A\N: I don't know if this kind of thing even happened back then, but it
makes for a good story and ties up one of the loosest ends in the series.
By the way, I don't own the baby or the episode "Yessir That's Our Baby"
Madeline's character is my own tho.
March 1961
Hawkeye and I had agreed to mind Max and Stephen Klinger for a month while Max and Soon-Lee adopted their daughter Madeline. This was no issue, Max was about April's age, and Stephen was roughly as old as Lydia. Two extra kids would hardly create a dint in our daily routine, especially as since Eve and Joe had moved back to Portland with their young families, along with Mimi's marriage and daughter Katie, and Rae's new son Toby, it was highly likely I'd be minding at least one niece and or nephew in addition to the my brood.
"I'm just so glad that little Madeline can have a proper home." I smiled. The Klingers were coming the next day, and staying for the night. I was also excited because Joe's wife had had a baby girl nine weeks before, and while they were away in Albuquerque with Juliana's ailing mother I was also sitting for Sarah whom they couldn't take with them on short notice.
"You're just thrilled because there's going to be another baby in the house." Edna smiled at me. She'd read my mind, but I wasn't surprised. I agreed and swallowed my last mouthful of food and picked up a fading Danny. We'd all had an early dinner, and were planning an early night, as Joe, Juliana and Sara were stopping by at five in the morning on their way to the airport.
"Alright Little One, you look exhausted." Dad smiled, lifting Lydia up. Jess I noticed had already fallen asleep in her chair, and Hawkeye lovingly lifted her up. I wasn't sure why they were so tired, but if they were all going to go to bed without a peep, I wasn't going to argue either.
"Goodnight Mummy, I love you." Lydia sleepily kissed me, and let Daniel carry her upstairs. Her little dark head cuddled into his shoulder, and her eyes closed. To my pleased surprise, everyone was asleep inside the hour.
"Joe, Juliana, and this must be Sarah." Dad opened the door, and let my brother, sister-in-law and niece in.
"Joe!" I embraced my brother. I loved seeing my siblings, especially as I rarely saw them now, as we were spread over Maine, and the east coast. "Goodness gracious this must be Sarah! She's gotten so big," I had been on a shift in when Juliana had come in having started labour, and I had been there to see Sarah just after she arrived.
"Yep, she doesn't stop growing." Juliana placed the baby in my arms. "I want to take her with me so badly, but Aunt Eunice said on explicit terms, I was not to bring the baby." I didn't know Aunt E, but she was Jules's mother's sister, and from the sound of it, a cranky old spinster who believed children should be seen and not heard.
"And you don't want to leave your mother alone with Eunice." Edna finished. Hawkeye and the kids were still asleep. Juliana nodded, her straight blonde hair loosely tied back, and looked glad at Edna's understanding. Juliana was still really just a little girl, at 23, she was 8 years younger than Joe.
"Do you want a coffee or anything like that?" Joe shook his head, which was about four inches away from the sleeping infant in the crook of my arm as he kissed his baby girl.
"No, we have to go, and we've got the taxi waiting outside. Sarah is really very good, she's happy to sleep most of the night, but just watch out that she gets burped after a bottle, she's prone to colic. Bye-bye baby." A few hugs and kisses for Sarah and my brother and his wife left.
"What is that noise?" Hawkeye struggled downstairs at 6, when Sarah decided that she wanted a bottle and began to wail. Lydia and Felicity had already woken, and Hawkeye checked them for signs of tears as I cradled Sarah and heated her bottle.
"Oh, the baby!" Hawkeye rushed over, his eyes alight and filled with doting paternal love. He took Sarah from me and cradled her close. Although we had been planning another baby, I'd changed my mind, being satisfied with the six, and not really wanting anymore. Hawkeye agreed, but wasn't really impressed by my sudden change of heart.
"How beautiful are you?" He crooned. "You know Annie, it makes me think. . ." He trailed off wistfully.
"Hawkeye, we've discussed this," I replied tersely, "And I thought we agreed, no more."
"You agreed no more." Hawkeye dropped his voice so the girls wouldn't hear. "I still think one more would be perfect." He wasn't going to give up on it easily. Just because I said no baby didn't mean I had said no sex but the number of times he brought it up or the amount of spare time he spent seducing me would have given anyone else a different opinion.
"Hawkeye, enough!" I turned away, tested Sarah's bottle and gave it to Hawkeye without a word. He began to give it to her, and she quieted and began suckling.
The Klingers arrived in time for lunch, and I was thrilled to see how big the boys were. As I lifted Stephen into his chair a few minutes later, I realised I had also not met BJ's youngest Alec, or the younger O'Reillys, twins Henry Edward and Shirley Jane, and 12mo Timothy Blake and baby Lucy short for Lucille Maria. It made me pine for my friends, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, and regretted the decision not to have another reunion until 1963.
"Well, how long until you meet her?" I asked, sipping my water.
"Five days, until we actually meet her then there's about two weeks of legalities, and getting to know her, then, finally a week that Soon-Lee and I will spend in France with Madeline, assuming all goes well, just to get to know her, and then we're back." Max answered.
"You don't even know if you're getting her yet, excuse me." Sarah was stirring and I left my seat to pick her up.
"You did not say you were with child!" Soon-Lee gasped as I put the pretty baby into her arms.
"We're not," Hawkeye muttered, "That's just the problem,"
"Shut up Hawkeye! That's my niece Sarah."
"She's beautiful, and do I detect a hint of tension?" Klinger asked, equally absorbed in the baby as she opened her wide hazel eyes and blinked sleepily.
"No you don't Max." I gave a tight, nervous laugh. "Who wants more salad?"
Dad and Edna offered to mind the kids, so that Max, Soon-Lee, Hawkeye and I could go out for dinner, a chance we gratefully accepted. I had not been out in a while due to shifts, and I was glad for the break.
"I'm so excited that we get to have a daughter. We'd agreed on two children, but then the two boys has made us want a daughter." Max said.
"Is Danny your last baby?" Soon-Lee's voice still held a Korean lilt.
"Yes," I responded quickly, as Hawkeye also answered.
"No." The two simultaneous, opposing answers had a surprised look pass between the other couple.
"That's still under discussion.." I continued smoothly. "I'm thinking six is enough."
"I'm hoping Sarah will change your mind." Hawkeye replied with a glare.
