CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
19 APRIL 1875 - HANK'S 40TH BIRTHDAY
It was two years since Myra had lost her baby and it had taken almost a year of that time for either of them to be ready to think about trying again. Only two months after her miscarriage, Myra had taken the job of manager at the bank despite Hank's protests that she ought to give herself more time, but the responsibility of running the establishment gave her a new direction and helped her to cope.
Hank raised the profile of the Gold Nugget, organising poker games in the saloon and advertising the hotel in newspapers further afield than the Gazette. The Denver Herald and the St Louis Post carried advertisements regularly and travellers and businessmen alike often filled the rooms to break their journey south on the train.
Hank received a wire just before Christmas 1873 from the owners of the house advising they would be coming back a couple of months into the New Year. After the loss of the baby he had not thought any more about having a house built and now he roped in Sully and Robert E to draw up plans for a four-bedroom house while he attended an auction in Denver for some land on the outskirts of town. He returned with the deeds in his pocket and immediately instructed the building of the house. Sully and Robert E ran the project and Hank employed an additional six workers to ensure the house was ready to move into before the owners of the rented one returned.
Hank, Myra and Samantha moved into the new house in March 1874 and at the end of the summer, Myra discovered that she was pregnant again. She spent a week arguing with Hank about continuing to work at the bank and in the end gave a month's notice, agreeing to spend more time resting. Ever since, Hank had treated her like a valuable piece of china, constantly worrying that something would happen to her.
However, now it was his fortieth birthday and he was about to receive the best birthday present he could have wished for. He paced outside the clinic, accompanied by Sully, Loren, Jake, Robert E and Grace and several others, while Myra's screams from within as Michaela and Dorothy assisted in her labour made Hank's stomach tie itself in knots. He smoked one cigar after another, restraining himself from running to the Gold Nugget for a bottle with difficulty.
"How much longer's it gonna be?" he groaned to anyone who was listening.
"It's only been four hours, Hank, ya know how long she was with Samantha," Sully said.
"Yeah, thanks, Sully," growled Hank, remembering Myra had been in labour for approaching thirty-five hours.
He glanced at his pocket watch now and realised school had just finished. Samantha had started her first term there in January, despite not quite being five years old and she already loved it. Now there was no one to collect her. However, just moments later Teresa could be seen walking towards town holding Samantha's hand and seeing the crowd outside the clinic, she led the little girl towards them.
"Sorry, I forgot to come get her," Hank said. "Myra's in labour."
A deafening scream from inside the building emphasised this.
"Would you like for me to keep Samantha with me?" offered Teresa.
"Could ya take her to Horace?" Hank asked.
"Of course."
"I'll come with ya," Jake said at once.
"Where's Mama?" asked Samantha suddenly, tugging at Hank's arm before Teresa led her away. "Pa?"
"She's havin' yer baby brother. Or sister," Hank said, forcing himself to smile. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. Mrs Slicker's gonna take ya to stay with yer Papa till afterwards, alright?"
"Sure," Samantha smiled. "See ya later, Pa." She skipped off with Teresa and Jake and luckily was out of earshot by the time the next scream came from the clinic. This last one was much more prolonged and then there was silence. Hank immediately charged up onto the porch and made for the door.
"Woah, hold it!" Sully stepped into his path and propelled him back a couple of steps. "Ya can't just barge in."
Hank began to snarl a response, but then swallowed it as the door opened to reveal Dorothy, drying her hands on a towel, a smile on her face.
"It's a boy," she said.
Hank's heart lurched and he grabbed Dorothy's arm suddenly.
"He's alright? They're both alright?" he asked.
"They're both fine. Michaela's just tidyin' Myra up, give them a couple of minutes, then ya can go in. Myra had a much easier time than before, over almost before it started. That little fella was very keen to make his appearance."
Hank began to grin now and let go of Dorothy as Sully, Loren and Robert E all began to offer congratulations and their hands for him to shake. Ten minutes later, he went into the clinic and upstairs to find Myra propped against some pillows, wearing one of those awful prim nightgowns Michaela kept in the cupboard and cradling the baby, wrapped in a fluffy towel, in her arms. She looked amazingly serene and relaxed and the baby was silent, a tuft of blond hair visible where the towel had slipped back from his face and his wide blue eyes staring up at her.
Hank sat down carefully on the edge of the bed and simply beamed at them, temporarily rendered speechless.
"How are ya?" he whispered eventually.
"Fine. It was so quick," Myra smiled.
"Didn't seem quick, stood out there listenin' to ya yellin'," Hank grimaced. "I can't stand ya hurtin'."
Myra giggled. "Ya wanna hold yer son?"
