Giving Thanks, Part 2

        "Which one are we going to name Byron junior?" Michaela teased Sully on
their way home from the hot springs awhile later.
       "Whichever one is a boy," Sully deadpanned.
       Michaela gave him the "you're nuts" look and said, "They could both be
boys, identical twins as a matter of fact.  From the sounds of your vision, I
believe that's what we'll be having."
       "Well, in that case, we can name one Byron junior and the other Josef,
after your dad," Sully replied as they pulled up to the homestead and he stopped
the horses.  "How does that sound?"
       Michaela's eyes filled with tears and she leaned over and kissed him. 
"That sounds wonderful, " she said softly.
       "Why don't you head on up to bed and I'll put the horses and things away,
" Sully suggested as he helped Michaela down from the wagon.
       Michaela smiled gratefully and turned to go, paused, then turned back to
Sully.  "Sully?  Would it be alright for us to share a book before we go to
sleep?" she asked hesitantly.
        Sully smiled and gave her cheek a gentle caress as he replied, "Sure. 
That sounds good.  Go ahead and pick what you'd like to read."
       With a smile, Michaela turned to go.  It didn't take long for her to
change and wash up.  She could feel the tiredness pulling at her, despite the
primarily restful day she'd had.  She knew that signaled that the time for the
baby, make that babies, was near.  With a smile, Michaela placed a hand on her
stomach and massaged it gently.
       "How are Sully and I going to keep up with two of you and Katie as well,
" she said, more to herself that to the two children she carried inside of her.
       Presently, her thoughts were interrupted as Sully entered the room. 
Seeing his wife standing there with her hands on her rounded belly, he smiled
and came over to give her a gentle kiss before beginning to change and get ready
for bed.
        As Sully was changing, Michaela quietly padded over and slid into bed. 
She propped the pillows against the headboard for her and Sully, then leaned
back against them.  She then picked up the book from the night table next to the
bed and sat quietly, waiting for Sully to join her.
        Within a few minutes, Sully slid in next to her, taking the book from
her hands and putting his arm around her as she snuggled up next to him, laying
her head on his chest.  When they had both gotten comfortable, Sully opened the
book and began to read.  After only a few pages of reading, he looked down to
find Michaela sound asleep against his chest.
        Putting the book aside with a smile, he wrapped her securely in his arms
and gently caressed her cheek, then her rounded belly as he felt the children
she carried inside her begin to kick up a ruckus.  As he sat, his thoughts
turned pensive.  He knew that the chronic exhaustion she was suffering from only
signaled that the time for the babies was near, but after her miscarriage nearly
two years ago, every little thing magnified his worry immensely.  He knew his
constant worry frightened her, in fact drove her to try harder to hide it, but
every time he thought of her all alone when she had miscarried, his stomach
churned with a sick guilt.  At least now she was far past the critical period,
but he could never seem to stop worrying.  Setting aside his thoughts in lieu of
a good night*s rest, he carefully reached over and blew out the lamp on the
night table next to the bed.  Gently he settled them both down beneath the
covers and rested, content to just hold his Michael!
!
a.
        "Hi, ma, hi, pa!" Brian greeted them after church that Sunday.  "Matthew
and Timari fixed us a nice big picnic lunch, so we could all eat together.  Is
that alright, ma?" Brian asked excitedly.
       "Yes, that sounds wonderful", Michaela replied, seeing her son and soon
to be daughter-in-law coming towards them with Katie in tow.  "Why don't you and
Katie go find us the perfect spot to sit," she suggested.  Brian quickly
complied, hollering to Katie as he went, who eagerly went dashing off after her
big brother.
       "Hi, Dr. Mike, Sully," Matthew greeted them as they approached.  Matthew,
Timari and Michaela all exchanged hugs while Sully just nodded.
      "I thought you might enjoy having a picnic lunch," Timari said.
      "That sounds wonderful,* Michaela replied as she put her arm around the
girl and the two strolled over to where Brian and Katie were already setting up,
leaving Sully and Matthew to follow behind at their own leisure.
        Soon they were all gathered on the picnic blanket, food spread all
around, enjoying the meal.  Conversation flowed easily all around, but Michaela
chose not to join in.  She was feeling very weary, and wasn't very hungry,
though she tried to force some food into her stomach so Sully wouldn't worry.