"Broken nights, diapers, vomit!" I motioned to a spot on my skirt, it had not been any of my children's doing, but my niece Abby, from years before, it had not washed out, and to hide it I had dabbed bleach over the purple cotton and now the stain was indefinable from dyed patches. I was not even sure that the patch I pointed to was the stain.
"A beautiful little human being who loves you, that you created." Hawkeye said, our voices had raised somewhat and people were beginning to become curious.
"Annie, can we go for a walk?" Klinger pushed his chair back, seeing other people were beginning to stare, and took my wrist, pulling me to my feet and away from the dining tables.
"Listen, what's going on, you two have been jumping down each other's throats all day?"
"We're just debating about a seventh baby. I'm saying no, I'm almost 35 for crying out loud! It's too late for that kind of thing now. I should be stopping producing babies and loving what children I have."
"Cap'n Pierce, I don't want to interfere, but I'm sure that you and Hawkeye can work things out a-ok. I have seen you two go through thick and thin, and this seems to be the thinnest of thin. You'll be fine, I'm psychic did I tell you?" I laughed and we returned to the table.
"Yeah, and pregnant, and a nun, and Moses!" I teased, sitting down again. We laughed, remembering those times, and then at Soon-Lee's confused face. I loved it, things had never been so simple then, nor had they been so complicated but I always looked back on those times with a smile and a fond tear.
We went home in time to find Danny tearing around the house butt-naked and screaming blue murder as Edna, tired and flustered tried to catch him and put him to bed. Dad, equally exhausted met us at the door and explained that Danny didn't want to go to bed and was throwing a terrible two tantrum.
"I'll tackle this" Hawkeye said, a slightly macho tone to his voice. Danny was after all a daddy's boy. I agreed and went upstairs with the Klingers to check that the others were safely asleep. They all were, which I was glad to see and when I descended five minutes later, Hawkeye was just as tired as his father while Danny was going strong.
"Can you manage him?" Hawkeye queried tiredly. I smiled a little, and went into the living room, where Danny was doing laps and screaming his head off, Edna, frazzled beyond reason, followed him wearily.
"Daniel Adam Riley Pierce!" I shouted. Daniel stopped dead in his tracks. I didn't like to shout at the kids, but I had to shout to be heard. Although Daniel's motion had stopped, he had continued to scream as he faced me.
"That is enough! What on earth is the meaning of this? It's bedtime, let's go!" His screams stopped as I picked him up and carried him upstairs. I returned ten minutes later, having dressed him and put him to bed.
"Wow, I'd hate to have you mad at me." Hawkeye said. I rarely yelled, I'd raise my voice if the volume was getting higher, but before the recent episode I could not remember the last time I'd shouted. I had my own way of disciplining the kids, even though it meant no yelling, and no smacking, the calm requests, followed by praise and cuddles when followed had always worked well.
"It was nothing. All you have to do is be louder than the children." I shrugged and smiled. We decided to go to bed after that, and once we were settled in our big bed, Hawkeye cuddled me close.
"You were impressive before baby-face." He whispered, before going off into a stream of sweet nothings as he made a meal of my ear, then worked his way lower.
"Steady on." I drew my knees up, stopping him before he reached my stomach. "Listen, when you head for my belly like that, I gotta wonder what you have in mind."
"You have to WONDER?" Hawkeye demanded. He chuckled a little, his blue eyes shining with amused love.
"Ben, what I mean is do this because you want me, or because you want to get me pregnant?" I spoke softly, aware that Sarah slept in the study.
"Annie, I really would love another baby."
"And I wouldn't." I replied. "I'm sorry Ben my love, I know how much it would mean to you to have another baby, but it's hard on my body to be pregnant. I've been pregnant six times if you count Korea. My body's been through six rounds of morning sickness, six rounds of sore breasts, five lots of growing to accommodate a baby to term, five lots of giving birth, three lots of breastfeeding, one miscarriage, and a total of roughly 47 months of pregnancy all up. Five term babies, plus two months in Korea. I honestly don't think I can manage all this again."
"I'm sorry darling, I don't know what it's like to be pregnant all I do is put it in you, and then watch Dad get the product out of you a few months down the track. Do you really feel that way?" He crawled up beside me.
"I do honey, I love you so much, I love the kids so much, but I think six is perfect. Even if Lydia is only technically ours, and April's real daddy lives in Boston, I'm happy with our life just the way it is."
"Well, okay beautiful girl, I can see your point. Can we wait until Sarah goes home before we decide for good?" I smiled, Sarah was warming the baby part of my heart and Hawkeye knew it.
"Okay, we'll wait until Sarah goes home." I agreed with a chuckle.
"I hoped you'd say that." Hawkeye smiled, cuddling me against him. I fell asleep quickly, safe in his arms, only to be woken by a demand for a bottle. Despite that, and the ensuing hours of colic, I was in a bright mood the next morning as I carried Sarah around and did the laundry.
"Auntie Belle," I turned, it was Little Max.
"And what can I do for you Max my man?" I shifted Sarah to my other arm, and bent down in front of the 5yo boy.
"Where's the bathroom?" He asked, he was a little lonely without Ben around, as my elder three had to go to school. I smiled, and stood up, leading him upstairs to the kids' bathroom.
"Mummy, can I have a snack now?" Lydia appeared from the playroom where she and Edna were playing house.
"Just as soon as I put Sarah down for a nap Little One," I replied, "Then we'll all go outside, and have a snack on the porch." I went into Hawkeye's and my room. The sun shone in the north window, lighting up our study, and so I moved Sarah's bassinette out of the direct light. I lay her down on her back, and soon her brown eyes closed, and she was asleep.
I left the study door open so I could hear if she woke, and took a good look around our big. It was a beautiful room, no two ways about that. As soon as you went in, you saw windows that ran the length of the wall, facing north, and overlooked the neighbour's backyard. To the left of the door was an alcove that Hawkeye had built shelves in and we used as a wardrobe. Next to that was the study, which had two desks, a sofa and currently Sarah. To the right of the door was our bed, a big one, which slept three adults or six children. Just beyond that was our ensuite, which had a shower, and small bath, which I loved, but Hawkeye found pretty squashy. The ensuite didn't stretch from the hallway wall to the window wall, it only reached about halfway, and it formed a corridor where it ended, which led to a big bay window, which faced east, and the sea. It was a light, airy space, where, when the need arose, I liked to feed my baby of the moment, as there was a door into the nursery from there.
