by Connor Mccoy
Liam laughed. “Yeah I do remember that. Mom brought me over to have them babysit me and that stupid dog would keep jumping up to lick my face.” He shook his head. “But what always stunned me was that the Pattersons had triplets. Now that I think back, how did they handle three babies at once?”
“I don’t know.” Conrad slowed his pace, allowing them more time to walk toward the house.
For the past few months, he found himself spending more time outdoors than usual. For one thing, Conrad enjoyed the changing of the seasons to the cooler weather. Not only was work less stressful, but the cool air was much more relaxing and peaceful. It was like a balm to the wounds of the two major battles he had had to fight to hold on to his land and save his family.
Additionally, he didn’t have to look at the bullet-riddled walls of his home. Sure, he had dug out a few bullets and patched up the holes with putty, but after running across so many, and so much other damage, he became fed up with trying to expunge his home of the damage dealt to it by Derrick Wellinger and Kurt Marsh’s men.
So, he would spend his time out here instead. Among his crops, in the fields that ran along the edges of his land, there were no reminders of the hardships they all had suffered. Life proceeded quietly and without incident.
It also helped that Carla’s pregnancy was progressing toward its last stages, even more quickly than Conrad had imagined. He wasn’t sure how far along she had been when she first arrived here with Liam. Conrad’s sole experience with pregnancy had been Sarah’s with Liam. It took a while for her to show a baby bump. Conceivably, Carla could have been into her pregnancy for a month or two before Conrad had met her.
Which means any day now, my grandbaby could arrive, Conrad thought.
“Dad?”
Conrad tilted his head right. Liam, stopped in his tracks, was looking at him. “Dad?” Liam repeated. “I was asking how the Pattersons handled three babies at once.”
“Oh.” Conrad chuckled. “Sorry, was a little lost in the clouds. Anyway, I can’t imagine. But you might have to. After all, we don’t know how many buns Carla’s got in the oven. You might find yourself with two or three little surprises.”
Liam’s face twitched. “I really, really hope you’re joking.”
Shaking his head, Conrad turned and laughed. He wasn’t going to say anything else. He’d let Liam hang on the hook on that one.
“Hey! Hey!”
Conrad and Liam pivoted towards the home’s side door. Camilla was hanging out the open door, waving to them. “Hurry! It’s Carla!”
Conrad and Liam burst into the living room, with Camilla and Sarah already there. Carla was seated in the big chair, breathing heavily. Darber, crouched next to her, held her hand until the two men arrived. “The first contraction was about six minutes ago,” Darber said, “Liam, get everything ready. I don’t know if this is time, but we had better prepare nonetheless.”
“Right, right.” His heart racing, Liam sprinted to the bathroom.
He and Darber had planned to have Carla deliver here, but the tub would have to be cleaned first for Carla to sit in it. Fortunately, Liam and Darber had packed away some sponges and cleaner in a special pouch on the shelf near a set of cabinets. In minutes, Liam went to work on the tub, scrubbing the inside as clean as he could make it.
Carla’s scream rattled through the room. Liam swallowed. Carla had had some false alarms before, but she had never screamed that loud, or that soon after the last scream. Something was about to happen.
Sarah stuck her head through the door. “Sweetie,” she said, “Darber says we need to move her in here soon.” Liam quickly started drying out the tub. “The supplies. They’re in your room, right?”
Liam didn’t look behind him as he worked. “The grocery bag. By the nightstand,” he said between huffs.
Sarah nodded. “I’ll go get it.” She turned, but then slowed her pace enough to say, “We’re all ready for this. Just tell us what you need, and we’ll be there for you and Carla.”
Now Liam stopped. He turned and glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks, Mom.”
Chapter Four
Conrad pulled his shirt taut again. He wished for something to take his mind off the wait. He even reached for the TV remote on the end table, then scolded himself for forgetting that his home’s electronics no longer worked. As much as Conrad understood that the modern world he had lived in for decades no longer existed, he still caught himself reaching for a light switch or a remote control.
