Marita was able to survive her imprisonment at the Logan house. After a week of staying in bed, she was let out to roam the house. She would do any bookkeeping or correspondence Ned had, then she would do the books for her and Sean's businesses. She also helped Alice with the indoor chores that were not too strenuous and did not require her to stand on her feet. She and Alice talked about Alice's upcoming wedding and started making plans. Vivian came by often to talk and teach her how to knit and she began making items for Sean-Michael.
Marita enjoyed her and Sean-Michael's early morning time together. She would often read the Bible to him and just enjoy holding him in her arms. She found out that he liked waking up in the wee hours of the morning, just to 'look her over'. And she soon found that she also enjoyed 'looking him over' in those early quiet hours. If it were not for Sean-Michael's pre sunrise wake up calls, Marita doubted if she would have ever held her baby. Between Lexy, Sean, Alice and Auntie, Marita rarely got to hold him in the daylight and early evening hours because one of them would snatch him up, saying Marita needed to get her rest.
Sean was once again a wonderful husband. For the first two weeks of Sean-Michael's life, Sean worked until noon, then came home for the rest of the day to be with Marita and the baby. He would bring Marita a flower, her favorite candy or fruit each day with a note that said 'Thank You'. Marita would smile, cry and say 'You're Welcome'. Then they would kiss and share their mornings with each other. Marita would then feed Sean-Michael if she had not done so already and if he was up and hungry. While Sean and Marita ate lunch, Alice, when she beat Lexy to him or Lexy would watch Sean-Michael.
Lexy had become Sean-Michael's constant companion. Whenever Lexy was not doing her lessons and chores and he was not asleep or eating, he was with Lexy. She dotted over him so much that Ned had to make sure she had done her lessons whenever he saw Lexy with the baby. Lexy would actually do battle with Sean for rights to hold Sean-Michael. Whenever Sean tried to get him, Lexy would put up a fuss about Sean needing to go back to work. Besides, she reasoned, they would eventually go home and she would not have as much time with him then.
Sean lost a few battles, but he did win some. Whenever he could get his son, he would take him out on the porch and sit in the swing and have a Pa-to-son talk with him. Sometimes, Sean-Michael would listen intently but other times he would fall asleep.
The first time Sean was able to steal Sean-Michael away from Lexy, he took the baby outside to his favorite tree in the back yard. He and Marita had climbed that tree a million times and they shared numerous fun times together under that tree. Now he held in his arms a product of one of the 'fun times' they shared together. Sean sat down on the grass and leaned back against the tree trunk. This was his first time alone with his son and he stared into the baby's face, wondering what, if anything, was going through his mind. He was held captive by his son's stare. Sean-Michael grinned at his father, making him laugh.
As he continued to look at the baby, Sean became astonished as his feelings for his baby began to intensify. He loved Sean-Michael because he was his. But Sean realized he loved the baby even more because his was a part of Marita.
"You don't know how happy you've made me Sean-Michael" he said as tears began to well up in his eyes. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you how much I love you but I want you to know that I do and always will. I was so happy when your Ma told me we were going to have you" Sean said as he remembered that day he found Marita sprawled on the floor of their bedroom. "And then, the day you were born..." Sean could not find adequate words to express how he felt that day.
Sean tried to continue to put his feelings for Sean-Michael into words but he could not seem to do it at that moment. After a few minutes of silent tears, Sean's mind drifted to Marita.
"You know, your mother and I use to climb this tree" Sean said. "I taught her how to climb and she thought she was a better tree climber than me" he laughed. "She use to like to out do me in everything, but what she didn't know was that whenever she beat me at something, I would let her win" Sean confided, then laughed, knowing he never really LET her beat him. Whenever she would beat him, she did it all on her own. Sean then told Sean-Michael about the first time that he showed Marita how to climb a tree.
******************
Libby had woken and could not go back to sleep. She had gotten up to go downstairs and get a book to read. When she walked into the study she saw two figures sitting near the window. The curtain was open and the full moon provided light. Libby was startled then her eyes focus on the figures.
"What are you children doing out of bed?" she asked as she walked over to the lantern and lit it.
Marita was staying with the Logans because Isaac had to go to Philadelphia. Sean and Marita were playing Cowboys and Indians with Sean's stick men.
"We're playing Ma" Sean said, thinking that it was obvious what they were doing.
"It's after midnight! Both of you get back upstairs and into bed. And go to sleep." At times, Libby had to be very specific in her instructions to these two.