"Mummy?" Lydia, Jess and Stephen stood at the door, waiting as I just gazed around the room.
"Sorry Little One." I shook my head and turned around, "Come on." I took Lydia and Stephen's hands and we went downstairs for a snack.
I grew to enjoy having nine children around, especially the baby. Sarah was beautiful, who responded to our attention with smiles, her colic went too and I came to love the chubby brown-eyed rosy-cheeked baby. I also came to think twice about a seventh child. I still wasn't sure but Hawkeye left me alone to make up my own mind.
Not surprisingly the time passed quickly, and before I knew it, we'd gotten a phonecall from Albuquerque, Juliana's mother had made it, and was coming back to Portland to live with Juliana, Joe and Sarah. Juliana, Joe and Dianne were going arrive next week.
"When will Mum and Dad be back?" It was Max's voice that caught my attention as I tucked Ben into his bed. Stephen and Danny were sharing the nursery, both in cots, as Max was temporarily borrowing Danny's new bed.
"Goodnight Ben." I kissed my son and moved over to Max's bed. "Max my mate, they'll be here in just two more sleeps with your sister Madeline."
"Okay, Aunty Belle can you tell me the story about a baby girl in Korea?" Soon-Lee had made up a story about Madeline, which she used to explain why they were adopting her. Ben added his approval, and I smiled.
"Of course Max, you know what? Stephen likes this story too, so I'll go get him first and you can hear the story together okay?" On the way I also collected April, Lydia, Jess, and Danny who wanted to hear the story too. I decided then to move to the playroom for more room. When Felicity, Edna, Dad and Hawkeye heard I was telling the already well-loved story they joined us, and soon the entire household was waiting as I began the story.
"Once upon a time, not so very long ago, but before you were born, there was a war in a place called Korea. Now this war was very, very bad because lots of innocent people died. Innocent people who didn't want there to be war, but who had to stop the war." Hawkeye was sitting beside me and squeezed my hand tightly as I continued.
"Now there were lots of babies born during this war, and some of their parents died, not all of these children were lucky, as they often had to live in orphanages which were crowded and unhappy. But there was a baby girl who was lucky. Her mother was a Korean lady and her father was an American soldier. The baby girl's father died in the war." At this point Hawkeye muttered something profane. The truth was her father didn't want to take responsibility for his actions and had left the mother and baby.
"The baby girl's mother couldn't look after her baby daughter without her father to help her, and because she knew there was a hospital near where she lived, late one night, she crept up to the hospital and left her baby outside where the doctors stayed. Now this hospital, just like any other had doctors and nurses, but this hospital was special, it had some very nice doctors and nurses, they were the best in all of Korea, and if they had a hospital together here, they'd be the best in the world. Now there were three doctors who were staying where the mother left her baby and they woke up in the morning, they found the baby. This is where the baby's luck started, because one of the doctors was a father whose little girl was at home in America waiting for him, and the minute he saw the baby he knew just what to do." The kids' eyes were closing fast, but I kept going.
"Now, the people at this hospital came to love this baby very, very much. She was a beautiful girl, and everyone thought that she was wonderful. However a hospital is not a very good place to keep a baby, and they knew it, so they had to think about another place for the baby to grow up. Of course not one of the doctors or nurses wanted to see the baby go to an orphanage, and they thought and thought about what they could do to help the baby. Finally, the priest at the camp made a suggestion. That they gave the baby to a monastery where the monks would bring her up, until the war was over and then she could have a real safe home." I paused for breath here, I'd lost all of the kids, but Hawkeye, Dad and Edna still plainly wanted to hear more.
"Well, it was a very sad day for the hospital when the baby girl had to go to the monastery, but they all knew that it was far better for the baby to grow up there. They knew it meant that they might never, ever see the baby again, but everyone said goodbye and the doctors who had found the baby girl first, took her to the monastery. They sadly said goodbye to the little girl and left her there, and went home, never knowing what would happen to her. Should I really keep going?" I felt a little embarrassed telling the story to three adults.
"Yes!" Dad insisted. My remaining audience, Dad, Edna, Hawkeye and on occasions, Jess were captivated.
"Okay! A few months went by and the war finished, and everyone at the hospital returned home. Then when it was safe, the monks who lived at the monastery arranged for the baby girl to leave Korea. It turned out that a convent, with nuns in Paris would take her in, and so she was sent to the convent, and there our baby girl was named Madeline. Madeline stayed in the convent for a long time, and she grew up into a beautiful little girl. When she turned six, it was decided that Madeline should be given a proper home. After looking around, the nuns found one of the men at the hospital who found Madeline had married a young Korean lady. They got in contact with this family, and asked if they would adopt Madeline. This family already had two gorgeous little boys, but they wanted a daughter and so they agreed. The mother and father flew over to Paris to meet their daughter, and there they adopted her. The rest of the story is up to your imaginations, and I think it's time you all went to bed."
"I couldn't agree more," Daniel yawned. So saying he lifted Jess with ease and left the room. Edna stretched and stood up, before lifting Danny and carrying him away. Hawkeye picked Lydia up, and smiled at me.
"Can you grab the big guys?" I nodded, I'd always had less trouble lifting Ben and Felicity and I did that, picking my daughter up and carrying her to bed. By the time I'd done that, Hawkeye was putting April to bed, Edna was working on Stephen and Dad was gently waking Max enough to hop onto his back. I lifted my seven-year-old son easily, and followed Dad into the boys' room. There I lay Ben down and tucked him in.
"Goodnight Sport, I think I might go to bed now too." He didn't even respond, and so with Daniel close behind I tiptoed out of the room. We all went to bed after that, and the next day was spent in excited anticipation awaiting Max and Soon-Lee's return.
"That's why the lady is a tramp!" I was singing to Sarah as she lay, comfortably on her belly across my forearm. She was effectively upside down, but she seemed to enjoy it, watching as the different floor surfaces changes, carpet, tiles, hardwood, and then lawn as I carried her upstairs, changed her diaper and walked downstairs and outside onto the front lawn to where Hawkeye and the other kids were playing.
"Tramp? I think not darling." Hawkeye wrapped his arms around me, mindful of the nearly 13-week-old infant I carried. "A spitfire when you want to be, a temptress on occasions and minx definitely, but not a tramp."
"Thankyou darling." I smiled and kissed him.
"Mummy, what's a minx?" Lydia looked up at me.
"A lady who teases men sweetheart. What are we all doing out here?"