I guess it’s because I’m remembering what it was like last time, Conrad thought.
About an hour had passed. Despite scattered screams from Carla, so far, he hadn’t heard anything but the occasional raised voice coming from the direction of the bathroom. The contractions weren’t very close together, but that could change in an instant. Conrad wasn’t fearful of hearing Carla scream. He knew what was coming. In fact, he could recall the scene as clear as day, standing in that hospital room while Sarah gave birth to Liam.
It was a day of magic. Conrad never had felt happier than when holding his baby boy. The joy of that day made it seem impossible that the ensuing problems with Conrad and Sarah’s marriage could have happened. Everything was wonderful then, and Conrad imagined Liam eventually would be joined by one or more siblings.
Liam, everything will change from this day forward. This will be the happiest day of your life. No, more than that. It’ll be your proudest. Conrad glanced at the living room walls around him. Ordinarily, he swelled with pride when he thought of the home and farm he had built. But compared to the birth of his son, the construction of his house and the tending of his fields suddenly shrank dramatically by comparison.
Conrad glanced beside him. Sarah sat there, with Tom on the other side of her. Conrad managed a small, tired smile. “Bet you’re glad you’re on the outside looking in this time.”
Sarah blinked her eyes. “What? Oh, sorry. I was daydreaming.”
“Of Liam’s birth?” Conrad asked.
Sarah nodded. “I can’t believe that was so long ago, but now it comes back to me like it has been a few months. I can remember how the table felt, how everything smelled, holding my baby for the first time, hearing him cry.” She drew in her arms and crossed them across her chest.
Conrad pondered reaching out to comfort her, but with Tom present, he wasn’t sure what his boundaries were concerning his ex-wife. Camilla, seated across from Conrad, might not react well, although she likely would understand after a while. Fortunately, Tom scooted right up to Sarah and wrapped his arm around her, solving the dilemma for Conrad.
Sarah steadied herself as she glanced at Camilla. “What about you? You ever been around when a baby was born? Oh God, I never asked you if you have any children.” She coughed. “I’m not hitting a sensitive spot, am I?”
Camilla chuckled. “No. I guess I never told you that. I miscarried twice when I lived in my home city. Wasn’t married, had some relationships that didn’t work out. It was part of the reason I went on the road.” She drew in a long breath. “But yeah, losing those two was hard. I think there was a health issue. Damn if I can remember what it was. I just had my tubes tied and said to hell with it.”
“I’m sorry,” Sarah said.
Camilla scratched her left arm. “I figured the husband, two kids, dog, and a picket fence life wasn’t for me.” Then she glanced at Conrad. “But I’d be lying if sometimes I didn’t envy what Liam and Carla have.”
Conrad looked into her eyes and sensed the pain in them. Camilla hurt more than she let on. “Well, just remember you did a lot to make this moment happen.”
Camilla smiled. “Thanks.”
Carla’s loud cry suddenly cut through the air, snapping everyone’s attention to the bathroom. “It’s happening,” Sarah said. Tom held onto her tighter.
Oh God, here it comes again…
You’re doing fine. I see the head.
Aaaaah!
There he is!
Oh, he’
s beautiful.
Have you come up with a name?
His name is Liam. Liam Michael Drake.
Conrad opened his eyes. He was lost in a world of memories. Ironically, the very screams that had lulled him into his daydream snapped him back out of it.
He looked across from him. Camilla was squirming in her seat. At times, she covered her ears. Clearly, she wasn’t reacting well to Carla’s cries.
Then, the screams stopped. Normal conversation resumed from the bathroom, when any conversation could be heard at all. But soon the sounds of a small baby’s cry cut through the air.
“That’s him!” Sarah held her hands to her face. “That’s him!”
“Or her,” Conrad said.
“Holy shit,” Camilla said.
Conrad chuckled. “That’s what Daddy said when I was born.”
Camilla blushed. “I’m sorry. I’m so damn new to all this. I don’t know what to expect.”
