Chapter 2: Adjustments

Holly stared at Horace, not knowing what to expect. The look in his eyes showed that he was torn between his heart and his head. His heart was telling him not to let anything stand in the way of him being with the woman he loved, while his head told him everything that he had been taught to believe. He had nothing against colored people, but he had always been self-conscious and worried about what other people would think. What would people think if he continued to court Holly? Everyone would eventually find out that Mary was Holly's daughter. Holly was obviously not the least bit ashamed of who her daughter was.

"What should I wait for?" Holly wondered. "Aren't you going to walk away eventually anyway?"

"Holly, ya gotta give me a little more credit than that. This is a big surprise to me, ya know. Ya coulda at least told me about it."

"I didn't think I would ever see her again, so I figured it was best not to talk about it. I've been running from my father, because he took her away from me. I don't want to keep running because people don't accept me for the life I chose to lead when I was younger. I don't want to be judged, but I know that I will be. That won't make me change my mind. I love my daughter. Nothing you or anyone else can say will make me give her up again."

"So you were just gonna keep this secret buried inside of ya? You were never gonna tell me?"

"I didn't see the point, Horace," Holly replied. "There's no use in tellin' people somethin' they're gonna turn their backs on ya for. It's not that I was ashamed. I just didn't see the need in losing everyone I care about because of something that happened in the past. I love my little girl, and if I could go back into the past and change what happened, I wouldn't. I loved her father very much, and she is his legacy. She is what he left behind. When I look at her, I will be able to relive how happy Marcus and I were, and anyone who has a problem with that is no friend of mine." She waited for him to say something, but she could see that he was beyond words at the moment. She decided to give him some space to examine the details of this afternoon. She needed to spend time with her little girl anyway. "Come along, Mary." Holly put her daughter down and took her by the hand, leading her out of the telegraph office and over to the clinic.

The moon rested high on a cloud in the foggy night sky as the coyotes howled and the wind rustled the leaves in the trees. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning lit up the clouds just above Pike's Peak. Colorado Springs was in for a major storm while the Sully family obliviously lay nestled in their beds at their home.

Elizabeth and Josef had taken it upon themselves to stay one extra night at the homestead before starting to move into their nearly finished homestead that was just five miles away from Michaela and Sully's. Dr. and Mrs. Quinn were sleeping down the hall in Brian's room. Brian was sleeping on a makeshift bed on Matthew's floor. Wolf and Pup were curled up beside him. Matthew was deep in a dream about Ingrid. Down the hall, Colleen was sleeping peacefully, happy that she had two new little brothers, but hoping silently for a little sister to come along soon.

The exhausted but proud parents were both in a deep sleep. Michaela had subconsciously rolled over and tucked herself against Sully. His arms had wrapped around her in his sleep, and they were keeping each other warm beneath the blankets.

Daniel and Connor Sully were sleeping as well, but they were sticks of dynamite with lit wicks. It was only a matter of time before they would explode.

Sure enough, at three in the morning, the first of many future late night crying sessions occurred. Daniel woke to an uncomfortably wet diaper and began to fuss and kick his legs. When his parents didn't hear his little grunts and protests, he began to cry loudly. Michaela sat up as if a gunshot had gone off right next to her ear. Sully jolted awake since his arms were wrapped around Michaela.

He let go of his wife, and she slowly and stiffly climbed out of bed. She felt like the living dead or something when as she walked to the crying baby's cradle. She realized that Daniel was the one who needed her, so she picked him up and sat down in the rocking chair. Sully watched as Michaela unbuttoned a few buttons on her gown and put the baby to her breast. Daniel, deciding he was hungry, began to eat and figured he would inform his mother of his dirty diaper after he was finished eating.

Sully smiled as Michaela's head lolled back onto the headrest of the chair. Her eyes closed as she rocked back and forth, and he knew she had fallen asleep. He didn't want to wake her, and he knew that Daniel would do so when he was finished eating.

Little Connor began to fuss, and Sully didn't want him to start crying and jolt Michaela out of her slumber. He slowly walked over and picked up the little boy from his cradle. He slowly tiptoed out of the room with the baby against his bare chest. Connor stopped fussing as soon as he was in his father's arms.

"We don't wanna wake up mama, do we?" Sully asked. The baby cooed and stared up at his father with tired eyes. Sully made his way down the stairs and into the living room. The room lit up with the flash of lightning and Sully realized that the thunderstorm might frighten the babies. "It's alright, son. Don't you worry. Papa won't let nothin' happen to you." Sully sat down in one of the wing-backed chairs. He put Connor in his lap. The boy's little head rested on his papa's knees. Sully unwrapped him from his blanket and examined his little hands. It was amazing how tiny his hands were. He held his hand out and pressed Connor's hand into his palm. "One day, you'll have big hands just like your papa." Connor yawned and Sully laughed. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and wondered who it could be.

"Pa?" came a voice. "Is that you?" It was Brian.

"Yeah son. It's me," Sully replied. Brian came down, rubbing his eyes. Sully lit an oil lamp so he could see better.

"I heard one of the baby's cryin'."