"Max rang while you and Sarah were at Cathie's. Their cab will be here soon!" Felicity told me, beaming, standing beside her much-loved sister. I'd had lunch at Cathie Harrison's with Sarah and her 'little surprise' a third child, still just a bump, but to be born in the Cove's hospital.
Crabapple Cove Nursing Hospital was generally run by a group of nurses and used for small things like tonsillectomies. Larger operations, unless they were an emergency headed to Portland General's larger OR. Aside from Hawkeye and Daniel who made rounds there in between other patients and Hawkeye's shifts at the Gen, there were two other doctors, a paediatrician and another surgeon who like Hawkeye, split her time between the Cove and the Gen. The Cove only took residents of Crabapple Cove and two equally small, neighbouring towns Pine Harbour and Sunrise Bay and we preferred the pleasant albeit insular system.
Cathie was having her baby in the Cove as we'd recently established a maternity wing. This section was opened at the beginning of the year and was the reason why I'd given birth at home, as I did not want to go to the Gen. With April, I had been sent to the Cove immediately as April had made it clear she wouldn't wait. However, if I agreed to a seventh baby, I'd be having it at the Cove. The only reason I had arrived in the Cove was due to my mother's sheer stubbornness.
"Great!" I smiled. I glanced around. Ben and Max were up a tree - again - and as always I had to swallow the urge to call out to them protectively. I loved my kids, and my incredibly strong maternal urges pushed me to do all I could to ensure their safety, but I often had to draw the line between caring and smothering. As a child, I had not really been allowed to run free, and I knew I wanted to let my kids enjoy life, live childhood to the fullest and still become respectable young adults.
We became absorbed in a street game of baseball, which a few other local kids joined in. Sarah was lying on her belly in the sun, well away from the game, but close enough to my right field position in case she needed me.
"You're outta here! Off the road!" Hawkeye hollered in one breath as I struck out, and a cab came crawling up the road. Only tourists or out-of- towners drove fast in the Cove, you never knew whether there would be a game like this happening in the middle of our quiet residential street.
We moved away, taking our newspaper first base, my old combat boots for second and third and Captain's water bowl for home plate with us. The cab held Max, Soon-Lee and a pretty dark-haired girl.
"Kids, in, I know you're excited, but you'll all get to meet Madeline soon. Max, Stephen, you stay here." I ushered them away, as Hawkeye ignored Max's complaints and paid the fare and Soon-Lee, with her new daughter clinging to her hand, no pun intended.
Thanks, Annie." Max smiled and kissed my cheek. Hawkeye began dumping bags on the front lawn. On her rug, Sarah began to squawk and Hawkeye picked her up and gave her to me, before continuing to unload the cab.
"How was France?" I queried. Max and Stephen hung back quietly as Soon-Lee whispered in what I thought was Korean to her nervous daughter.
"Great, Madeline is beautiful isn't she? By the way, she does speak English, but her French is perfect, and her Korean is great for someone who only spent three years as a baby there. It's a bit tricky talking with her sometimes, but her English has already improved."
"She is beautiful, what I can see of her that is." Her face was hidden shyly against Soon-Lee's side.
"Go talk to her, let her get to know you, she's just like any other child, knows who the baby-people are. I want to talk to the boys before they meet her."
"Hi Soon-Lee," I kissed my friend's cheek warmly and bent down to the nervous little girl before me.
"Hi Madeline," I said softly, in English, she glanced at me, nervously, obviously knowing and comprehending what I said, but too shy to respond. I smiled, and shifted Sarah so I could bend down properly, on my knees.
"Bonjour," I continued telling her that I was Annie and that she was very beautiful.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle." She let go of Soon-Lee now and curtsied. She continued in a stream of French. She was Madeline Patience Klinger, she was eight years old and had been born in Korea. Soon-Lee and Max gasped.
"We can't speak much French, that's the most she's ever said to anyone." Max explained.
"Well I can speak French, so maybe I can help." I said, as Madeline began to talk again, reaching this time for Sarah. Delighted, she took the whinging infant into her arms and asked if she would be allowed to give her a bottle. I translated to Max and Soon-Lee, and replied for them.
"You are staying here for three nights, so there is plenty of time to feed the baby." I said in French again, "But your mother and father would like you to talk in English please, and meet your brothers."
"Okay." She said, this time in English and with Soon-Lee, approached Max and Stephen.
I smiled and went inside, taking Sarah with me. Hawkeye cuddled me as soon as my arms were freed, and kissed me sweetly.
"Well, have you thought about adding a new member to our family?" He queried softly.
"Yes I have." I smiled at Sarah as she lay on Lyssie's lap drinking from her bottle.
"Well?" He led me upstairs, away from the prying ears of our kids.
"I've thought about it long and hard, and well Sarah is a gorgeous baby, I love her to pieces, and another baby would be a nice change, no two ways about that. But, now that Danny's older I've begun to have a regular work pattern and I'm me again, the pretty, sexy me, you can get your arms around. So I know that you would dearly love to have a baby again, and I would too, but I know, I only want the baby for its amusement factor. I'm not thinking about the workload involved, so I hate to disappoint you Ben darling, but no. I don't want another baby, if we want to mind a baby, there are plenty of kids we can borrow for a little while, but not on a full-time scale."
"It's okay Anne, I understand." He kissed me again. "Let's go back down."
Madeline it seemed fitted very well into the Klinger tribe, and now that she had relaxed her English had blossomed into a vocabulary that would make an eight-year-old proud. It seemed she knew a lot more than we'd assumed and was in fact, tri-lingual.
Sarah went home a day after the Klingers, and although I missed them all, I was glad to have my regular routine back. Without Sarah in the next room it also meant that Hawkeye and I could return to our love life.
"Mmm, Annie, can we cuddle for a little while?" Hawkeye had just taken a shower and was not only smelling great, but slightly damp, and wearing only a towel.
"Of course." I agreed, shifting into his embrace. The cuddle escalated pretty quickly, and Hawkeye looked straight at me, about a minute before things went too far.
"Wait, we aren't trying for another baby are we?" He pulled back. I couldn't suppress the groan of disappointment.
"No, I guess not." I replied.
"Okay then." He smiled and got up, heading for the study drawer and the condom kept within. A few seconds later we were back doing what we were before and the mutual understanding we'd reached made it better.
"Thanks for understanding Hawkeye." I kissed him later as I lay snuggled against him.