Sarah leaned forward in Camilla’s direction. “This was pretty fast. How long has it been?”
Camilla glanced at the timepiece on the end table. It was a small windup clock that still told the time. “Not even three hours.”
“It’s no surprise to me.” Conrad folded his arms. “I worked the lass hard from sunup to sundown to keep her in shape. Those muscles of hers probably chucked the kid out before Doctor Ron could raise his hand to slap the babe on the behind.”
“Conrad!” Sarah grabbed one of the pillows and tossed it at his chest. Conrad didn’t move at all. He simply smiled at her.
Narrowing her eyes, Camilla looked at Sarah. “Bet you’re glad you stopped at one. Can you imagine three or four kids with his sense of humor?”
Before Sarah could retort, Darber emerged from the hall. Sweat covered his face, but he wore a soft smile. “Everyone…” He clasped his hands together, then rubbed them. “I give you one healthy baby boy.”
All of them broke out in cheers, with Conrad and Sarah the loudest. The two of them jumped up and hugged each other. They held each other, then separated, with only slight unease afterward about doing so. Sarah then turned and hugged Tom. Camilla quickly caught Conrad and hugged him in.
Once all the congratulatory embraces concluded, Sarah was the first to ask Darber, “So how’s Carla? Where’s Liam?”
“Carla’s fine. We moved her to the bedroom with the baby. Liam is still cleaning up in the bathroom.” Darber chuckled. “I think he needs a moment.”
“Oh, I want to see the baby. Wait, what’s his name?” Sarah asked.
“Carla still isn’t sure yet.” Darber glanced behind him. “How about we wait until Liam checks in on her first.”
Conrad glanced at the end table again. More waiting. “Shit, now I wish the television was working more than ever.”
Liam stopped at the doorway to his and Carla’s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. Darber stood in front of it. “Can I go in?” Liam meekly asked.
“Looks like you’ve mostly recovered.” Darber chuckled. “Not bad for your first time.”
“It was a first.” Liam nodded his head. “Actually, it was a lot of firsts.” Then he laughed, though still nervously.
“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. She’ll be very happy to see you.” Darber then stepped aside, permitting Liam to push the door open and walk through.
Carla was lying in the bed, with the covers up to her chest. The small bundle Carla cradled lay still and quiet. As Liam approached, he heard the small breaths coming from the newborn.
Liam leaned over his newborn son. The baby’s eyes were closed. A thin coat of dark black hair covered his scalp. He was bundled up in a soft blue blanket.
“More hair than I thought he’d have,” Liam said.
Carla giggled. “Yep. My handsome little man.”
Liam sat on the edge of the bed. “You two look amazing.”
“Thanks to you,” she smirked. “And thanks for not fainting during the birth. I really, really needed you.”
“Hey, after all we’ve been through…” Liam made a fist, then patted his chest. “I can handle anything, even childbirth.” Then he coughed.
“Although there was a little more blood than I expected.” Liam leaned a little closer to his son. “Still need some time to think of a name? We don’t have to do it tonight.”
Carla giggled again. “Maybe we could just call him Junior until we come up with a name.”
Liam narrowed his eyes. “Carla…”
“Okay, okay, I’m kidding.” Carla looked back at her sleeping son. “I heard all the cheering up front. I can only imagine how your mom and dad reacted.”
“Doctor Ron says they were over the moon. We’re going to have to get them in here soon,” Liam said.
“Hey.” Carla looked back at Liam. “How about we name him ‘Conrad?’”
“Conrad? You want to name him after Dad?” Liam asked.
“Sure. Without him, we wouldn’t have our home. We wouldn’t have a safe place to raise our baby.” She flicked a soft strand of hair off her son’s head. “Your dad’s also a strong man, kind, decent. I haven’t known too many men who are like that.”
Liam smiled. “Conrad. I think that’ll be perfect.”
Carla looked at her baby’s face. “You hear that? That’s who you are. Nice to meet you, little Conrad.”
Tom stumbled through the back door onto the porch. To no surprise, he discovered Conrad seated outside. No one else sat with him.
