Seasons Epilog: "And when flowers bloom in the spring...."


	All day Rae had been uncomfortable. Her back had been hurting
to the point where she couldn't find a comfortable position either
laying or standing. She wished Walter were her to rub her back, or
to just hold her.

	But Walter had gone fishing with Jim this morning. School had
let out last week and Jim was done with all his reports. He had
closed the grade books and gotten out his fishing poles. Forgoing
her little rubber boat, the men were going to Captain Jack's for a
rental. "A *real* boat," Jim had said.

	Originally Rae was supposed to go along with them. But she
didn't think it would be a good idea for her to be out on the water
in her condition. 'And I can't get too far from a bathroom,' she
thought as she shifted on the sofa, trying to find a more
comfortable position.

	In the months since their wedding she and Walter had gone to
Maryland once a week, sometimes staying as much as three days. When
Walter's presence wasn't required in the office they would shop for
furniture and soft goods, work on the house and ready the nursery.
Gale had told Rae to avoid paint fumes, so she played foreman and
had great fun ordering her big husband around. He painted, hung
wallpaper and unrolled rugs. He moved furniture, and moved it again.

	Now the house was nearly done and some of the things Rae needed
there had already been shipped. Walter had decided to keep the
little house in Pewaukee for a vacation home, so the bulk of the
furniture would stay. But most of Rae's 'regular size' clothes were
shipped, along with some personal items.

	Walter's parents had come up two more times since the wedding.
A bond of love was growing between Dorothy and Rae and in her
mother-in-law Rae found the mother she'd wished for as a child.
Dorothy delighted in telling her stories about Walter as a child and
Rae finally got to see all the photos of him as a smiling
curly-headed little boy. Leon made Rae an album frame and put some
of Walter's 'best' shots in it. Rae added some of her own and left
space for photos of their tadpole.

	Physically, Rae's activities had been restricted by Gale. Rae
knew immediately when she had been overdoing, but Gale wanted her
to restrict her activities even more. Although she left sexual
activity up to Rae's discretion - "You'll know when not to." was all
she had said, she limited Rae's lifting, bending and climbing even
more. Short walks and only a single flight of stairs were all Rae
was allowed and, to be honest, she didn't feel as though she could
do much more.

	When Walter came in, calm and happy with a sunburned nose he
found Rae laying on the sofa with her feet propped up. Jim hung
back, sensing that something was amiss. Walter knelt beside his wife
and kissed her forehead.

	"We bagged our limits, honey. Want to see 'em?" He stroked her
cheek.

	"Not right now, love. Why don't you two go ahead and fry them
up. I don't think I could stand that long."

	Walter didn't like the paleness of her face, nor the
listlessness of her voice. She just wasn't his teasing, playful Rae.
"What's wrong, hon?"

	"Just a backache. I think I probably shouldn't have carted that
basket of laundry downstairs. It'll be better by tomorrow." She
lifted her hand to his face, but her eyes were dull and drawn with
pain.

	"Maybe I should call Gale..."

	"No, I don't think it's the baby. It's too early."

	"Walter, I'm going got head home. Peter'll be home soon and I
want to fry some of these up for dinner." Jim waved his stringer at
Rae. "Take it easy, kid."

	Walter walked Jim out to the back door and closed it up
quietly. He didn't like to show his worry, but something was wrong.
He returned to Rae's side. "Is there anything I can do, Rae?"

	She smiled at him...'He's always ready to help me.' She sat up
with his assistance. "Can you help me get up the stairs? I wish I
could still lay on my stomach, so you could five me a backrub."

	After getting Rae settled in their bed, Walter tried to eat
some dinner. The evening was soft and warm. Normally they would go
for a walk, out toward the fields. But tonight he rattled about in
the house feeling at loose ends. Soon he went up to join Rae and at
least give her comfort if he couldn't ease her pain.

.................

	Walter drifted out of sleep sensing that something was wrong.
Rae wasn't beside him and her pillow was cold. She had been restless
all night long, tossing and moaning, crying in her sleep. Walter had
tried to comfort her, but he felt helpless.

	He pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and padded
quietly down the stairs. The soft light from the living room told
him that Rae was there. But, when he descended the last step he
didn't see her. She wasn't in the kitchen, nor the utility room. He
peered out the back door and saw her on the yard swing, swaying back
and forth, gazing into the early morning sky.

	He knelt on the grass in front of her and saw the glisten of
tears on her cheeks. "I'm calling Gale. You haven't gotten any sleep
in two days, there must be something wrong." He leaned up and kissed
her cheek before rising. "C'mon."

	Gale asked to talk to Rae and had her describe the nature and
duration of her back pain. "Congratulations, Mrs. Skinner. You're in
labor. Get your butt to the hospital." Rae looked at Walter, her
eyes huge and told him what the doctor had said.

	Walter lost no time. He bolted up the stairs and got Rae's
clothing and the two hospital bags. He yanked on socks and slid his
feet into his deck shoes.

	Back downstairs he ushered Rae out to the garage. The neighbor
was sitting in her back window, drinking coffee and watching for the
sunrise when she spotted them leaving. She waved brightly at them
and Walter waved back.

	Once at the hospital Rae was taken to a birthing suite while
Walter was given scrubs to change into. The nurse took both bags
with Rae, who was now having more traditional labor pains. When he
got to the birthing suite, Walter heard the nurse gasp, "She's
almost fully dilated!" and looked with wide eyes at Gale.

	Gale was smiling and pressing a cool cloth to Rae's forehead.
Rae was pale, face strained as a contraction hit and she gasped.

	"Come on, Walter. If you were a little later you might have
missed this."

