"Come on Eliza. One more push that's all you need." Angelica said as I shook my head. as my chest heaved more and more as Angelica took my hand. "Eliza. Take a deep breath." She said as I took a deep breath and shook my head. "You can do it Liza." She said as she sat near my head as she stroked my hair. "One more push then this is over and you have your little baby." She said as I tried to calm down. I tried to focus on what was happening outside. I can hear Alexander pacing and Philip babbling loudly. Angelica and Peggy snapped me into reality. "Eliza? You need to focus so that soon you and Alexander will have your little baby." Angie said as I nodded and took a deep breath and Peggy looked at me and patted my legs before knelt in front of my legs. "Alright, one more push Eliza." She said as I took a deep breath and nodded. I started to push with all I can. I let out a loud scream and I stopped.
"I can't… I can't do this." I said giving a labored breath.
"You can do it Eliza." Peggy said trying to encourage me. "Alright, one more push." Peggy said as she remained in her stop in front of my legs and Angelica took my hand. I started to push and breath hard while I squeezed Angelica's hand tightly. "I see the head! Eliza push again!" Peggy said excited as I started to push harder as my vison was blurred with tears as I shut my eyes tightly. "Your almost there my dear Eliza." Angelica said cooing in my ear trying to calm me down as I let out a loud scream of pain. I kept pushing till I heard cries filled the room.
"It's a little girl! Eliza it's a baby girl!" Angelica said excited as I felt different tears fall down my face. I opened my eyes and I watched Peggy clip my little girl's cord connecting her to me. I let out a struggling laugh as Angelica wrapped my new babe in a linen sheet as she put her on my chest.
"Look at you. My beautiful baby girl." I said as her dark brown eyes looked at me as I brushed her little tears away as I kissed her tiny forehead gently. I held onto her tightly as I giggled through my tears. My little Angelica reached up at my face.
"We'll go get Alexander." Angelica said as I looked up at them and nodded.
"Hello my little Angelica Rose." I said as I heard Alexander whoop and cry for joy.
"I have a little girl!" He yelled as I looked down at her. "You are going to have that man whipped aren't you." I said as my tears stopped. Alexander came running in and stopped dead in his tracks as he looked at us with tears in his eyes. "That is our little girl?" He asked as I nodded.
"Yes this is her." I said as he looked at me and fell to his knees next to me in awe at his little girl. "Do you want to hold her?" I asked as he nodded quickly. I started to gently hand Angelica to him a she remained quiet.
"Oh my, you are quite tiny." He said as she finally settled down in Alexander's arms as I looked at my little girl. Barely an hour old and she has her daddy wrapped around her finger. I smiled at the two as Alexander looked up at me. "I love you so much Eliza. This little girl is a pure angel." Alexander said as I heard someone walk back in. I looked up to see Angelica walking Philip in the room. He scurried over as he sat on the bed beside me.
"Mama! Baby!" He shrieked as Angelica started to cry at the sudden noise. "Shush baby." Philip said as he poked his little sister.
"Philip, do you want to hold your sister?" I asked as he nodded. I watched Alexander help Philip hold the baby.
"What's the little girl's name?" Angelica asked as I smiled up at her.
"Angelica Rose Hamilton." I said as she covered her mouth shocked.
"Well I should leave you four alone." She said pecking the side of my face before hurrying out.
"Mama, Baby sad." Philip babbled as I shook my head.
"No Philip, she is just sleepy." I said as he got up and ran out. I watched him run back in with the quilt I made for the baby and covered her up while she was crying in Alexander's arms.
"Sleep baby." He whispered as I felt tears run down my face. "Mama why you sad?" Philip asked as I shook my head. "I'm not sad Philip." I said as he hugged my hand.
"Philip why don't we let mama and Angelica sleep while we go find Copper." Alexander said getting up and putting my sleeping little girl back into my arms. I kissed my husband quickly before he picked up our son and they left us alone in the cool September night.
"My little Angelica." I said sleepily as I stroked my daughter's dark brown hair as I looked down at her and saw a tiny version of me. "Your papa was right little angel. You look just like me." I said giggling as I kissed her tiny wrinkled forehead as she opened her eyes and looked up at me before she started to grow fussy. "You must be hungry." I said as I fixed my blanket to create a make shift nursing cover over my breast. I picked her up gently and let her take my breast while she took it happily and ate herself full as she pulled away. I wrapped her tightly in the linen before I got up from the bed and started to walk slowly out of the room. I walked to her new room and I laid her on her bed gently and I walked over to her dresser and pulled out a cream dressing gown and cloth diaper. I started to dress my little girl and I picked up my sleeping babe. I walked back to Alexander and I's chambers and put her in the bassinet. I sat on our bed and I rocked the bassinet slowly.
"Philip come pick you and Copper's toys." I called out as I was finished making lunch. I heard him scurry into the parlor room. I finished cutting cold cut meat for Philip and me, as I put them on the table. "Alright Philip come and eat." I said as I brushed off my teal skirt and I hurried to the parlor room to see Philip rocking the bassinet that held his little sister.
