Carla panicked as Chloe’s skin grew redder and the heat coming from her tiny body increased. Samuel had been gone for two months, leaving quietly the night of Beatrice’s visit, and she had no idea who to call to help her. Chloe’s nurse had no more solutions to try and Carla knew her child was growing more ill by the hour. Carla sent the nurse for the nearest doctor and a note with a footman to Samuel.

The doctor arrived, looked Chloe over and told him there was nothing he could do. The baby was going to die and she needed to prepare herself. The doctor then left, leaving Carla distraught and in tears. Carla cradled little Chloe to her stomach, knowing that within the confines of her body Chloe’s little brother or sister slept, and that she should have called Samuel back sooner.

She’d decided to try again with her husband, realizing after she calmed down and spent some time alone that life with Samuel had been much different than life with Henry. Samuel’s gentleness, his desire to only make her happy was the exact opposite of Henry, who’d only ever seen Carla as a producer of children, not as a human being. She also realized she loved her husband dearly and that life without him was just plain not worth living. She’d written the letter, asking him to come back; she’d just not sent it yet. Now he’d come back but not know that she’d wanted him back anyway. And there may not be time for him to say goodbye to Chloe.

Clutching the child even tighter to her body, Carla prayed that Samuel would show up in time to see their little butterfly on her way. Hoping it would cool Chloe’s frightfully hot skin, Carla immersed her child in cool water, even more frightened when Chloe did not react to the water’s chill. She bathed the child there, and slowly, she felt Chloe’s skin cooling but not much.

Hearing a strange noise, Carla went over to the window, holding the baby, and saw what she assumed was one of the motorized wagons she’d read about but hadn’t seen yet. She saw Samuel and Dr. Weiss, and could barely contain herself as she awaited their approach. The vehicle moved quickly and they were soon at the door, and up the stairs.

“Quickly, get her back into the water.” Dr. Weiss spoke, as he saw Chloe and the large basin Carla had been bathing her in. He prepared two separate medicines for Chloe with water Carla had prepared, and spoon fed the mixtures to the baby. Soon Chloe’s fever went down and her color began to return to normal. Dr. Weiss had been tense but as Chloe’s skin cooled even more he relaxed.

“She should be fine now. I will stay with her for the next few days, if you can accommodate me that is, to give her the medicine, and in case the fever returns. Now, get some rest Mum, if I’m not mistaken you have another one on the way, and you’re going to need your strength after your last ordeal.” Dr. Weiss spoke to Carla gently, a hand tapping against one of Carla’s own.

“How did you know?” Carla asked, looking over at Samuel who appeared to be in shock.

“A doctor knows, now go, rest. And speak with your husband. I think you two have some things to discuss.” He spoke gently.

Samuel followed Carla out of the room, his mouth moving but unable to form words as he was not exactly sure what he wanted to say to his wife first. Carla beat him to it and dragged him to their former bedroom, pulling his mouth down to hers as he shut the door. She pulled his clothes off, one piece at a time, not caring if buttons popped loose, she’d repair them later. She tore her own clothes off, giggling as lace wrenched free from cloth, and her hair pins fell all over the floor.

Chloe was going to be fine, Samuel was here at last, and he was accepting her attentions. They could talk later! Carla moved her mouth from Samuel’s lips and pulled him to their bed. She hadn’t slept in here since he left but it had been kept clean. She fell back onto the bed, pulling her naked husband with her. There was no time for foreplay, no time for sweet words; she just needed life affirming confirmation that she was still alive, that he was still alive, that their baby was still alive lovemaking.

Samuel entered her quickly and moved inside of her, over her, with the pent up passion and fear he’d felt over the last two months. He’d been desperate to come back to Carla but feared making matters worse. He’d stayed away and now his desperation to show her how he’d felt made him a little rough, a little clumsy, but she loved the way he touched her nevertheless because it was Samuel’s touch, it was Samuel’s kisses on her body. She moved with him, her hips thrusting up to meet his.

Samuel’s hands roamed Carla’s body, crashing into hers as she explored his body just as frantically. She needed to know each part of him was still there, that nothing about him had changed. She also wanted to build his pleasure and touched all of the places that made him beg for more. She reached up to him, wrapping her legs around his waist as his movements within her became more frantic.

Carla kissed Samuel, using her teeth to nibble at his lips, her tongue to implore him to open his own so that she could slide her tongue inside. She tasted the sweet taste of Samuel and loved him even more because his taste was so familiar, so wonderful, and so sensual. She wanted so much more of Samuel and her movements became erratic, not sure what she wanted and wanting everything at once.

Samuel sensed Carla’s tension and knew what she needed. Carla giggled with joy when he rolled over, pulling Carla on top of him. She moved like a cat, stretching out languorously on top of him, and then sitting up to move her body in ways Samuel had never seen a woman move before. She pulled her hair on top of her head, her laughter filling the room with the sound of joy as her passion grew. Her moans replaced her laughter, and as ecstasy broke over her in waves, Carla’s moans turned to cries of pleasure, her hips continuing to move on top of Samuel, never for a moment forgetting to take her husband with her. Samuel joined her as he watched her breasts swaying and imagined the things he was going to do with them later. His own pleasured cries filled the room and the staff knew the master was home at last, hopefully to stay.

Carla stayed on top of Samuel but moved her legs slightly to ease the cramp forming in her left leg. She spoke to her husband, hoping he’d give her the chance to say what was on her mind.

“I want you to stay, Samuel, but I need you to let me say this.” She said.

“Go on, my dove.” Samuel encouraged.

“I wrote a letter to you but I haven’t sent it yet. I wanted to make sure it was right. Then Chloe grew ill and there was so little time. I was so afraid you weren’t going to make it and I realized what I’d stolen from you both, from you and our child. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if she’d…” Carla broke off, a sob closing her throat.

Samuel kissed the top of her head, soothing Carla. “She’s fine darling. Go on.”

“Well, I realized that I love you, that you’ve loved me this whole time, and though you lied you did it out of love. Which is still no excuse but it’s one I’ll forgive this time. But only this time. Oh darling, my life without you has been so empty! I need you in it, please, say you’ll come home!”

“I would give everything I own to come back to you and Chloe, Carla, you don’t even have to ask. But I am concerned about this baby. It’s too late now but what if this makes you ill?” Samuel’s fear made his voice tremble.

“We’ll have to face that darling. Hopefully Dr. Weiss will continue to be an innovative doctor and he’ll get us all through this. Not every birth is the same. Chloe’s birth was so hard because she was turned the wrong way, her legs came out first. This next baby may be easier, especially if it comes out head first. The child will move through my body easier. I’m worried too, but if we live our lives too worried to experience what life is actually about we’ll not be living at all. We’ll be hermits, lost to the world and sheltered away. We’re going to have a hard enough time with my own troubles marring our family life, let’s not bother with more worry than we have to, alright darling?” Carla asked, looking up at her husband with her love once again on full display.

“We’ll take it day-by-day my love. I guess that’s how we’re going to have to take it. But I have faith in Dr. Weiss, in you, in us. We can get through this; we can get through it all. After all, nothing else matters in the end but you, me, and our children. Love is all that matters in the end and we have more love than most people in this world. And that’s all we really need.” Samuel whispered the last words to his wife as he brushed her hair from her face and kissed her once more, home at last, both of them free from their burdens to love each other at last.