April-May 1954
"Yes, you are just so beautiful. Mmm hmm, sure you are." Daniel crooned to his granddaughter. I laughed, Daniel was besotted by Felicity and BJ and was currently changing Flick's diaper.
I glanced down to the dark little head that nursed at my breast. He was a good eater, even at 22 days old. His sister wasn't really. She had a small meal whenever she woke, and usually wanted a snack every two hours, and never suckled for more than about 10 minutes.
"Hey Daniel," I sat BJ up on my shoulder and rubbed his back for a bit he drank too quickly and had wind. He gave a hiccup or two and settled down.
"Trade you, Felicity's getting niggly for a meal and BJ sure needs a diaper change!" We swapped babies and Felicity had a quick drink while Daniel made all sorts of comments about what BJ had in his diaper.
In the kitchen sounds of playful bickering erupted as Hawkeye and Margaret cooked dinner. Daniel and I were tyring to settle the babies long enough for us to have a meal together.
"This is how you do it, didn't Annie teach you anything?"
"No, this is how you do it!" I'd taken a clean Ben from Daniel and was now rocking both of my children to sleep.
"Pierce, remember I outrank you!" There was silence after and I guessed Hawkeye and Margaret were making up physically. Daniel's voice telling them off as the soup boiled over two minutes later told me I was right. I ignored the noise in the kitchen, and sang to my babies, their little eyes closed heavily.
"Goodnight Felicity, goodnight BJ, please stay asleep long enough for us to eat in peace." I lay both babies down carefully and made sure they were happy. Tiptoeing from the lounge room I went and had dinner.
"BJ, you have no idea how special they are." I smiled, over the phone.
"I could take a guess. About as special as Erin is to Peggy and I, and about as special as our new baby is."
"BJ Honnicut, you start explaining!"
"Peggy's pregnant, about three months along actually." I did some quick maths.
"That means she got pregnant what, December, January about. You were glad to be back!"
"Yes, well, I did miss her."
"As I very nearly found out." We shared a good-natured laugh then.
"Look BJ, Hawkeye's trying to rip the phone out of my hand, I should go alright?"
"Take care of your babies!"
"Love you Beej," I handed the phone over the Hawkeye. Margaret was playing with the babies in the living room.
"Oh look! Here's your mummy BJ, because someone needs a diaper change!" She cooed, handing me my wet-bottomed son.
"Thanks Margaret!" I accepted my month-old son. I could barely believe that it had been four weeks since I'd given birth. My babies had grown so much since.
"Annie, can I talk to you?" Margaret lifted Felicity from her pram and carried her into the bathroom behind me.
"Sure, penny for your thoughts." I put BJ down on the change table and began to remove his winter clothing.
"Well you know about Hawkeye and I right?"
"Yeah, everyone in the Cove knows too. Ah!" I grabbed the cloth diaper from next to the change table and angled it over BJ. "Pee fountain!" Margaret had hysterics.
"That's why I handed him over! I didn't want to be hit in the face! Now, here's the thing, I think I'm pregnant."
"What!" My yell scared both babies into a wail. It was a minute or two before we could keep talking.
"I thought that's how you'd react. I mean, you've only just given birth to his children, and here I am, expecting another. Well, I don't know yet, but I do think so."
"We're going to find out, and if you are that's okay. You two obviously love each other a lot."
"Thanks for understanding."
"What are friends for, but if you are, be prepared to be Mrs Pierce, he won't have it any other way."
"That's the other thing. I don't want to stay if I am. I can raise a baby alone. I mean, I love Hawkeye, but I couldn't I really couldn't."
"Oh, because of me?" I applied powder to BJ's bottom.
"Sort of, but he wouldn't be able to handle it if I was as well."
"I see," I lifted a clean BJ off the change table and Margaret set in on Felicity, neither of us talked anymore after that, there was too much to think about.
Three days later, I went into town to visit my family. I couldn't push two prams at once, but I could carry two babies, so I wound up with very full arms. After visiting them, I headed to the hospital where Margaret worked.
"Annie!" It was another nurse, Christina who I'd met once or twice before. "Oh this must be Felicity and Benjamin! What beautiful babies!"
"Here, do me a favour." I shifted Felicity out of my arms and into Chrissie's arms. Felicity, the more sociable of my two enjoyed being shifted from person to person and liked being held closely.
"Margaret's right through here."
