February 1928
Edith went into labour. Mary and Rachel were with her while Matthew kept Bertie company. After many hours, Edith gave birth to a son.
The midwife came out of the room announcing it, "Congratulations, you have a boy!"
"Any advice?" Bertie turned to Matthew. He had always heard that girls were easier. He logically couldn't ask Tom about it.
"You'll do fine."
"She's been shouting something fierce for you." The midwife added.
"I heard some of those words." Bertie cringed, gripping his hat and spinning it round.
"It's perfectly natural for them to blame you at first. Good luck." Matthew patted him on the back, where he could reach from his chair.
Edith didn't want many visitors for the next few weeks. Bertie's mother had come storming in. Carson had a hard time trying to get rid of her. Despite his health issues he was still staying on, until he could find a replacement.
She was finally shown to Edith's room. Imagine her relief when Miranda went back to Canada. She had been nothing but intrusive.
"She appears without an invitation; insisted upon it. And her darling son only thought to let me know two days before she arrived, in the midst of my confinement." She had complained to Mary. She was being actually helpful. But they would no doubt go back to their bitter ways.
"He's going the best he can." Mary simply replied.
"Women no longer need to do so. How long where you in bed..."
Mary's eyes met her sister's, her older sister's swimming with something Edith couldn't identify. "After George." Edith quickly added.
"Only about two weeks. Matthew had insisted. Your first child is always the hardest. So you need more rest."
"Bertie's also insisted on it." He had known some Asian friends from Canada from the nearby neighborhood of his parent's second home there. He planned on executing some of their traditions during the pregnancy and birth. His worry stemming from Sybil's death in childbirth, no doubt. And he had never known Sybil.
"Not much different from our culture." He had said. "They go into confinement for a month to heal from the birth. This period often involves drinking many strengthening soups, consuming breastmilk increasing food," She wasn't sold on the idea until he said, "and generally just being pampered and resting." He bent down and kissed her forehead. "But you don't have to stay in bed for nearly that long. Maybe just a few weeks."
A knock sounded on the door and Bertie entered, followed by Matthew. "The grandparents will have to wait." Bertie said. "So I can get a chance to hold him myself!"
Mary went over to the cot to get him ready to hand him over to his father. She was absolutely besotted with James, what Bertie and Edith had named him, just has his parents were. She wanted any chance to hold him while Edith rested. Edith thought she was only giving him such attention because he was the future Marquess of Hexham. But jealousy and history of feeling scorned aside she thought, Sybie and James will be her only niece and nephew. And she had her own hormonals instincts, having just given birth to Caroline two months ago.
She could even deal with her sister but what she couldn't was her mother in-law.
Her arrival was not only disruptive, she made it intrusive by coming to live with me at my parents' house. Papa had no choice. It was the only way to silence her. She wouldn't stay long.
The prediction was right. Her stay only lasted for a grand total of two days before she told my husband she didn't feel comfortable living under someone's roof, insisting I break my confinement, leave my parents' and go back to with her to her tiny bungalow in Canada she was renting. Just for a little while till the baby was weened. There was no way. Three adults and a newborn baby would have to live in a tiny space with barley any walking space.
All the while she was picking on the way I took care of my newborn, the way I did things, and bitching about how my husband didn't have his shit together before she came over. She was very convinced that I was hiding something and felt that I had trapped her son.
While pretending all was well when he was around. I called her out on it and she stammered something incoherent. She was also hypersensitive and got herself in a funk when she made me papaya milk soup (I love it) and told her, "It's too hot" and I would eat it later. My husband who has only ever seen it served cold in dessert shops in Singapore (his cousin Peter had frequently traveled, including places like North African and Morocco) asked her "Isn't it supposed to be served cold?"
That sent her into a tizzy cuz we were "obviously ganging up on her"
Bertie told me to take the baby into the room and closed the door. A one-sided shouting match ensued, whereupon he told his dear old mother what's what and she could bloody well pack up and leave if she was so unhappy with.. well, everything.