"That's alright Annie darling." He kissed me. It was then that I was glad that I had married sch a great man, and if it was possible fell in love with him all the more.
March 1961
Hawkeye and I had agreed to mind Max and Stephen Klinger for a month while Max and Soon-Lee adopted their daughter Madeline. This was no issue, Max was about April's age, and Stephen was roughly as old as Lydia. Two extra kids would hardly create a dint in our daily routine, especially as since Eve and Joe had moved back to Portland with their young families, along with Mimi's marriage and daughter Katie, and Rae's new son Toby, it was highly likely I'd be minding at least one niece and or nephew in addition to the my brood.
"I'm just so glad that little Madeline can have a proper home." I smiled. The Klingers were coming the next day, and staying for the night. I was also excited because Joe's wife had had a baby girl nine weeks before, and while they were away in Albuquerque with Juliana's ailing mother I was also sitting for Sarah whom they couldn't take with them on short notice.
"You're just thrilled because there's going to be another baby in the house." Edna smiled at me. She'd read my mind, but I wasn't surprised. I agreed and swallowed my last mouthful of food and picked up a fading Danny. We'd all had an early dinner, and were planning an early night, as Joe, Juliana and Sara were stopping by at five in the morning on their way to the airport.
"Alright Little One, you look exhausted." Dad smiled, lifting Lydia up. Jess I noticed had already fallen asleep in her chair, and Hawkeye lovingly lifted her up. I wasn't sure why they were so tired, but if they were all going to go to bed without a peep, I wasn't going to argue either.
"Goodnight Mummy, I love you." Lydia sleepily kissed me, and let Daniel carry her upstairs. Her little dark head cuddled into his shoulder, and her eyes closed. To my pleased surprise, everyone was asleep inside the hour.
"Joe, Juliana, and this must be Sarah." Dad opened the door, and let my brother, sister-in-law and niece in.
"Joe!" I embraced my brother. I loved seeing my siblings, especially as I rarely saw them now, as we were spread over Maine, and the east coast. "Goodness gracious this must be Sarah! She's gotten so big," I had been on a shift in when Juliana had come in having started labour, and I had been there to see Sarah just after she arrived.
"Yep, she doesn't stop growing." Juliana placed the baby in my arms. "I want to take her with me so badly, but Aunt Eunice said on explicit terms, I was not to bring the baby." I didn't know Aunt E, but she was Jules's mother's sister, and from the sound of it, a cranky old spinster who believed children should be seen and not heard.
"And you don't want to leave your mother alone with Eunice." Edna finished. Hawkeye and the kids were still asleep. Juliana nodded, her straight blonde hair loosely tied back, and looked glad at Edna's understanding. Juliana was still really just a little girl, at 23, she was 8 years younger than Joe.
"Do you want a coffee or anything like that?" Joe shook his head, which was about four inches away from the sleeping infant in the crook of my arm as he kissed his baby girl.
"No, we have to go, and we've got the taxi waiting outside. Sarah is really very good, she's happy to sleep most of the night, but just watch out that she gets burped after a bottle, she's prone to colic. Bye-bye baby." A few hugs and kisses for Sarah and my brother and his wife left.
"What is that noise?" Hawkeye struggled downstairs at 6, when Sarah decided that she wanted a bottle and began to wail. Lydia and Felicity had already woken, and Hawkeye checked them for signs of tears as I cradled Sarah and heated her bottle.
"Oh, the baby!" Hawkeye rushed over, his eyes alight and filled with doting paternal love. He took Sarah from me and cradled her close. Although we had been planning another baby, I'd changed my mind, being satisfied with the six, and not really wanting anymore. Hawkeye agreed, but wasn't really impressed by my sudden change of heart.
"How beautiful are you?" He crooned. "You know Annie, it makes me think. . ." He trailed off wistfully.
"Hawkeye, we've discussed this," I replied tersely, "And I thought we agreed, no more."
"You agreed no more." Hawkeye dropped his voice so the girls wouldn't hear. "I still think one more would be perfect." He wasn't going to give up on it easily. Just because I said no baby didn't mean I had said no sex but the number of times he brought it up or the amount of spare time he spent seducing me would have given anyone else a different opinion.
"Hawkeye, enough!" I turned away, tested Sarah's bottle and gave it to Hawkeye without a word. He began to give it to her, and she quieted and began suckling.
The Klingers arrived in time for lunch, and I was thrilled to see how big the boys were. As I lifted Stephen into his chair a few minutes later, I realised I had also not met BJ's youngest Alec, or the younger O'Reillys, twins Henry Edward and Shirley Jane, and 12mo Timothy Blake and baby Lucy short for Lucille Maria. It made me pine for my friends, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, and regretted the decision not to have another reunion until 1963.
"Well, how long until you meet her?" I asked, sipping my water.
"Five days, until we actually meet her then there's about two weeks of legalities, and getting to know her, then, finally a week that Soon-Lee and I will spend in France with Madeline, assuming all goes well, just to get to know her, and then we're back." Max answered.
"You don't even know if you're getting her yet, excuse me." Sarah was stirring and I left my seat to pick her up.
"You did not say you were with child!" Soon-Lee gasped as I put the pretty baby into her arms.
"We're not," Hawkeye muttered, "That's just the problem,"
"Shut up Hawkeye! That's my niece Sarah."
"She's beautiful, and do I detect a hint of tension?" Klinger asked, equally absorbed in the baby as she opened her wide hazel eyes and blinked sleepily.
"No you don't Max." I gave a tight, nervous laugh. "Who wants more salad?"
Dad and Edna offered to mind the kids, so that Max, Soon-Lee, Hawkeye and I could go out for dinner, a chance we gratefully accepted. I had not been out in a while due to shifts, and I was glad for the break.
"I'm so excited that we get to have a daughter. We'd agreed on two children, but then the two boys has made us want a daughter." Max said.
"Is Danny your last baby?" Soon-Lee's voice still held a Korean lilt.
"Yes," I responded quickly, as Hawkeye also answered.
"No." The two simultaneous, opposing answers had a surprised look pass between the other couple.
"That's still under discussion.." I continued smoothly. "I'm thinking six is enough."
"I'm hoping Sarah will change your mind." Hawkeye replied with a glare.
"Broken nights, diapers, vomit!" I motioned to a spot on my skirt, it had not been any of my children's doing, but my niece Abby, from years before, it had not washed out, and to hide it I had dabbed bleach over the purple cotton and now the stain was indefinable from dyed patches. I was not even sure that the patch I pointed to was the stain.