"What!" Margaret snapped irritably as we entered her office, throwing down her pen in a display of bad temper.
"Take the twins to the staffroom, show them off, you're dying to I can tell." I handed Ben over; he immediately began to wail. "Don't mind if he cries, he just doesn't like many people." Chrissie left.
"Thank goodness this is a paediatrics ward." Margaret commented as Ben's wails echoed down the hall.
"Yeah, now Margaret, what is it?"
"I'm not, it came back negative, twice! I took two to be sure!" I hugged her jubilantly.
"That's wonderful to hear! I guess you're not leaving Hawkeye then?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Am I just some rebound, or what? I don't know."
"If you were a rebound, he would have been in bed with you the same day our divorce was signed. Instead he was in bed with me, I guess I'm a rebound for myself." Margaret laughed. "He does care for you."
"But I just don't feel comfortable living with him any more, it's great, but we're different really. Look at us, loves the quiet little town, where not much changes. I do enjoy it there, don't get me wrong, but I prefer the city, and noise, and the army."
"Well Margaret, listen to me, you're a very clever, very independent thirty- well-that's-not-important, but you're smart enough to do what you feel is best okay?"
"Thanks Annie, want to come on rounds with me?"
"Sure, but I'd better collect Ben first, I think his heart will break if he's away from mummy much longer." We caught the bus back when Margaret's shift finished, and for the whole ride she was quiet and thoughtful.
"Well, well, if it isn't the two most beautiful women to ever grace god's green earth!" Daniel was sitting out on the front porch reading a newspaper.
"Hello Daniel," I bent and kissed him.
"Have a good day out?"
"Yeah, they were very good," I meant the twins who were sound asleep.
"Hello beautiful," Hawkeye addressed both Margaret and I, and kissed his daughter and son as I carried them both into the house, Margaret wanted to talk to Hawkeye.
"Daniel, could you give me a hand here?" Daniel looked puzzled and stood up.
"Sure, what do you need?" I waited until we were inside and the door was closed before I answered.
"Margaret wants to talk to Hawkeye, and I figured now would be a good time."
"Right, smart girl, want to help me with dinner?"
"Sure, just let me put the kids down." Once they were settled, and they were tired, it had been a pretty big day for them, I went into the kitchen and helped Daniel cook.
"What did I do wrong?" Hawkeye moped on my sofa bed that night. After having the twins I had spent a week in Daniel's bed while he slept on the sofa, but I had moved out again.
"Hawkeye, you didn't do anything wrong, she's just not ready for that." Margaret had talked to Hawkeye, and told him she was leaving. She'd gone that night, not wanting to wait around.
"I couldn't keep you, I couldn't keep her, I couldn't keep Carlye, and now Trapper's dating her! I always thought I had love down to a fine art." I reached over the gap between us and brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. The silky black hair moulded easily to my touch, the soft smoothness exactly that of little Ben's.
"Oh, you do, especially the physical side! Don't worry; if I remember rightly, I was the one who couldn't keep you. Listen, you'll find a special girl, who knows, you might even get married and settle down!" Hawkeye laughed, one hand resting on my hip as we lay on our sides and faced each other.
"God forbid I actually settle down!" There was a smile and laughter in his words, but at the same time he was sad.
"Hawkeye, you've got a lot going for you, funny, smart, a great doctor, hopeless romantic, and sexy. There'll be someone out there who'll see that eventually."
"I hope so, it's not like you'll ever have any problems finding romantic interest, just go down to Boston, I could name a very well-off man who'd have you."
"Charles?" Disbelief was plain in my voice.
"Oh you had him in a real tizz, couldn't keep his eyes off you! The only thing that stopped him pursuing you was me, and that gold ring."
"This one?" I teased, showing Hawkeye the Korean ring. Laughing, he pulled at my chain my two rings, and Hawkeye's wedding band still hung with the cross.
"I think he seriously would go for you if you let him."
"I'm not moving to Boston Hawkeye." I laughed. "I know you want to get rid of me, but I'm here to stay!"
"Good, because I couldn't bear being away from my gorgeous babies."
"They are sweet aren't they?"
"Little miracles, I can't believe that one huge night in Seoul made them."
"I can't believe I got them out of me, look at how big they are now!"
"Well," Hawkeye leaned closer to whisper "Just to let you know, they're going to get a whole lot bigger over the next few years!"