The playmates gathered up the stick men and headed back upstairs. The next morning, Marita woke at her usual early hour but Sean slept until Libby had to wake him for his lessons. By the time Sean and Marita had finished their lessons and chores, it was lunchtime. Marita had fallen asleep after lunch and it was now 4:00.
"Ms Libby, can I have a cookie?" five-year-old Marita asked.
Libby looked up from her dusting to see a half woke Marita standing, rubbing her eyes. Marita always liked having a cookie when she rose from her afternoon nap.
"So, you finally woke up" she said as she smile at Marita.
"Yes ma'am" Marita answered as she opened her mouth wide and yawned.
"Cover your mouth sweetheart" Libby said.
"Yes ma'am" Marita as she finished her yawn.
Libby led Marita into the dinning room and opened the cookie jar and gave her a cookie.
"Thank you" Marita said as she took the cookie.
"Your welcome" Libby smiled. She had been teaching the children to say 'thank you' and Marita was learning fast, but Sean still had not gotten those two words in his vocabulary.
Marita followed Libby back into the den, with her cookie in hand. After she finished eating it, she asked if she could help Ms. Libby with the dusting. Libby told her she was just about finished. Marita then asked if she could go outside and Libby told her 'yes' and that Sean was in the back yard.
"What you doing up there?" Marita asked when she saw Sean up in the tree.
"Climbing" Sean answered.
"You better get down fore you fall."
"I ain't gonna fall" Sean said in an indignant voice.
"How you know?" Marita asked.
"Cause I know how to climb!" He was appalled that Marita doubted his skills. "You wanna climb?"
Marita shrugged her shoulders.
"C'mon. I'll show you how" he said as he climbed down from the tree.
When Sean reached the ground he instructed Marita, step by step, as he climbed back up the tree. Marita was forever the excellent student and followed him. She reached a branch to settle on and stayed there while Sean went higher. Sean looked back and saw that Marita had settled on one of the low branches.
"You ain't gonna come up here?" he asked as he continued to climb higher.
"No" she said. She had gone as far as she intended to go.
"Why? You scared?"
"No. I just don't wanna go up there."
"Yes you are scared" Sean said in a challenging voice after he had settled on a branch.
"No I'm not!" Marita insisted.
"Marita is a chicken. Marita is a chicken" Sean taunted.
"I don't care what you say." Marita may have been a chicken, but she was not stupid. She knew this was her first time in a tree and she was not about to take a chance and fall because she was trying to keep up with Sean. "And you better stop going way up there fore you fall all the way down on the ground."
"I told you I'm not gonna fall" he said, again indignant that Marita could think that he would fall out of the tree. "I bet I can fly like the birds."
"You caint fly!"
"How you know?"
"Cause you ain't got wings silly!"
"I got arms" Sean said. At that moment a bird flew by and Sean got inspired. "Watch, I'll show you."
"You better not. I'm gonna tell Ms. Libby and you gonna get a spankin'"
"You better not tell" Sean said, then proceeded to jump from the branch, with his arms flapping.
Sean quickly realized that he was going down and not up and knew then that he should have listened to Marita. He hit the ground hard, then let out a piercing cry.
"I told you you couldn't fly!" Marita yelled then carefully climbed down from the tree.
"My arms hurts!" he yelled.
When Marita hit the ground, she started running back to the house.
"Ms Libby! Ms Libby! Ms Libby" she screamed.
She rushed into the house yelling at the top of her lungs. Libby had been upstairs tending to 4 year old Clay, who was in bed sick with a cold. When she heard Marita yelling she rushed to the stairs then down them. Marita was running from room to room looking for Libby.
"Marita honey, what's wrong?" Libby said, trying to stay calm.
"Sean was tryin to fly and he fell. Now he's on the ground screamin'. He said his arm hurts."
Libby rushed out, with Marita on her heels, to Sean. He was rolling from side to side, holding his arm.
"AW" he cried over and over again as the pain radiated through his arm.
Libby bent down beside him and stilled his rolling. She touched his arm and he let out a scream.
"AAWWW!!! DON'T TOUCH IT MA!! IT HURTS!!!"
Ned, who had come up to the house and heard the screaming, rushed to the back of the house to find Sean lying on his back crying and Libby and Marita kneeling next to him.
"What happened?!"
"Sean was tryin' to fly and fell out the tree. I told him not to do it but he did anyway" Marita explained.
Ned would have laughed if his son were not in such excruciating pain.
"I think his arms is broken Ned" Libby said in a worried voice.
