Chapter 59 - Fifty Nine - Holding Hope in our Hands (2/2)

Lucy resumed her duties with her small watering can, riding on the back of Aslan as they 'leapt' from one sunroom to the other, to the greenhouse and back again in quick time, so they could spend more time playing.

Shaun, who created a pair of metal shears after a few experiments, helped clip the three sheep from his wheelchair as Paul tried to hold them down. He laughed a lot as Paul was thrown off or blasted with a brief, but strong gust of air to slide across the mud and grass. The result was the sheep looked patchy, like badly groomed ugly poodles.

Nan Li Liang recalled learning about ancient methods of spinning sheep's wool from history in primary school. So they washed the smelly wool and made some attempts, the resulting thread was lumpy at first and the scarf that he and Patrick knitted together was ugly. It turned out that Patrick had learned such skills as knitting and sewing at his grandmother's knees, but his parents had dissuaded him from entering college to study home economics and clothing design, considering it as unstable. So his skills had been reduced to a pass time, without the time over the last few years.

Meanwhile, the teenager proved to have an incalculable gift as well, though not one linked to the world of cultivation; he had an eidetic memory. If he had read something or watched something in the past, he could recall it. This was not perfect recall, for insignificant, unnecessary details escaped him, but all the important points would remain. Such as once when bored in a shop where his mother was looking at tablecloths, he read through a bunch of knitting patterns. He couldn't understand them, but he could write them down perfectly for others who could.

However, there was one, who was less able than others for she was nearing the end of her own most important task, but was not one to sit back quietly and appreciate. Brooke felt fat and ungainly, her pale flesh was marked with lines as her skin had been forced to stretch around her sheltering midriff. The unborn child was boisterous, kicking her from the inside and performing flips at a whim. Her back ached, her ankles were swollen and she craved meat and sweets. There was never a day of late, where she did not complain about the food or therefore lack of and she eyed the sheep with abandon, but was unable to fulfil her desire.

In the opinion of others, his immediate subordinates especially, Jonah suffered along with her. He rubbed her ankles and massaged her back on a daily basis. He gave her some of his own meal to supplement her own, which she devoured despite the fact it was bland or lacked salt. He never complained as she cursed him for his part in her transformed form nor when she wept her apologies and promised not to swear at him again.

And it was at the beginning of April, when the men and Monika dug holes according to Nathan's strict instructions ready for the seedlings and sprouted corn, when a scream ripped through the mansion, sending Nathan running back to his small cottage and locking his doors, while the others rushed to the main property. Autumn had shooed them all away, taking control like a mother hen, although she was not as calm as she appeared. She had been a university student learning to be a chef, what did she know about midwifery?

With Nan Li Liang's curious memory, hot water was summoned and Monika brought fresh towels into the room. Jonah spoke softly to his young girlfriend as she screamed and complained about the pain and to 'get it out of her, quick!'

”Do you know what you are doing?” Monika whispered as Autumn tugged off Brooke's leggings and underwear.

”Not a clue,” Autumn whispered back. She had listened to Nan Li Liang repeat something's regarding the television program his mother used to like to watch about midwives in the fifties, but that was a fictional series at the end of the day. What it contained about the reality of childbirth was still somewhat limited. Autumn could only spread her cousin's legs beneath the dignity of a blanket and pray that she'd figure out what to do.

Perhaps the heavens were listening to her, Brooke's waters broke without any need for intervention and the little one was positioned head first, ready to descend. Actually, encouraging Brooke to push through the contractions was likely the hardest thing that they had to do as she complained that it hurt too much and that she was too tired. But soon, Autumn caught sight of the baby as it crowned and she carefully positioned her hands to guide it out. And with one final push, an adorable baby boy was brought into the world, crying with more gusto than his mother.

Jonah took the bundled child from Autumn's arms, his face one of sheer delight as he looked at his newborn son. ”I'm so proud of you,” he murmured to the exhausted Brooke, who said nothing as Autumn cleaned her limp body with a hot towel.

Later these words were repeated, but it was not Jonah that whispered them, nor Brooke that received them.

Author's notes; If you want to suggest names for the new addition, please feel free or vote for someone else's suggestion.