Page 47 of Gifts of Desire
Maggie smoothed her forehead with a damp cloth. “It’s alright dear, you only fainted. You’re home, in your own bed. Let’s have a look at you now, sweetling.”
Ella nodded, but then suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and sat up, bending forward and crying out in pain. Ceann lunged forward, breaking free from Ethan’s grasp.
“What’s wrong with her? Do something!” he demanded. He took Ella’s hand in his and knelt by the bed.
Maggie shoved him aside with her elbow. “Ella dear, how long have the pains been coming?”
“Since… since this morning, early… I… Oh God!” She doubled over again on a sob of agony.
Fiona slipped back into the room and joined Maggie at the bedside with the things she had asked for. Maggie smiled now. “Ah, just in time, this child won’t wait any longer.”
A grin spread across Ethan’s face. “The babe is coming?” He slapped Ceann on the back. “Did you hear that? You’re about to be a father!”
Ceann only growled and shoved at Ethan, who gave him a rueful look. “He doesn’t hear a word I say.”
Ella collapsed back onto the pillows now, panting and gasping. Only seconds later she cried out again.
“That’s it dear”, Maggie was saying. “Not long now, another push!”
Ella leaned forward and pushed with all her might. She only wanted the pain to stop. She was vaguely aware of Ceann squeezing her hand and yelling at Maggie, demanding that the woman save her from dying. There was so much pain, maybe it would be better to die… but no, there was the baby, her son. Ceann’s son. She drew a deep breath and with the next pain, she brought their child into the world. Maggie graspedthe slippery babe, holding him up for Ella to see, before accepting a linen cloth from Fiona and wiping clean his nose and mouth.
“You have a fine son!” she said proudly.
The babe promptly scrunched up his face and squalled. Maggie handed him to Fiona to be cleaned off while she tended to Ella, still showering her with praise for a job well done.
Ella looked up at Ceann with a tired but blissful smile. “We have a son.” She almost laughed at the bewildered expression on his face.
“I thought I was going to lose you…” He was at a loss for words. “I don’t ever want to go through that again!” He leaned over and kissed his wife tenderly, smoothing her hair back from her cheek. Relief flooded through him like a river. She was alive. Just then, Fiona appeared at his side, holding a small bundle.
“Your son, Laird.” She put the bundle into his arms.
Ceann gasped in a little breath. “My son”. He looked down at the tiny bundle in his arms. Those were words he had long thought he would never say. The baby squirmed and pummeled him with a small fist. “He is strong. A little warrior already.” He felt the tears well up and could not stop them before one rolled down his cheek. He turned to Ethan, who was watching him with eyes that also looked suspiciously damp. He held the baby up for him to see. “I have a son.” He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn’t care.
Maggie and Fiona had finished cleaning up Ella and making her comfortable. She was watching Ceann holding his new son, her own eyes full of happy tears. She desperately wanted to hold her child, to look at every tiny, perfect inch of him, but she would let Ceann have this moment. To see a big, powerful warrior holding such a tiny newborn babe so tenderly made her smile. The happiness she felt bubbled up inside of her until she felt like laughing out loud with it. Then Maggie took charge again.
“Laird, give the bairn to its mother now, he needs to eat. After that you can take him down to the hall and show him off as I’m sure you’re wont to do. Come on, now.”
Ceann smiled and put the baby carefully in Ella’s arms, then knelt at the bedside. His son immediately turned his head and flailed his arms,trying to find his mother’s breast. When he didn’t succeed, he scrunched up his face and wailed. Ella put him gently to her breast and he began to suck hungrily.
Ceann’s smile widened. “Ah he knows a good thing when he sees it, smart lad.” He leaned over and gave Ella a soft, lingering kiss, love glowing bright in his eyes. “Thank you. There is naught more on this earth that I could want, than what is before me right now.”
“Nor I”, Ella said. She looked down at the tiny newborn. A miracle, that they were both safe. “He has your hair”, she said. “Look, it’s the same color. And your eyes, I think.”She grimaced.“Ow!And your appetite!”
Later, after his son had had his fill and his wife was sleeping safe and sound, Ceann wrapped the baby in swaddling and took him down to the hall, where everyone was gathered for the evening meal. They all looked up expectantly as he approached the dais. He stood before his people and broke into a wide smile, holding up the child for all to see. “My son! Artair, future Laird of Tulloch!”
The cheers that rose up then, he would remember for the rest of his life.
