Chapter Two
Eddie carefully stepped into her apartment with baby Maggie in her arms. Frank and Henry had invited her to stay with them, but she decided it would be best to get used to being a single mom in her own home.
Frank insisted on coming home with her and helping her get settled. Eddie was grateful for his commanding presence as they entered the house. "Danny set her bassinet up in the living room so you can have her close when you are in the kitchen or on the couch."
"Thanks," Eddie replied. "Well, you are home now Maggie May. What do you think of your new digs huh?"
Eddie remembered fondly the first time she stepped into this apartment as Mrs. Reagan, one of the most exceptional moments of her life until now.
Jamie pushed open the door to their apartment with their bags in hand. Dropping them by the kitchen counter he smiled at Eddie, scooping her into his arms. "Welcome home Mrs. Reagan."
"Mrs. Reagan, that sounds great," Eddie wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as he carried her to the couch.
Sitting down with Eddie on his lap Jamie reached down to play with the ring on her finger. "This is the first day of the rest of our lives."
Eddie watched Jamie's expression soften as he stared at the gold circle around her finger, a representation of their eternal love for each other. "Yup and I say we should celebrate with food, I'm hungry!"
Eddie walked slowly around the house holding the tiny girl. "This is the picture wall. Daddy and I started this when we moved into this apartment. This is the first picture I ever had taken with your Daddy." Eddie stopped by the familiar picture of herself and Jamie leaning against their RMP. "You have his eyes, sweetheart."
Frank felt his throat ache, he missed Jamie so much. How he wished that his son had lived to see his precious little daughter. "That she does," Frank replied. "How are you feeling sweetheart?"
"Good," Eddie replied. "I'm feeling good, a little sore. I'm glad she's here. I never thought I could love this much."
"The love of a parent to their child is amazing," Frank replied. "But the love of a parent to their child's child…that is pretty overwhelming too. May I have her?"
Eddie handed Maggie up to Frank and began to unpack her hospital bag. Danny and Linda had gone by the apartment earlier, cleaned and left meals for the next couple of weeks in her freezer. Erin, Henry, and Linda had joined together to produce enough casseroles and easily reheatable items.
Maggie cooed in her grandpa's arms, not at all aware of how much her presence meant to the entire Reagan family. "She's about ready to nurse," Eddie told Frank. "But when she's done, you can put her down for a nap in the bassinet her that Danny set up for her. You're Uncle Danny is doing a good job of keeping his promises to Daddy, yes he is…" Eddie crooned as she took the baby back at sat down to nurse.
"Jamie was the only one of the children that Mary chose to breast feed," Frank told Eddie as he remembered that fact. "He was premature and the doctor told us that he would have a better time of it if he was breast fed. He gained weight pretty slowly, and he was hungry a lot, but considering he was born at 8 months he wasn't a sickly child at all."
"Jamie made me promise to nurse her as long as I could. He read every book and article there was on babies, no matter what I said he insisted that we had to study before she came. I told him being a good parents is 1% knowledge, 99% instinct. I already know what she wants the minute she peeps, is that weird?"
"Not at all," Frank replied. 'That means you are precisely what Jamie expected you to be. A very good and attentive mother."
"We'll see, I'm just starting out," Eddie replied. "I was counting on Jamie to be there to keep me from really screwing her up."
"It's not easy," Frank replied. "I know that, any parent will tell you that. The other thing every parent will tell you…No one…No one knows what is right for your baby more than you. If you start to feel like breastfeeding isn't right, or if the daycare isn't right, you react to that feeling. That is the surest way to know Eddie."
Eddie detached the baby and gave her to Frank for a burp. Maggie gave a fast little belch then began to fuss. "You want to go back to your Mommy?" Frank asked and handed the tiny girl to Eddie. "Frank, she's a little cool, can you please get her a blanket. I think Linda put them in her nursery."
Frank disappeared into the other room to grab a baby blanket so his granddaughter wouldn't feel cold. She was such a cute little thing, very petite just like her mother. Frank found a soft pink blanket with a baby elephant on it draped over the crib. He took it and a little cap and brought it back to the living room.
Even before walking out of the nursery, Frank heard Eddie sobbing. Slowly he stepped toward the couch, eyes full of concern. Eddie sat on the couch clutching the baby girl tightly against her chest sobbing into her downy hair.
"Oh, sweetheart, I know." Frank hurried over sitting beside his daughter with an arm around her. "I know…I know…Sssh…"
"I just...Jamie... and...know...her father.." Eddie sobbed incoherently.
"Ssh…" Frank cooed not wanting to try to reason out Eddie's pain. "Ssh…it's okay…" Frank sighed sympathetically pulling Eddie against him and rubbed her back slowly holding his own tears down.
Instinctively, Eddie began to rock the baby trying to stop her tears. Frank followed that same instinct and rocked Eddie. The pain was coming out of the young woman in waves. If Frank doubted her love for Jamie, he didn't now. Eddie was grieving her loss and trying to become a mother to Jamie's daughter at the same time. That was overwhelming her with emotion.
When Eddie finished her cry, she sat up and looked at Frank. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I felt like crying all day and all of a sudden it happened."
"I don't blame you," Frank replied. "Having a baby is emotional without…Why don't I stay here tonight and…"
"No, I have to do this myself. I'm a single Mom, I have to…"
"No, you don't have to," Frank reminded Eddie. "You are a Reagan now and even with Jamie gone, you are my daughter, you are our family."
"Still…" Eddie said though everything inside of her was screaming for Frank to stay. "I have to try."
Frank smiled and watched as Eddie stood up with the baby in her arms. She disappeared into the bedroom and began to change the infant girl into nighttime clothing. The baby cried not liking being manipulated for feeling the cool air on her belly and little feet.
"I know, baby," Eddie cooed. "Mommy's here, Mommy's going to make you all toasty warm."
Changing and dressing little Maggie took fifteen minutes. At the end the baby was fussing and Eddie was tired and sore. She sighed, maybe just one night…
"Frank," Eddie called when she stepped back into the living room. "Would you mind staying, just for tonight?"
Frank smiled broadly, "I would love to stay. You go lie down, you're recovering. Let me and my granddaughter get to know each other."
With a few strong pats, Frank stopped the baby's cries. Eddie stretched out on the bed, looking at the picture of Jamie on the nightstand, "I'm trying my love," she whispered as sleep pulled her in. "I'm trying."
A/N: Not entirely sure of the map of this story yet, hence Frank becoming the one stepping up to the plate instead of Danny in this chapter. Never fear Danny fans, he'll be back. but I was overwhelmed with the response. Special thanks to the close friends that have offered input with this story.
Next Update – Eddie dreams of life with Jamie, Frank shares concerns with Danny.