Donnie was so overcome with gratitude for his mother-in-law’s forgiveness that he took her hand and kissed it “Well, I do have an idea about that Lillian. Tell me what you think about this.” For the rest of the ride home, he explained what he had planned.
***
Donnie was vigilant about not leaving Angelique alone. When he had to go out Martha was there to sit with her, or Renee, or Paris or Lisette. Somehow they worked it so that she always had company and someone to make sure all her needs were met. The day Donnie left early to pick up Lillian, Big Benny was “the designated sitter,” as Angelique referred to her loving companions. He came into the bedroom while she was looking through pictures. One of her favorite holiday movies, White Christmas, was playing on DVD, and she was singing along with one of the tunes as she looked over her work. They embraced and he made himself comfortable in the big overstuffed armchair. They chatted about this and that and she started showing him the photos.
“Babydoll, I’ve never seen anything like the way you take pictures. It’s like you reach into a person a pull out a little bit of them in each shot” he said appreciatively.
She showed him some commission work and a lot of family pictures she’d taken just for fun. “Look at this one of Marty and Malcolm. They’re growing like weeds, aren’t they?”
Benny chuckled as he looked at his grandsons. “And they’re pistols, too. When Benita tells me the things they get up to, it’s hard to believe,” he said.
“Oh, believe it Daddy. Those two are like a SWAT team. And the bad thing is, they’re so darned cute. Nobody wants to believe they’re as incorrigible as they are until they do something really wild.”
“Must be a twin thing,” he said sagely. “Benita and Andrew were hellions, and so were Alan and Andre.”
Angelique grinned and said, “Well, these little ladies won’t be, they’re just too sweet” She handed him a picture of Bennie and Clay’s youngest children, the twin girls named Isabella (called Bella), and Katerina (called Kate). “Aren’t they beautiful?”
Benny smiled lovingly and agreed that his grandchildren were exceptionally lovely. She handed him more candid shots and looked up to find him staring at a particular picture with a strained expression. “Daddy, what is it?”
The alarm in her voice made him look up slowly. “I’m sorry, Babydoll. I didn’t mean to scare you. I wanted to know where you got this picture from.” He handed the picture to her and she looked at it anxiously.
“He was over at the house one day and I took it. That’s a good friend of Bennie’s. His name is John Flores and he’s the therapist who helped Bennie after her accident. They’ve stayed in touch all this time and they see each other every once in a while. He was working at Emory University in Atlanta for a while. Don’t you think he favors Adam?”
Benny took his time answering. He took the photo from Angelique’s fingers and looked at it for a long time. “Yes, he does favor Adam quite a bit. And I know why he does. Do you want to hear a story? It’s not very long, but it’s very interesting,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to upset you or anything; maybe I should wait until later, until you’re feeling better.”
“Oh, no, you don’t! You’d better tell me right this minute. I hate it when somebody starts a story and won’t tell it.” Angelique looked as curious as a child.
“All right Babydoll. I’m from a small town in Michigan called Idlewild...” he began.
The story took almost an hour to tell, and when he was finished, Angelique’s eyes were huge. A lot of questions had been answered, but there were even more raised. Before she could unleash the barrage of inquiries boiling inside her, noise from the front of the house let them know Donnie and Lillian had come home.
Benny smiled at Angelique. “We’ll talk later,” he said with a conspiratorial wink.
***
It was wonderful having her mother there, even though it made for close quarters. The baby’s room had been completed and the only extra bed in the house was now the convertible sofa in the office. She and Donnie still shared a bed, something she wouldn’t have believed possible. Her fear of losing the baby had pushed everything else out of her mind and she needed the comfort and safety of his arms. From the first night she came home from the hospital, they’d shared a bed and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Sleeping in her strange upright position was much easier when she was curled into Donnie’s strong arms. He would hold her until she went to sleep and, unbeknownst to her, would continue to hold her all night.