"I know," I whispered back, "And Ben certainly has your height!"
"And Felicity has yours!" It was funny, BJ was a miniature Hawkeye, and Felicity was a tiny replica of me.
"That's not my fault, she obviously got your mother's too!" Katharine had been no taller than I was. Hawkeye used our close proximity to his advantage, grabbing me and wrestling with me.
"Hawkeye! You let me go!" I laughed from where I lay on my stomach Hawkeye holding my arm behind my back.
"Never!" Hawkeye laughed, and I gave a resigning sigh.
"You asked for it!" Hawkeye didn't quite know what happened, but somehow he wound up on his back, and I was sitting on his stomach, my hands resting on his shoulders just enough to keep him down.
"Uncle!" Hawkeye laughed. "My mistake for thinking you wouldn't have stayed that strong since you got pregnant." I let his shoulders go as Daniel walked in.
"Son, I don't really recommend that activity in light of recent events, and Annie, you gave birth just over a month ago, your body couldn't handle anything like that yet." He left again.
"Always thinks the worst of us doesn't he?" Hawkeye laughed as I got off him.
"Well, Hawkeye, look at us." Hawkeye obeyed, glancing down at himself and then giving me a once over. "You're hours out of a relationship, wearing only your shorts, lying on the bed with your ex-wife sitting over you and only wearing pyjamas herself. It can't have looked good."
"Yeah, you're right I guess. Probably thought I was on some rebound. I'm going to bed."
"Night Hawkeye." I leaned over and kissed his forehead. He got up, and bent over his kids, kissing their tiny sleeping faces with a smile. I dropped off too, only to be woken later by Felicity wanting a snack.
Spring in the Cove was wonderful, everything was coming back to life after the winter freeze. Seals were playing in the harbour and there were a few seal pups around. Everything was green again, and looked beautiful.
"I love this!" I smiled, sitting on the front lawn with Alice who had come to spend the day with me.
"What do you love Annie?" Alice asked, holding Felicity who kept Alice's thumb in a warm, tight grip.
"This, Crabapple Cove. It's so beautiful! Oh, yeah sure it is, just like you." I cooed at BJ who was in my arms, and he gave a tiny, cute smile. At six and a half weeks old, both of my babies were thriving, and very well developed.
"You're silly Anne," Alice giggled.
"No I'm not, I just love my babies, and they're your niece and nephew, look Felicity likes being talked to, don't you Angel-pie, yes see?" Felicity, very alert and responsive for her age, blinked and smiled.
"Do you sing to them Annie?" Alice asked. "I 'member you used to for us, what did you sing?"
"The lullaby I made up, remember?"
"You're a sweet little babe, ain't nothing can harm you?" Alice asked.
"Yep, that's it. Because when you sleep the angels watch, and keep you safe and sound." I finished the line.
"Tell me about who Ben's named after please Annie," Alice asked and I smiled, thinking of my friend on the other side of the country.
"BJ, he's a man I met in Korea, he's Hawkeye's and my best friend along with Margaret. The four of us were always together, talking. He's really funny and he has a baby daughter, Erin and his wife will be having a baby in October. Yep, that's Uncle BJ Benny-boy, you're named after him." I addressed my wide-eyed son.
"You're crazy though Annie, look at how you talk to them." Alice giggled again.
"Alice pet, you'll understand when you're a mummy. But listen, if you're going to catch the bus we'd better start going now. Because I need to give them a feed before we walk to the stop." She handed Felicity over and stood up.
"I need to go to the bathroom okay?"
"Sure, just inside, I'll get the babies ready okay?" I took the kids inside, and started to give them a feed. I could feed both babies at once, although I preferred to feed them separately.
Alice remerged from the bathroom and sat down while I fed the twins. I was pretty much focused on my babies, but I noticed she was shifting and twitching nervously.
"Annie?" She whispered at last, fidgeting nervously.
"Yeah my beautiful Alice?" I lifted my head and looked at her.
"You remember how Mum told me I'd be changing a lot in the next few years?"
"Yes sweetie, why?" I'd been through it with Lily too, sharing ten-year-old experiences.
"Coz I think I'm changing."
"Well, sweetie, you're already changing, you've got taller and you're starting to get breasts. Would you burp Flick for me?" Alice took the sweet infant and obeyed.
"It's not what I mean, I mean, I've started my period."
"Alice! You really are growing up! Why didn't you tell me right away?"
