Though Evelyn was annoyed with Rick for not thinking their baby was beautiful, his sweet, gentle, loving kiss quickly dissipated her irritation. And the smile he gave her when the kiss ended filled her with loving warmth that was beyond words.
"I" she smiled back at him. "No doubt look a horrid mess!"
To Rick, she looked ghastly gorgeous.
"No doubt..." he paused grinning, causing Evelyn's bottom lip to drop at the mere thought that he would agree that she looked a horrid mess. "You are the most beautiful 'horrid mess'" he tried mimicking her accent. "I've ever seen."
Evelyn was suddenly overcome with emotion at his soft words.
"I love you Rick" she whispered as a teardrop ran over her eyelid and down her cheek.
"I still can't" Rick, succumbing to his own emotions, spoke in a voice cracked with his own emotion. "Figure out why... you do" he said as he ran his finger up the side of her cheek to catch the teardrop.
Time seemed to stand still as Rick and Evelyn sat looking at each other, then at the child they had created. Silence permeated the room because words were inadequate for this special moment of bonding between parents and child. But love, love that could never be adequately described also permeated the room.
Finally, a knock at the door broke the loving tranquil.
"Come in" Rick called out.
"Evelyn dear" Sister Abigail, with Jonathan, food tray in hand, on her heels, said as soon as she opened the door. "I expect you to eat every single bit..." she trailed off when she saw Evelyn sitting up holding the baby. "Well I see you do have enough strength to hold that baby" she smiled as she walked up to the bed.
"Yes, I do" Evelyn looked up at the Sister and smiled.
"Well" Sister Abigail said as she reached down for the baby. "It is time for you to eat" she said in a very motherly voice as Evelyn gave over the baby. "You need your strength dear. And this little one" she smiled down at the baby in her arms. "Will be waking shortly, demanding sustenance" she said as she walked over to the bassinet.
Evelyn ate every single bit of food Sister Abigail had prepared for her. And Sister Abigail did not even mind that it would take her a few hours to do so. Rick, on the other hand, ate his food in a matter of minutes. Sister Abigail frowned a bit because since the day Rick had come to the convent, she had tried to teach him to eat slower. To her disappointment, she had failed in that task.
Sister Abigail was right about the baby waking shortly. And the baby proved to be very demanding. When he woke, he let out a piercing cry that gave his mother a start.
"The little tike has a healthy set of lungs Evy" Jonathan informed his startled sister.
"What's wrong with him?" Evelyn asked in an obviously worried tone as she stopped the spoon midway to her mouth and set it back down in the bowl of soup. "Is he alright" she looked at Sister Abigail.
"He is fine" Sister Abigail laughed as she walked over to the bassinet. "He is just hungry and letting us all know that he is ready to eat."
"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave" Jonathan said. "Evy, I'm going into town. I'll see you and the nephew later this evening" he said as he turned to walk out of the room.
"Stay out of trouble Jonathan" Evelyn said as Rick picked up the food tray and went and set it on the bureau.
"Sure thing... sure thing" he said as he exited the room.
"Richard" Sister Abigail said as she leaned over and placed the crying baby in his mother's arm. "You may excuse yourself also."
"Why" Rick asked as he walked back over to the bedside.
Sister Abigail thought of herself as quite a progressive woman. There were many things that she thought of as prude and old fashion. But a man watching as a woman breast-fed her baby was not one of them.
Yes, Richard was her husband. He was the father. And Sister Abigail was sure, reasonable sure, that he had seen Evelyn unclothed before. He had, Sister Abigail recalled, helped her dry and dress Evelyn after the baby was delivered. But that was an extreme circumstance. And he had been in the room when the baby suckled during Evelyn's unconsciousness. But he had been so far-gone that Sister Abigail knew that he did not have the faintest idea what was going on around him.
But now, all was well and there was no need for him to sit gaping at his wife's exposed bosom.
"Evelyn is about to feed the baby" Sister Abigail said in a very reasonable voice as she looked up at him.
Rick looked down at Sister Abigail. Did she think he had never seen Evelyn naked before? If she knew ½ of what he had done to Evelyn's naked body… he mentally blushed at the thought of revealing something like that to Sister Abigail.
"Sister Abigail" Evelyn said over the cries of her baby. "I'd like Rick to stay. Please."
Sister Abigail hesitated a moment but relented.
"As you wish dear" she said as she leaned over and helped Evelyn unbutton her gown and situate the baby's mouth to her breast. "There you go" she said to the baby once he had latched onto his mother's nipple.
Once Sister Abigail stepped back, Rick resumed his place on the bed next to mother and child. Sister Abigail smiled down at the family and was filled with happiness for Rick. She loved all the children that came to her at the convent, but Rick had always been special to her because he always seemed to need just a bit more love.
