Author's Note: There is a mild steam alert at the end of this chapter
Chapter 252 – Jack and Doug Share with Elizabeth
When they got back to the house on Saturday night, Jack motioned for everyone to sit down.
"Do you need something?" Doug asked.
"I need to talk." Jack said. "But I also need a medicated tea. I have found I sleep better if I drink one before bed."
"I put some water on." Elizabeth said. "I could use a cup of tea as well."
Doug turned to his best friend.
"First." Jack said. "I wanted to check and see how you were doing. This can't be easy for you. I know that you struggled for a long time after I was injured at the academy. Please be honest with me."
Doug bowed his head a moment and said a prayer.
"I am doing okay." Doug said, without looking up. "It has been hard to see you injured and how rough you have had it, but I am dealing. It has helped that I have been able to talk to Joe a bit and talking to and helping Dee has also helped."
"I was going to ask." Jack said. "How is he doing? He has been more quiet this week."
"He is struggling with something personal." Doug said. "I talked to him and tried to help, but I am afraid I might have made it worse."
"Is this about Annie?" Elizabeth asked. "I know he likes her, even if he won't admit it. I saw it back in January. Every time I ask him about her, he changes the subject."
"I am not going to repeat what we talked about." Doug said. "But yes she is a part of it. He just needs to work things out in his own head, like Jack did when he was struggling with his feelings for you. Please just give him space and time to do that. I think that Pastor Frank has been helping him sort through things."
"Then I will leave it be." Jack said. "If you need, please talk to Frank as well."
"Speaking of Frank." Elizabeth said. "How long do you think it will be before he asks Abigail to marry him?"
"I don't know." Jack said. "I think she might be struggling to move past her former life, but honestly I see them getting married in the next year."
"I don't know them as well." Doug said. "But I don't see them waiting long after he asks. I wouldn't be surprised if they just sneak off and get married and then tell everyone later. Given that they are both over or going to be over forty, it would make sense to not wait."
"I still can't believe that I didn't know about Abigail's birthday last year." Elizabeth said. "And then I forgot Aunt Elizabeth's this year. I used to be much better about things. I have made sure they are in my new calendar so I wont' forget them again. Speaking of which, when is your birthday, Doug?"
"I will be twenty-five in September." Doug said.
"So you are just a couple months older than Dee." Elizabeth said. "So why were you in the academy with Jack?"
"I delayed my entry by two years." Doug said. "I had to deal with the lasting physical effects of what happened to me when I was sixteen. I had applied when I was eighteen and got accepted to start when I was nineteen, but didn't enter until I was twenty-one. They were understanding of everything. They also understood, I was supporting my mother at that time. I worked in the rail yard for a few years in Union City. It was a way for me to support my mother while also building back up my strength and stamina."
"Oh." Elizabeth said. "You said that Joe was closer to Jack's age then you were, but you were all very close."
"Yes." Doug said. "The other reason that I delayed my entry was that my mother was worried. My father was a soldier who died and she was worried that I would die as well. As much as she wanted/wants grandchildren, she pushed for me to consider the seminary. I just never felt the strong call to be a priest, though I had thought about it."
"You didn't tell me that." Jack said.
"It wasn't important." Doug said. "Besides, we have had this conversation. We will never see eye to eye on religion. I know that your father was raised Catholic and he rejected that faith and you were raised to believe in God, but not much more. I was brought up in a very religious household with a mother that would go to daily Mass every chance she got. She still does. She lives three blocks from the Catholic Church in Union City and I swear the priest there has a reserved spot for her. It might only be a few ladies, but he will say daily Mass for them at noon."
"Oh." Elizabeth said. "That leads me to ask if you would feel comfortable being a godparent to this little one."
Elizabeth rubbed her stomach again as the little one moved as she spoke.
"I would be honored." Doug said. "I can see that you live the Christian way. If you want to give me that honor, I would gladly accept. Like I told Jack, I never thought I would have nieces and nephews, so to be considered Uncle Doug was enough for me."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "We haven't made any decisions, but know that you are on the short list for godfather."
"I will admit, I saw the list on your writing desk when I was getting paper." Doug said. "I asked Jack about it because I was concerned I did something to upset you and given who your uncle is, I didn't want problems."
Elizabeth got up and got her and Jack tea. She needed a minute to think, she was sure she hadn't left that list out then she realized she might have. So she couldn't be mad at Doug, they had told him to make himself at home and if he felt comfortable enough to go look for paper without asking that was a good thing.
"Doug, do you want some tea?" Elizabeth asked.
"I will take a cup of what you are having." Doug said.
Elizabeth set another cup to steep and then set the whole tray on the table so she wouldn't have to get up again. She smiled over at Jack, who scooted closer and put his hand on her baby bump. Doug just smiled at the two of them. He wished he could find a girl who loved him like Elizabeth obviously loved Jack.
"So, Jack." Doug said, in a teasing tone.
"What." Jack said, giving him a pointed glare.
Jack had heard the tone and wondered what he was up to.
"Any names for that little one yet?" Doug asked. "I know you had clear thoughts on names when we were talking about what we wanted in the future that one night you were in the infirmary and we sat talking all night."
"Oh, really." Elizabeth said. "He hasn't shown a clear preference for any name. We have been able to figure out some of what we don't want."
Jack just ducked his head. He knew that one of his preferred names was on Elizabeth's no-go list and he didn't want to make her feel bad.
"He always talked about having a boy and a girl." Doug said.
"Two!" Elizabeth said. "He told me he wanted ten."
"Oh, really." Doug said. "You're still on that. I always thought it was a joke, especially since you only ever talked about two by name."