"I'll send one of the hands to get the doctor" he said then left to find someone.
By the time Ned returned, they were still on the ground. Libby was trying to convince Sean to let her carry him inside. He insisted that he did not want to move because every time he moved an inch, he would feel pain.
"Son, we need to get you to bed" Ned said in a firm voice.
"Pa! My arm hurts!"
"I know son. We've sent for the doctor but you've got to get to bed."
Ned bent down and picked Sean up. Libby and Marita followed as Ned took Sean upstairs to his room. Ned laid him gently on the bed, then Libby sat next to him trying to comfort him. Marita climbed up on the bed and sat on her haunches and watch Libby try to console Sean.
"Why's Sean cryin'" Clay asked from the doorway.
Libby looked up when she heard her other son's voice. "Clay what are you doing out of bed?"
"I heard somebody cryin'" he said as he walked inside the room.
"Your brother was trying to fly" Ned said with laughter in his voice.
"Ned, this isn't a laughing matter!" Libby frowned at him.
Ned did not agree but he was wise enough not to tell Libby that. Clay had made it to the bed and was trying to climb up. Ned helped him and now Sean had four sets of eyes watching him. When the doctor arrived, he set Sean's arm then put it in a sling and said he would be back in a week to check on it. Libby informed Sean that he was to stay in bed for the rest of the day and Sean put up a fuss until Ned told him to that his mother's word was final. Sean reluctantly gave up the fight and settled down for a boring evening.
*********************
"Your mother stayed and tried to take care of me that night" Sean laughed. "I am right handed and broke my right arm and she took it upon herself to feed me dinner that night. She's always trying to help out. But we ended up making a big mess" Sean said as he smiled at the memory.
By this time, Sean-Michael was sound asleep and Sean took him back inside. He walked into the den with the baby on his shoulder and found Marita sitting behind the desk.
"Is he sleep?" Marita asked when she looked up.
"Yeah" Sean said.
He walked over to the basket Marita had made up for Sean-Michael to lie in when he was downstairs. He gently laid the baby down, then covered him with a blanket. After that, he walked over and sat down in the chair against the wall and told Marita about Jeb Calloway, who had come by the warehouse that day. He was a distributor of cigars and Sean had apparently given him a cigar on the street the day after Sean-Michael was born. Mr. Calloway tasted the cigar and liked it so much that he wanted to do business with S&M Tobacco. Sean told Marita about the meeting and that he wanted to write up a contract to present to Mr. Calloway. They spent the afternoon doing that until Sean-Michael woke for his feeding.
Two weeks after Sean-Michael's birth, Sean went back to working full days. He would leave early and sometimes come home for lunch. Usually when he made it home for dinner, Marita was waiting for him because she would have already feed and settled Sean-Michael down.
The last two weeks at Ned's went by fast for Sean and Marita. They had gotten into a routine with the baby and Sean was busy with the tobacco business and Marita was busy doing her normal duties for Ned, reading her romance novels Sean had brought her and knitting things for Sean-Michael.
The day before Sean, Marita and the baby were to go home, Ned was finally able to steal Sean-Michael away from Lexy. He took the baby and walked out to Libby's grave.
"Well, Libby" he said as he looked at the baby cradled in his arms. "We have a grandson. Lexy's taken with him and I'm going to hate to see her when he goes home" he laughed. "I wish you were here to see him Libby and enjoy holding him in your arms. I think he's a happy baby because he's always smiling. He does remind me of Sean when he was born" Ned paused a moment as he began to feel Libby's absence, something he always did when he came to the grave to talk to her. "I think you'd be proud of our grandson Libby" Ned said with tears in his voice.
Ned stood at Libby grave for the next several minutes just looking at his grandchild. His heart was saddened that Sean-Michael would never know the love of his grandmother.
"I think you would have spoiled him Libby" Ned said as a tear escaped his eye.
Ned spent the next few minutes telling Sean-Michael about his grandmother and what a wonderful person she was. When Sean-Michael began to get fussy, Ned took back inside to Marita, who promptly went upstairs to feed him.
The next day, Marita woke bright and early. Even though she and Sean-Michael had their morning time, she was anxious about going home. It was a Saturday and Sean had planned on staying at the farm all day and not going into town. After they had breakfast with the family, Marita went back upstairs to pack their things. Alice, Lexy and Vivian helped and they were done in less than 1/2 an hour. The men then took all of Sean, Marita and Sean-Michael's things and loaded them into the carriage along with the baby crib and rocking chair. After Sean loaded Marita and the baby in the carriage, he and Lexy climbed in. Clay, Vivian and Alice rode in another carriage while Ned, Isaac and Jeremy mounted horses. The family then headed to Sean and Marita's.