Lillian’s presence made a festive Thanksgiving possible, although it wasn’t the one she’d expected. The plan was for everyone to go to the annual Thanksgiving parade held in Detroit. Some of the men were going to the Detroit Lions game, but for the most part everyone would have dinner at Renee and Andrew’s house. That was out of the question for Angelique. It was still fun, though. Lillian made a big, old-fashioned dinner with the traditional turkey, cornbread dressing, squash, green beans, spinach salad, and cranberry-orange relish. There was also a ham and sweet potatoes, plus homemade rolls and cornbread muffins. And there was company, too. Paris was there all day helping her aunt Lillian prepare the feast. Everyone stopped by on their way to the parade, so she got to have little visits with her in-laws.
Donnie had bought her a small chaise longue that was cleverly made like a long armchair. It was incredibly comfortable to sit on; Angelique’s back was supported and her legs were able to stretch out in front of her. After her confinement, it was going into the baby’s room. When Renee showed up with her four little girls, they stood on either side of the chaise and rubbed Angelique’s tummy, talking to their new cousin. Alan’s wife, Tina, brought her family, which included her daughter Lillian. Lillian had insisted that Clay’s mother was her grandma from the first time they met. She’d been calling her “Grandma” since she was three years old and nothing had changed. She and the older woman had a special relationship, partially because they shared the same name, and they were delighted to see each other.
Martha and Big Benny stayed for dinner and there was a stream of company all day, including Lisette and Warren. Lisette had softened in her attitude toward Donnie, at least to the point of being cordial if not effusive. Adam and Alicia Fuentes also stopped by for a brief visit. It was a warm and homey day, even though it wasn’t what she’d expected for her first Thanksgiving as a married woman. But she was grateful for the day she’d had. It was wonderful; the baby was well and her husband rarely left her side. It was a day to give thanks, indeed.
The next day was a little different. Donnie helped her into a nice bubble bath and he even bathed her. He was supposed to just wash her back, as usual, but ended up doing most of the bathing. He wrapped her up in warm towels and took her back to the bedroom, where there was a nice new maternity outfit on the bed, nice black knit pants and a cheerful red top with a Christmas design.
“How cute! What’s the occasion?” she asked.
“Nothing in particular. Your mom just thought you might like something festive to wear,” he told her.
She got lotioned and scented with Cashmere Mist and put on her new outfit, which also included some cute little black velvet flats with Christmas trees on the toes. She was smiling at the shoes when Donnie came back to take her to the living room.
“Donnie, look at these! My mother is so thoughtful,” she said happily.
“Yes, she is,” Donnie agreed. “Now come with me, my Angel.” He picked her up and carried her into the living room, where she was stunned by what she saw. There were all her friends, all her favorite people, trimming a huge tree that scented the house with its lovely pine fragrance. Lisette and Warren, Paris, all of Donnie’s nieces and nephews, and, best of all, Matt and Nicole, too, as well as her dearly loved stepfather, Bump. Neesha, who did party planning and weddings as a sideline, was busily directing everyone, and the room was taking on a festive air that was intoxicating. Even Danny was there, tacking greenery across the fireplace. There was a t
able set up with piles of presents wrapped in baby paper on it. On cue, instead of screaming “Surprise,” Prescott and Drew, Donnie’s nephews, unrolled a banner that read Welcome to Your Baby Shower.
Angelique was totally blown away. The effort that had gone into this, the love and the ingenuity it had taken made her teary-eyed. She was amazed that so many people cared about her. It wasn’t a loud or boisterous celebration, given her need to stay tranquil, but it was a lot of fun just the same. Her Deveraux sisters-in-law had come through handsomely, sending expensive and beautifully wrapped presents, which Bump brought with him on the plane. She got so many beautiful and thoughtful gifts, including really practical things like cases of diapers and baby wipes, she couldn’t contain her emotion.
