'Til the End of Time

by Sabra Brown Steinsiek

  That night. As if he’d ever forget it. Their love had burned brighter that night than it ever had before, consuming them in flames of passion.

  “Then? We made the baby then?”

  “I’m pretty sure.”

  “Wow,” he whispered. “We’re going to have a baby.”

  He stood and came around the table and pulled her into his arms. “I can’t believe it. You’re right. Everything I need is right here.” He kissed her deeply and felt her respond. “I want you, Betta. Now,” he said breathlessly as he took her hand to lead her to the staircase, then stopped at the bottom step. “Is it okay? It won’t hurt the baby?”

  “It won’t hurt the baby. Make love to me, Christopher.”

  He took her in his arms and carried her up the stairs. It was a grand gesture, but one that frightened him a little as he realized that he held his future in his arms.

  * * *

  When they lay spent in each other’s arms, Chris finally asked. “When is the baby coming?”

  “The doctor says around September first.”

  “When do you want to tell the family?”

  She raised her head so she could look at him. “Not for a while yet, Chris. So much could happen. I don’t want to tell them for at least another month. I’ll be far enough along then that things should be all right.”

  “The doctor said you were well, didn’t she?”

  “She says I’m fine. Healthy as I can be. She doesn’t foresee any problems. Still, I’d like to keep it our secret for now…although I guess I should tell you that Meg knows. You weren’t available and I had to tell somebody!”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you but I’m glad Meg was. Can she keep it a secret, too?”

  “You guys are so innocent,” she said laughing. “We Morgan women have a lot of things you don’t know about.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. And all the torture in the world won’t get those secrets out of me.”

  “Not even if I do this?” he said, smiling as his fingers wandered down her body and began to stroke gently.

  “Not even that,” she said as her eyes widened.

  “What if I stop?”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” she said, pulling his mouth to hers. Then there were no more words between them.

  Chapter 50

  At the end of March, everything in the Morgan’s world changed again.

  It was the younger girls’ spring break. Sean and Maria had not seen the family since Laura’s miraculous return and a family reunion was planned.

  Betta was keeping their news until the reunion. So much easier to tell them all at once. She had completed her first trimester without incident and felt confident enough that all would be well to finally share the news.

  She’d heard from Jim Brown, who would be coming home from Bosnia soon. They had been corresponding regularly since Rhen’s adoption. Both of them felt strongly about finding homes for the orphans, and Betta and Chris had decided to open up a foundation to encourage and help with the adoptions. Jim had agreed to be the man in charge of the everyday work, something he could do from his home in Kansas.

  Taylor had been pleased to be asked to be on the board. His work early in his career for Shelters for Children had left him with a keen respect for the need that was out there in the world. His name on the letterhead as President of Rhen’s Nest would add some clout to their appeals. He was at work on a new album and much of the proceeds would go to funding them.

  The night of their first big family dinner was noisy and joyous. The dining room was stretched to its limits with three O’Hearns, three—and a third—Flynns, three Morgans, two Collins, Beth and Jason, and Rosina. Fourteen people who might never have known each other if he and Laura had not met. One, Annie, would never even have existed and what a loss that would have been, he thought as he looked around the table. Laura caught his eye and he knew she must be thinking the same thing he was. What a difference their chance meeting had made!

  When dessert was served, Laura’s favorite mocha cake and Taylor’s bischochitos from his mother-in-law, the evening grew quieter. The children finished their cake and scurried off to play when Betta gently tapped her glass.

  “Chris and I have an announcement to make. It was as much a surprise to us as it will be to you. We’re pregnant!”

  There was a moment of silence before the room broke into chaos. All of the women were in tears, Chris’s hand was nearly crushed from all the handshakes, and his and Betta’s cheeks were bright with lipstick prints from all the congratulatory kisses. Kat and Rhen ran into the room to see what the noise was about. When they were told, Kat got excited and ran to hug her Aunt Betta. Rhen looked at them as if they were all crazy and calmly said, “Well, I knew that!” and went back to Annie’s room.

  When the excitement had calmed down, Taylor asked, “When, Betta?”

  “Our due date is September first.”

  Sean chimed in, “Any chance of a boy this time? I still need my Lobo basketball player.”

  Almost as one, the women said, “No!” and laughed. Betta kept her secret conviction to herself.

  “Rhen was so calm about it,” Maria said.

  “Sí,” Betta said. “We told her a few days ago and said it was a secret. She was very excited until she found out it would be months until the baby came. She suggested we just go back to the orphanage and get one rather than wait that long.”

  Everyone laughed at that.

  “You’re taking care of yourself?” Laura asked. “You have Morganna’s and now Rhen’s Nest. Are you sure it won’t be too much?”

  “I’m concentrating on Morganna’s. With Chris, Jim, and Taylor to run Rhen’s Nest, I won’t have a lot to do.”

  “That’s for sure,” Chris said. “I’m going to personally make sure of that.”

  “See that you do,” Sean said. “The team needs new blood.”