"A beautiful little human being who loves you, that you created." Hawkeye said, our voices had raised somewhat and people were beginning to become curious.
"Annie, can we go for a walk?" Klinger pushed his chair back, seeing other people were beginning to stare, and took my wrist, pulling me to my feet and away from the dining tables.
"Listen, what's going on, you two have been jumping down each other's throats all day?"
"We're just debating about a seventh baby. I'm saying no, I'm almost 35 for crying out loud! It's too late for that kind of thing now. I should be stopping producing babies and loving what children I have."
"Cap'n Pierce, I don't want to interfere, but I'm sure that you and Hawkeye can work things out a-ok. I have seen you two go through thick and thin, and this seems to be the thinnest of thin. You'll be fine, I'm psychic did I tell you?" I laughed and we returned to the table.
"Yeah, and pregnant, and a nun, and Moses!" I teased, sitting down again. We laughed, remembering those times, and then at Soon-Lee's confused face. I loved it, things had never been so simple then, nor had they been so complicated but I always looked back on those times with a smile and a fond tear.
We went home in time to find Danny tearing around the house butt-naked and screaming blue murder as Edna, tired and flustered tried to catch him and put him to bed. Dad, equally exhausted met us at the door and explained that Danny didn't want to go to bed and was throwing a terrible two tantrum.
"I'll tackle this" Hawkeye said, a slightly macho tone to his voice. Danny was after all a daddy's boy. I agreed and went upstairs with the Klingers to check that the others were safely asleep. They all were, which I was glad to see and when I descended five minutes later, Hawkeye was just as tired as his father while Danny was going strong.
"Can you manage him?" Hawkeye queried tiredly. I smiled a little, and went into the living room, where Danny was doing laps and screaming his head off, Edna, frazzled beyond reason, followed him wearily.
"Daniel Adam Riley Pierce!" I shouted. Daniel stopped dead in his tracks. I didn't like to shout at the kids, but I had to shout to be heard. Although Daniel's motion had stopped, he had continued to scream as he faced me.
"That is enough! What on earth is the meaning of this? It's bedtime, let's go!" His screams stopped as I picked him up and carried him upstairs. I returned ten minutes later, having dressed him and put him to bed.
"Wow, I'd hate to have you mad at me." Hawkeye said. I rarely yelled, I'd raise my voice if the volume was getting higher, but before the recent episode I could not remember the last time I'd shouted. I had my own way of disciplining the kids, even though it meant no yelling, and no smacking, the calm requests, followed by praise and cuddles when followed had always worked well.
"It was nothing. All you have to do is be louder than the children." I shrugged and smiled. We decided to go to bed after that, and once we were settled in our big bed, Hawkeye cuddled me close.
"You were impressive before baby-face." He whispered, before going off into a stream of sweet nothings as he made a meal of my ear, then worked his way lower.
"Steady on." I drew my knees up, stopping him before he reached my stomach. "Listen, when you head for my belly like that, I gotta wonder what you have in mind."
"You have to WONDER?" Hawkeye demanded. He chuckled a little, his blue eyes shining with amused love.
"Ben, what I mean is do this because you want me, or because you want to get me pregnant?" I spoke softly, aware that Sarah slept in the study.
"Annie, I really would love another baby."
"And I wouldn't." I replied. "I'm sorry Ben my love, I know how much it would mean to you to have another baby, but it's hard on my body to be pregnant. I've been pregnant six times if you count Korea. My body's been through six rounds of morning sickness, six rounds of sore breasts, five lots of growing to accommodate a baby to term, five lots of giving birth, three lots of breastfeeding, one miscarriage, and a total of roughly 47 months of pregnancy all up. Five term babies, plus two months in Korea. I honestly don't think I can manage all this again."
"I'm sorry darling, I don't know what it's like to be pregnant all I do is put it in you, and then watch Dad get the product out of you a few months down the track. Do you really feel that way?" He crawled up beside me.
"I do honey, I love you so much, I love the kids so much, but I think six is perfect. Even if Lydia is only technically ours, and April's real daddy lives in Boston, I'm happy with our life just the way it is."
"Well, okay beautiful girl, I can see your point. Can we wait until Sarah goes home before we decide for good?" I smiled, Sarah was warming the baby part of my heart and Hawkeye knew it.
"Okay, we'll wait until Sarah goes home." I agreed with a chuckle.
"I hoped you'd say that." Hawkeye smiled, cuddling me against him. I fell asleep quickly, safe in his arms, only to be woken by a demand for a bottle. Despite that, and the ensuing hours of colic, I was in a bright mood the next morning as I carried Sarah around and did the laundry.
"Auntie Belle," I turned, it was Little Max.
"And what can I do for you Max my man?" I shifted Sarah to my other arm, and bent down in front of the 5yo boy.
"Where's the bathroom?" He asked, he was a little lonely without Ben around, as my elder three had to go to school. I smiled, and stood up, leading him upstairs to the kids' bathroom.
"Mummy, can I have a snack now?" Lydia appeared from the playroom where she and Edna were playing house.
"Just as soon as I put Sarah down for a nap Little One," I replied, "Then we'll all go outside, and have a snack on the porch." I went into Hawkeye's and my room. The sun shone in the north window, lighting up our study, and so I moved Sarah's bassinette out of the direct light. I lay her down on her back, and soon her brown eyes closed, and she was asleep.
I left the study door open so I could hear if she woke, and took a good look around our big. It was a beautiful room, no two ways about that. As soon as you went in, you saw windows that ran the length of the wall, facing north, and overlooked the neighbour's backyard. To the left of the door was an alcove that Hawkeye had built shelves in and we used as a wardrobe. Next to that was the study, which had two desks, a sofa and currently Sarah. To the right of the door was our bed, a big one, which slept three adults or six children. Just beyond that was our ensuite, which had a shower, and small bath, which I loved, but Hawkeye found pretty squashy. The ensuite didn't stretch from the hallway wall to the window wall, it only reached about halfway, and it formed a corridor where it ended, which led to a big bay window, which faced east, and the sea. It was a light, airy space, where, when the need arose, I liked to feed my baby of the moment, as there was a door into the nursery from there.
"Mummy?" Lydia, Jess and Stephen stood at the door, waiting as I just gazed around the room.