Marita was happy to get home and breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into her foyer. The house was bright with sunlight and fresh with the smell of new flowers. Alice had sent some of the house staff to clean the house for Marita so that she could come home to a tidy house. Marita was pleasantly surprised to find the house clean and smelling fresh and thanked Alice.
Marita went upstairs to her room and lay Sean-Michael on the bed while the men brought up all of their belongings. After everything was in the inside, Marita began putting up the clothes while the men went downstairs to the den. Alice and Vivian helped Marita fold and put things away while Lexy played with Sean-Michael.
Aunt Eleanor had come an hour later to cook dinner. Marita told her it was not necessary but Auntie went about her business cooking. Marita tried to help but was told that she was not needed. Vivian could help, Auntie said. Vivian obediently fell in line and did what she was told while Marita obediently left the kitchen to find something to do.
It had been decided that the family would have dinner at Sean and Marita's, so they stayed for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. After a very satisfying dinner, they went into the den to play charades. After one game, Marita noticed Clay whispering in Vivian's ear and by the blush on her face, Marita guessed that Clay was ready to go home. Vivian wanted to stay awhile and enjoy the family gathering. It was still new to her how the Logans were such a close knit family. In the short time that she and Clay had been married, she had come to cherish these times with the family. Clay consented to stay but whispered to her that she would have to make it up to him when they got home. Vivian's blush became even brighter and she tingled inside thinking about what he would require in order for her to 'make it up to him'.
An hour later Sean-Michael woke for his feeding just as the family was saying their goodnights. Marita thanked Auntie for cooking dinner and said goodbye to everyone and went upstairs to feed the baby while Sean saw everyone out. When Sean made it upstairs, Marita was sitting at the foot of the bed still feeding the baby. He sat next to her watching Sean-Michael suckle Marita's breast.
"He's getting so big" Sean smiled as he rubbed the baby curls.
"He is" Marita agreed as she smiled at the baby. She rubbed her finger over the back of his hand which resting on the swell of her breast.
It was always a special time for Sean and Marita when Marita would feed the baby and Sean would sit next to her and watch. They usually did not say much but just watched as their son received his nourishment. After he got his full, Sean would take him and burp him. Marita always enjoyed watching Sean take the baby into his strong hands and be so gentle with him.
When Sean-Michael let out his burp, Sean took him off his shoulder and cradled him in his arms.
"You look like you enjoyed your dinner" Sean said when Sean-Michael began to grin.
Sean continued his one-sided conversation while Marita went to take a bath. Marita felt so good being home and she decided to take a leisurely bath. She had taken one of her romance novels and eased into the hot bath. After she washed, she settled back and read until her eyes started drooping. She then lay the book aside and decided to close her eyes for just a minute. When she opened her eyes again, it was two hours later. She got out of the bath, dried off and put on her silk robe and went back to her bedroom. When she walked in she saw Sean laid out across the bed without his shirt on with Sean-Michael resting comfortably on his chest. They were both asleep.
Marita went over to the bed and wrapped Sean's hands from around Sean-Michael. When she lifted the baby off his chest, Sean woke with a start.
"Huh?" he said in a sleepy voice. "Oh" he said when his eyes focused on Marita. "I must've fallen asleep" he said as he sat up.
"You much have" Marita teased as she settled the baby on her shoulder and took him to his crib.
After Sean had taken his bath, he got in bed and snuggled up behind Marita, who was laying on her side reading. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Once he fitted himself perfectly to her backside he rested the side of his face against hers.
"It's good to be home" he said.
"I know" Marita said, putting her book down and rubbing his forearm.
"Do you think we should look for somebody to come help you with the house?"
"No, Sean. I can take care of my own house."
"But now with the baby you probably won't have enough time to do everything."
"Sean, I'll be fine."
"What about when you start back working your normal hours for Pa?"
"What about it."
"Marita, you can't do everything."
"I'm not trying to do everything. I think I can take care of you, the baby, the house and do my job for your father."
"Well what about getting somebody to help with our books and with Auntie's Remedies?"
"Sean, I like what I do for Auntie's Remedies and it's not a problem for me to continue keeping our books. All I did was have a baby. I'm not an invalid you know."
"Alright, Marita. We'll see" he consented.