  It was a wonderful way to begin their week together.

  Chapter 51

  As the evening was ending and everyone was getting ready to leave, Rosina asked Betta and Chris to come to her apartment downstairs for a few minutes before they left. Since Rhen would be spending the night with Kat, they had no reason to hurry home.

  Rosina was Betta’s birth aunt. She had been Betta’s guardian when Betta and Meg met. The girls had been so inseparable that she and her husband Matteo, and Taylor and Laura, couldn’t bear to part them. So Betta had moved in with the Morgan’s and she and Matteo had taken over running the household for the busy family. It was an arrangement that had worked well for all of them.

  The last few months had been hard. Annie was almost grown and no longer needed Rosina to help care for her. Taylor and Laura were busy with their lives. There had been less and less for Rosina to do. She had begun to feel both useless and lonely.

  Kat and Rhen still adored her and she babysat for both of them on a regular basis. The talk tonight of the many things that Betta had to do had given her an idea.

  She was waiting for them when they came down from the upstairs apartment. “I am so happy for you both,” she said as she hugged them. “This is a blessing you both deserve.”

  “Grazie, Zia Rosina,” Betta said. “This will be a lucky baby to have you for a grandmother.”

  “How will you manage everything, Betta? You do so much and Rhen has already taken much of your time—not that that is bad!”

  “I guess we’ll probably look for a nanny for the girls. That will help.”

  “Sì, but how will you find someone you can trust?”

  Chris saw the question in her eyes and realized what Rosina was really asking. “Rosina? Do you want to take care of the girls?”

  She sighed with relief. “Sì. I would love to. I wanted to ask, but didn’t want to push myself on you.”

  “Rosina,” Chris
said, “you could never push. Is this really what you want? What about Laura and Taylor?”

  “It will be hard to leave them but Annie doesn’t need me anymore. Taylor and Laura can find another cook. I love them, you know that. But I need to feel needed and you know I love the little ones.”

  Betta came and knelt at her knee with tears in her eyes. “Rosina, you were such a gift to me when my parents died. You made me feel safe and welcome. You saved my life. Then you were generous enough to let me be part of Meg’s life. I know you miss Zio Matteo. If you are sure this is what you want, we would be so honored to have you care for our children.”

  Chris placed his hand on Rosina’s shoulder, “You know I love you, Rosina. You are always welcome to be with us, whether you are the children’s nanny or not. Perhaps you would like to retire.”

  She laughed. “What would I do in retirement, Chris? I need to be busy.”

  “Then come live with us and love your grandchildren, Rosina,” he said. “And if you want to cook now and then, I won’t object.”

  The three of them laughed through the women’s tears.

  * * *

  When Kat and Rhen were finally settled, Meg came to their room to find Jamie dozing in bed. He opened his eyes when she came in and watched as she brushed her hair.

  “Some night wasn’t it, darling?”

  “Oh, Jamie, I am so excited for them. Betta’s tried so long to get pregnant. I know she adores Rhen, but she’s always wanted one of her own.”

  “They’ll be one up on us, you know. And the new one will be too little to tag after Kat and Rhen.”

  Meg put down her brush and turned to face Jamie. “Jamie O’Hearn, are you suggesting what I think you are?”

  “Having another little one around couldn’t be too much more work. We could always bring one of my young cousins over to be a nanny to the bairns.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Aye. I’ve been thinking on it for a time now and wondering how to bring it up to you. After all, you’re the one who has to carry the babe.”

  “I’ve been thinking the same thing, Jamie, my love. If you’re sure, would you be interested in starting the process now?” she said as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse.

  “I think I could rise to the challenge,” he said as he pulled back the sheets to prove it was possible. “Come here, woman.”

  She quickly stripped off the rest of her clothes and threw herself on the man she loved. If a baby didn’t come from tonight’s activity, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying. And there were so many other nights to get it right as well.

  * * *

  The apartment finally quieted. Beth and Laura sat up talking for a while after everyone was gone. Laura’s parents were in bed and Jason and Taylor had left the two women alone. They knew their wives well enough to know that trying to separate them until they had talked out the evening was an impossible task.

  “Grandmother again, Laura. Did we ever imagine this?”

  “Your turn will come soon. The boys will graduate from college next year and then there will be some cute little thing that steals them away.”

  “What are you going to do with Annie gone…or should I call her Morgan?”

  “She’s not really going anywhere. She’ll still be living here.”

  “I know, but once the boys didn’t need us for every little thing, they started their own lives, and we’re grateful to get a visit now and then.”

  “I think I feel old,” Laura said as she glanced in the mirror. Her hair was still liberally streaked with white. She refused to color it after she’d come home.

  “Maybe we are,” Beth said, “but right now I feel like we’re still teenagers.”

  “I know what you mean. Time seems to stand still whenever we’re together.”

  “We’ve been friends more than thirty years—can you believe it?”

  “A whole lifetime,” Laura said softly. “I’m glad you’ve been with me.”

