Chapter 2 ~ How I Loved You Then
Gil was looking at another picture now, a candid photo of Christine and her sister trimming the Christmas tree. That Christmas, he remembered, was a special one. That Christmas Eve was their first night together. That one night altered the course of their lives.

Christine sounded upset over the phone that January afternoon. Gil could tell that she had been crying… something had to be very wrong.
"Gil, I'm pregnant."
He couldn't speak. Finally, Christine asked, "Gil, are you still there?"
"I'm here," he said.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen…"
"I know. Neither of us did. But we'll be okay, Christine. We'll get married, I'll get a job, I'll take care of you and the baby, I promise. It will be okay… I promise."
He couldn't promise that, and they both knew it, but the words were comforting. "I know you will, Gil. I trust you."
They were married in a small, private ceremony in their hometown; by that time Christine was three months pregnant. Gil continued to attend college, taking part time jobs on the weekends to pay for the one-bedroom apartment they rented. Christine also went to school until her sixth month, when the pregnancy finally forced her to stay home. Thankfully, she had no complications, and if she had any fears or doubts, she never let them show. She even talked about having more children, once they were through with school and could support a large family.
Christine's labor was long and difficult. Gil stayed with her, holding her hand and wishing he could work some sort of magic to take away her pain. After nearly 24 hours, Julian Grissom took his first breath. There was no greater moment in Gil's life than when he held his beautiful son in his arms for the first time.

Gil held two pictures in his hands. The first was of Christine, eight months pregnant and smiling radiantly, thrilled to be carrying Gil's child. He remembered how happy she had been, and how she dreamed of having a big family. The second picture was of Julian at the age of six months.

Like his mother, Julian was always smiling. If he ever was sad, all he needed was to hear his father's voice. He adored Gil, and if nothing else would make him stop crying, a lullaby from his daddy would make him brighten instantly. Gil never sang much, but he loved to sing to Julian.
*Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee,
All through the night,
Guardian angels God will lend thee,
All through the night,
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loving vigil keeping,
All through the night…*
That was Gil's favorite lullaby, because it told his son that he was safe, as long as his father was near. How was Gil to know that there would come a day when he couldn't protect him?

***
Summer skies and lullabies
Nights we couldn't say good-bye
And of all of the things that we knew
Not a dream survived
***