Sean then lay his head on the pillow and when to sleep while Marita picked up her book and resumed her reading. Sean-Michael lay peacefully in his crib, not knowing how much he would change his parents' life.
To Be Continued..................
Marita enjoyed her and Sean-Michael's early morning time together. She would often read the Bible to him and just enjoy holding him in her arms. She found out that he liked waking up in the wee hours of the morning, just to 'look her over'. And she soon found that she also enjoyed 'looking him over' in those early quiet hours. If it were not for Sean-Michael's pre sunrise wake up calls, Marita doubted if she would have ever held her baby. Between Lexy, Sean, Alice and Auntie, Marita rarely got to hold him in the daylight and early evening hours because one of them would snatch him up, saying Marita needed to get her rest.
Sean was once again a wonderful husband. For the first two weeks of Sean-Michael's life, Sean worked until noon, then came home for the rest of the day to be with Marita and the baby. He would bring Marita a flower, her favorite candy or fruit each day with a note that said 'Thank You'. Marita would smile, cry and say 'You're Welcome'. Then they would kiss and share their mornings with each other. Marita would then feed Sean-Michael if she had not done so already and if he was up and hungry. While Sean and Marita ate lunch, Alice, when she beat Lexy to him or Lexy would watch Sean-Michael.
Lexy had become Sean-Michael's constant companion. Whenever Lexy was not doing her lessons and chores and he was not asleep or eating, he was with Lexy. She dotted over him so much that Ned had to make sure she had done her lessons whenever he saw Lexy with the baby. Lexy would actually do battle with Sean for rights to hold Sean-Michael. Whenever Sean tried to get him, Lexy would put up a fuss about Sean needing to go back to work. Besides, she reasoned, they would eventually go home and she would not have as much time with him then.
Sean lost a few battles, but he did win some. Whenever he could get his son, he would take him out on the porch and sit in the swing and have a Pa-to-son talk with him. Sometimes, Sean-Michael would listen intently but other times he would fall asleep.
The first time Sean was able to steal Sean-Michael away from Lexy, he took the baby outside to his favorite tree in the back yard. He and Marita had climbed that tree a million times and they shared numerous fun times together under that tree. Now he held in his arms a product of one of the 'fun times' they shared together. Sean sat down on the grass and leaned back against the tree trunk. This was his first time alone with his son and he stared into the baby's face, wondering what, if anything, was going through his mind. He was held captive by his son's stare. Sean-Michael grinned at his father, making him laugh.
As he continued to look at the baby, Sean became astonished as his feelings for his baby began to intensify. He loved Sean-Michael because he was his. But Sean realized he loved the baby even more because his was a part of Marita.
"You don't know how happy you've made me Sean-Michael" he said as tears began to well up in his eyes. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you how much I love you but I want you to know that I do and always will. I was so happy when your Ma told me we were going to have you" Sean said as he remembered that day he found Marita sprawled on the floor of their bedroom. "And then, the day you were born..." Sean could not find adequate words to express how he felt that day.
Sean tried to continue to put his feelings for Sean-Michael into words but he could not seem to do it at that moment. After a few minutes of silent tears, Sean's mind drifted to Marita.
"You know, your mother and I use to climb this tree" Sean said. "I taught her how to climb and she thought she was a better tree climber than me" he laughed. "She use to like to out do me in everything, but what she didn't know was that whenever she beat me at something, I would let her win" Sean confided, then laughed, knowing he never really LET her beat him. Whenever she would beat him, she did it all on her own. Sean then told Sean-Michael about the first time that he showed Marita how to climb a tree.
******************
Libby had woken and could not go back to sleep. She had gotten up to go downstairs and get a book to read. When she walked into the study she saw two figures sitting near the window. The curtain was open and the full moon provided light. Libby was startled then her eyes focus on the figures.
"What are you children doing out of bed?" she asked as she walked over to the lantern and lit it.
Marita was staying with the Logans because Isaac had to go to Philadelphia. Sean and Marita were playing Cowboys and Indians with Sean's stick men.
"We're playing Ma" Sean said, thinking that it was obvious what they were doing.
"It's after midnight! Both of you get back upstairs and into bed. And go to sleep." At times, Libby had to be very specific in her instructions to these two.
The playmates gathered up the stick men and headed back upstairs. The next morning, Marita woke at her usual early hour but Sean slept until Libby had to wake him for his lessons. By the time Sean and Marita had finished their lessons and chores, it was lunchtime. Marita had fallen asleep after lunch and it was now 4:00.