And now, it was apparent to her that Evelyn had been able to give him the all the love he had been longing for.
"I'll be downstairs" Sister Abigail informed them. "Richard, come and fetch me when the baby is done" she said as she turned to leave the room.
"Yes ma'am" Rick answered as he gazed down at his son.
Evelyn too was gazing down at her son and her heart melted again and again. With each tug on her breast, her baby was pulling at her heartstrings and causing her to fall in love with him over and over again.
"Alexander" Evelyn said as she watched the baby's tiny jaws suckle. "Do you think he looks like an 'Alexander'" she asked Rick as she ran a finger over the baby's cheek.
Evelyn admired Alexander the Great and his name came up when Evelyn brought up the subject of a name for the baby. To Rick, it did not matter much what they named him (as long as it was not Richard Jr.). So when Evelyn had suggested Alexander, Rick agreed.
"Sure" Rick said, thinking all he looked like to him was 'a baby'.
Little Alexander, or Little Alex, the abbreviation first coming from his Uncle Jonathan, suckled hungrily, making smacking sounds, which gave his parents a laugh. When Little Alex and drained both of his mother's mounds of milk, Rick went to retrieve Sister Abigail.
Sister Abigail returned to the room and showed Evelyn how to burp the baby. After she finished, Sister Abigail insisted that she resume eating. Sister Abigail took the satiated baby from his mother's arms and placed him in his father's still unsure arms, then set the tray of food back in front of Evelyn.
It was not long before Evelyn's eyes began to droop.
"Eat just a few more bits for me dear" Sister Abigail said. "Then you can rest."
Evelyn obeyed and was shortly easing back into a lying position.
"Rick" she said, her voice betraying how weary she was. "Lay him here, next to me."
Rick carefully laid the baby on the bed and within minutes, mother and baby were laying side by side, sound asleep.
"Richard" Sister Abigail spoke in a quiet voice. "You need to get rest also" she said as she tenderly rubbed his back.
Rick was not sure he was ready for sleep yet. As he sat looking down at the two greatest miracles in his life, he thought he would never be able to take his eyes off of them.
"Sister Abigail" Rick said, his voice tender with emotion, his gaze still fixed on his wife and child.
"Yes son" Sister Abigail, who had began to retreat from the room, turned back toward Rick.
"I'll never be able to pay you back for what you did for me" he said.
"Seeing you now, with your wife and son is more than enough payment" Sister Abigail smiled.
"Thank you... for saving them" he moaned as he fought to hold back his tears.
"It was my pleasure."
"I" she smiled back at him. "No doubt look a horrid mess!"
To Rick, she looked ghastly gorgeous.
"No doubt..." he paused grinning, causing Evelyn's bottom lip to drop at the mere thought that he would agree that she looked a horrid mess. "You are the most beautiful 'horrid mess'" he tried mimicking her accent. "I've ever seen."
Evelyn was suddenly overcome with emotion at his soft words.
"I love you Rick" she whispered as a teardrop ran over her eyelid and down her cheek.
"I still can't" Rick, succumbing to his own emotions, spoke in a voice cracked with his own emotion. "Figure out why... you do" he said as he ran his finger up the side of her cheek to catch the teardrop.
Time seemed to stand still as Rick and Evelyn sat looking at each other, then at the child they had created. Silence permeated the room because words were inadequate for this special moment of bonding between parents and child. But love, love that could never be adequately described also permeated the room.
Finally, a knock at the door broke the loving tranquil.
"Come in" Rick called out.
"Evelyn dear" Sister Abigail, with Jonathan, food tray in hand, on her heels, said as soon as she opened the door. "I expect you to eat every single bit..." she trailed off when she saw Evelyn sitting up holding the baby. "Well I see you do have enough strength to hold that baby" she smiled as she walked up to the bed.
"Yes, I do" Evelyn looked up at the Sister and smiled.
"Well" Sister Abigail said as she reached down for the baby. "It is time for you to eat" she said in a very motherly voice as Evelyn gave over the baby. "You need your strength dear. And this little one" she smiled down at the baby in her arms. "Will be waking shortly, demanding sustenance" she said as she walked over to the bassinet.
Evelyn ate every single bit of food Sister Abigail had prepared for her. And Sister Abigail did not even mind that it would take her a few hours to do so. Rick, on the other hand, ate his food in a matter of minutes. Sister Abigail frowned a bit because since the day Rick had come to the convent, she had tried to teach him to eat slower. To her disappointment, she had failed in that task.
Sister Abigail was right about the baby waking shortly. And the baby proved to be very demanding. When he woke, he let out a piercing cry that gave his mother a start.
"The little tike has a healthy set of lungs Evy" Jonathan informed his startled sister.
