The Family Origin

Chapter Seventy-Two: MAISIE POV

 Each birth seemed to get a bit easier. The long hours of painful contractions were getting shorter with each baby.

Was this my fourth baby already?

Time seemed to move in a blur since I came to this house. How long had I been here? Five or six years? Was it more? Those horrible nights at the tavern with those perverted men seemed like a distant nightmare. Joseph saved me from a terrible fate.

My hand trembled as I brushed a piece of hair off my forehead. My skin was slick with sweat, and my body ached. I closed my eyes as I listened to my newborn baby's strong cries. He was able to breathe. He was healthy. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I placed my hand on my chest. The heavy weight of worry I carried throughout the pregnancy lifted from my body.

"It's a boy," Joseph said.

A boy.

I had another son. I had another healthy and strong son.

"Maisie," Miles said. "You should not be crying."

I opened my eyes when he touched my shoulder. He held our baby, who was bundled in one of Clara's small knit blankets, in his arms. It was the same blanket I would swaddle Jasper in when he was a newborn. Miles had one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. It was a look of pure happiness, which was so rare to see.

My arms wobbled as I tried to push myself up higher against the stack of pillows. Miles sat next to me and placed our baby in my arms. He stretched his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side. The movement caused me to let out a hiss of pain, but I did not mind. I was surrounded by my loving family.

My baby was so small. Was he smaller than Jasper? Was I not remembering correctly? My mind was heavy with exhaustion, but the tears did not stop. It was like I was holding onto a miracle. What happened to my daughter was not happening to him.

"He's so beautiful," I said. My voice cracked, and I sucked in a deep breath to stop myself from bursting into a sob. "He's perfect."

Miles pressed his lips against the side of my temple. Thankfully, he did not further question the tears. Our son's movements were jerky, and his arms escaped the hold of the blanket. He may be smaller, but he was so strong. Would he be filled with energy, just like all of his movements during the pregnancy?

Joseph slipped out of the room to care for Jasper without me noticing. All of my attention was focused on my son. Jasper looked so much like Miles, but I could see my features in this baby's face.

"What are we going to name him?" I asked.

"My father talked to me about names," Miles said. "He said we should name him after my grandfather."

"What's the name?"

"Simon."

"I like it."

Miles brushed the back of his knuckle across Simon's cheek. His hand was so large that only one finger fit against his cheek. I loved seeing how delicate he was with our sons. His size could be intimidating, but he would never hurt any of us.

"Simon." I tried the name on my tongue, and it felt perfect. "Do you think Jasper will love him?"

"He already loves him," Miles said. "He is always talking about the baby."

"Can he meet him now?"

My thin nightgown was soaked with sweat. I tried my best not to scream in pain during the labour and birth because I did not want to scare Jasper. Hopefully, he slept throughout the night and I did not wake him.

I thought Miles would refuse to bring Jasper into the room. He probably did not want him to see me like this. He probably would have wanted me to get clean first. Selfishly, I wanted to see the first time they met. Jasper spent so much time poking and touching my stomach for the past few months. What would he think of his little brother?

Miles did not give me a verbal answer, but he kissed the side of my temple before getting off the bed. He left the bedroom, leaving the door open. I briefly listened to his footsteps as he moved around the house, but I was distracted by Simon's small noises. His little coos were mesmerizing.

When Miles walked back into the bedroom, he was holding onto Jasper's hand. He was trying to run forward, but Miles held him back so he would not jump on the bed. Before he could crawl over the edge of the mattress, Miles picked him up and sat with him in his lap.

Seeing Jasper's wide eyes and huge smile when he looked down at his brother made warmth spread through my chest. He reached toward Simon's face, but Miles snatched his wrist.

"Be careful," Miles warned.

The tears returned to my eyes as I listened to Jasper ask his string of excited questions about Simon. Luckily, Miles answered his question. If I started speaking, I would burst into tears. It had been so long since I was overcome with this much happiness.

I was surrounded by my loving family. I had my husband and sons, and everything seemed perfect.

–

I struggled to recover from my exhaustion. Simon cried all night, and I would drag myself out of bed and stumble over to his crib. Clara's advice for calming a baby's crying was helpful, especially with my fatigued mind. When my sons have wives, would I be giving them similar advice?

Miles and Joseph took Jasper outside with them more frequently. I was thankful because managing a newborn while Jasper tugged on my skirt and asked a series of questions was wearing my patience thin. I did want to snap and yell at him like how my mother used to shout at me. My family would be different than the family I was born into. We would be better.

I let out a deep breath as I settled back into the bed. Simon woke me up crying because he was hungry. In the dark, I sat in the rocking chair and fed him. I had been really good at managing to navigate through the dark with only the moonlight to guide me. I thought Miles was asleep when I laid down, but he reached out and wrapped his arm around my waist. He pulled me into his chest and ran his nose along the edge of my ear. Goosebumps spread across my skin, and I leaned back into his warmth.

A smile spread across my lips as I listened to his breathing become deep and rhythmic. Despite the stress of having two children, everything seemed perfect.