The Family Origin

Chapter Seventy-One: JOSEPH POV

I was shocked the first time I saw Miles bring Jasper outside. His protectiveness and paranoia made me think he was going to keep Jasper locked inside with Maisie. In a few years, I thought I would have to try and convince him to let Jasper come out onto the farm with us, but he brought him outside without me having to say anything.

When the weather was nice, Miles would bring him outside for a few hours. Watching his childlike wonder at each new discovery on the farm made me smile. He loved plucking blades of grass and throwing them in the air. The way he would run along the coop and talk to the chickens reminded me of when my daughter Emily was young.

Seeing Miles's gentleness with his son was something I never thought I would witness. Jasper seemed so small next to his huge frame, but Jasper would run to him excited and show him whatever new thing he found on the farm. Happiness no longer looked so foreign on Miles' usual blank face.

No one thought this was possible. Outsiders saw him as a monster, which is why they blamed him and spread lies. Bringing Maisie into our home was the best thing for our family. Despite my moments of worry, I knew I made the right decision.

One evening after dinner, Miles brought Jasper outside with him to sit around his nightly fire. I was sitting at the table with my novel open in front of me, but I was not reading. My attention was focused on Maisie. She stood in front of the sink and stared out at the farm through the bars on the window. Her fingers fiddled with her necklace as she chewed on her bottom lip. She had yet to start wearing Clara's old maternity clothes again. The small swell of her stomach was noticeable in her dress.

Maisie grieved over her last daughter much easier than she did for Briar. The bottle of whiskey I had bought and hid for Miles was barely touched. I only took a swig when I remembered the sound of the baby's cries while she struggled to breathe. I prayed Maisie's next baby would be strong and healthy like Jasper.

"You should rest," I told Maisie.

"I am resting," she said, not looking away from the window.

"You're not resting," I said. "You're pointlessly worrying. Do you think Miles would let anything bad happen to Jasper?"

Maisie let out a deep breath as she shook her head. She tore her gaze away from the farm and wiped her palms on her skirt before walking toward the table. She sat in the chair on the opposite side of the table.

"He's getting so big so fast," Maisie said. "I love seeing that he is healthy, but I miss my little baby."

"You'll soon have another baby," I said.

Maisie looked down at her hands cradling her small stomach. She was already gaining weight in her cheeks, just like she had with her previous pregnancies. Her skin was so pale, making her splatter of freckles more prominent on her delicate skin. She had become even more beautiful since she became part of our family. She was no longer the frightened and lonely girl I met in that horrible tavern.

"I miss Clara," Maisie said.

Her voice was low, and her focus remained on her hands. We did not usually talk about Clara. The mention of her name usually caused Miles to snap and force us to change the conversation, but her memory was a heavy presence in our home. I visited her grave every day and told her everything that happened to our family. When he was older, I would bring Jasper to visit his grandmother.

"I do too," I said. "She would have loved Jasper so much. She always wanted grandchildren."

"I love having Jasper with me during the day," she said. "One day, it will just me inside the home all day again. It is a selfish worry, but I cannot help myself."

"You will not be alone."

"What if I never have a daughter? You, Miles, and my sons will be outside doing chores. It will just be me in this home for hours. I miss having Clara. We used to talk and tell stories to each other. She used to give so much advice. She was the type of mother I always wanted."

"One day ,Jasper will get married."

"To who?"

Maisie glanced up at me. Her blue eyes were soft, but I could see her pleading for an answer. I saved our family, but we were isolated. When we start bringing Jasper into town when we get supplies, there would be cruel speculations about him. Without knowing him, they would probably be afraid of him. To all of those monsters, we were the evil outsiders.

"We are not worrying about that," I said, not wanting to answer her question. "There is plenty of time."

–

There were no issues throughout Maisie's pregnancy. Our family stayed in their happy routine. No outsiders tried to break into our home, but Miles kept dinner on our table. I would see the occasional bone or piece of blood-soaked clothing in the barn, but I never asked any questions. He was doing what he needed to do to care for his family.

Maisie was going to have her baby in a few days. Jasper loved putting his small hands on her stomach to feel the baby's kicks. Maisie told us that the baby moved much more than her previous pregnancies. The few times I touched her stomach, the kicks were much harder than I anticipated. The baby had to be strong. I prayed that this baby was strong.

Maisie was sitting on the couch in the living room. Her exhaustion was obvious. She could barely keep her eyes open as she leaned her head against the cushion. Jasper was kneeling next to her. His teddy bear was clutched in his hand, and he poked Maisie's stomach to follow the movement.

"When will the baby be here?" Jasper asked.

He had been asking the question on repeat, but Maisie was never annoyed. The corner of her lips lifted into a small smile. She ruffled his dark hair with her fingers.

"The baby decides when to come," she said. "It will be soon."

"How soon?" he asked.

"We don't know."

Miles's footsteps were heavy as he walked into our home. It had been raining the past few days, so Miles said it was too cold for Jasper to go outside with him. Jasper seemed to be growing his father's love of fire. Almost every night, he asked to go out with Miles. Maisie had grown less worried about him being outside.

Miles came straight down the hallway and into the living room. The smell of smoke clung to his jacket. He stood in the doorway and stared at Maisie and Jasper. Maisie's eyes were closed, and Jasper set his teddy bear on the top of her stomach.

"You need to let your mother rest," Miles said.

"I am resting," Maisie said, not opening her eyes.

"Jasper, you need to go to bed."

Jasper whined but stopped when Miles raised a brow. Miles had never hurt his son, but he did have to raise his voice when Jasper would misbehave. Jasper quickly picked up on the small change in his expression as a warning.

"Say goodnight to your mother," he said.

Jasper nodded before clutching his teddy bear to his chest. He pressed his lips against her cheek, and she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Goodnight, Mama," he said before jumping off the couch.

He hurried over to Miles and grabbed his hand. Since Jasper was now older, we gave him Emily's old bedroom. At first, Miles avoided going into the room, but for the past week he had been tucking him into bed.

I was silent, and I listened to the footsteps upstairs. My novel was open in my hands, but I kept stealing glances at Maisie. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were resting on the top of her stomach.

When Miles came back downstairs, he did not hesitate when he saw Maisie. He walked toward her and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face. Her heavy eyes fluttered open and he grabbed her arm. Without speaking, he pulled her up onto her feet and slipped his arm around her waist. She did not fight against him as he guided her out of the living room. Her feet shuffled as she rested her head against his side.

Our family was happy. Everything was perfect. I prayed she had another healthy baby like Jasper. No more death needed to haunt our home.