Jack started to turn red and ducked his head even more.
"Now, I am even more curious." Elizabeth said. "So what were these names he shared?"
"Charles Patrick and Josephine Rose." Doug said. "His little Charlie and Jo."
"Jack." Elizabeth said. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I knew how you felt about the name Charles." Jack said. "I was going to put Patrick on my list. As well as Josephine Rose."
"If you wanted that bad." Elizabeth said. "I would have found a way to be okay with it or we could have at least talked about it. I don't want you to feel like you can't speak up and share things with me when you have obviously thought about them in the past."
"I would never ask you to name our son Charles." Jack said. "Not after everything that you have been through. When you explained why, I was okay with it."
Sensing the tension, Doug reached for the tea and passed out the cups. Then he tried to get things on a more even keel.
"So you are making lists?" Doug asked.
"Yes." Elizabeth said. "I do better with lists. It was actually Jack who suggested that we write down the names that mean something to us or that we wanted for one reason or another. Then we would go through them and figure out something for this little one, saving others for later."
"So do you have names picked out?" Doug asked.
"My problem is narrowing down the list." Elizabeth said. "I have several names that I love, but right now, there are two that lead the way for a little boy and no front runner for a girl."
"Does that mean you think this might be a little boy?" Jack asked with a smile.
"Honestly." Elizabeth said. "I think this is a little boy, I don't know why, but I really do."
Jack smiled.
"So maybe a little Jack, Jr running around." Doug said, with a laugh.
"I don't know." Jack said. "I haven't been sold on having a junior running around. I have seen people struggle with living in their father's shadow."
"You lived and are living in your father's shadow without being named for him." Doug said. "We have also met a lot of people who do just fine with being a junior. I think the key is to raise the child to let them know you love them no matter what."
"I couldn't agree more." Elizabeth said. "Either way, I won't pressure him, no matter how much I would love a little Jack running around."
Jack just stuck his tongue out at Elizabeth and she scrunched up her face at him. Doug laughed at the two of them, so they both stuck out their tongue at him. That only caused Doug to laugh more. It was about that time that Dee walked in. He put his stuff down, made himself a cup of tea and sat down with the group.
"So what were you all talking about?" Dee asked.
"We were talking about baby names for that little one." Doug said. "Jack said he isn't sure if he wants a little him running around and Elizabeth said she would love a little Jack running around."
"Well." Dee said. "I just hope that your child is not as difficult as Beth was as a child."
That earned Dee a sharp look from Elizabeth.
"What?!" Dee said. "I speak the truth and you know it. Julie may be the problem child, now, but from birth until you were about four, you were the one that kept your parents up at night and caused several governesses to leave."
It was Elizabeth's turn to blush and duck her head.
"So why were you so naughty?" Doug asked, fully invested in learning more.
"You tell them or I will." Dee said, smiling.
"Fine." Elizabeth huffed.
She took a sip of her tea and looked at Jack with a smile before speaking.
"I didn't like to sleep and figured out how to get out of my crib when I was about eighteen months old." Elizabeth said. "By the time I was three, I could open doors if they weren't locked where I couldn't reach it."
"And you thought I was naughty." Jack teased. "At least I slept, even if it had to be at an incline but I always stayed put."
The group laughed and continued to share other stories of growing up. Dee had a smile on his face and joined in the conversation, but it also made him realize that he wanted what his sister and cousin had and he still wasn't sure he would ever have it. Doug also realized he wanted what his best friend had and hoped that maybe wherever his new station was going to be, that he might find a nice girl and be able to settle down.
After they finished their tea, they all turned in for the night. As he lay in his bed, Doug prayed. He prayed not only for his friends, new and old, but he prayed for the people that were close to them. He prayed that he would be able to stay in the area and get to see Jack and Elizabeth's children grow up. He prayed for guidance as he moved forward, especially if asked to be godfather. Lastly, Doug prayed for his mother and that she was able to relax some.
Little did Dee know that Doug was praying for him as he lay in his own cot praying. Dee just hoped and prayed he had done the right thing in sending the letter to Annie and that things could work out for them. He knew how much he wanted to settle down. Dee also prayed for his parents. He saw that they were happier than they had been in a long time and hoped that they would continue whatever it was when they went home. He also prayed that they would be able to return to Hamilton soon. As much as he loved to be here with his cousin and help, he wanted to return and see if he couldn't move forward in his own life.
… … … …
Jack and Elizabeth got up to their room and Jack washed up and changed for bed. He then went to Elizabeth and started to brush out her hair.
"You are so gorgeous." Jack said. "I love that you allow me to do this."
"You are quite handsome yourself." Elizabeth said. "I love the feel of you running her fingers through my hair, even if it gets me excited sometimes."
"I know that it is late." Jack said. "And it has been a long week, but are you up for some more?"
"As long as you are quiet and don't push yourself." Elizabeth said.
Jack finished brushing Elizabeth's hair, then leaned down and kissed behind her ear. He ran his hand down her shoulder, across her breast and brought it to rest on her baby bump. She leaned back and looked at him.
"Keep that up and we won't last long." Elizabeth teased.
Elizabeth turned in on the bench and as Jack stood back up, she pulled the string on his pajama pants. As Elizabeth stood, Jack started unbuttoning Elizabeth's blouse as she shed her skirt. They kissed as they moved back to the bed. Once there, it didn't take long and they were climbing the mountain and ready to fall over. As they lay curled up after their love making, Jack had his hand on her baby bump and it was the first time that his hand didn't cover her middle. He smiled and was sure he was right and it was twins, but since Elizabeth had been opposed to the idea, he kept to himself.
… … … …