"I wasn't sure if you'd mind being interrupted while you were feeding."
"I wouldn't have minded Alice, come into the bathroom I'll get you fixed up." I lay the babies on their backs on the rug. They seemed pretty happy for the moment. After getting Alice sorted, I went back into the living room. Ben was sound asleep, and Felicity had one fist shoved firmly in her mouth. We picked them up and walked to the bus stop. Alice got on the bus, and I walked back, a baby in each arm. Hawkeye met me at the turn to Redwood Road where we lived.
"Did I miss Alice?"
"Yeah, Lily has a dance recital tonight, and she's got to be back early to see it." I handed Hawkeye his namesake.
"Reckon you can live without feeding the babies for a few hours while Dad minds them?"
"No, Felicity needs a meal every two hours." I replied seriously.
"When does the show start?"
"Seven, finishes at eight-thirty."
"Well, that's only an hour and a half, what if we see if Margaret can take the twins? It'd do you good to have a night out, and once the recital is over, we can go back to Margaret's and you can feed our daughter."
"Alright then Hawkeye." I smiled, as we got in. We rang Margaret and she agreed to take the babies. That night I went to Lily's dance recital.
"Thanks for taking me tonight." I smiled as Hawkeye lay Felicity down in her bed.
"Anytime Annie, I thought you'd appreciate a night out." Hawkeye replied.
"I did, more than I thought I would." I hadn't realised that I was actually dying for a little bit of me time, without Ben and Felicity.
"Well, sleep tight Annie."
"Good night Hawkeye." I went to sleep.
I went out a little more after that, really enjoying the weather. April became May, and my babies turned 12 weeks old, and went a little longer without feeds. May was going incredibly quickly as Ben and Felicity grew and developed. Hawkeye stopped moping about Margaret as his children became alert and responsive, smiling at his face, and relaxing at the sound of his voice. At the end of May I was invited to stay at the Winchester's and to bring the babies. Hawkeye made all sorts of suggestive comments, and I had to wonder if he was right, Charles had sounded genuinely pleased about my impending visit. I was even more excited when I heard that the Honnicuts were planning a reunion for the summer. Things just didn't seem to stop getting better.
"Yes, you are just so beautiful. Mmm hmm, sure you are." Daniel crooned to his granddaughter. I laughed, Daniel was besotted by Felicity and BJ and was currently changing Flick's diaper.
I glanced down to the dark little head that nursed at my breast. He was a good eater, even at 22 days old. His sister wasn't really. She had a small meal whenever she woke, and usually wanted a snack every two hours, and never suckled for more than about 10 minutes.
"Hey Daniel," I sat BJ up on my shoulder and rubbed his back for a bit he drank too quickly and had wind. He gave a hiccup or two and settled down.
"Trade you, Felicity's getting niggly for a meal and BJ sure needs a diaper change!" We swapped babies and Felicity had a quick drink while Daniel made all sorts of comments about what BJ had in his diaper.
In the kitchen sounds of playful bickering erupted as Hawkeye and Margaret cooked dinner. Daniel and I were tyring to settle the babies long enough for us to have a meal together.
"This is how you do it, didn't Annie teach you anything?"
"No, this is how you do it!" I'd taken a clean Ben from Daniel and was now rocking both of my children to sleep.
"Pierce, remember I outrank you!" There was silence after and I guessed Hawkeye and Margaret were making up physically. Daniel's voice telling them off as the soup boiled over two minutes later told me I was right. I ignored the noise in the kitchen, and sang to my babies, their little eyes closed heavily.
"Goodnight Felicity, goodnight BJ, please stay asleep long enough for us to eat in peace." I lay both babies down carefully and made sure they were happy. Tiptoeing from the lounge room I went and had dinner.
"BJ, you have no idea how special they are." I smiled, over the phone.
"I could take a guess. About as special as Erin is to Peggy and I, and about as special as our new baby is."
"BJ Honnicut, you start explaining!"
"Peggy's pregnant, about three months along actually." I did some quick maths.
"That means she got pregnant what, December, January about. You were glad to be back!"
"Yes, well, I did miss her."
"As I very nearly found out." We shared a good-natured laugh then.
"Look BJ, Hawkeye's trying to rip the phone out of my hand, I should go alright?"
"Take care of your babies!"
"Love you Beej," I handed the phone over the Hawkeye. Margaret was playing with the babies in the living room.