       The food was finished in short order and the dishes packed back into the
picnic basket.  While Sully and Matthew talked, Michaela leaned contentedly
against Sully, enjoying a rare moment of watching Timari romp with her children
in the meadow.  They had asked her to join them, but she had declined, she just
wasn't feeling up to it.  She answered Sully's concerned look with a smile, but
though he seemed relaxed, she knew he was very much in tune with her.
       Michaela's attention was drawn solely to Timari.  She was so thankful
that Matthew had found her, had fallen in love with her.  Michaela remembered
well when Timari and her mother had first arrived in town a year and a half ago. 
They were both ill-nourished, and her mother, who was very ill, died only a
month later.  Timari had called upon her extraordinary mathematics skills and
had acquired a job at the bank as Preston's assistant.  She had found a nice
couple just out of town to stay with and she was doing well.  Beautiful
Timari..........Michaela smiled.  With her milk white skin, coal black hair,
violet eyes and delicate build, Timari might look like one of those fragile
porcelain dolls from the doll shop, but you discovered after you knew her a bit
that she was not in the least fragile.  She had enough spunk and sass to impress
even Hank, and to keep Preston more or less in line!
       The late afternoon sun was warm and inviting, and Michaela felt the
weariness pulling at her even more, pulling her deeper into its abyss of
oblivion.  She began to drift into that state somewhere between sleep and
wakefulness.  Sully noticed immediately, and his concern grew in leaps and
bounds.  He decided it was time to pack up and head for home, so in short order,
the family was in the wagon and on their way back to the homestead.
       Brian and Katie were in the back of the wagon.  Worn out by the
excitement of the day's events, Katie slept in Brian's arms.  Brian, nearly as
tired, was content just to sit and stare at the passing landscape.  Sully felt a
thick lump of fear in his chest and throat as he put a gentle but secure arm
around Michaela and tucked her close to his side for the ride home.  Gratefully,
Michaela laid her head on Sully's shoulder and allowed sleep to pull her in. 
Sully drove as fast as he dared, sensing a great need to get Michaela home and
into bed to rest.
       When they arrived at the homestead, Sully instructed Brian to take Katie
in and put her to bed.  Then he gently awakened Michaela and helped her down
from the wagon.
      "Michaela?  You ok?  You should have told me you weren't feeling well," he
said as he gently stroked her cheek.
       "I'm alright, just a little tired", Michaela replied.  "Will you and
Brian be ok with Katie and supper?  I think I'll go to bed and I'll probably
sleep through the night."  Michaela looked at him wearily and Sully's chest
tightened.
       "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine," he replied.  Gently he pulled
Michaela into the circle of his arms and massaged her back and neck.  Michaela
leaned against him gratefully and closed her eyes, his tender touch pulling some
of the weariness from her.  Their peace was interrupted by Brian coming out of
the house.
        "I got Katie to bed, she sure was tired!  Would ya like me to start
supper?" he asked eagerly.
        "That would be great," Sully replied, smiling at his younger son.  "I'm
gonna take your ma up to our room and help her get settled for the night, then
I'll come help ya."
        "Ok," Brian replied and dashed back to the house.
       Sully looked down at Michaela.  She was still leaning against him and her
eyes were closed.  "She probably fell asleep," Sully thought.  Deciding just to
carry her into the house, Sully startled her into wakefulness by picking her up.
       "Sully!" Michaela half protested as he carried her up the front steps and
into the house.  But she really felt too tired to climb all those stairs, so she
just laid her head down against Sully's shoulder and allowed him to take her up
to their room.
       With concern etched in every feature, Sully helped her wash and change
with the tenderest of care.  Michaela felt as if the weariness had seeped into
her very bones and had sapped her of all strength and energy.  She couldn't even
keep her eyes open while Sully helped her wash and change.  Gently he tucked her
into bed and pulled the covers over her, slipping one hand beneath the covers to
gently stroke her swollen stomach.  With the other hand, he gently brushed back
her hair, pressing an occasional kiss to her temple, but Michaela was too tired
to even respond with a smile.  All she could do was lie there and feel the love
her husband was giving her.  Sleep pulled at her with utmost urgency, and her
last coherent thought before slipping into its peaceful oblivion was that this
was indeed going to be a VERY long night.


Part 3