"Your ma is feedin' him upstairs."

"Oh," Brian replied. He studied his little brother curiously.

"Brian? Do you wanna hold Connor?"

"Can I?"

"Sure," Sully replied. "You're his big brother. Sit back in the chair." Brian did hopped up into the other chair, and Sully stood with Connor safely secured in his own arms. He gently placed the baby in Brian's awaiting arms. "Hold his head. There ya go." Brian grinned as he held little Connor. "Ya know, Brian, one of these days, you can take your little brothers fishin' down at the creek. Matthew is nearly grown, so he'll be movin' on in a few years. Colleen will be goin' to college soon after that. Then you'll be the big brother of the house, and you'll get to teach them things that Matthew taught you." Brian's eyes went wide.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yup," Sully answered with a nod.

"I think I'm gonna like bein' a big brother." Sully smiled and yawned a little.

"I'm gonna get back up to bed and see if your ma needs any help."

"Alright." Sully took Connor in his arms and watched Brian hurry up the stairs.

"Night Sully."

"Night Brian," Sully answered. Sully rocked Conner back and forth in his arms. "You ready to go back up to mama? You look hungry." Conner grunted in response and Sully chuckled. He held the boy close to him and carried him up the stairs and back into the bedroom.

Michaela woke when she heard the door click shut. She looked down at little Daniel who was still eating hungrily. Sully smiled at Michaela when she the look of realization that she had been sleeping came over her face.

"I can't believe I fell asleep," she yawned.

"It's alright. You've had a busy day." He walked over and leaned down to kiss her. Little Daniel pulled away from his mother. Sully took him into his arms and put Connor in his place. Conner began to eat. Michaela couldn't help but laugh.

"We should try to put them on a feeding schedule."

"What do you mean?"

"In the mornings, you can look after one baby while I feed the other. They we'll switch, but feed them a half hour apart."

"Sounds like a good idea," Sully said with a smile.

"But then again, that plan will be blown apart once I go back to work." Michaela sighed and Sully bent down to put Daniel down in his cradle.

"Like I said before, don't fret about it. You'll figure it out when the time comes." Michaela nodded, appreciative that her husband was trying to keep her thinking positively.

In the morning, Michaela and Sully woke after having been woken up four times in the middle of the night. The twins were sleeping peacefully in their cradles, and the new parents could only hope that they would remain quiet until the other children had woken up.

Michaela pulled herself out of bed, finding it terribly difficult to do so. Every limb on her body was sore, and she felt so incredibly drained. When she finally managed to pull herself up, Sully was just crawling out of bed. He pulled his clothes on at a snail's speed, while Michaela walked over to the mirror. She pulled off her nightgown and examined her body in the mirror. She knew it would take a little while, but she was determined to get back to her original size. She was very pleased that her body was beginning to look like it used to, but she still had some baby fat she wanted to get rid of.

Sully walked up behind Michaela and wrapped his arms around her bare body.

"Don't go thinkin' nothin' bad. I can see by the look on your face that bad thoughts are goin' through your mind. I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Just remember that." Michaela smiled and leaned against Sully's chest. They gazed at one another through the mirror. Michaela wondered how she had gotten so lucky as to find a man like Sully. He was incredibly loving and patient with her, and she knew that he was sincere when he told her he thought she was beautiful.

"Sully, you really know how to flatter a girl." Sully grinned and kissed Michaela's bare shoulder. Michaela quivered at his touch, and when his lips found her neck, she nearly lost control. His hands moved across her shoulders and down her arms. They ran across the smooth skin on her belly and up to her sensitive breasts. She gasped at his touch and his mouth found hers. She craned her neck to match his kiss with the same passionate intensity.

Sully's hands and eyes admired Michaela's gorgeous new figure. He loved her body before, and now, if it was possible, she was more beautiful. He knew she didn't see it, but he did.

Michaela turned in Sully's arms and pressed herself against him. Sully could feel her warm skin through the fabric of his shirt. It was still way too early to be making love, but that didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy each other's bodies in other ways.

"We can't do this," Sully started.

"I know," Michaela replied. "And we won't." The way she said that sent chills up Sully's spine. She walked over to the bed and lay down. Sully walked over and crawled onto the bed to lay beside her. Their arms enveloped one another and Sully's hand continued to explore Michaela's body.

Michaela never realized how much pleasure she could get just from Sully's simple touches. She knew she was far too sensitive for him to touch her where he needed him the most, but what he could give her now was going to be enough, because she knew that they had the rest of their lives to love each other. Michaela smiled, knowing that they could take these next few weeks, exploring each other's bodies in other ways. Until Michaela was fully ready to make love again, it would be a nice way to compensate for the lack of physical attention they were so desperately wanting to give one another.

"Sully," Michaela moaned as Sully's fingertips caressed the sensitive skin below her naval. She closed her eyes as Sully's lips found the most sensitive parts of her neck.

A knock on the door shocked Michaela and Sully out of their most private moment. Michaela quickly pulled a robe on over her clothes.

"Yes?" Michaela asked breathlessly.

"You two have slept in," Elizabeth warned.

"What?" Michael asked with a yawn.

