter before she carefully passed the newborn to Jimmy. He smiled down at her and cradled her proudly. "Hello Rowena," he said quietly.

Rilla watched him with a contented smile, watching his face light up as the little one yawned and opened her eyes.

"They're so blue," Jimmy said rather shocked.

"They'll change over time," Rilla explained. "They'll most likely be hazel or grey, though they could be blue I suppose. Your grandmother has blue eyes," She said looking towards Leslie with a small smile.

"She does, and I do as well," Jimmy said with a nod. Like it would connect him more to the little girl if they had similar coloured eyes.

"You do," Rilla nodded with a small smile.

"Baby?" Oliver asked once more. Kevin chuckled and let Jimmy have another moment with his sister before he took his daughter. Rilla grabbed a pillow to help Oliver 'hold' his little sister.

"This is your sister, her name is Rowena, but you can call her Roe," Rilla explained.

"Doe?" Oliver looked up at her and then his father.

"Close, Roe, can you say Roe Ollie" Rilla said it slowly for him.

"Doe," Oliver repeated proudly.

"Doe it is for right now," Ken laughed.

"We'll let you rest and enjoy this new one," Owen spoke up and approached the bed and gave Oliver a kiss. "Congratulations," he said with a smile as he kissed Rilla's cheek.

"Bye-bye," Oliver told his grandfather as Ken picked him up. Owen smiled, he was overjoyed to have his grandchildren near him, and Oliver was changed every time they saw him. Learning new words and things. His favourite thing to say was 'what dhat? And Why?

"Bye-bye Oliver," Owen said giving him a grin. "You'll hold down the house for them?" Owen said turning to Jimmy.

"I'll try my best," Jimmy said with a sharp nod.

"I know you will," Owen told him and ruffled his hair as Ken ushered Jimmy out of the room as they followed his grandfather.

"Yes, we will visit and send out that telegram for you," Leslie told Rilla. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be here with you, but it seems like you managed."

"Ken was the real hero, and don't be sorry. It couldn't be helped. Who would have thought she would come during a thunderstorm?" Rilla tells her as she cradled her infant. "I couldn't have managed it without him."

"He delivered her," Leslie said catching her daughter in laws meaning. "But the midwife?"

"She has bad arthritic hands," Rilla explained quietly. "She talked Ken through it and we managed. He's enamoured with her, from the first moment he caught her. Though I think it is safe to say that neither of us wishes to repeat the experience again. Then again, in that moment I don't think we could have made it to a hospital even if that was the plan."

"Things happen for many particular reasons," Leslie reminded her. "Have you called your parents yet? Your mother was impatiently waiting for Di's time."

"Ken called this morning when the phone lines came back up," Rilla nodded. "Mother is elated, Di last time we talked the other day was past due and moaning," Rilla said.

"Waiting is always the worst," Leslie nodded. "I will let the two of your rest," she added before dropping a kiss on her daughter in laws hair and sighed at the sight of her second granddaughter.

Rilla sighed tiredly as she cradled her daughter. She didn't know exactly what the future held for her or her little family but she was content enough in this moment to not worry so much. When Ken came back up to check on her, he found her sleeping with Rowena on her chest. He took the infant and carefully sat down in the chair beside the bed.

Life was good.