“Hey,” Tom said, in a lower voice than he expected. The day’s fatigue had caught up with him, yet he wanted to catch Conrad alone. Fortunately, that wasn’t hard, as Conrad only turned in when everyone else did. And since Tom still was up, Conrad wouldn’t head for bed just yet.
Conrad turned. A new bottle rested on the table beside him, a bottle of whiskey. The glass container still housed a lot of liquid. Conrad hadn’t been drinking much.
“Almost midnight,” Conrad said, “I don’t usually get company this late.”
“Mind if I sit down?” Tom asked.
“Sure. Go ahead.” Conrad pointed to the glasses next to the bottle. “Pour yourself some.”
Tom took the bottle and poured himself a glass. Conrad always brought spare glasses out here as Camilla or Liam frequently would come out here to chat with him. Tom recalled in the first few weeks how Conrad would act awkwardly just in small conversation, at least around him. Now Conrad seemed more at ease with company.
“I wanted to congratulate you again on the birth of your grandson,” Tom said.
“Thanks,” Conrad said.
“Did you get to see him yet?” Tom asked.
“Not yet. Carla still was a bit out of it. Darber recommended we wait until early tomorrow morning,” Conrad replied.
“I feel a bit strange about it all. I’m the only person who really doesn’t have a close connection to your grandchild. Even Camilla’s kind of another grandma to Liam.” Tom took a slight drink. “I’m not sure where I fit in. Sarah’s the grandma, but I don’t feel old enough to be like another grandfather.” He let out a slow breath. “Hell, I don’t even know what it feels like to be a father.”
“Well, you’re about to get a front row seat,” Conrad said with a chuckle. “I didn’t think you had any kids. You never talked about your family.”
“No, I never had any. I did have two serious girlfriends before I met Sarah. Nothing ever happened. I don’t know if it was because I was sterile, or it just never happened. When I met Sarah, I was just enamored. I didn’t care that she was older than me, or when she got old enough that having kids would be a major problem for her.” Tom gazed at his half-full glass. “I’m very happy with Sarah, but I sometimes wonder if I made a mistake not trying to have a family.”
Conrad poured himself a fresh glass. “There’s not much use complaining about the past. Trust me. You only can push forward with the time you got left.”
“Yeah, I know. I care about Sarah. I want to spend the rest of my life making her ha
ppy.” Tom drank much of the rest of his whiskey. “I guess I’d like to, to do something. Something more than just being a ranch hand.”
Conrad gave it some thought. “Well, you’re doing a fine job with the wood. How about you put that talent to some more use? We’ve got plenty of firewood now. Ever thought about cutting down wood to make things?” He turned his head in Tom’s direction. “My little grandson will need a crib and his own bed someday.”
Tom looked at his right hand. “I’m starting to get a real feel for the wood.” He laughed. “I never in a million years thought I’d be something like a lumberjack.”
“There you go.” Conrad raised his glass. “Guess we’re all learning something new.”
Chapter Five
There was a knock on the door to Carla and Liam’s bedroom. “Come in,” she said, still a little weak, but with great cheer in her voice. Still in bed, she was holding little Conrad in her arms. The breaking dawn helped shine some light on the top of the baby’s head.
The door opened, revealing Conrad and Sarah, with Liam behind them. “Well!” Conrad’s voice boomed as he spoke, showing off the great pride that he was feeling. “What have we here? Hello there!”
Carla held up her child. His eyes remained closed, but he did push up his arm a little over the side of his head. “I think he’s finally awake. He slept pretty well last night.” She then spoke directly to the baby. “Hey. It’s your grandma and grandpa! They’ve come to visit you!”
“He’s so precious!” Sarah slid past Conrad, hovering right over the newborn. “And so handsome, too!” Then she looked over her shoulder at Liam. “That’s his father in him.”
Liam chuckled. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Healthy little fella,” Conrad said as he looked over the baby. “He does remind me a lot of Liam when we first took him home from the hospital.”