"Oh look! Here's your mummy BJ, because someone needs a diaper change!" She cooed, handing me my wet-bottomed son.
"Thanks Margaret!" I accepted my month-old son. I could barely believe that it had been four weeks since I'd given birth. My babies had grown so much since.
"Annie, can I talk to you?" Margaret lifted Felicity from her pram and carried her into the bathroom behind me.
"Sure, penny for your thoughts." I put BJ down on the change table and began to remove his winter clothing.
"Well you know about Hawkeye and I right?"
"Yeah, everyone in the Cove knows too. Ah!" I grabbed the cloth diaper from next to the change table and angled it over BJ. "Pee fountain!" Margaret had hysterics.
"That's why I handed him over! I didn't want to be hit in the face! Now, here's the thing, I think I'm pregnant."
"What!" My yell scared both babies into a wail. It was a minute or two before we could keep talking.
"I thought that's how you'd react. I mean, you've only just given birth to his children, and here I am, expecting another. Well, I don't know yet, but I do think so."
"We're going to find out, and if you are that's okay. You two obviously love each other a lot."
"Thanks for understanding."
"What are friends for, but if you are, be prepared to be Mrs Pierce, he won't have it any other way."
"That's the other thing. I don't want to stay if I am. I can raise a baby alone. I mean, I love Hawkeye, but I couldn't I really couldn't."
"Oh, because of me?" I applied powder to BJ's bottom.
"Sort of, but he wouldn't be able to handle it if I was as well."
"I see," I lifted a clean BJ off the change table and Margaret set in on Felicity, neither of us talked anymore after that, there was too much to think about.
Three days later, I went into town to visit my family. I couldn't push two prams at once, but I could carry two babies, so I wound up with very full arms. After visiting them, I headed to the hospital where Margaret worked.
"Annie!" It was another nurse, Christina who I'd met once or twice before. "Oh this must be Felicity and Benjamin! What beautiful babies!"
"Here, do me a favour." I shifted Felicity out of my arms and into Chrissie's arms. Felicity, the more sociable of my two enjoyed being shifted from person to person and liked being held closely.
"Margaret's right through here."
"What!" Margaret snapped irritably as we entered her office, throwing down her pen in a display of bad temper.
"Take the twins to the staffroom, show them off, you're dying to I can tell." I handed Ben over; he immediately began to wail. "Don't mind if he cries, he just doesn't like many people." Chrissie left.
"Thank goodness this is a paediatrics ward." Margaret commented as Ben's wails echoed down the hall.
"Yeah, now Margaret, what is it?"
"I'm not, it came back negative, twice! I took two to be sure!" I hugged her jubilantly.
"That's wonderful to hear! I guess you're not leaving Hawkeye then?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Am I just some rebound, or what? I don't know."
"If you were a rebound, he would have been in bed with you the same day our divorce was signed. Instead he was in bed with me, I guess I'm a rebound for myself." Margaret laughed. "He does care for you."
"But I just don't feel comfortable living with him any more, it's great, but we're different really. Look at us, loves the quiet little town, where not much changes. I do enjoy it there, don't get me wrong, but I prefer the city, and noise, and the army."
"Well Margaret, listen to me, you're a very clever, very independent thirty- well-that's-not-important, but you're smart enough to do what you feel is best okay?"
"Thanks Annie, want to come on rounds with me?"
"Sure, but I'd better collect Ben first, I think his heart will break if he's away from mummy much longer." We caught the bus back when Margaret's shift finished, and for the whole ride she was quiet and thoughtful.
"Well, well, if it isn't the two most beautiful women to ever grace god's green earth!" Daniel was sitting out on the front porch reading a newspaper.
"Hello Daniel," I bent and kissed him.
"Have a good day out?"
"Yeah, they were very good," I meant the twins who were sound asleep.
"Hello beautiful," Hawkeye addressed both Margaret and I, and kissed his daughter and son as I carried them both into the house, Margaret wanted to talk to Hawkeye.
"Daniel, could you give me a hand here?" Daniel looked puzzled and stood up.
"Sure, what do you need?" I waited until we were inside and the door was closed before I answered.
"Margaret wants to talk to Hawkeye, and I figured now would be a good time."
"Right, smart girl, want to help me with dinner?"
