That evening, Cedric was going to give some stuff to Ralph and Melissa, and to hang out with Bert. He had meant to go earlier, but there had been problems that had needed his attention. The bear employees were hibernating and the temporary replacements weren't working out so well.
Cyril also had a present for the baby, but he didn't want Cedric to see it. Part of it was because he had told Cedric months ago that the Raccoons would not get any charity from him, but part of it was also because he didn't want to have to bring up Cedric's difficult birth, and his mother.
He saw his chance to add his gift to the basket when Cedric realized he'd forgotten something. Cedric put down the bag and went back upstairs. Cyril approached the basket and tried to arrange the gifts inside so that his own would be covered up and Cedric wouldn't notice.
"Boss?"
"AH!" Cyril nearly jumped to the ceiling when he saw that one of the pigs had witnessed what he'd done. He nearly swallowed his cigar, too, and he coughed.
"What in the name of baby bonuses are you doing, you sneaky swine?"
"I just wanted to give something to the baby, Boss," the pig said meekly in his high-pitched, almost childish voice. He held up his bunny-wunny.
"Oh," Cyril said, softening a little. "That's really generous of you ...Lloyd." This was just a guess, as Cyril still couldn't tell which pig was which.
"I'm Floyd, boss," the pig said. "Well...I think so."
On the way to the Raccoondominium, Cedric didn't really take much notice that the gift basket was heavier than it should have been, even after he'd added that one gift he initially forgot. He was more concerned about his friends, and especially Bert, who seemed really shaken up lately.
Cedric knocked on the door of the Raccoondominium, and Broo barked. Bert shushed him.
"Quiet, little buddy, or you'll wake them up."
"Hi, Bert. Sorry I'm late." He noticed how tired Bert looked. "If this is a bad time, I can come back tomorrow."
"That's okay," Bert said. "Just come in nice and quiet; Ralph and Melissa are sleeping."
They went to Bert's room, and Bert slumped on his back, cuddling Broo.
"Is something bothering you, Bert?" Cedric asked.
Bert looked up at Cedric, and he appeared and sounded uncharacteristically serious.
"Cedric, do you ever feel like you would ever move out of your dad's house?"
"I used to," Cedric admitted, thinking of the time he had run away. "Besides, Pop and I are partners, now, and he needs me. I don't want him to have another...episode." Cedric was still haunted by the sight of his father collapsed unconscious at his desk, but didn't bring it up often when he was with Bert.
Bert felt even more useless. At least Cedric was needed by somebody. Bert felt like nobody needed him.
Noticing that Bert looked even sadder, Cedric tried to think of an activity that would lift his friend's spirits.
"Do you want to go to the lake tomorrow? Sophia has a break from school, and we're going to do some skating."
Bert almost laughed at that. Sophia was going to an ice-skating school, and using her break to skate even more. But he didn't feel much like laughing.
"No thanks. You and Sophia should have some time to yourselves."
"We don't mind," Cedric said, but Bert only shrugged.
"Okay," Cedric said resignedly, not wanting to be too pushy.
Melissa woke up, having slept a little restlessly. She tiptoed out of the bedroom because she didn't want to wake Ralph and went downstairs to make herself some nice, soothing tea.
She heard Bert and Cedric talking quietly in Bert's room, but decided not to interrupt. Downstairs, Melissa found a basket on the couch, and it had her and Ralph's names on it. It was full of gifts, and cards.
The contents of the basket included a stuffed bunny, some blankets and knitted baby clothes from the pigs' mother, which thankfully looked small enough for Kit, a rubber duck from Schaeffer, and Sophia's presents were a bonnet and a little music box with a mini-figure-skater in it. There were picture books from Miss Primrose, and so many other things from the Raccoons' friends.
The present from Lady Baden-Baden was a rattle that looked like it was made of real gold. Melissa wasn't so sure if she liked this one, as it seemed a bit too elaborate for a baby. An ordinary plastic rattle would have been just fine. Oh well. It was the thought that counted, as Melissa's mom always liked to say if Melissa got a present she disliked on her birthday or Christmas.