"Shush baby, go sleep." He said rocked it.
"Philip." I said sternly as I walked over to bassinet and picked up my two-month-old daughter as I looked at my twenty-month old son.
"But baby sleepy." He whined as I shook my head.
"No she wasn't. Why don't we go and eat then, we can go see Papa?" I said as he nodded quickly and he ran out of the room to the table. I watched him climb in his chair as I walked over to the table and ate with one hand while holding Angelica in my other arm.
"Mama?" Philip asked as I looked at my little boy in his black coat and his grey trousers with a smile.
"Yes Philip?" I asked.
"We go see Papa?" He asked as I nodded.
"Yes we can go see Papa. Let me go put Angelica in her stroller." I said as I got up and I walked over to the sun room to put sleeping Angelica in her stroller and covered her up with her quilt. I grabbed my favorite sun hat and I walked over to the front of the house. "Come along Philip." I said as I held onto the basket of food for Alexander, Philip ran to the door and held onto my hand. We walked out of the house and strolled together to Alexander's work. We walked inside and I noticed his door ajar. "Alexander?" I asked as I saw him look up from his papers.
"Eliza? What a lovely surprise." He said as I shook my head.
"You forgot I was coming today?" I asked as Philip runs up to Alexander.
"Papa!" He squeals and Alexander picked him up.
"Yes, I'm sorry just I have to go to a cabinet meeting." Alexander said pecking my cheek.
"It's alright. I just wanted to bring Philip and Angelica to visit you and to bring you lunch." I said handing him the basket.
"Thank you." He said as I heard someone clear their throat.
"Elizabeth what a lovely surprise." I heard as I turned to see George.
"Hello George, sorry I was just bringing your secretary of treasury his lunch and, your niece and nephew needed to get out of the house." I said with a smile.
"I have still yet to meet my little niece." He said with a wrinkled smile.
"Would you like to hold her?" I asked with a smile.
"Well of course, after all she is my niece." George said as I picked Angelica up from her spot in the stroller and I handed her to him gently.
"Support her head now." I said worried as Alexander put his hand on my shoulder.
"He won't drop her." Alexander said kissing my shoulder as I nodded.
"Hello little one." George said chuckling as she looked up at him. "She looked just you Elizabeth." George said as I smiled at him. "Thank you. I think little Angelica is too beautiful." I said gushing over my little girl.
"Well I wish I could stay and hold her but we are needing to get to a cabinet meeting." George said handing her back to me.
"Well of course, I should be getting home to put these two down for naps." I said as Philip whined.
"But I not sleepy." He said as I watched him rub his eyes.
"Come along Philip. We will see Papa at supper time." I said as I started to push Angelica out and Philip skipped out behind me. We walked home and I took Angelica upstairs to lay her down. "Come along Philip." I said as I picked up my boy. "My goodness my little lamb you are getting big." I said as I laid him in his new big boy bed.
"Mama I want puppy." He said as I covered him up.
"Not right now baby. He is going to help mama." I said as I covered him up and kissed his forehead. I watched his eyes close and I get up. I closed the door softly and I saw Copper looking up at me with his big eyes. "Come along you, big baby." I said as I walked down the stairs and straight to the kitchen. I started to bake the dough I had made yesterday as I made Alexander's favorite supper of roast and mash potatoes. I gave Copper the roast bone and he gnawed on it happily. I hummed to myself as started to light candles around the house to give us some light before going back to the kitchen to wash off potatoes. I heard the door open and close. "Hello?" I called out as I look up to see my husband.
"The little ones fast asleep?" He asked before coming over and giving me a kiss.
"They are and I know that you had a cabinet meeting with Jefferson so I made your favorite dinner." I said smiling up at him.
"I love you." He said kissing me gently.
"Alexander why are you treating me like a china doll?" I asked wrapping my arms around his neck.
"I just don't want to hurt you that's all." He said as I shook my head.
"I am not a doll, I know you won't hurt me or is this a more carnal idea flooding your mind?" I asked teasing as he nodded.
"I just don't want to push you after you just had the baby." He said as I shook my head.
"How about we talk about this after supper. Go wake up Philip please?" I asked and he hurried upstairs. I pulled out the bread and I started to cut it as I heard someone running down the stairs. "Walk Philip Alexander." I said warningly as I heard the footsteps slowing down. I smiled at my son and started to serve dinner for everyone. I smiled happy with the past now over and yet… I was unware of the future that was going to come and the struggle it would place into our lives.
End of Book Two
Hello my dearest readers! Book Two is done and this means... Wait for it... Book Three is going to come and I can't wait for you guys to read it. Thank you so much for the 70+ reviews and all the love! All your reviews make me smile and laugh. They give me a reason to write. I love knowing people love this series. Well anywhosits I've got to be going now. Book Three will be up in early April for you guys!
~You Author