An Unexpected Welcome

by Rita Hestand

  "No, but I can send Maria's boy to find him for us." Lilly smiled as she grabbed a few things she thought Maria might need.

  They hurried back to Maria's and Doc sent the youngest boy out to get his father.

  Meanwhile Lilly helped prepare the room for the delivery, putting a rubber sheet like thing over the mattress and fixing the sheet, then putting towels and rags out, with a new baby blanket that Maria had just knitted.

  Maria looked at her strangely. "I felt so good today, I had no idea."

  "It's wonderful Maria. Just wonderful and we have everything we will need for the baby and the delivery, you just relax and try to take your mind off the pain."

  "I'm not really in pain, just some twitching in my back."

  "It could come very quickly, the doc said."

  "I hope so…" Maria shot her a wary look.

  "Don't you be afraid, honey. We've got everything ready for it." She smiled as she went through the drawer full of baby items.

  "I'm so glad you are here; Pedro gets anxious during the birthing." She explained.

  "We'll take care of him too." Lilly chuckled.

  Directly Pedro came running in the house, "She's going to have it today?" His face was full of emotions, happy, anxious and slightly nervous.

  "Yes Pedro, any time now." The doc smiled his stoic smile.

  "Madre Mia," Pedro exclaimed.

  "Say now, you've had three this one shouldn’t come as a surprise."

  "I'm not good during this time. She screams and I panic." He told him throwing his hands in the air.

  "Screaming is good. As the bible says, a woman goes through the gates of hell to have a child." The doc smiled.

  "I know, that's what makes me so anxious." Pedro frowned beginning to pace the kitchen.

  "She's got me and Lilly to look after her, she'll be fine." The doc told him. "Have some coffee. Play games with the kids, find something to do, it will help pass the time. You've been through this before, don't fret."

  "Si…" He frowned. "Always you tell me to have some coffee. Coffee makes me shake!" Pedro exclaimed.

  The doc shook his head and scolded him, "She's the one having the baby, I need to get in there and help her, now you buck up."

  "Si." But Pedro knew he would not.

  Maria began to have pains and the doc did everything to keep her at ease, while Lilly wiped the sweat from her forehead and held her hand, talking soothingly to her. Her water suddenly broke and Lilly managed to change the sheets by moving Maria to one side first, then the other.

  Hours passed and the pain increased and so did Maria's sobs and screams. She apologized each time and the doc just smiled at her, "You go ahead and scream hon, I know it hurts."

  Now Pedro walked the kitchen floor, wiping sweat from his face with his bandana. Every time Lilly or the doc came out of the room he looked anxious but they would shake their heads at him. Why did having a baby take so long?

  He continued to pace. The kids came in and kept asking if they had a brother or a sister, but Pedro shewed them outside. "I'll send for you when it comes, go play."

  They went back outside, giggling and hollering.

  It was dark and suddenly, Pedro heard a baby cry and his eyes lit with happiness.

  Lilly came out with the baby girl. "She's beautiful," Lilly said looking longingly at the baby in her arms.

  Pedro came toward her and took the child from her arms and looked into its tiny face and smiled so radiantly, almost as though the sun had broken loose.

  "I am so blessed, is Maria, alright?"

  "She's fine, doc's just cleaning her up for you, then you can go in."

  Pedro nodded, and started waltzing around the house with the baby. His kids heard him and came running in. Pedro bent down to show them his little daughter.

  "She's mucho little."

  "Si."

  "What's her name?"

  "I will talk with your mother first on that." Pedro smiled.

  The doc came out and Pedro took the baby to Maria placing her in her arms. "She is beautiful, mucho beautiful."

  "I know…" Maria smiled. "Are you pleased my husband?"

  "God knows my happiness." Pedro smiled as he watched the baby nurse against his mother. "There is nothing as precious as that."

  Maria smiled. "I want to name her after Lilly. Is that all right?"

  "That would be mucho good, my love." Pedro smiled. "She is much like a flower, and as beautiful as a Lilly."