"What's wrong with him?" Evelyn asked in an obviously worried tone as she stopped the spoon midway to her mouth and set it back down in the bowl of soup. "Is he alright" she looked at Sister Abigail.
"He is fine" Sister Abigail laughed as she walked over to the bassinet. "He is just hungry and letting us all know that he is ready to eat."
"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave" Jonathan said. "Evy, I'm going into town. I'll see you and the nephew later this evening" he said as he turned to walk out of the room.
"Stay out of trouble Jonathan" Evelyn said as Rick picked up the food tray and went and set it on the bureau.
"Sure thing... sure thing" he said as he exited the room.
"Richard" Sister Abigail said as she leaned over and placed the crying baby in his mother's arm. "You may excuse yourself also."
"Why" Rick asked as he walked back over to the bedside.
Sister Abigail thought of herself as quite a progressive woman. There were many things that she thought of as prude and old fashion. But a man watching as a woman breast-fed her baby was not one of them.
Yes, Richard was her husband. He was the father. And Sister Abigail was sure, reasonable sure, that he had seen Evelyn unclothed before. He had, Sister Abigail recalled, helped her dry and dress Evelyn after the baby was delivered. But that was an extreme circumstance. And he had been in the room when the baby suckled during Evelyn's unconsciousness. But he had been so far-gone that Sister Abigail knew that he did not have the faintest idea what was going on around him.
But now, all was well and there was no need for him to sit gaping at his wife's exposed bosom.
"Evelyn is about to feed the baby" Sister Abigail said in a very reasonable voice as she looked up at him.
Rick looked down at Sister Abigail. Did she think he had never seen Evelyn naked before? If she knew ½ of what he had done to Evelyn's naked body… he mentally blushed at the thought of revealing something like that to Sister Abigail.
"Sister Abigail" Evelyn said over the cries of her baby. "I'd like Rick to stay. Please."
Sister Abigail hesitated a moment but relented.
"As you wish dear" she said as she leaned over and helped Evelyn unbutton her gown and situate the baby's mouth to her breast. "There you go" she said to the baby once he had latched onto his mother's nipple.
Once Sister Abigail stepped back, Rick resumed his place on the bed next to mother and child. Sister Abigail smiled down at the family and was filled with happiness for Rick. She loved all the children that came to her at the convent, but Rick had always been special to her because he always seemed to need just a bit more love.
And now, it was apparent to her that Evelyn had been able to give him the all the love he had been longing for.
"I'll be downstairs" Sister Abigail informed them. "Richard, come and fetch me when the baby is done" she said as she turned to leave the room.
"Yes ma'am" Rick answered as he gazed down at his son.
Evelyn too was gazing down at her son and her heart melted again and again. With each tug on her breast, her baby was pulling at her heartstrings and causing her to fall in love with him over and over again.
"Alexander" Evelyn said as she watched the baby's tiny jaws suckle. "Do you think he looks like an 'Alexander'" she asked Rick as she ran a finger over the baby's cheek.
Evelyn admired Alexander the Great and his name came up when Evelyn brought up the subject of a name for the baby. To Rick, it did not matter much what they named him (as long as it was not Richard Jr.). So when Evelyn had suggested Alexander, Rick agreed.
"Sure" Rick said, thinking all he looked like to him was 'a baby'.
Little Alexander, or Little Alex, the abbreviation first coming from his Uncle Jonathan, suckled hungrily, making smacking sounds, which gave his parents a laugh. When Little Alex and drained both of his mother's mounds of milk, Rick went to retrieve Sister Abigail.
Sister Abigail returned to the room and showed Evelyn how to burp the baby. After she finished, Sister Abigail insisted that she resume eating. Sister Abigail took the satiated baby from his mother's arms and placed him in his father's still unsure arms, then set the tray of food back in front of Evelyn.
It was not long before Evelyn's eyes began to droop.
"Eat just a few more bits for me dear" Sister Abigail said. "Then you can rest."
Evelyn obeyed and was shortly easing back into a lying position.
"Rick" she said, her voice betraying how weary she was. "Lay him here, next to me."
Rick carefully laid the baby on the bed and within minutes, mother and baby were laying side by side, sound asleep.
"Richard" Sister Abigail spoke in a quiet voice. "You need to get rest also" she said as she tenderly rubbed his back.
Rick was not sure he was ready for sleep yet. As he sat looking down at the two greatest miracles in his life, he thought he would never be able to take his eyes off of them.
"Sister Abigail" Rick said, his voice tender with emotion, his gaze still fixed on his wife and child.
"Yes son" Sister Abigail, who had began to retreat from the room, turned back toward Rick.
"I'll never be able to pay you back for what you did for me" he said.
"Seeing you now, with your wife and son is more than enough payment" Sister Abigail smiled.
"Thank you... for saving them" he moaned as he fought to hold back his tears.
"It was my pleasure."