The Family Origin

Chapter Twenty-One: JOSEPH POV

When I entered the home, Clara was nervously cleaning the counter with the old rag. Her eyes were wide, and she chewed on her bottom lip. She glanced at the staircase as I locked the door. I thought about potentially leaving it unlocked, but I was not confident on how Maisie would react to the news. She appeared happy with Miles, but she had shown that she can be quite emotional. Would she panic and try to leave?

"Joey, what is going on?" Clara asked. "Miles rushed upstairs without saying a word. I checked on Maisie an hour ago, and she still felt unwell. What's happening? Is she alright?"

I smiled, and I pulled off my jacket. Her repetitive cleaning did not stop as I hung my coat and walked forward. She did not look at me when I approached. Her brows were furrowed, and she shook her head so slightly that it was barely noticeable. It was the same look she had when Emily was ill.

Clara jumped when I placed a hand on her waist. I reached forward and pulled the rag out of her hand. She let out a shaky breath before lowering her gaze. She loved Maisie like she was our daughter because she was the perfect girl for Miles. If she thought Maisie was dying, then it would be like her losing another daughter.

"Maisie is not sick," I said. "She is pregnant."

Clara spun around and placed her hands against my chest. I watched as a smile slowly formed on her beautiful face. In an instant, she went from upset and anxious to complete happiness. I brought all of this joy into my family. I am responsible for this.

"Pregnant?" she asked, her voice heavy with disbelief. "Why do you think that?"

"Clara, don't you remember being in a similar state at the beginning of your pregnancies?" I asked. "Mary was the same way when pregnant with Bram's daughters."

Saying my brother's name no longer caused me to feel the same painful stab of betrayal. We did not need him. If he were truly a Wilcox, he would have never abandoned this family. We were doing better without him.

"Pregnant?" Clara repeated again. "She has not been here long enough to be pregnant, especially to be already suffering from so much nausea. It's too soon."

"Not long enough?" I asked. "Clara, she has been here for months."

"That cannot be right."

I brushed the loose strands of hair away from her face. Despite having doubts, her smile did not disappear. She knew I was correct, and she knew she should always trust me.

"It has been months," I said. "She came here in the summer, and it is already autumn. Maisie is perfect for this family, so everything has been going more seamlessly than I could have imagined. She is a natural fit."

"So a baby makes sense?" she asked.

It was a rhetorical question, but I nodded. Clara's face lit up with even more happiness. I had not seen her this happy since the birth of our last child. Warmth spread through my body, and my heart fluttered. I saved this family and continued to bring her so much joy. She curled her fingers into my shirt and pulled me close.

"Grandparents," she said in disbelief. "Joey, we're going to be grandparents."

"We will be," I said. "This will be the first of many."

"We are going to have a little baby in this house again."

Clara's eyes glistened with tears. Her happiness was too much for her to contain. I cupped her face in my hands and ran my thumb across her cheek.

The staircase creaked. I looked over Clara's shoulder to see Miles coming into the kitchen. He pulled off his jacket to hang on the hook. Clara was not exaggerating when she said he rushed upstairs.