  "Si, my love, she is." Maria cried and reached for him. He leaned over them, kissing Maria on the lips and his daughter on the forehead. "She is also mucho hungry."

  Maria laughed.

  Pedro sat with Maria for a long while and when Lilly came in they told her they were naming the child after her, Lilly cried. "That's so sweet of you."

  The doc peaked in, "I better be going now. If you need me, let me know."

  "Thank you doc, for everything." Maria cried.

  Lilly walked the doc out and smiled. "There's nothing sweeter than a baby, is there?"

  The doc looked pensive, "It's one of the most pleasant parts of my job, I can tell you. So…maybe it won't be long before I have to come visit you for the same reason." He winked as he got into his buggy.

  "I hope so, doc. It won't be for not trying. The only other thing a woman can give her husband that he doesn't already have is his child. And I'm looking forward to it. Even though Cord loves Charlie like his own. You know he's going to adopt him so he has the same last name."

  "You gave Charlie your maiden name, didn't you?"

  "Yes, and I'm not a bit sorry for that." Lilly admitted.

  "Charlie McCall, that has a good ring to it, doesn't it?"

  Lilly smiled.

  "See ya soon, Lilly." The doc smiled and rode off.

  Lilly went back inside to fix the children something to eat. It was a busy household today. And God had smiled on Maria and Pedro, once again.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The men and boys came home from the hunting trip, wet, chilled and tired. They had two dear, several wild turkeys and two wild hogs. It was a good and successful hunt. And they had some stories to tell.

  But Lilly looked from Don Diego to Cord with a big smile on her face, "Well, I have something to tell you before you get started on your tales."

  "Oh, what's that." Cord bent to kiss her lips.

  "Maria had her baby. It was a girl, she's beautiful and Maria is fine."

  Don Diego smiled, "I must get over there then, it was a lot of fun Cord, glad we got enough to start stocking that smokehouse." He took Juan with him as he was anxious to see the baby too.

  "Me too, thanks for the help, and your family is welcome to take meat any time you need it. We'll just have to keep stocking it is all." Cord waved him goodbye as he was anxious to congratulate his brother. "We'll probably have to make another trip, mid-winter or sooner, we've got a lot of mouths to feed."

  "I'm up for it." Don Diego smiled.

  Liam was busy on the porch plucking the turkey's.

  Lilly and Cord joined him and Charlie.

  "All right, I want to hear your stories now." Lilly smiled.

  "Well to begin with Charlie got a wild hog, Juan got a wild turkey and the rest of us got the deer and others. I was never prouder of those boys. They listened and did as we told them and now they are official hunters." Cord told her.

  "Gee, Charlie, I'm proud of you." She watched her son smile and lean negligently on the door frame with folded arms, and a fat cat expression.

  She looked at Cord now. "Any problems?"

  "Well the usual kind, Charlie's gun jammed once, Juan nearly stepped in an old bear trap, luckily Liam here saw it before he put his foot down. It must have been out there for years, it was all rusted, could have caused some real problems if Liam here hadn't seen it. The rain soaked us through and we got a little chilly. We herded the wild hogs into a gully and got two. The turkey shoot was pretty easy, we missed a couple of deer, but we fina
lly bagged two. With a side or two of beef and what we got today, we should be fixed for half the winter, or at least part of it."

  "That's great news, now, why don't you all get some dry clothes on and warm up, then we can run over and see the new baby. She's beautiful." Lilly told him.

  "Sounds good to me. Got anything to eat?"

  "Sure I do, I made some roast, so we can eat either before we go over, or after."

  "Before," Charlie spouted.

  "You tired," Lilly asked him.

  "I sure am, but it was fun, Ma." Charlie told her the glint in his eyes told her even more.

  "Well, ya'll wash up and I'll get us some food on the table. I made a peach cobbler too."

  Cord turned to look at her, he reached to pull a strand of her hair through his fingers, fascinated. "Sounds mighty good, honey." He kissed her on the nose. "Say did Pedro have any problems?"

  "Only while Maria was delivering. He nearly wore a hole in the floor pacing the kitchen." She laughed.

