Rose Nancy Alden was born at midnight on July 17. You might find it interesting to know that Steve was also born at midnight, and if you recall correctly the Harry Potter books, he was born at midnight as well. But that's beside the point.
On the night of Rose's birth, Steve was standing right beside Nancee as she was in labor. He was waiting with her every step of the way. Thoughts kept going through is head. He thought the child would be a boy, in which they would call him Matthias. He pictured looking like Nancee, but with Steve's eyes. Nancee was completely out of it, but every once in a while Steve heard her say, "Matthias," and once, "Audrey." Audrey had been Nancee's mother's name. Steve liked the name Audrey. He began picturing a little version of Nancee with Steve's eyes, running around the table like Steve used to do when he was a kid. "Audrey," he thought. Yes, Audrey would have been a very nice name for a girl child! If only Nancee had thought so when the child was born…
At 11:53, Steve knew that the child was finally coming. Nancee seemed to come back down to earth, and she started howling in pain. After several minutes of hard laboring for Nancee, and intense worry for Steve, the child was finally born, as the clock stroke 12. Steve looked into the little baby's eyes, and instantly memories rushed back to him. He thought of the night when he first met Nancee. How it was raining! And then a line from his song instantly came to him: "a rush of excitement and glee and sorrow hit me from behind," was all Steve could think. His little daughter reminded him so much of the angel he pictured in his song. There was glee and happiness inside of her, but Steve could also sense something else. Something, a feeling, he wouldn't share with Nancee.
In the 2.4 seconds it took Steve to think all of this, Nancee comprehended something of her own. As soon as she had a good look at her daughter, she worked up strength enough to say one word: "Rose." At this word, Steve felt a pang of fear inside his stomach. He instantly recalled the story written by Nancee about a girl called Rose. As he looked at the little girl, and her shiny black hair, he did indeed see Nancee's character Rose. But this made him recall the story, which was unfinished and quite spooky, and the character Rose looked disturbingly like his daughter. He didn't want to call her Rose, no, he didn't. He remembered the part of the story:
"Her black hair lay sleek across her face, her bright green eyes a' twinkling. Little Rose, lay tired on the couch where no one would come near. All alone, she was, with the mark on her face that a man had been there."
Steve could not get that phrase out of his head. He looked up at Nancee who was holding the small girl in her arms, smiling. Nancee had a smile so great on her face; it looked as if all the people in the world who were ever happy had given their happiness to Nancee. As Steve stood there looking at Nancee, he saw that Nancee, with her long blonde hair pulled back from her face that was covered in sweats, her cheeks, pink from hard work, and her eyes, gray from exhaustion, looked much like the Nancee he first knew. The Nancee that stood all alone outside, in the rain. Except she was smiling. Except she was smiling.
When Nancee, who was extremely tired, finally went to sleep, Steve picked up his baby daughter Rose, in the gentlest of grips and carried her to the window. He pointed out the window to the lamppost, and showed it to her. The day Steve was born, his father took him and showed him the lamppost. Then, Steve kissed his baby daughter on the forehead, and laid her down to sleep.
On the night of Rose's birth, Steve was standing right beside Nancee as she was in labor. He was waiting with her every step of the way. Thoughts kept going through is head. He thought the child would be a boy, in which they would call him Matthias. He pictured looking like Nancee, but with Steve's eyes. Nancee was completely out of it, but every once in a while Steve heard her say, "Matthias," and once, "Audrey." Audrey had been Nancee's mother's name. Steve liked the name Audrey. He began picturing a little version of Nancee with Steve's eyes, running around the table like Steve used to do when he was a kid. "Audrey," he thought. Yes, Audrey would have been a very nice name for a girl child! If only Nancee had thought so when the child was born…
At 11:53, Steve knew that the child was finally coming. Nancee seemed to come back down to earth, and she started howling in pain. After several minutes of hard laboring for Nancee, and intense worry for Steve, the child was finally born, as the clock stroke 12. Steve looked into the little baby's eyes, and instantly memories rushed back to him. He thought of the night when he first met Nancee. How it was raining! And then a line from his song instantly came to him: "a rush of excitement and glee and sorrow hit me from behind," was all Steve could think. His little daughter reminded him so much of the angel he pictured in his song. There was glee and happiness inside of her, but Steve could also sense something else. Something, a feeling, he wouldn't share with Nancee.
In the 2.4 seconds it took Steve to think all of this, Nancee comprehended something of her own. As soon as she had a good look at her daughter, she worked up strength enough to say one word: "Rose." At this word, Steve felt a pang of fear inside his stomach. He instantly recalled the story written by Nancee about a girl called Rose. As he looked at the little girl, and her shiny black hair, he did indeed see Nancee's character Rose. But this made him recall the story, which was unfinished and quite spooky, and the character Rose looked disturbingly like his daughter. He didn't want to call her Rose, no, he didn't. He remembered the part of the story:
"Her black hair lay sleek across her face, her bright green eyes a' twinkling. Little Rose, lay tired on the couch where no one would come near. All alone, she was, with the mark on her face that a man had been there."
Steve could not get that phrase out of his head. He looked up at Nancee who was holding the small girl in her arms, smiling. Nancee had a smile so great on her face; it looked as if all the people in the world who were ever happy had given their happiness to Nancee. As Steve stood there looking at Nancee, he saw that Nancee, with her long blonde hair pulled back from her face that was covered in sweats, her cheeks, pink from hard work, and her eyes, gray from exhaustion, looked much like the Nancee he first knew. The Nancee that stood all alone outside, in the rain. Except she was smiling. Except she was smiling.
When Nancee, who was extremely tired, finally went to sleep, Steve picked up his baby daughter Rose, in the gentlest of grips and carried her to the window. He pointed out the window to the lamppost, and showed it to her. The day Steve was born, his father took him and showed him the lamppost. Then, Steve kissed his baby daughter on the forehead, and laid her down to sleep.