She was trying to thank everyone and stem the tide of happy tears. “This is the most thoughtful thing I’ve ever heard of,” she sobbed happily. “You are the most loving people in the whole world.”
Danny informed her that it was all her husband’s doing. “He’s the one who dragged us all out of our beds at the crack of dawn. I’m still trying to digest yesterday’s dinner,” he said with a smile. “Donnie is just extremely persuasive.”
At that point Donnie got everyone’s attention. “I have something I’d like to say to my wife, and I want you all to be witnesses,” he said. “I did something truly stupid not too long ago. Actually, ‘stupid’ isn’t the best word, criminally ignorant and cruel is more like it. I’ve been trying to think of a way to make it up to her, since she was kind enough to allow me a chance to stay in her life.”
Angelique wanted to be embarrassed, but she couldn’t because Donnie was looking at her with such love and tenderness, she couldn’t look away from him, couldn’t feel any shame.
“I want you all to know that I’m a very, very fortunate man. I have the privilege of being married to the most incredible woman in the world. She’s beautiful, she’s brilliant and talented and she’s funny, compassionate and kind. She is the most fascinating woman I’ve ever known, and she can do anything. Anything she decides to do, she does and she does it in a way that’s totally unique, totally her. She’s tough, she’s resilient and she doesn’t take any mess, so don’t ever try to put one over on her, she’ll see right through it,” he said with a wry smile.
“She makes every day a delight, and I won’t live long enough to have a boring day with her. Every moment I get to spend with her is a treasure beyond price. That’s why I want to marry her all over again on our anniversary. Next Valentine’s Day, I want her to be my bride all over again, but this time I want her to wear this ring, the ring that my father put on my mother’s hand when he took her in marriage. Will you do that for me, my Angel? Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife once more?”
He knelt beside the chaise and opened the box. Angelique’s eyes lit up: this was just what she had in mind for a ring. It was yellow gold and there was a nice round one-karat diamond in a simple Tiffany setting with smaller stones on the matching band. It was simple and old-fashioned and just beautiful. She wanted to reach for the small box, but something stopped her.
Donnie knew true panic as he looked at her face. “Angel, won’t you accept this from me?” he asked again.
Angelique finally spoke. “No.”
Everyone gasped, which made her wave her hand impatiently. “Oh, no, of course I mean yes, yes, of course yes, just not right this second, if you don’t mind. We have something to do right now, honey. My water just broke.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Come on, baby,” Donnie said encouragingly. “We’re almost there, Angel. You’re doing so well, sweetheart, you can do this.”
He was at the head of the narrow delivery-room bed, holding both of Angelique’s hands. It had been a long and difficult labor, and he was trying not to let his anxiety show. Angelique wanted to have a natural childbirth, but he was ready to tell them to do a cesarean or whatever it took to have it over with. Her hair was covered in one of those horrid paper caps and she was bathed in sweat, her face red from exertion but to Donnie’s eyes she’d never looked lovelier. He kissed her temple and put his forehead against hers. “You can do this, my Angel. Just one more push, baby, just one more.”
Suddenly her face contorted into a mask of determination and a shout was heard from the doctor. “Beautiful! Here she is ... oh, Mom and Dad, you have a beautiful little girl!”
Lusty cries filled the delivery room and a huge sigh of relief issued from Angelique. Donnie’s eyes flooded with tears and he kissed Angelique’s forehead and cheeks, thanking her over and over again.
“Dad, would you like to cut the cord?”
That task completed, the baby was whisked away for a moment to make sure her breathing passages were clear and to quickly weigh her and wipe some of the mucus from her tiny face. Then she was placed into Angelique’s trembling arms.
“Adonis, look! Look at her, isn’t she wonderful? Isn’t she the most beautiful baby you’ve ever seen? Hello, sweetheart. I’m your mommy,” she crooned. The baby opened her eyes and stared into Angelique’s face for a long moment. “That’s right, darling. I’m your mommy. I’m going to take good care of you, sweetie. And this is your daddy. Oh, Adonis, isn’t she amazing?”