"Sure, just let me put the kids down." Once they were settled, and they were tired, it had been a pretty big day for them, I went into the kitchen and helped Daniel cook.
"What did I do wrong?" Hawkeye moped on my sofa bed that night. After having the twins I had spent a week in Daniel's bed while he slept on the sofa, but I had moved out again.
"Hawkeye, you didn't do anything wrong, she's just not ready for that." Margaret had talked to Hawkeye, and told him she was leaving. She'd gone that night, not wanting to wait around.
"I couldn't keep you, I couldn't keep her, I couldn't keep Carlye, and now Trapper's dating her! I always thought I had love down to a fine art." I reached over the gap between us and brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. The silky black hair moulded easily to my touch, the soft smoothness exactly that of little Ben's.
"Oh, you do, especially the physical side! Don't worry; if I remember rightly, I was the one who couldn't keep you. Listen, you'll find a special girl, who knows, you might even get married and settle down!" Hawkeye laughed, one hand resting on my hip as we lay on our sides and faced each other.
"God forbid I actually settle down!" There was a smile and laughter in his words, but at the same time he was sad.
"Hawkeye, you've got a lot going for you, funny, smart, a great doctor, hopeless romantic, and sexy. There'll be someone out there who'll see that eventually."
"I hope so, it's not like you'll ever have any problems finding romantic interest, just go down to Boston, I could name a very well-off man who'd have you."
"Charles?" Disbelief was plain in my voice.
"Oh you had him in a real tizz, couldn't keep his eyes off you! The only thing that stopped him pursuing you was me, and that gold ring."
"This one?" I teased, showing Hawkeye the Korean ring. Laughing, he pulled at my chain my two rings, and Hawkeye's wedding band still hung with the cross.
"I think he seriously would go for you if you let him."
"I'm not moving to Boston Hawkeye." I laughed. "I know you want to get rid of me, but I'm here to stay!"
"Good, because I couldn't bear being away from my gorgeous babies."
"They are sweet aren't they?"
"Little miracles, I can't believe that one huge night in Seoul made them."
"I can't believe I got them out of me, look at how big they are now!"
"Well," Hawkeye leaned closer to whisper "Just to let you know, they're going to get a whole lot bigger over the next few years!"
"I know," I whispered back, "And Ben certainly has your height!"
"And Felicity has yours!" It was funny, BJ was a miniature Hawkeye, and Felicity was a tiny replica of me.
"That's not my fault, she obviously got your mother's too!" Katharine had been no taller than I was. Hawkeye used our close proximity to his advantage, grabbing me and wrestling with me.
"Hawkeye! You let me go!" I laughed from where I lay on my stomach Hawkeye holding my arm behind my back.
"Never!" Hawkeye laughed, and I gave a resigning sigh.
"You asked for it!" Hawkeye didn't quite know what happened, but somehow he wound up on his back, and I was sitting on his stomach, my hands resting on his shoulders just enough to keep him down.
"Uncle!" Hawkeye laughed. "My mistake for thinking you wouldn't have stayed that strong since you got pregnant." I let his shoulders go as Daniel walked in.
"Son, I don't really recommend that activity in light of recent events, and Annie, you gave birth just over a month ago, your body couldn't handle anything like that yet." He left again.
"Always thinks the worst of us doesn't he?" Hawkeye laughed as I got off him.
"Well, Hawkeye, look at us." Hawkeye obeyed, glancing down at himself and then giving me a once over. "You're hours out of a relationship, wearing only your shorts, lying on the bed with your ex-wife sitting over you and only wearing pyjamas herself. It can't have looked good."
"Yeah, you're right I guess. Probably thought I was on some rebound. I'm going to bed."
"Night Hawkeye." I leaned over and kissed his forehead. He got up, and bent over his kids, kissing their tiny sleeping faces with a smile. I dropped off too, only to be woken later by Felicity wanting a snack.
Spring in the Cove was wonderful, everything was coming back to life after the winter freeze. Seals were playing in the harbour and there were a few seal pups around. Everything was green again, and looked beautiful.
"I love this!" I smiled, sitting on the front lawn with Alice who had come to spend the day with me.
"What do you love Annie?" Alice asked, holding Felicity who kept Alice's thumb in a warm, tight grip.
"This, Crabapple Cove. It's so beautiful! Oh, yeah sure it is, just like you." I cooed at BJ who was in my arms, and he gave a tiny, cute smile. At six and a half weeks old, both of my babies were thriving, and very well developed.