	Walter grabbed one of the bags and took up his position near
Rae's shoulder. He opened the bag and pulled out the little blue toy
that he had found back in April. "Here, honey. Squeeze little
Walter." He handed the toy to her and Rae gave him a withering look.

	"You squeeze him, I've got...unh! *Better* things to do! Argh!"
She tried to ride out the pain without yelling, but it was hard.

	"Geez, Rae, don't be such a lady. Yell for heaven's sake if you
want to. Nobody will hear you out there. That's why we soundproof
these rooms." Gale pulled a stool between Rae's knees. "Just like
the rooms where they put beginning violin students." She examined
Rae's progress and listened to Walter coach her breathing. They were
doing well. Gale slid her hand under Rae's gown to feel the left
side of her abdomen. It had been getting more tender as the
pregnancy progressed and Gale worried that the spot might rupture.

	Rae panted, both angry and grateful for Walter's presence. He
had a calming affect on her, but it seemed obscene to her that he
could stand there, telling her to yell when he hadn't the faintest
idea what it felt like.

	Walter was excited, frightened and happy. He did his best to
reassure Rae that everything was going to be okay. He helped her
breathe, just as they had been taught and he repeated words of love
and encouragement to her. His heart was so full that he felt near to
overflowing.

	Suddenly Gale stood up and called to him. "Walter, get your
tight buns over here!"

	Walter complied and was surprised when Gale pushed him forcibly
onto the stool she had vacated. "What? What do I do?"

	Gale nodded for a nurse to help Rae as she took up a position
behind Walter. "You catch the baby, of course."

	"But....what....what do I do?" Walter's eyes were huge.

	"Just pretend you're taking a snap from center. Remember the
Frank Winters article?"

	"But I was a fullback, not a quarterback!"

	Gale grinned and looked down at the material stretched tightly
over Walter's firm rear. "Funny I would have pegged you for a tight
end...."

	Rae choked and laughed then screamed, "Will.... you ....two
.... *shut up*!?"

	Walter ignored the hot blush that lit his face. "Oh my
god......" as the baby's head began to emerge. He stammered,
sputtering for instructions. He listened to Gale's calm voice and
did exactly as he was told to. Hold the head..... rotate the
shoulder....support the body....lean aside while Gale suctioned out
the tiny mouth.....

	"It's not breathing! Gale what....?" But his words were cut off
by a howling squall of protest from the tiny, squirming bundle in
his hands.

	Rae gave a mighty final push and expelled the afterbirth, then
lay back, exhausted and weeping. She saw Walter's glowing face
hovering over her draped legs.

	"Now lay the baby on Rae's tummy, dad," Gale's soft voice
instructed.

	He came around to Rae's side and lay the little thing on her
abdomen, keeping one big hand on it's back. Tears were streaming
down his face as he leaned over to kiss Rae's forehead. "God I love
you, Rae. I love you so much..." was all he could say as he slid an
arm around her shoulders.

	Rae was murmuring something similar as they held hands across
the back of their tiny, perfect little baby. They kissed over and
over, wet, salt-tasting kisses on faces, lips and hands and cried.

	After a few moments Gale took the baby from Rae. "We just have
to get her cleaned up a bit and get her vital statistics."

	"Her?" Rae said weakly.

	"Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Skinner. You have a lovely baby girl."

.............

	After mother and daughter had been cleaned and dressed in fresh
clothes Walter escorted them to their room. They let Rae be wheeled
to her room because of the weakness on her side. Walter was allowed
to carry the infant in his big, gentle hands.

	In the room he placed the baby in her mother's arms and sat
beside them on the bed. All he wanted to do was look at them, his
beautiful wife and daughter.

	"Are you disappointed, Walter?" Rae's soft voice drifted up
from the bed.

	"Disappointed? In what?" He was genuinely puzzled by her
question.

	"That it's not a boy?"

	"Oh no, my love. How could I be disappointed that I have a
lovely little girl?" He leaned over and kissed his wife, then his
daughter. "Don't doubt for an instant that I'm anything but happy
and proud and so in love with my two girls that I could nearly
burst." His smile was the proof of his words, along with his glowing
eyes.

	Gale opened the door softly, accompanied by a nurse. "Brandy
here is going to take your little princess back to the nursery." As
both parents began to protest she cut them off. "She'll be back
later to visit. Right now I want to do a little checking on Rae and
we all have a little business to take care of."

	"What business?"

	"Birth certificate." Gale laid the document on the table in
frot of Rae as the nurse took the little bundle from her arms. Gale
kissed the baby lightly as the nurse walked past. She patted Walter
on the behind, "You do good work, Dad. Your little girl weighed in
at 7 pounds 6 ounces and was nineteen inches long. So much for vital
statistics. What about a name?"

	Rae and Walter exchanged a look. They had no trouble agreeing
on a first name for the baby. That was easy, Rae's Gramma Gray. But
a middle name had been a sticking point. They couldn't come up with
anything that they liked.

	Finally, Walter looked down at his exhausted, drowsy, beautiful
wife. He thought about how much he  loved her, and all the ways he
wanted to  show her that love. One opportunity was here, right now.
He looked at Rae and spoke. "Laura. The baby's name is Laura. Laura
Brett."

	Rae's eyes glowed with love for her husband and she burst into
a laugh. "Yes. Laura Brett Skinner." She held out her hand to Walter
and he kissed it. As soon as they could travel they would be going
home, home to Maryland to be old married folks together. They would
do all the things that old married folks did together; join the PTA,
go to their daughter's dance recitals, concerts, plays and maybe
there would be another someday. They would be boring, married folks.

	As Rae watched Walter sign the birth certificate her smile grew
broader. 'No, somehow I don't think that life with Walter Skinner is
*ever* going to be boring!'

Seasons by Jude Dettmann

The End