"It's noon already," Elizabeth replied. Michaela looked at Sully and they realized that they should get up and join the new day.

"We'll be down in a moment." Michaela and Sully waited until Elizabeth's footsteps disappeared down the stairs before they began to laugh quietly as to not disturb their newborns.

Holly woke in her bed at the clinic. It was Saturday morning, and she was thankful that she didn't have to teach today. She wanted to spend the entire afternoon with her daughter.

She found that Mary had curled up beside her in her sleep. The girl's head was resting on her shoulder, and Holly never realized that waking up in the morning could be such a beautiful thing.

She slowly shifted out of bed and covered Mary up with a blanket. She changed into a new dress and walked down the hall. Myra was just leaving one of the rooms.

"Mornin' Holly," Myra said with a smile. She had seen the little girl that Holly had brought with her.

"Good morning," Holly greeted her in return.

"How's that little one doin'?"

"She's sleeping."

"I thought it was mighty nice of ya to take her. She looked like she really liked ya."

"I would certainly hope so," Holly replied. She swallowed hard and looked at Myra. "I better tell you this before you hear it from someone else. It's going to get out anyway."

"What?" Myra asked curiously.

"Mary is my daughter." Myra stared at her for a moment, not sure of what she just heard. "Did you hear me?"

"She's your daughter? You mean you're adopting her?"

"There's no need for me to adopt her. She is mine."

"How is that possible?"

"It's a long story," Holly replied. "I'll tell it to you sometime. I just figured that we were startin' to be friends, and you deserve to know before everyone else."

"Does Horace know?"

"Yes, I told him last night." Myra swallowed hard.

"How'd he take the news?" Myra and Holly started down the stairs.

"He was shocked, as I expected he would be. I feel bad for keeping this from him, but I really didn't think I was ever going to have her back in my life."

"You better prepare yourself," Myra said softly.

"For what?"

"For the people of this town. I don't have a problem with it, but lots of folks are gonna have a field day with this news."

"I know," Holly replied softly. "But I'm not going to hide the truth. I love my daughter, and I won't let a few people tell me that I'm a sinner or whatever they may think." Myra smiled.

"Don't you worry. I'll be there to stand behind ya. And if I'm behind ya, Hank won't be protestin' too much. And without Hank on their side, the town really doesn't stand a chance." Holly laughed and gave Myra a hug.

"Thank you," Holly whispered. Myra nodded and the two women went to Grace's to bring breakfast back to the clinic for themselves and little Mary.

Michaela descended the stairs with Daniel in her arms while Sully followed behind with Connor. Both parents looked tired despite the fact that they had tried to freshen up their appearances the best they could. But they were surprised when the children and the grandparents also looked exhausted.

"Good morning," Michaela yawned.

"Mornin'," the kids mumbled.

"Everything alright?" Sully asked slowly.

"We didn't sleep much last night," Matthew replied.

"Oh, did the babies keep you up?" Michaela asked. The kids all looked at each other.

"It's all part of having children," Elizabeth chuckled. "Michaela, you kept your father and I up six times a night until you were a year old." Michaela laughed.

"Well, I hope the boys don't take after me in that respect."

"Shall I go hitch up the wagon?" Josef offered.

"Yes please," Michaela replied. "I'd like to go into town and introduce the children to our friends." Josef started out toward the barn.

"Ma? Can I sleep in the barn tonight?" Brian asked.

"Me too?" the older children asked. Sully had to laugh to himself.

"It's not gonna be like this forever," Sully said quietly. He looked out the window. "I'm gonna go help Josef with the wagon. He handed the baby over to Elizabeth and started out the door. Elizabeth looked at Brian, Matthew, and Colleen.

"You three need to be a little more considerate. Your parents aren't getting much sleep either, so this isn't easy on anyone."

"Mother, it's alright," Michaela said quickly.

"No, the children need to know that they can't run away from this. They have two little brothers, and they need to help out around the house more often."

"What?" Brian asked.

"Well, perhaps mother's right. Sully and I could both use some help. The babies need us, and we might have to add to your chores in order to make sure everything is kept up."

"But that ain't fair!" Brian exclaimed. "You're the ones who had the babies. Why do we gotta do all the work?"

"Brian, don't be selfish," Colleen reprimanded.

"It ain't fair."

"Brian, I'm sorry you feel that way, but there are two extra people in this house now, so there is a lot more work to be done." Brian sighed heavily.

"I'm gonna go help pa and grandpa in the barn." He got up from the table and left. Matthew looked at Michaela.

"I'm not being unfair am I?" Michaela asked helplessly.

"No," Colleen said, shaking her head. "Brian just didn't think things were gonna change."

"Don't worry 'bout him," Matthew replied. "He'll get used to it." Matthew and Colleen got up to clear the table and Michaela looked at her mother. She wasn't so sure if Brian was going to adjust to having these new babies in the house very easily.

"Don't worry, Michaela," Elizabeth assured her. "He's just not used to having babies around the house. He'll get used to it, like Matthew said."

"I hope you're right, mother," Michaela replied, shaking her head. "I hope you're right."