"You're silly Anne," Alice giggled.
"No I'm not, I just love my babies, and they're your niece and nephew, look Felicity likes being talked to, don't you Angel-pie, yes see?" Felicity, very alert and responsive for her age, blinked and smiled.
"Do you sing to them Annie?" Alice asked. "I 'member you used to for us, what did you sing?"
"The lullaby I made up, remember?"
"You're a sweet little babe, ain't nothing can harm you?" Alice asked.
"Yep, that's it. Because when you sleep the angels watch, and keep you safe and sound." I finished the line.
"Tell me about who Ben's named after please Annie," Alice asked and I smiled, thinking of my friend on the other side of the country.
"BJ, he's a man I met in Korea, he's Hawkeye's and my best friend along with Margaret. The four of us were always together, talking. He's really funny and he has a baby daughter, Erin and his wife will be having a baby in October. Yep, that's Uncle BJ Benny-boy, you're named after him." I addressed my wide-eyed son.
"You're crazy though Annie, look at how you talk to them." Alice giggled again.
"Alice pet, you'll understand when you're a mummy. But listen, if you're going to catch the bus we'd better start going now. Because I need to give them a feed before we walk to the stop." She handed Felicity over and stood up.
"I need to go to the bathroom okay?"
"Sure, just inside, I'll get the babies ready okay?" I took the kids inside, and started to give them a feed. I could feed both babies at once, although I preferred to feed them separately.
Alice remerged from the bathroom and sat down while I fed the twins. I was pretty much focused on my babies, but I noticed she was shifting and twitching nervously.
"Annie?" She whispered at last, fidgeting nervously.
"Yeah my beautiful Alice?" I lifted my head and looked at her.
"You remember how Mum told me I'd be changing a lot in the next few years?"
"Yes sweetie, why?" I'd been through it with Lily too, sharing ten-year-old experiences.
"Coz I think I'm changing."
"Well, sweetie, you're already changing, you've got taller and you're starting to get breasts. Would you burp Flick for me?" Alice took the sweet infant and obeyed.
"It's not what I mean, I mean, I've started my period."
"Alice! You really are growing up! Why didn't you tell me right away?"
"I wasn't sure if you'd mind being interrupted while you were feeding."
"I wouldn't have minded Alice, come into the bathroom I'll get you fixed up." I lay the babies on their backs on the rug. They seemed pretty happy for the moment. After getting Alice sorted, I went back into the living room. Ben was sound asleep, and Felicity had one fist shoved firmly in her mouth. We picked them up and walked to the bus stop. Alice got on the bus, and I walked back, a baby in each arm. Hawkeye met me at the turn to Redwood Road where we lived.
"Did I miss Alice?"
"Yeah, Lily has a dance recital tonight, and she's got to be back early to see it." I handed Hawkeye his namesake.
"Reckon you can live without feeding the babies for a few hours while Dad minds them?"
"No, Felicity needs a meal every two hours." I replied seriously.
"When does the show start?"
"Seven, finishes at eight-thirty."
"Well, that's only an hour and a half, what if we see if Margaret can take the twins? It'd do you good to have a night out, and once the recital is over, we can go back to Margaret's and you can feed our daughter."
"Alright then Hawkeye." I smiled, as we got in. We rang Margaret and she agreed to take the babies. That night I went to Lily's dance recital.
"Thanks for taking me tonight." I smiled as Hawkeye lay Felicity down in her bed.
"Anytime Annie, I thought you'd appreciate a night out." Hawkeye replied.
"I did, more than I thought I would." I hadn't realised that I was actually dying for a little bit of me time, without Ben and Felicity.
"Well, sleep tight Annie."
"Good night Hawkeye." I went to sleep.
I went out a little more after that, really enjoying the weather. April became May, and my babies turned 12 weeks old, and went a little longer without feeds. May was going incredibly quickly as Ben and Felicity grew and developed. Hawkeye stopped moping about Margaret as his children became alert and responsive, smiling at his face, and relaxing at the sound of his voice. At the end of May I was invited to stay at the Winchester's and to bring the babies. Hawkeye made all sorts of suggestive comments, and I had to wonder if he was right, Charles had sounded genuinely pleased about my impending visit. I was even more excited when I heard that the Honnicuts were planning a reunion for the summer. Things just didn't seem to stop getting better.