"Sorry Little One." I shook my head and turned around, "Come on." I took Lydia and Stephen's hands and we went downstairs for a snack.
I grew to enjoy having nine children around, especially the baby. Sarah was beautiful, who responded to our attention with smiles, her colic went too and I came to love the chubby brown-eyed rosy-cheeked baby. I also came to think twice about a seventh child. I still wasn't sure but Hawkeye left me alone to make up my own mind.
Not surprisingly the time passed quickly, and before I knew it, we'd gotten a phonecall from Albuquerque, Juliana's mother had made it, and was coming back to Portland to live with Juliana, Joe and Sarah. Juliana, Joe and Dianne were going arrive next week.
"When will Mum and Dad be back?" It was Max's voice that caught my attention as I tucked Ben into his bed. Stephen and Danny were sharing the nursery, both in cots, as Max was temporarily borrowing Danny's new bed.
"Goodnight Ben." I kissed my son and moved over to Max's bed. "Max my mate, they'll be here in just two more sleeps with your sister Madeline."
"Okay, Aunty Belle can you tell me the story about a baby girl in Korea?" Soon-Lee had made up a story about Madeline, which she used to explain why they were adopting her. Ben added his approval, and I smiled.
"Of course Max, you know what? Stephen likes this story too, so I'll go get him first and you can hear the story together okay?" On the way I also collected April, Lydia, Jess, and Danny who wanted to hear the story too. I decided then to move to the playroom for more room. When Felicity, Edna, Dad and Hawkeye heard I was telling the already well-loved story they joined us, and soon the entire household was waiting as I began the story.
"Once upon a time, not so very long ago, but before you were born, there was a war in a place called Korea. Now this war was very, very bad because lots of innocent people died. Innocent people who didn't want there to be war, but who had to stop the war." Hawkeye was sitting beside me and squeezed my hand tightly as I continued.
"Now there were lots of babies born during this war, and some of their parents died, not all of these children were lucky, as they often had to live in orphanages which were crowded and unhappy. But there was a baby girl who was lucky. Her mother was a Korean lady and her father was an American soldier. The baby girl's father died in the war." At this point Hawkeye muttered something profane. The truth was her father didn't want to take responsibility for his actions and had left the mother and baby.
"The baby girl's mother couldn't look after her baby daughter without her father to help her, and because she knew there was a hospital near where she lived, late one night, she crept up to the hospital and left her baby outside where the doctors stayed. Now this hospital, just like any other had doctors and nurses, but this hospital was special, it had some very nice doctors and nurses, they were the best in all of Korea, and if they had a hospital together here, they'd be the best in the world. Now there were three doctors who were staying where the mother left her baby and they woke up in the morning, they found the baby. This is where the baby's luck started, because one of the doctors was a father whose little girl was at home in America waiting for him, and the minute he saw the baby he knew just what to do." The kids' eyes were closing fast, but I kept going.
"Now, the people at this hospital came to love this baby very, very much. She was a beautiful girl, and everyone thought that she was wonderful. However a hospital is not a very good place to keep a baby, and they knew it, so they had to think about another place for the baby to grow up. Of course not one of the doctors or nurses wanted to see the baby go to an orphanage, and they thought and thought about what they could do to help the baby. Finally, the priest at the camp made a suggestion. That they gave the baby to a monastery where the monks would bring her up, until the war was over and then she could have a real safe home." I paused for breath here, I'd lost all of the kids, but Hawkeye, Dad and Edna still plainly wanted to hear more.
"Well, it was a very sad day for the hospital when the baby girl had to go to the monastery, but they all knew that it was far better for the baby to grow up there. They knew it meant that they might never, ever see the baby again, but everyone said goodbye and the doctors who had found the baby girl first, took her to the monastery. They sadly said goodbye to the little girl and left her there, and went home, never knowing what would happen to her. Should I really keep going?" I felt a little embarrassed telling the story to three adults.
"Yes!" Dad insisted. My remaining audience, Dad, Edna, Hawkeye and on occasions, Jess were captivated.
"Okay! A few months went by and the war finished, and everyone at the hospital returned home. Then when it was safe, the monks who lived at the monastery arranged for the baby girl to leave Korea. It turned out that a convent, with nuns in Paris would take her in, and so she was sent to the convent, and there our baby girl was named Madeline. Madeline stayed in the convent for a long time, and she grew up into a beautiful little girl. When she turned six, it was decided that Madeline should be given a proper home. After looking around, the nuns found one of the men at the hospital who found Madeline had married a young Korean lady. They got in contact with this family, and asked if they would adopt Madeline. This family already had two gorgeous little boys, but they wanted a daughter and so they agreed. The mother and father flew over to Paris to meet their daughter, and there they adopted her. The rest of the story is up to your imaginations, and I think it's time you all went to bed."
"I couldn't agree more," Daniel yawned. So saying he lifted Jess with ease and left the room. Edna stretched and stood up, before lifting Danny and carrying him away. Hawkeye picked Lydia up, and smiled at me.
"Can you grab the big guys?" I nodded, I'd always had less trouble lifting Ben and Felicity and I did that, picking my daughter up and carrying her to bed. By the time I'd done that, Hawkeye was putting April to bed, Edna was working on Stephen and Dad was gently waking Max enough to hop onto his back. I lifted my seven-year-old son easily, and followed Dad into the boys' room. There I lay Ben down and tucked him in.
"Goodnight Sport, I think I might go to bed now too." He didn't even respond, and so with Daniel close behind I tiptoed out of the room. We all went to bed after that, and the next day was spent in excited anticipation awaiting Max and Soon-Lee's return.
"That's why the lady is a tramp!" I was singing to Sarah as she lay, comfortably on her belly across my forearm. She was effectively upside down, but she seemed to enjoy it, watching as the different floor surfaces changes, carpet, tiles, hardwood, and then lawn as I carried her upstairs, changed her diaper and walked downstairs and outside onto the front lawn to where Hawkeye and the other kids were playing.
"Tramp? I think not darling." Hawkeye wrapped his arms around me, mindful of the nearly 13-week-old infant I carried. "A spitfire when you want to be, a temptress on occasions and minx definitely, but not a tramp."
"Thankyou darling." I smiled and kissed him.
"Mummy, what's a minx?" Lydia looked up at me.
"A lady who teases men sweetheart. What are we all doing out here?"
