“I think my mother is here with me right now, Alice.”
***
Alex beamed with pride as he showed his new sons off to his brothers and to Jennie. He let Jennie hold one bairn with Brodie’s guidance.
“I think one looks like you, Alex, and the other looks like Maddie!” Jennie decided. “What are their names?”
“Maddie and I will decide when we get a moment alone. Maddie is quite exhausted right now.”
“Amazing,” said Robbie. “What a day! I still do not understand it all, but it ended well.”
“I will worry about that another day,” Alex said. “Today is for my new family.”
***
A little later, Brenna came downstairs and told Alex he could return to his wife. She picked up one bairn and carried him upstairs. Alex followed with the other lad, hardly able to take his eyes off his newborn son. He marveled at how he could almost hold his son in one hand. He loved to put his finger in his son’s hand so his son could squeeze it. Strong laddie! Brenna walked in first and gave Maddie their first born. Alex followed. Brenna and Alice took their leave to give the couple some time alone.
Madeline was propped up in bed looking radiant. Alex had never seen his wife look more beautiful. He sat down on the bed next to her and set their son down between them.
“Maddie, I am so sorry. I did not protect you as I vowed I would.” Guilt washed over his features as he took his wife’s face in his hands. He kissed her tenderly.
“Husband, I could not be happier than I am at this moment. You did protect me. It was you who saved me from my evil stepbrother. So many things could have gone wrong, yet here we are with not one, but two healthy lads to love. I would prefer to forget all the bad things that happened today and never mention them again. This day is the birth of our sons and we should rejoice in that.”
Alex locked eyes with his wife. “I love you, Maddie MacD. You are the highlander of my heart. You have the strongest spirit of anyone I know. You were brilliant, love.”
Maddie touched her husband’s cheek tenderly. “And I will always love you, Alex. You are my heart.”
She glanced at the bairns in their arms. “Alex, we have to name our sons! What do you think? We need two names.”
“I don’t know, love. What do you think? You choose, I cannot.”
“What about ‘James’ after my father, and ‘John’ after your father?”
“I think that is a splendid idea,” he said.
Maddie kissed her husband again, but their firstborn started to fuss. “I think your son is hungry, Alex.” She untied her gown and settled her son at her breast. He latched on quickly and was quite happy suckling at his mother’s breast.
Alex studied their second son and said, “You will have to learn to share, wee one.”
He moved behind his wife again, and after much maneuvering, held his second son to Maddie’s other breast.
Maddie giggled, leaned against her husband and sighed. Life didn’t get any better.
THE END