Fate's Intervention (66 page)

“
Wonder which one was born first?
”
Peter asked, laughing as both men tore out of the room and bounded up the stairs.
The doctor and Lilith intercepted them before they could barge into the rooms.

“
Your wives are resting, gentlemen,
”
the doctor said softly.
“
The
y both fell asleep immediately after the deliveries.
”

“
So
, they are okay, then?
”
Robert asked barely above a whisper.

“
Yes, they are both fine,
”
the doctor smiled.
“
The
y will need to stay in bed for the next
week to recover, but after that I don
’
t foresee any complications.
”

“
What about our babies?
”
Matthew inquired.

“
Well, let
’
s see,
”
Lilith grinned.
“
Would sons or daughters make you happy?
”

“
Now is not the time, Mother,
”
Matthew growled,
“
A
re
our babies okay?
”

“
Well, Son,
”
Lilith smiled widely,
“
your
son
is going to be just fine. I can assure you he has all his fingers and toes, and a healthy set of lungs. Before you jump on me too, Robert, I think you should know that your
daughter
is just as equally strong and healthy, but a touch more in the beautiful department.
”

“
I have a son,
”
Matthew murmured in awe.

“
I have a daughter,
”
Robert murmured at the same time. Then both of them burst into joyous laughter, hugging each other and dancing a jig around the upper landing.

“
Matthew?
”
A
weak voice called from one of the rooms.

“
Robert?
”
Another
voice called softly from the other room.

“
Well, since you
’
ve managed to wake them up, would you gentlemen care to see them now?
”
The doctor asked.

“
Hell, yes!
”
They both exclaimed. The two men disappeared into their wives rooms just as Peter made it to the top landing.

“
Well?
”
He demanded, when no one immediately filled him in.

“
Well, what?
”
Lilith teased.

“
Not now, Woman,
”
Peter growled.

“
You
’
re so cute when you
’
re riled,
”
Lilith laughed softly.

“
A
nd
you are within a hairs breadth of seeing just how riled I am,
”
Peter responded.

“
Well, in that case, you
’
d leave your granddaughter and grandson without a grandmother.
”

“
A
boy
and
a girl?
”
Peter said in awe.

“
We
’
ve got our work cut out for us, that
’
s for certain,
”
Lilith sighed dramatically.

“
We?
”

“
Well, my family is here now,
”
Lilith said shyly.
“
That
is, if you
’
ll have me, Peter.
”

“
Welcome to the family, love,
”
Peter smiled, and put an arm around her shoulders.
“
Now let
’
s go see our grandchildren, and let our children know we
’
re going to have another gown to sew before long
–
that is, if
you
’
ll
have me.
”

“
Is that a proposal, Peter?
”

“
Without a doubt, Lilith.
”

“
Well, when we do finally wed,
”
Lilith said,
“
do you think we might be able to find a different preacher? There
’
s something terribly wrong with the man that did our children
’
s vows.
”

“
Without a doubt. Remind me to ask Matthew about that one of these days,
”
Peter said, steering Lilith in Marcelle
’
s room.

             
Three Years Later

“
You go get them,
”
Marcelle said, unwilling to move from her place on the porch swing.

“
It
’
s harder for me to get out of this rocker than for you to get out of that swing,
”
Carol
Ann
argued.

“
Children, come back over here!
”
Marcelle called.
“
Do you think that will work?
”

“
It looks like it. They
’
ve stopped running. Is it just me, or is this one of the hottest summers we
’
ve ever had?
”
Carol
Ann
moaned, increasing the motion of her fan.

“
It
’
s definitely hot,
”
Marcelle agreed, her fan picking up speed as well.
“
Oh, no, they
’
re running away again.
”

“
Well, I simply feel too heavy to go hoofing after them,
”
Carol
Ann
said, rubbing her
swollen abdomen
.

“
What? You think I
’
ve delivered my baby already and can be jumping up and running
around after two active two-year-olds? Or have you forgotten that we
’
re both in our eighth month of pregnancy.
”

“
We really need to talk to our husbands about getting us pregnant at the same time,
”
Carol
Ann
griped.
“
It makes it darned inconvenient.
”

“
Next time they take a notion to have sex, we
’
ll just bring that up,
”
Marcelle laughed.
“
T
anner, Charlotte! You get back over here this instant!
”

“
I think
it
’
s
time to bring in the troops,
”
Carol
Ann
said, grinning when the children disappeared into the
cornfield
. Marcelle laughed.

“
Robert!
”
Carol
Ann
yelled.

“
Matthew!
”
Marcelle yelled
simultaneously
.

Both men came running around the corner of the house at the same time, dusty from working with the foals. One look at their wives however, eased their concern.

“
Children run off again?
”
Robert asked, laughing.

Both women
nodded
their heads dejectedly, their eyes wide with pleading.

“
Come on, Robert,
”
Matthew laughed, slapping Robert on the shoulder.
“
Let
’
s go fetch our kids.
”

“
T
hink maybe if we tied a rope around them, that our womenfolk might let us finish our work?
”
Robert said, following Matthew toward the
cornfield
.

“
That
’
s
an idea. Definitely something worth considering.
”

Marcelle watched them walk away, her hand rubbing her belly.
A
smile of contentment on her face.

“
What
’
s all that yelling about?
”
Lilith asked, exiting the house. She saw Matthew and Robert heading toward the
cornfield
and smiled.
“
Kids run off again?
”

“
Yes,
”
Carol
Ann
laughed
.

“
T
hose two surely are a handful,
”
Lilith smiled, drying her hands on her apron.
“
Well,
it
’
s
back to the kitchen for me.
”

“
Sure
you don
’
t need any help?
”
Marcelle asked.

“
S
weetheart, you
’
d only get in the way.
”

Marcelle watched her husband and Robert leading two sour-faced kids from the fields and laughed. Life couldn
’
t be better, she thought, unless of course the
weather
cooled down a bit. Just then, thunder cracked and she laughed.

Perfect.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Barbara
Woster
is an educator, editor, and an author. She resides in Oregon with her husband, Tim. They have eight children between them.
It is her children who inspired her to write,
and it is to them that all of her books are dedicated, with much love.