"Ms Libby, can I have a cookie?" five-year-old Marita asked.
Libby looked up from her dusting to see a half woke Marita standing, rubbing her eyes. Marita always liked having a cookie when she rose from her afternoon nap.
"So, you finally woke up" she said as she smile at Marita.
"Yes ma'am" Marita answered as she opened her mouth wide and yawned.
"Cover your mouth sweetheart" Libby said.
"Yes ma'am" Marita as she finished her yawn.
Libby led Marita into the dinning room and opened the cookie jar and gave her a cookie.
"Thank you" Marita said as she took the cookie.
"Your welcome" Libby smiled. She had been teaching the children to say 'thank you' and Marita was learning fast, but Sean still had not gotten those two words in his vocabulary.
Marita followed Libby back into the den, with her cookie in hand. After she finished eating it, she asked if she could help Ms. Libby with the dusting. Libby told her she was just about finished. Marita then asked if she could go outside and Libby told her 'yes' and that Sean was in the back yard.
"What you doing up there?" Marita asked when she saw Sean up in the tree.
"Climbing" Sean answered.
"You better get down fore you fall."
"I ain't gonna fall" Sean said in an indignant voice.
"How you know?" Marita asked.
"Cause I know how to climb!" He was appalled that Marita doubted his skills. "You wanna climb?"
Marita shrugged her shoulders.
"C'mon. I'll show you how" he said as he climbed down from the tree.
When Sean reached the ground he instructed Marita, step by step, as he climbed back up the tree. Marita was forever the excellent student and followed him. She reached a branch to settle on and stayed there while Sean went higher. Sean looked back and saw that Marita had settled on one of the low branches.
"You ain't gonna come up here?" he asked as he continued to climb higher.
"No" she said. She had gone as far as she intended to go.
"Why? You scared?"
"No. I just don't wanna go up there."
"Yes you are scared" Sean said in a challenging voice after he had settled on a branch.
"No I'm not!" Marita insisted.
"Marita is a chicken. Marita is a chicken" Sean taunted.
"I don't care what you say." Marita may have been a chicken, but she was not stupid. She knew this was her first time in a tree and she was not about to take a chance and fall because she was trying to keep up with Sean. "And you better stop going way up there fore you fall all the way down on the ground."
"I told you I'm not gonna fall" he said, again indignant that Marita could think that he would fall out of the tree. "I bet I can fly like the birds."
"You caint fly!"
"How you know?"
"Cause you ain't got wings silly!"
"I got arms" Sean said. At that moment a bird flew by and Sean got inspired. "Watch, I'll show you."
"You better not. I'm gonna tell Ms. Libby and you gonna get a spankin'"
"You better not tell" Sean said, then proceeded to jump from the branch, with his arms flapping.
Sean quickly realized that he was going down and not up and knew then that he should have listened to Marita. He hit the ground hard, then let out a piercing cry.
"I told you you couldn't fly!" Marita yelled then carefully climbed down from the tree.
"My arms hurts!" he yelled.
When Marita hit the ground, she started running back to the house.
"Ms Libby! Ms Libby! Ms Libby" she screamed.
She rushed into the house yelling at the top of her lungs. Libby had been upstairs tending to 4 year old Clay, who was in bed sick with a cold. When she heard Marita yelling she rushed to the stairs then down them. Marita was running from room to room looking for Libby.
"Marita honey, what's wrong?" Libby said, trying to stay calm.
"Sean was tryin to fly and he fell. Now he's on the ground screamin'. He said his arm hurts."
Libby rushed out, with Marita on her heels, to Sean. He was rolling from side to side, holding his arm.
"AW" he cried over and over again as the pain radiated through his arm.
Libby bent down beside him and stilled his rolling. She touched his arm and he let out a scream.
"AAWWW!!! DON'T TOUCH IT MA!! IT HURTS!!!"
Ned, who had come up to the house and heard the screaming, rushed to the back of the house to find Sean lying on his back crying and Libby and Marita kneeling next to him.
"What happened?!"
"Sean was tryin' to fly and fell out the tree. I told him not to do it but he did anyway" Marita explained.
Ned would have laughed if his son were not in such excruciating pain.
"I think his arms is broken Ned" Libby said in a worried voice.
"I'll send one of the hands to get the doctor" he said then left to find someone.
By the time Ned returned, they were still on the ground. Libby was trying to convince Sean to let her carry him inside. He insisted that he did not want to move because every time he moved an inch, he would feel pain.
