Chapter Twenty-Seven
"Mama? Why is it that your stomach's so hard?" John asked.
Up in the John's room, Rose was reading to the boys' from the Bible, when John pointed out the way her stomach was. She smiled when she heard this and William, settled now, turned and raised his brows. He smiled, against the redness of his eyes, as he answered.
"Because we're going to be big brothers, John. Mama's going to have a baby!"
"I'm going to be a big brother like you?" John asked and Rose nodded. It was in the evening and Emma appeared and informed Rose, though in low tones, about Jack and the crew leaving for the docks. Thankful, Rose thanked her before she resumed her attending to the boys'. It did take time for them to heal and settle from crying over Rachel's loss but Rose prayed for strength and felt the hand of Our Blessed Mother assure that all would be fine and things would turn out in the end. She was happy for the power of the Rosary so Rose returned to the boys.
"Yes, John. You're going to be a brother and I'm sure that if the baby's a girl… you're going to love her to so much!" Rose responded and sitting a little straighter placed her hand on her baby. The baby was still so Rose assumed the baby had fallen asleep but she was yet to feel a kick. Her smile increased when William added.
"I remember when you were born, John. You were some fat baby."
"I was what?"
"Yes. You were fat." William answered and he turned and raised a brow towards his brother. The reading from Kings' was put on pause as Rose watched the two brothers' speak.
"I was fat?!" John exclaimed and he jumped to his feet.
"Yes. I don't need to repeat myself." William answered but he was calm when he too Rose. The boys', Rose hoped, weren't going to get in a wrestle but it appeared that John wasn't pleased hearing he was fat as a baby. She needed to find some way to soothe him that it was merely "baby fat" and not the way "fat" he thought was implied.
"John?" She asked and he turned and asked.
"Yes, mama?"
"You weren't fat… it was a part of the way God had you born which implied you might have been fat."
The little boy blinked before he asked.
"I wasn't fat?"
"No. It was a part of how you were born. Even Willie was born that way."
"He was fat too?"
Rose watched as William's face turned a light shade but he relaxed when she answered.
"Yes, John. Willie was also fat."
"Well… that makes me feel better." John replied before he plunked himself down on his backside. He was playing with his toy car as he added.
"William? I'm going to keep playing race car driver."
"Alright." William answered and Rose was happy seeing this. The brothers' were getting along but Rose continued to pray; knowing the power of prayer, she resumed reading Kings and William approached and sat beside her. She turned to him and when he laid his head on her knees, she only reached out and touched his hair. He soaked in this and as she continued reading… he listened attentively to her. Word would not be known about what Jack was doing as she read to her boys'.
"My sons." She thought as she looked from one to the other.
"My boys'."