Nicholas
Carly and Lawrence had just arrived home with two-day-old baby Loren. "Where's Nicky?" Carly asked the moment she had walked into the house.
"I have sent for him. He's arriving in on the evening train. I'll get you and Loren settled, then I will go pick him up at the train station," Lawrence responded.
Carly smiled as she was really looking forward to spending time with their son. Nicholas was away far too much at boarding school. His education was important, but Carly thought family was more important. It had been Lawrence who had insisted that their son needed thebest education that money could provide. Nicholas was a gifted student and absorbed knowledge like a sponge. He wanted to be an accomplished doctor just like his mother. Carly knew he had enough ambition that he would be just as successful at his parents.
"Lawrence, I have been thinking, now that we have our little princess here..." she spoke as she looked down at sleeping baby Loren. "... maybe we should consider Nicholas coming home to stay. He wants to go to Disney World just as soon as we can. It's time we were a family- you, me, Nicky and our precious baby daughter. I want to make tons of beautiful memories together."
Lawrence smiled as he placed a tender kiss on Carly's lips. "We'll talk that over with Nicholas when he gets here, Katerina. Above all, I just want our son to be happy."
Carly had just seated herself on the loveseat to cuddle baby Loren when the telephone rang. Laurence frowned at the unwelcome interruption. "Let me get that, Love. It may be important."
Lawrence went to take the call as Carly carefully examined her daughter's sleeping face. After so many weeks of bedrest, her baby girl had been born safe and healthy. She breathed a sigh of relief as she kissed her daughter's tiny cheek. She then looked up as she heard Lawrence speaking tersely on the phone.
"Yes... yes... we'll be right there," Lawrence was saying.
With a painful expression upon his face, Lawrence hung up the phone. "Lawrence, what is it?" Carly asked him.
"It's Nicky," Lawrence spoke quietly. "I'm afraid there's been an accident."
"An accident?" Carly gasped as she stood up quickly, holding the baby.
"Yes. The train derailed. I don't know anything else. They refused to tell me anything on the phone. They just said get to the hospital right away," Lawrence answered.
"Ohhh my God! The train derailed. Nicholas could be badly hurt. I've seen plenty of accidents like that when working at the hospital."
"I know, Katerina. But we can't jump to conclusions. We just need to get to the hospital and see our son," Lawrence said as he put his arm around her for support. "Do you want to leave the baby here with the housekeeper or take her with us?"
"I can't leave her here, Lawrence. I don't know what's happened to Nicky... or how long we'll be gone."
"Alright, we'll take her with us then. Let's go."
Xxxooo
When they got to the hospital, Carly was frantic to see her son. "Are you the Alamains?" asked a young nurse.
"Yes, we are. How's Nicky?" Carly asked.
"Is he alright?" Lawrence questioned.
"Come with me," the nurse replied. "I will take you to see your son."
Lawrence and Carly were taken down the hallway to a room. Nicholas sat there waiting on a bed, his arm in a cast. "Nicky!" Carly cried out as she hugged him tight. "Ohhh my gosh... are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Mom. I just broke my arm," said Nicholas. He showed his parents his shiny blue cast.
"I was so worried," Carly said as she hugged and kissed him.
"The train wreck was scary... but I'm going be okay," Nicholas tried to assure his parents.
"We're glad you're okay, tiger," Lawrence said to his son. "Would you like to meet your baby sister?"
"Sure," Nicky said with a grin.
Lawrence reached into the baby carrier and carefully removed baby Loren so her big brother could meet her. "Wow, she's so little!" Nicholas gasped. "But she's really cute."
Carly laughed softly at Nicholas's observation. "She thinks her big brother is very handsome," she stated as she kissed Nicky's cheek again. "Let's go home, Son."