She finally booked her ticket, and went back to where she came from.
Peace came back to earth, and we lived happily ever after.
Except she is still a touchy topic and I hope she never comes back again.
The weather finally warm as spring approached. Matthew finally able to take up his offer he had made back in August to Bertie, to go fishing. Easy talking, nothing too deep, Bertie asking, what Matthew had felt when he had first became a father, then the topic went to fishing techniques.
Strange as it might seem, he could be in Bertie and Charlie's company (it wasn't because he was in a similar situation) it was easier than being in Tom's or anyone else's whom of which knew him from before. He couldn't recognise that life anymore or himself, and couldn't help but wonder if they were talking to the old him. And the telling him, you'll get over this.
It hurt more to hear that his sacrifices had meant nothing. He wanted to think at least it had been for something.
Bertie and Charlie hadn't known him before the war and had no connection to the deepest darkest pain. With Henry, they just hadn't gotten along, not everyone did. Evelyn was another story. They hardly ever said more than a few words to each other. And when Evelyn did speak, he could sometimes be somewhat of a snob but was a good man. There are very few of those, even before the war.
When he had gotten back from the war he had wanted to sever all connections, mainly due to his injury at first. He had thought like many of the young soldiers, eager to do 'his bit' prepared to kill some Germans. He hadn't been prepared. And when you see your friends in front of you, bloody and dying...He couldn't afford to loose anymore people.
It was different with Mary though. She had been there through the worst, struggled through it with him.
He still had the nightmares but at least he hadn't had any more episodes. He had nearly had one the night their daughter was born. Caroline. He sung that Clementine song for her every night.
He thought of none of those horrible memories now, feeling the warmth of the sun's rays, that naturally bleached his dark hair, thinking of how blessed he was.
In April was the wedding of Evelyn Napier to Adeline Duper. It was to be the best event of the season.
"What is a plus one?" George asked before they left the house. He had heard it used a lot recently.
"It's a guest you can bring to a wedding. Miss Edmunds is Uncle Tom's plus one." Mary explained.
"Is daddy your plus one?"
"Yes. He is." Mary and Matthew exchanged loving looks.
It was a really beautiful wedding, held outside. It wasn't until the end of the ceremony that it started to rain. Everyone rushed inside for shelter. Matthew, who couldn't, got almost completely soaked. So did Mary, trying to push his chair as fast as she could. It's so damn heavy. She was thankful she wasn't pregnant anymore. And never would be again. It was a sad thought that quickly passed.
Adeline offered they could change into a pair of her and Evelyn's clothes.
Mary and Matthew exchanged looks at their debacle, dripping wet, it brought back a certain memory, although lacking mud. They both broke into a teeter of laughter.
Adeline was confused at first but then a smile came on her face. She saw herself and Evelyn in them.
They were showed to a downstairs guest room which was kind and thoughtful of Adeline. It would have been difficult to get Matthew upstairs in water logged clothes. Towels had been brought so that they could dry themselves. Mary asked for a few more so that she could place on the bed so he wouldn't get it wet while she helped him change.
"I've got to say, that certainly made the evening more eventful." As he said it, she bent over him, while he still lied on the bed, giving him a kiss.
She certainly agreed. "Now let's get you out of those clothes." An excuse to see him naked.
"Yes, don't want me catching a cold."
"That too."
He raised an eyebrow at her; getting what she was saying, he broke into a smile. Getting soaked had been worth it.
Though rain brings a feeling of sorrow to some (but not to him, it used to) for others, rain soothes every wound ,lightens every burden every responsibility. For the time being one feels rejuvenated ,fresh and full of new energy to face life; to keep fighting; to keep trying. Even though one gets heavy with the wet clothes, being soaked in rain feels as if all past unfortunate events have been washed away.
Tom asked Laura if she would like to take a walk.
"In the rain?" Laura asked, as if he was completely mad.
"Some of my best thoughts came out of walks in the rain." Tom produced an umbrella. "I've got you covered. I don't think they'll be missing it."