  "I'll bet. I'll probably be just as bad." He winked and went to wash.

  Lilly stared after him quietly, reflecting.

  Charlie followed him.

  Liam joined them at the table after he cleaned up and changed clothes. "It was fun, but I'm sure glad to be home. Don't know what gets into us men, we can't wait to go, and can't wait to get back." He chuckled as he passed the roast.

  "I'm just glad nothing went wrong."

  After they ate and related a few more stories they went over to Maria's and everyone was tickled about the baby. Charlie held her and he talked to her as though she understood every word. "Me and Juan, we'll take care of you, you don't have no worries."

  Lilly felt a tug at her heart. Her son was really growing up now. "Let them change a few diapers and they might change their minds."

  Maria was feeling good; in fact, she was sitting in the kitchen talking to everyone when they came in.

  "She sure has a lot of hair for a baby," Liam remarked, "Beautiful hair."

  "We've named her Lilly Ann." Maria smiled.

  Cord looked at Maria and beamed, "She's a beauty."

  Pedro passed out cigars and the men went on the porch while the women took turns holding the baby. The kids went outside to play.

  "Maybe you will have a baby soon?" Maria suggested with big eyes.

  Lilly glanced at her, "Don't say anything, but I think I might be pregnant, Maria."

  Maria's eyes widened and she smiled, "Oh…it is wonderful news. But you haven't told Cord yet?"

  "No, I wanted doc to check me first before I tell him."

  "Oh si, but you must hurry. News like this will spread quickly. I cannot keep secrets very well."

  Lilly chuckled. "I've always wanted Charlie to have some brothers and sisters. But he'll be quite a bit older than them. I hope he can adjust to it."

  "Children adjust better than grownups most of the time." Maria assured her.

  "They were so proud when they came in from the hunt. They both got some game so it made it a special time for them. They are growing up Maria."

  Maria nodded, "I know, Juan can't stop talking about it."

  "They won't forget this trip." Lilly assured her.

  "No, but our ears will get tired listening to it." Maria chuckled. "I'm going to put her down now."

  ***

  Lilly went into town a couple of days later. She bought a small ribbon for the baby's hair, since the baby had such thick black hair, Lilly wanted to show it off with pretty pink ribbons, and Maria would be happy.

  Then she went to see Doc.

  "Well young lady, what brings you in to town?" He smiled. "I don't often get a visit from you."

  Lilly looked at him with a sparkle in her eye. "I think I might be pregnant, but I want you to confirm it for me." Lilly announced.

  "A baby? That's wonderful Lilly. Well now, come on in here and let me check you." He offered.

  "I didn't think I'd get pregnant so easy Doc." She exclaimed.

  "You missed your monthly?" He asked.

  "Yes, about three of them as a matter of fact. I must have got pregnant on our honeymoon is all I can figure."

  "Were ya'll wanting more children?" He asked.

  "Oh yes, but it still feels like the honeymoon doc." Lilly told him.

  "That's a good thing." He chuckled.

  Twenty minutes later he smiled and told her to get dressed.

  When she came out of the room he put her in, she looked at the doc skeptically. "Well, I am pregnant, aren't I?"

  "Very much so, my dear. And you are right three months. I'm very happy for you Lilly. It's good to see the two of you so happy."

  "Cord will be so thrilled. Don't know how Charlie's going to take the news though."

  "No worries there, he told me at the wedding he hopes ya'll had a bunch, he said it's lonely being an only child. Yep, he's quite a young man Lilly. Growing up fast, but good." The doc nodded.

  An hour later Lilly walked out of Doc's house beaming. She was three months pregnant and the feelings surrounding her was like a happiness she'd never known.

  She couldn't wait to find some unique way of telling Cord. He'd be so happy. He was so looking forward to children. And she already knew he'd be a great father.

  But how was she going to tell him?

  If he saw her face he'd guess it himself.

  She went home and Cord was out in the pasture working. Charlie wasn't about so she went directly to Maria's.

  She gave her the ribbon for the baby's hair and Maria immediately went to tying little bows from it to put in the baby's hair.