"Max rang while you and Sarah were at Cathie's. Their cab will be here soon!" Felicity told me, beaming, standing beside her much-loved sister. I'd had lunch at Cathie Harrison's with Sarah and her 'little surprise' a third child, still just a bump, but to be born in the Cove's hospital.
Crabapple Cove Nursing Hospital was generally run by a group of nurses and used for small things like tonsillectomies. Larger operations, unless they were an emergency headed to Portland General's larger OR. Aside from Hawkeye and Daniel who made rounds there in between other patients and Hawkeye's shifts at the Gen, there were two other doctors, a paediatrician and another surgeon who like Hawkeye, split her time between the Cove and the Gen. The Cove only took residents of Crabapple Cove and two equally small, neighbouring towns Pine Harbour and Sunrise Bay and we preferred the pleasant albeit insular system.
Cathie was having her baby in the Cove as we'd recently established a maternity wing. This section was opened at the beginning of the year and was the reason why I'd given birth at home, as I did not want to go to the Gen. With April, I had been sent to the Cove immediately as April had made it clear she wouldn't wait. However, if I agreed to a seventh baby, I'd be having it at the Cove. The only reason I had arrived in the Cove was due to my mother's sheer stubbornness.
"Great!" I smiled. I glanced around. Ben and Max were up a tree - again - and as always I had to swallow the urge to call out to them protectively. I loved my kids, and my incredibly strong maternal urges pushed me to do all I could to ensure their safety, but I often had to draw the line between caring and smothering. As a child, I had not really been allowed to run free, and I knew I wanted to let my kids enjoy life, live childhood to the fullest and still become respectable young adults.
We became absorbed in a street game of baseball, which a few other local kids joined in. Sarah was lying on her belly in the sun, well away from the game, but close enough to my right field position in case she needed me.
"You're outta here! Off the road!" Hawkeye hollered in one breath as I struck out, and a cab came crawling up the road. Only tourists or out-of- towners drove fast in the Cove, you never knew whether there would be a game like this happening in the middle of our quiet residential street.
We moved away, taking our newspaper first base, my old combat boots for second and third and Captain's water bowl for home plate with us. The cab held Max, Soon-Lee and a pretty dark-haired girl.
"Kids, in, I know you're excited, but you'll all get to meet Madeline soon. Max, Stephen, you stay here." I ushered them away, as Hawkeye ignored Max's complaints and paid the fare and Soon-Lee, with her new daughter clinging to her hand, no pun intended.
Thanks, Annie." Max smiled and kissed my cheek. Hawkeye began dumping bags on the front lawn. On her rug, Sarah began to squawk and Hawkeye picked her up and gave her to me, before continuing to unload the cab.
"How was France?" I queried. Max and Stephen hung back quietly as Soon-Lee whispered in what I thought was Korean to her nervous daughter.
"Great, Madeline is beautiful isn't she? By the way, she does speak English, but her French is perfect, and her Korean is great for someone who only spent three years as a baby there. It's a bit tricky talking with her sometimes, but her English has already improved."
"She is beautiful, what I can see of her that is." Her face was hidden shyly against Soon-Lee's side.
"Go talk to her, let her get to know you, she's just like any other child, knows who the baby-people are. I want to talk to the boys before they meet her."
"Hi Soon-Lee," I kissed my friend's cheek warmly and bent down to the nervous little girl before me.
"Hi Madeline," I said softly, in English, she glanced at me, nervously, obviously knowing and comprehending what I said, but too shy to respond. I smiled, and shifted Sarah so I could bend down properly, on my knees.
"Bonjour," I continued telling her that I was Annie and that she was very beautiful.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle." She let go of Soon-Lee now and curtsied. She continued in a stream of French. She was Madeline Patience Klinger, she was eight years old and had been born in Korea. Soon-Lee and Max gasped.
"We can't speak much French, that's the most she's ever said to anyone." Max explained.
"Well I can speak French, so maybe I can help." I said, as Madeline began to talk again, reaching this time for Sarah. Delighted, she took the whinging infant into her arms and asked if she would be allowed to give her a bottle. I translated to Max and Soon-Lee, and replied for them.
"You are staying here for three nights, so there is plenty of time to feed the baby." I said in French again, "But your mother and father would like you to talk in English please, and meet your brothers."
"Okay." She said, this time in English and with Soon-Lee, approached Max and Stephen.
I smiled and went inside, taking Sarah with me. Hawkeye cuddled me as soon as my arms were freed, and kissed me sweetly.
"Well, have you thought about adding a new member to our family?" He queried softly.
"Yes I have." I smiled at Sarah as she lay on Lyssie's lap drinking from her bottle.
"Well?" He led me upstairs, away from the prying ears of our kids.
"I've thought about it long and hard, and well Sarah is a gorgeous baby, I love her to pieces, and another baby would be a nice change, no two ways about that. But, now that Danny's older I've begun to have a regular work pattern and I'm me again, the pretty, sexy me, you can get your arms around. So I know that you would dearly love to have a baby again, and I would too, but I know, I only want the baby for its amusement factor. I'm not thinking about the workload involved, so I hate to disappoint you Ben darling, but no. I don't want another baby, if we want to mind a baby, there are plenty of kids we can borrow for a little while, but not on a full-time scale."
"It's okay Anne, I understand." He kissed me again. "Let's go back down."
Madeline it seemed fitted very well into the Klinger tribe, and now that she had relaxed her English had blossomed into a vocabulary that would make an eight-year-old proud. It seemed she knew a lot more than we'd assumed and was in fact, tri-lingual.
Sarah went home a day after the Klingers, and although I missed them all, I was glad to have my regular routine back. Without Sarah in the next room it also meant that Hawkeye and I could return to our love life.
"Mmm, Annie, can we cuddle for a little while?" Hawkeye had just taken a shower and was not only smelling great, but slightly damp, and wearing only a towel.
"Of course." I agreed, shifting into his embrace. The cuddle escalated pretty quickly, and Hawkeye looked straight at me, about a minute before things went too far.
"Wait, we aren't trying for another baby are we?" He pulled back. I couldn't suppress the groan of disappointment.
"No, I guess not." I replied.
"Okay then." He smiled and got up, heading for the study drawer and the condom kept within. A few seconds later we were back doing what we were before and the mutual understanding we'd reached made it better.
"Thanks for understanding Hawkeye." I kissed him later as I lay snuggled against him.
"That's alright Annie darling." He kissed me. It was then that I was glad that I had married sch a great man, and if it was possible fell in love with him all the more.