Walking into the house was strange. We had talked so many times
about bringing our child home. He always said he would carry us both
across the threshold, now as I stepped over it my daughter hiccuped. I
smiled down at her. She didn't know what was going on, some day she would
but for now she was innocent. "Mrs Carter, we weren't expecting you home."
"Don't worry about it Amanda, we'll be fine." I said to the maid. She had been one of Gamma's staff who had stayed on when John and I decided to move into the mansion. She was also going to be the babies nanny when I eventually decide to go back to work.
"the house won't be the same now." The deep voice came from the corner of the hallway. I turned to see Algeirs standing.
"I know, but somehow we have to manage." I didn't know where this strong voice was coming from. Inside I was cracking up but somehow for them I was managing to keep it together. "Algeirs can you help me upstairs please."
"Of course Mrs Carter." I loved hearing that name, although I used to hate it. it made me sound like John's mother. Algeirs took the bag from me as I carried my daughter upstairs and into her nursery. John had decorated it himself. I lay her down in the crib and left her, walking towards our room. Opening the door I could see Algiers placing my bag down.
"How are things coming along?" I asked, knowing he knew what I was talking about.
"Very well. I contacted Mr Carter the other day and he is on his way. He was supposed to be here yesterday but he is stuck in London until tomorrow morning. The other Mrs Carter will arrive at the same time. The funeral is set for the day after. Mrs Carter, I never got the chance to say how sorry I was about Master John passing."
Hearing his name made the tears well in my eyes again. "thank you Algeirs, I'd like to be on my own now. Thank you for everything." Algeirs nodded and left me alone. I stood there in the middle of the bedroom we shared and began to cry. So much had been said in this room, so many promises made. Now there was nothing. I stared at the bed. Perfectly made by Amanda. I walked to his side and picked up his pillow. Placing it beside my face I could smell his cologne, his sweat, him. I sat down and looked to his bedside cabinet. I smiled at the photo he had sitting beside the alarm clock. It had been taken on our honeymoon in Barbados. We had just come out of the sea and had lain back down on our towels. He grabbed me and stuck the camera in front of us and took the photo. Our faces were squashed together and too close to the camera but it was such a great photo. Sitting beside the frame was a notebook. Picking it up I read the top line of the page.
NAMES FOR BABY
Ellie Trueman Carter
Millie Margaret Carter
Robyn Millicent Carter
Mackenzie Abigail Carter
I smiled, he must have thought of them after she had been born. None of them were names we had discussed previously but I have to admit I love
the name Ellie. SO my daughter is named, Ellie Trueman Carter. Just at that she began to cry. I walked back to her room and picked her up from her crib. "Hey there Ellie, it's all right. Mommy's here. I'm not going
anywhere. I promise."
"Don't worry about it Amanda, we'll be fine." I said to the maid. She had been one of Gamma's staff who had stayed on when John and I decided to move into the mansion. She was also going to be the babies nanny when I eventually decide to go back to work.
"the house won't be the same now." The deep voice came from the corner of the hallway. I turned to see Algeirs standing.
"I know, but somehow we have to manage." I didn't know where this strong voice was coming from. Inside I was cracking up but somehow for them I was managing to keep it together. "Algeirs can you help me upstairs please."
"Of course Mrs Carter." I loved hearing that name, although I used to hate it. it made me sound like John's mother. Algeirs took the bag from me as I carried my daughter upstairs and into her nursery. John had decorated it himself. I lay her down in the crib and left her, walking towards our room. Opening the door I could see Algiers placing my bag down.
"How are things coming along?" I asked, knowing he knew what I was talking about.
"Very well. I contacted Mr Carter the other day and he is on his way. He was supposed to be here yesterday but he is stuck in London until tomorrow morning. The other Mrs Carter will arrive at the same time. The funeral is set for the day after. Mrs Carter, I never got the chance to say how sorry I was about Master John passing."
Hearing his name made the tears well in my eyes again. "thank you Algeirs, I'd like to be on my own now. Thank you for everything." Algeirs nodded and left me alone. I stood there in the middle of the bedroom we shared and began to cry. So much had been said in this room, so many promises made. Now there was nothing. I stared at the bed. Perfectly made by Amanda. I walked to his side and picked up his pillow. Placing it beside my face I could smell his cologne, his sweat, him. I sat down and looked to his bedside cabinet. I smiled at the photo he had sitting beside the alarm clock. It had been taken on our honeymoon in Barbados. We had just come out of the sea and had lain back down on our towels. He grabbed me and stuck the camera in front of us and took the photo. Our faces were squashed together and too close to the camera but it was such a great photo. Sitting beside the frame was a notebook. Picking it up I read the top line of the page.
NAMES FOR BABY
Ellie Trueman Carter
Millie Margaret Carter
Robyn Millicent Carter
Mackenzie Abigail Carter
I smiled, he must have thought of them after she had been born. None of them were names we had discussed previously but I have to admit I love
the name Ellie. SO my daughter is named, Ellie Trueman Carter. Just at that she began to cry. I walked back to her room and picked her up from her crib. "Hey there Ellie, it's all right. Mommy's here. I'm not going
anywhere. I promise."