Though Melissa was touched by all of this generosity, she still felt sad. It would have been better to have Kit at home, as these presents wouldn't do much good while she was still in the hospital.
The last gift, at the very bottom of the basket, piqued Melissa's curiosity, as it was the only one that was wrapped, in plain brown paper. Melissa unwrapped it, and found lots of little sleepers and sweaters that were very small. There was a note among the clothes, and Melissa wondered why whoever wrote it hadn't just stuck it to the outside of the package. Melissa read it, and she gasped.
"This are some of Cedric's baby clothes, from right after he was born. They should fit your baby. They're supposed to be boy clothes, but I think Kit's too young to know the difference.
Cyril
Ralph appeared in the living room, rubbing his eyes.
"What have you got there, honey?"
Melissa showed Ralph all of the gifts, and he chuckled at the gold rattle.
"And I thought my Aunt Gertie's idea for a present was too much! She wanted to give Kit a motorcycle! Not just a toy, a real one!"
Then Ralph noticed the clothes. At least those were sensible presents.
"Who are those from?"
"You won't believe this," Melissa said, showing Ralph the note which came with them, "but they're from Cyril!"
Ralph read the note and chuckled again.
"You're right, I don't believe it! Cyril giving us presents? Are you sure he didn't charge us for them?"
Ralph then noticed a "PS".
PS: Don't expect any more charity from me.
"Okay," Ralph said, "That sounds more like Cyril."
Ralph and Melissa visited Kit every afternoon. Kit continued to feed well, and she continued to gain weight and grow longer, to the point where the hospital's preemie diapers could now properly fit her. Even so, if she needed a bath, she was still too small even for a baby tub, so Ralph and Melissa bathed Kit in a mixing bowl.
Melissa took lots of pictures of Kit to document her progress. Her favourite photos were the ones of Kit in the mixing bowl, and she also made sure to get photos of Ralph holding Kit, because she thought those father-daughter moments were sweet. There was one special photo of Kit's tiny paw clutching Ralph's finger.
When Melissa had to leave Kit, she made sure to leave recordings of herself singing for Kit to hear. The nurses were quite understanding about that, and they promised to play the recordings for Kit.
Ralph wasn't much of a singer, but he still recorded something for Kit: it was him saying, "We love you, honey. You'll be home soon."
All of the photos of Kit were carefully placed in an album, and Melissa always liked to share them with Bert.
Bert smiled at the pictures Melissa had taken where both Kit and the stuffed raccoon Bert got for her were in the same shot.
"I hope I can meet her, soon," Bert said.
"You will!" Melissa said brightly, and she gave Bert a hug. "The doctor told us yesterday that Kit's doing better than he expected, and she could come home at any time!"
Finally, just as spring arrived, came the day everyone had waited and hoped for: Little Katherine Raccoon could finally go home.
Melissa fussed over Kit, making sure she would be kept warm. She made sure Kit wore sleepers (Cedric's old ones did fit Kit nicely), her woolly hat, and a sweater, and was wrapped up in blankets, one being from Mrs Pig and another from Melissa's mother, along with one more special thing.
"Melissa, she'll be okay," Ralph said. "It's twelve degrees outside."
"I know," Melissa said, "but I can't help but worry. She still looks so fragile."
Ralph took a look at one of the woolly things that was wrapped around his daughter.
"Is that the sweater Bert tried to make for her?"
"Yes!" Melissa said, more cheerfully. "It might only have one arm, but it can still make a good blanket."
Kit certainly seemed to like being bundled in the one-armed sweater, because she fell asleep right after it was tucked around her.
The young family left the hospital, hopefully for the last time. It was a beautiful day to go home, with lots of sunshine. There were deciduous trees among the evergreens, and these trees were in bloom with lovely blossoms, both pink and white.
One of the blossoms happened to be caught in a gentle breeze, which carried it in the Raccoons' direction. The blossom landed in the baby's stroller, and Kit stuck her little paw out and curled her fingers around the pretty pink petals.