"Son, we need to get you to bed" Ned said in a firm voice.
"Pa! My arm hurts!"
"I know son. We've sent for the doctor but you've got to get to bed."
Ned bent down and picked Sean up. Libby and Marita followed as Ned took Sean upstairs to his room. Ned laid him gently on the bed, then Libby sat next to him trying to comfort him. Marita climbed up on the bed and sat on her haunches and watch Libby try to console Sean.
"Why's Sean cryin'" Clay asked from the doorway.
Libby looked up when she heard her other son's voice. "Clay what are you doing out of bed?"
"I heard somebody cryin'" he said as he walked inside the room.
"Your brother was trying to fly" Ned said with laughter in his voice.
"Ned, this isn't a laughing matter!" Libby frowned at him.
Ned did not agree but he was wise enough not to tell Libby that. Clay had made it to the bed and was trying to climb up. Ned helped him and now Sean had four sets of eyes watching him. When the doctor arrived, he set Sean's arm then put it in a sling and said he would be back in a week to check on it. Libby informed Sean that he was to stay in bed for the rest of the day and Sean put up a fuss until Ned told him to that his mother's word was final. Sean reluctantly gave up the fight and settled down for a boring evening.
*********************
"Your mother stayed and tried to take care of me that night" Sean laughed. "I am right handed and broke my right arm and she took it upon herself to feed me dinner that night. She's always trying to help out. But we ended up making a big mess" Sean said as he smiled at the memory.
By this time, Sean-Michael was sound asleep and Sean took him back inside. He walked into the den with the baby on his shoulder and found Marita sitting behind the desk.
"Is he sleep?" Marita asked when she looked up.
"Yeah" Sean said.
He walked over to the basket Marita had made up for Sean-Michael to lie in when he was downstairs. He gently laid the baby down, then covered him with a blanket. After that, he walked over and sat down in the chair against the wall and told Marita about Jeb Calloway, who had come by the warehouse that day. He was a distributor of cigars and Sean had apparently given him a cigar on the street the day after Sean-Michael was born. Mr. Calloway tasted the cigar and liked it so much that he wanted to do business with S&M Tobacco. Sean told Marita about the meeting and that he wanted to write up a contract to present to Mr. Calloway. They spent the afternoon doing that until Sean-Michael woke for his feeding.
Two weeks after Sean-Michael's birth, Sean went back to working full days. He would leave early and sometimes come home for lunch. Usually when he made it home for dinner, Marita was waiting for him because she would have already feed and settled Sean-Michael down.
The last two weeks at Ned's went by fast for Sean and Marita. They had gotten into a routine with the baby and Sean was busy with the tobacco business and Marita was busy doing her normal duties for Ned, reading her romance novels Sean had brought her and knitting things for Sean-Michael.
The day before Sean, Marita and the baby were to go home, Ned was finally able to steal Sean-Michael away from Lexy. He took the baby and walked out to Libby's grave.
"Well, Libby" he said as he looked at the baby cradled in his arms. "We have a grandson. Lexy's taken with him and I'm going to hate to see her when he goes home" he laughed. "I wish you were here to see him Libby and enjoy holding him in your arms. I think he's a happy baby because he's always smiling. He does remind me of Sean when he was born" Ned paused a moment as he began to feel Libby's absence, something he always did when he came to the grave to talk to her. "I think you'd be proud of our grandson Libby" Ned said with tears in his voice.
Ned stood at Libby grave for the next several minutes just looking at his grandchild. His heart was saddened that Sean-Michael would never know the love of his grandmother.
"I think you would have spoiled him Libby" Ned said as a tear escaped his eye.
Ned spent the next few minutes telling Sean-Michael about his grandmother and what a wonderful person she was. When Sean-Michael began to get fussy, Ned took back inside to Marita, who promptly went upstairs to feed him.
The next day, Marita woke bright and early. Even though she and Sean-Michael had their morning time, she was anxious about going home. It was a Saturday and Sean had planned on staying at the farm all day and not going into town. After they had breakfast with the family, Marita went back upstairs to pack their things. Alice, Lexy and Vivian helped and they were done in less than 1/2 an hour. The men then took all of Sean, Marita and Sean-Michael's things and loaded them into the carriage along with the baby crib and rocking chair. After Sean loaded Marita and the baby in the carriage, he and Lexy climbed in. Clay, Vivian and Alice rode in another carriage while Ned, Isaac and Jeremy mounted horses. The family then headed to Sean and Marita's.