Hank hesitated, remembering his terror of touching Zack when he had first been born. Ironically it had been Samantha whom he'd held some time later and not his own child.
"Ya won't hurt him," Myra said. "Babies're tougher than they look."
"Alright." Holding his breath, he lifted the small bundle out of Myra's arms and held the baby gently against his chest. The bright blue eyes seemed to stare right into his and he told himself the boy already knew he was his father. "What're we gonna call him?" he asked now.
"I hadn't really thought yet," Myra said. "I wanted to make sure he arrived safe first."
"What was yer pa's name?" asked Hank. "Ain't namin' him after none of my bunch."
"He was called George," Myra said.
"Good name," Hank nodded. "George Lawson."
"What about a middle name?" wondered Myra.
"Zack ain't got one. Nor do I."
"Well, I have one."
"Do ya?" Hank said in surprise.
"Yeah, it's Lois." Myra laughed again. "And Samantha's is Louise. Don't think either of them'd suit George though. What about Henry?"
"Ya know anyone called Henry?" Hank frowned.
"No, but fellas called Henry are often Hank for short; it'd be nice to have his middle name after his pa's."
"George Henry Lawson." Hank beamed proudly now. "I'm gonna do everythin' right this time. He's gonna know who is pa is startin' from now."
Tears sprang into Myra's eyes as she looked at the pair of them and as if on cue, George suddenly screwed up his face and let out a piercing yell.
"Oh, what's wrong with him?" Hank said anxiously.
"He's probably just ready for his first meal," smiled Myra, reaching out to take the baby back.
"Ya want me to get Michaela?"
"No, I think I can manage this part."
"Should I go out?"
"Not unless ya want to."
Hank who had been about to get up and leave the room, stayed where he was, watching in fascination as George latched onto Myra's breast, his eyes closed now. Afterwards he slept and Hank took him from Myra, carefully lowering him into the crib beside the bed so she could rest too.
Despite Myra's best efforts to stay awake and chat, she found after a few minutes that she was unable to keep her eyes open any longer. Hank left her to sleep and went back downstairs where Michaela and Sully were waiting. Michaela told him that the birth had been very straightforward and that Myra should only need to stay over the one night at the clinic so long as Hank took her and the baby home by wagon the following day.
"Have ya got a name for him yet?" asked Sully.
"George Henry Lawson," Hank said proudly. "After Myra's pa and me."
"I'm so happy for you both," Michaela smiled. "I know Samantha's excited about being a big sister."
Hank stayed talking for a few minutes and then headed to the Gold Nugget to celebrate, promising to return later and spend the night at the clinic with Myra and their baby son.
Late the next morning, Hank walked home and fetched the wagon while Michaela helped Myra get ready to leave the clinic. By the time Hank returned, she was waiting in the examination room with George in her arms, her face bright with happiness and excitement. Horace had called in to say he had taken Samantha to school and would collect her in the afternoon and drop her off at the Lawson house.
Samantha adored George the minute she saw him. Ever since she had been told she was going to get a little brother or sister, she had been convinced it would be a brother. She helped Myra every evening after school and on the weekends with the baby and gave him her beloved and rather well-worn old pink rabbit for his first toy until Hank exchanged it for a brown bear, convinced that the week-old baby boy would develop a liking for pink.
The following week, the now twenty-year-old Zack came to visit from Denver. He had seen Samantha a number of times now, but was keen to meet his little brother. Zack had left the school he had spent so many years at just a few months before and now rented rooms in a house run by an elderly widow. The deaf boy who had been his friend right from his first day at school lived in the same building and the pair occasionally held exhibitions of their work and sold their sketches and paintings, making a reasonable living.
Now it was Sunday and the Lawson family of five attended the picnic after church for the first time together. Over the past couple of years Hank had succumbed to church to please Myra and actually come to realise that when religion wasn't rammed down his throat as it had been as a child, he did believe in God.
As they sat on a colourful quilt stitched by Myra and some of her friends, Zack playing with Samantha and Myra holding George in her arms, most of the town came to them in ones and twos and groups to see the baby. Hank found himself bursting with pride as he looked at his wife, his two children and Samantha who was as good as his. Everything he had now was what he had always wanted and convinced himself he would never have.
'Loren's right, I have gone soft,' he thought to himself with a grin. 'At least some of the time.'
"Hank?" Myra said.
"What?"
"Yer miles away, sat there grinnin' to yerself."
Hank smirked. "Just thinkin'."
"About what?"
"How lucky I am." He leaned over and gave her a light kiss.
Myra smiled. "I'm lucky too."
"Pa!" Samantha interrupted suddenly. "Will ya come and play ball with me and Zack?"
"Sure, honey." Hank got to his feet and went to join in the game; to be the father Jorgen had never been to him.