Donnie could barely speak through his tears of sheer gratitude and love. “She’s perfect, Angel. Just perfect. Thank you, baby, thank you so, so much.”
The delivery-room staff allowed Angelique a few more moments to bond with her daughter, who continued to look into her mother’s face. Then they had to take her away to make her pretty for her public. They also had to get Angelique into recovery and then to her room.
“Daddy, you can go to the waiting room now and make the big announcement. She’ll be in her room in about an hour,” a nurse said.
Donnie could hardly stand to let Angelique out of his sight, but he kissed her forehead and her hands and said he would see her soon. “I love you, my Angel. You made me so happy, I can’t express it. I love you.”
He left the birthing area and stripped off the paper gown, the hat and the shoe covers and threw them away. He was still shaking and all he had to do was watch. It was incredible what women had to go through to give birth. He was awed, humbled and very, very grateful that she had trusted him and loved him enough to give him a child. He leaned back against the cool, hard wall and said several prayers of thanksgiving. Finally he went through the automatic doors to the waiting area, where their family was anxiously awaiting word of the delivery.
“She’s here. Our baby is a beautiful, absolutely adorable little girl. She’s fine and her mommy is the most wonderful woman in the world,” Donnie said proudly. His father was there, and Martha, Lillian and Bump, Lisette and Warren, Paris, Renee and Andrew; almost everyone who loved Angelique was there. Donnie was overwhelmed with love and support. He could feel the tears running down his cheeks but he didn’t care. He was so grateful, so thrilled and so very thankful, he couldn’t have cared less that he was crying in front of everyone. After hugs and kisses and congratulations all around, he made an announcement.
“The baby will be in the nursery soon for everyone who wants to see the prettiest little girl in the world. In the meantime, I’m going to go see her mother and tell her again how much I love her.”
***
Angelique was sitting up in bed, looking tired but radiant. As exhausting as her labor had been, nothing could compare to at last being a real mother. The nurse handed the baby to Donnie, who stared down at the little girl who’d already won his heart. Angelique held out her arms and Donnie placed the baby into them.
“Here she is, my Angel. I know I’m a little biased here, but this is the most beautiful child I’ve ever seen in my life. Look at her, Angel, look at what we made.”
Angelique sighed with joy as she looked at their baby. “Adonis, she really is pretty, isn’t she? It’s not just because we love her so much, she’s really adorable,” she said in awe. And they had indeed produced a captivating
little girl with a headful of silky black hair and long eyelashes. When she made little faces, a tiny set of dimples could be seen, as well as the prettiest little rosebud mouth. It was time for her first feeding and Angelique eagerly prepared to breast-feed her. With the nurse’s assistance, the baby was soon sucking away contentedly and Angelique was the picture of maternal bliss. Her hair was caught up in a ponytail, she wore not a speck of makeup or a hint of jewelry, yet his wife was incandescent in her beauty.
“Adonis, get that little camera out of my bag,” Angelique instructed. “We have to have a picture of this.” She never took her eyes off the baby as she spoke. In a few minutes, when the baby had taken her fill, she was about to fall asleep when Angelique deftly placed her on her shoulder and stroked her tiny back until a nice burp was heard.
“My goodness, you’re a clever girl, aren’t you?” Angelique praised her. She was reluctant to relinquish the baby to the nurse, but she did.
“We have to put this little beauty in the nursery so your family can see her. And you need some sleep, Mommy— having a baby is no small thing,” the nurse said with a smile. “I should know, I have four of them.”
Angelique smiled tiredly at her husband. “You need to go home and get some sleep, too, sweetheart. This was a big day for both of us,” she said sleepily.
“I know, but I don’t want to leave you,” he admitted. “I want to stay here with you. I never want to leave you again.” He nuzzled her neck.
A Merry Little Christmas Page 27