  "I'm pregnant Maria!" She couldn't contain herself any longer.

  "Oh how wonderful. I am so happy for you and señor Cord. Have you told him yet?"

  "Told him what?" Cord asked as he, Pedro, and Don Diego walked in.

  Lilly turned bright red. "It's nothing, I just bought some ribbons for the baby's hair, she looks so cute in them, Maria was just putting some in her beautiful black hair."

  "Well bring her out here and let us see," Pedro smiled.

  Maria went to get the baby and winked at Lilly.

  Directly she brought the baby out and Pedro saw two pink ribbons, tiny ones, in the baby's hair.

  "Madre Mia, she is beautiful," Pedro picked her up and paraded her around the room.

  Don Diego took her, then Cord.

  Maria looked at him, "Well maybe Cord will have a baby one of these day."

  Cord smiled. "I hope so. Nothing sweeter than a baby." He cuddled little Lilly in his arms.

  But when she started crying he turned her over to Maria. "I guess you know what she wants."

  "Si, Maria laughed. She went into the other room, got a small blanket, threw it over her shoulder and came back in the room feeding the baby.

  Charlie and Juan came in from outside and Lilly let him know it was time to go home.

  When they got home Lilly began fixing some supper and Charlie and Cord were in the front room, cleaning the guns. Cord was showing Charlie to do it.

  "Next time you can clean them," Cord told him.

  "I will," Charlie looked very happy.

  At the dinner table they all talked but Lilly couldn't get the courage up yet to tell Cord about the baby.

  It was later on the porch, as Charlie went to curry his horse that Cord had given him, that Lilly sat in the rocker by him on the porch, glancing at him off and on.

  "Little Lilly was beautiful, wasn't she?" Lilly began nervously.

  "Yes, there's something so sweet about a baby girl." He smiled in reflection.

  "Oh, would you like a baby girl?"

  He glanced at her, leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "You know I would."

  Lilly cleared her throat, "How soon?"

  "Well, whenever it happens I guess." He grinned at her.

  "Would six months be soon enough?" She blurted.

  That wasn't how she planned on telling him, but it was done and she felt immediate relief.


  He was rocking and it took a minute for what she said to sink in, then he stopped and got up and pulled her out of her chair, "You mean…we…us…we're having a baby?"

  She nodded, seeing the light in his eyes. "Yes," she finally muttered. "I went in to see the Doc today, and he confirmed it."

  His mouth flew open, then he lifted her gently into the air, and brought her solidly down against him, his lips connecting with hers in a sultry kiss that had her swooning.

  As he finally pulled away he looked into her shining eyes, "I couldn't be happier…"

  She ginned, "Well cowboy, you're going to be a daddy again in about six months."

  He kissed her again, harder, as though possessing her. "You must have gotten pregnant during our honeymoon."

  "You're very potent Mr. McCall." She sighed in his arms.

  Now his mind went to work, "Well, I've got work to do. I've got to build another room on the house, a crib, a baby bed, a thousand other things. A baby!" He repeated.

  Charlie came up and saw their happy faces, "What's going on?"

  "Charlie, you know how we talked about having a few children?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Well, in six months you are going to have a baby brother or sister, "she declared. "What do you think of that."

  "I think me and Pa better get busy building stuff for it." Charlie laughed.

  They all snickered.

  "What would you like a boy or a girl, Charlie?"

  "Well, at first I thought maybe a brother, but then when little Lilly was born, I thought, gee, she was so cute. I don't know. I don't really care but I won't be an only child any longer, will I?"

  "No, but do you think you'll mind sharing things with them?"

  "Heck no Ma. They'll be so little it will be a long time before they can really bother any of my stuff, by then I'll have grown out of it, so I don't mind sharing anything with them. I guess this really makes us a family, huh?"

  Cord looked rather serious, "It sure does, Charlie, but I've got some more news for you. I've files the adoption papers, so it won't be long our family will be complete."

  Charlie beamed. "So I'll be Charlie McCall?"

  "That's right, son."

  "Has a nice sound doesn't it." Charlie beamed walking off as though in a daze.