CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Auggie
I sat in the sunshine next to Liane and watched the baby sleeping in his carrier, shaded by a soft baby afghan. It was nearly Christmas, but a warm spell had sent us outside. As we Kentuckians like to say, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” It was supposed to snow tomorrow.
As tiny as Benjamin Bernard LaViere was, he could wail louder than an ambulance when hungry. He’d spent his first four weeks of life in the hospital, growing strong enough to come home. He hadn’t stopped eating since and had chubby baby cheeks to prove it.
Liane was still weak, and the sunshine felt good to both of us. Hawk was hovering nearby. He and Worth were looking over the house plans and for the first time in decades, looked like father and son. They had, by all accounts, gone through a religious experience, even if it had been delivered by a very earthly, very angry vicar. Liane and Hawk had named the baby for him, adding the middle name for our beloved Bernie. Nothing could have been more appropriate.
The holidays advanced upon us and this time, everyone, including Grandpa Ben, Hawk, Liane, and the baby joined us at Carlos Acres, making it the most special Christmas of my life. I still missed my dad and when I hung his special ornament on our tree, the ache for him was nearly unbearable.
Brandon and Lily stopped by on Christmas Eve and Letty outdid herself with a very British Christmas meal, in honor of the vicar. She smiled at him often, and he seemed to enjoy the flirting. I looked at Worth, and he nodded. We would have to invite the vicar here more often.
After the holidays, Worth and I flew to the condo for a couple of weeks and I learned what it was to be a wife again. Mark and Marga chose to stay behind and took up residence with Hawk, Liane and the baby while we were gone. Marga was turning into quite the helpful babysitter while Mark helped Hawk with the farm. Good therapy, he called it. In fact, the exercise was doing him a world of good.
We’d left Lettie behind as well, giving her some much needed time off. I cooked, I cleaned, and Worth took care of the yacht and helped me when I needed it. We traipsed the towns along the coast, and I began to accumulate a collection of miniatures. I had always been fascinated with scale, and Worth had bought me a dollhouse for Christmas, which I was now enthusiastically decorating. “It’ll cost me a lot less for the architect,” he had teased, and I’d playfully slapped him.
We Skyped with Hawk and Liane, and they’d hold baby Ben up to the camera so we could virtually pinch his cheeks. He was growing at a healthy, normal rate and couldn’t be more perfect.
Worth and I made love almost every night. After the hunger of long abstinence was sated, we had settled into slow, luxurious and sensual sessions that left us both fulfilled and more in love each time. We learned about one another, one on one, without the interference of work or family drama. For me, it was like an extended second honeymoon.
But when it was time to go home, we were ready.
Time passed and Spring came, and before I knew it, it was Mark and Marga’s graduation. Because Mark had been so studious before the accident, he’d taken a number of honor’s courses as well as advanced placement. So even after missing a semester, he still had enough credits to graduate with his class. I still wonder sometimes if Worth had bribed the principal, but never got up the nerve to ask.
As for Marga, she had blossomed further over the winter and was now quite an impressive young lady. Although we’d been concerned about her in the past, she’d done admirably and made us proud. Her grades had improved, and it was feasible that Worth may not have to bribe a college in France to take her in.
At their commencement, we all cheered as Marga, then Mark walked across the stage. He still limped and his speech would most likely always have a stutter, but he stood tall and looked graceful to me.
Brandon declared his candidacy to become state senator and Worth, under my raised brow, wrote out a very healthy contribution check. Lily had the best news. She was pregnant and would be welcoming their baby in the summer.
When Hawk and Liane moved into their new house, we all helped them get settled. It was breathtaking. Ultra-modern and very spacious, I knew they would be entertaining regularly. Hawk had taken over management of the farm after Lily’s wedding. He had plans to add additional outbuildings and eco-areas. Liane was planning to create a zoo for exotic and endangered species. I applauded this whole-heartedly and thought what a magical place it would be for Ben as he grew up.
It appeared as though our lives had finally stabilized. Everyone had made their peace and had something to look forward to. Even the vicar and Lettie. I’d caught them kissing in the kitchen.