Marita was happy to get home and breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into her foyer. The house was bright with sunlight and fresh with the smell of new flowers. Alice had sent some of the house staff to clean the house for Marita so that she could come home to a tidy house. Marita was pleasantly surprised to find the house clean and smelling fresh and thanked Alice.
Marita went upstairs to her room and lay Sean-Michael on the bed while the men brought up all of their belongings. After everything was in the inside, Marita began putting up the clothes while the men went downstairs to the den. Alice and Vivian helped Marita fold and put things away while Lexy played with Sean-Michael.
Aunt Eleanor had come an hour later to cook dinner. Marita told her it was not necessary but Auntie went about her business cooking. Marita tried to help but was told that she was not needed. Vivian could help, Auntie said. Vivian obediently fell in line and did what she was told while Marita obediently left the kitchen to find something to do.
It had been decided that the family would have dinner at Sean and Marita's, so they stayed for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. After a very satisfying dinner, they went into the den to play charades. After one game, Marita noticed Clay whispering in Vivian's ear and by the blush on her face, Marita guessed that Clay was ready to go home. Vivian wanted to stay awhile and enjoy the family gathering. It was still new to her how the Logans were such a close knit family. In the short time that she and Clay had been married, she had come to cherish these times with the family. Clay consented to stay but whispered to her that she would have to make it up to him when they got home. Vivian's blush became even brighter and she tingled inside thinking about what he would require in order for her to 'make it up to him'.
An hour later Sean-Michael woke for his feeding just as the family was saying their goodnights. Marita thanked Auntie for cooking dinner and said goodbye to everyone and went upstairs to feed the baby while Sean saw everyone out. When Sean made it upstairs, Marita was sitting at the foot of the bed still feeding the baby. He sat next to her watching Sean-Michael suckle Marita's breast.
"He's getting so big" Sean smiled as he rubbed the baby curls.
"He is" Marita agreed as she smiled at the baby. She rubbed her finger over the back of his hand which resting on the swell of her breast.
It was always a special time for Sean and Marita when Marita would feed the baby and Sean would sit next to her and watch. They usually did not say much but just watched as their son received his nourishment. After he got his full, Sean would take him and burp him. Marita always enjoyed watching Sean take the baby into his strong hands and be so gentle with him.
When Sean-Michael let out his burp, Sean took him off his shoulder and cradled him in his arms.
"You look like you enjoyed your dinner" Sean said when Sean-Michael began to grin.
Sean continued his one-sided conversation while Marita went to take a bath. Marita felt so good being home and she decided to take a leisurely bath. She had taken one of her romance novels and eased into the hot bath. After she washed, she settled back and read until her eyes started drooping. She then lay the book aside and decided to close her eyes for just a minute. When she opened her eyes again, it was two hours later. She got out of the bath, dried off and put on her silk robe and went back to her bedroom. When she walked in she saw Sean laid out across the bed without his shirt on with Sean-Michael resting comfortably on his chest. They were both asleep.
Marita went over to the bed and wrapped Sean's hands from around Sean-Michael. When she lifted the baby off his chest, Sean woke with a start.
"Huh?" he said in a sleepy voice. "Oh" he said when his eyes focused on Marita. "I must've fallen asleep" he said as he sat up.
"You much have" Marita teased as she settled the baby on her shoulder and took him to his crib.
After Sean had taken his bath, he got in bed and snuggled up behind Marita, who was laying on her side reading. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Once he fitted himself perfectly to her backside he rested the side of his face against hers.
"It's good to be home" he said.
"I know" Marita said, putting her book down and rubbing his forearm.
"Do you think we should look for somebody to come help you with the house?"
"No, Sean. I can take care of my own house."
"But now with the baby you probably won't have enough time to do everything."
"Sean, I'll be fine."
"What about when you start back working your normal hours for Pa?"
"What about it."
"Marita, you can't do everything."
"I'm not trying to do everything. I think I can take care of you, the baby, the house and do my job for your father."
"Well what about getting somebody to help with our books and with Auntie's Remedies?"
"Sean, I like what I do for Auntie's Remedies and it's not a problem for me to continue keeping our books. All I did was have a baby. I'm not an invalid you know."
"Alright, Marita. We'll see" he consented.
Sean then lay his head on the pillow and when to sleep while Marita picked up her book and resumed her reading. Sean-Michael lay peacefully in his crib, not knowing how much he would change his parents' life.
To Be Continued..................