  “Me, too,” Beth said as she took Laura’s hands. They were quiet for a minute until Beth suddenly said, “Want to talk about boys?”

  They both began to laugh and couldn’t stop. When their husbands came to the door to find out what was so funny, Laura gasped out “boys” and they began to laugh harder as their husbands looked at each other in puzzlement.

  Chapter 52

  Sean and Maria had news of their own but they hadn’t wanted to share it after Betta made her announcement. While their news was just as good, they knew it would not be received with the same joy.

  Beth and Jason had left early for a special show at the museum that they did not want to miss. Sean, Maria, and Rosina waited for Taylor and Laura to join them at breakfast. The three of them knew the news they were waiting to share would come as a shock to the couple at the center of the family, but it was necessary. Life would go on for all of them.

  “Buenos Días!” Laura called cheerfully as they came into the dining room. “Wasn’t last night wonderful!” she said as she and Taylor helped themselves to breakfast.

  “It was a great evening,” Sean said. “I’m glad we could be here for it.”

  When Rosina and Maria remained uncharacteristically quiet, Taylor knew something was up. He put down his coffee cup and looked at them. “What’s going on?” he asked as Laura looked at him in surprise.

  Sean cleared his throat. “We all have a bit of news, too.”

  “All of you?”

  “I will go first,” Rosina said. “Taylor, Laura, you know I love you and the life I have shared with you. Since Matteo died, I have felt lost and need more than fixing meals for you. Annie is grown and doesn’t need me anymore but, now, Betta and Chris do need me. With the new bambino coming, they will need a nanny. I spoke with them last night and I will be going to live with them to take care of the children.”

  Laura and Taylor were speechless. Rosina was such a part of their lives! Taylor managed to speak, “Rosina, I’m sorry if we weren’t enough help to you after we lost Matteo.”

  “No, no, no,” she said vehemently. “It is not that. Everything began to change then and I looked at things in a new way. I am best at taking care of someone. With Annie basically gone, you don’t need me. And I need those babies. Please understand.”

  Laura said through her tears, “Of course we understand, Rosina. Whatever will make you happy will make us happy. Besides, those are our grandchildren you’ll be caring for. They deserve the best.” Rosina and Laura held hands across the table. “It’s not like you’re going far away. We’ll still see you all the time.”

  Sean cleared his throat then. “That brings us to your mother’s and my news. We’ve both decided to retire this spring.”

  “But that’s wonderful,” Laura said. “You’ll have so much more time.”

  “We will. But that time’s going to be spent in Ireland.”

  “Ireland? You’re moving to Ireland?”

  “Now, Laura, it’s not the end of the world,” her mother said. “We’ll still come and visit, and we’ll have a place in Ireland for all the family to come when they want.”

  “But what will you do?”

  “I’m going to work on a book,” Maria said. “You’re not the only one in this family with a story to tell.”

  “And I’ve been invited to teach one class a semester at Queen’s College,” Sean said.

  Laura looked so lost that Taylor put his arm around her. “That’s wonderful news,” he said, giving Laura’s shoulders a squeeze. “It will be an exciting change for you.”

  “There’s a little more to the story,” Sean said. “We’ve decided to give the Albuquerque house to you two. Now. Free and clear. No inheritance taxes to worry about.”

  “Daddy! You sound like you’re never coming home.”

  “We’ll be visiting often, Laura, but we’ll be living
in Ireland now. The house has been your home your whole life. We want you to have it.”

  Laura burst into tears and ran from the room. They heard the bedroom door slam behind her and Maria looked at Sean with a gentle smile. “Just like when she was a teenager.”

  “It’s all a lot to take in, Maria,” Taylor said. “Give us a little time to get used to it.” He stood and started for the door then turned. “Despite how it looks, we are happy for all of you. There’s just been a lot of change in the last few months. Sometimes, it’s a little hard to handle.”

  When they heard the bedroom door close again, they looked at each other. Sean finally broke the silence with a wry, “That went well, don’t you think?”

  * * *

  Taylor found Laura sobbing on their bed. He sat beside her, leaning up against the headboard, and pulled her up into his lap. He held her while she cried, stroking her hair, waiting for the storm to blow over, as he knew it would eventually. When she was cried out, she looked up at him, “Oh, Taylor. Why does everything have to change?”

  “Good question. Let me know when you find an answer.”

  “How can you be so calm?”

  “Because it’s something we can’t change. I learned a lot about change when I thought I’d lost you. Sometimes you have to go with it or it will destroy you.”

  “They’ll be so far away.”

  “Not really a lot more than flying to New Mexico. And Rosina will just be at Betta’s.”

  She was quiet for a while and he wisely said nothing.

  “I should be happy for them. I am happy for them. Daddy has always wanted to go back to Ireland.”

  “He has, and your mother would follow him to the ends of the earth.”

  “I have to let them go, don’t I?”

  “You can’t stop them, Laura.”

  “I know. Taylor, what are we going to do with the house in Albuquerque?”

  “Live there?”