A Christmas Vignette

Christmas Eve 1977

PART 1
The tall, well-built young man slipped from bed just after dawn, his feet hitting the floor
with a soft, dull, thud. Oh man, what I wouldnt give to be able to sleep in just one morning .
He ran his hand through his thick hair, pushing it from his eyes as he performed a few lazy
stretches.
Passing by the full-length mirror on his way to the shower, he gazed at himself for just a
moment. His blonde hair was getting a little long, he noticed. Ive got to find some time to
get a haircut. Yeah, he scoffed internally. Youve barely got time to breathe. Maybe I could
find a barber who needs legal representationthen I could squeeze a billable hour out of
the downtime.
Billable hoursthe curse of the young associate. Even though he had only been with the
firm since September, the pressure was already building. It was clearly expected that even
the first year associates would account for at least 800 hours even though they had only
been employed since September, and the young man knew that he was going to be a little
short. He knew it wouldnt be fatal, but he was still worried about it.
His peers felt the pressure as much as he did, of that, he was certain. It was hard enough
coming up with quality hoursclients didnt like to pay for grunt-work, he knew. But since
he and the other new associates had only learned that they had passed the bar over
Thanksgiving weekend, they had all been scrambling for hours since September, without
being able to do much real work. In effect, they had been highly paid law clerks, not yet
lawyers. Now that he was licensed, he could finally sink his teeth into some real work, and
the case he was working on was going to give him the opportunity to prove himself. Of
course, he was the fourth lawyer attached to the case, far down on the food chain from
the senior and junior partners and the fourth year associate that had been assigned to the
case since the beginning. He knew this was a chance to begin to make a name for himself,
and he also knew that twelve hours of diligent work would make an impression on his
superiors when they arrived back in the office on Monday.
He considered his peers for a moment, some of whom had been classmates at Stanford.
Yes, they were as fatigued and stressed as he was at work. But none of them had taken the
plunge as early as he had. Keeping a young wife with a baby on the way happy had brought a
level of stress to his life that he was wholly unfamiliar with. When he added up the
doctors appointments that he had diligently managed to attend with his wife, he knew that
his shortfall of hours would be erased completely if not for those stolen moments. He
didnt regret itnot at all. Even though their parents had tried to talk them out of it, he
was happy that they had married. And the thrill of hearing that tiny heartbeat had been
one of the high points of his life. Learning just last week that Catherine carried a little girl
still had him on a high whenever he had time to think about itwhich was not very often.

Damn, I wish that I could just have a few days off to spend with Catherine and get excited
about the baby. At this rate, Ill look more like Cats father than her husband by the time
our little girl is born. I might be 24, but I look 40, he grumbled to himself as he considered
his bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes, and the beginnings of deep-etched worry lines in his
forehead. Ive gotta get some rest over the holiday . As he proceeded into the bath he gave
a short, wry laugh. Yeah, one day will do it. A whole day off for Christmas. Bah humbug!
He remained in the shower much longer than usual, trying to steam some of the fatigue out
of his body. Cat was still sound asleep, as she had been when he finally dragged into the
house last nightso tired that he didnt remember anything after he passed the airport on
101. Ive gotta start driving with the windows open , he reminded himself. Cats a little
young to be a widow.
He regarded his young wife while he got dressed, thinking that she actually looked younger
than she had when he met her, just over a year ago. From the few chapters he had been
able to read from her pregnancy books, he understood that the hormones flooding her
body caused some of the changes. Her skin, which he had loved from the first time he felt
it, had actually grown softer, and smoother, making him wish that he could just slide
against her all night long. That, of course, wasnt an option currently. Who decided to pull
that cruel joke? he asked himself. Your wife looks more voluptuous, more appealing than
youve ever seen her, and shed rather take poison than have sex. Somebody up there sure
has a sick sense of humor, he decided, casting a quick glance to the sky, just in case anyone
was listening.
Catherine looked nearly as tired as he did, he had to admit. Even though she went to bed
early, and tended to sleep late, he knew that she spent much of the night tossing and
turning to get comfortable. She also required frequent trips to the bathroom throughout
the nightseemingly every hour on the hour. Only his fatigue allowed him to sleep through
most of her nocturnal ramblings, even though he wished he could wake up enough to at least
give her a little back rub. It seemed like the only time she was fully awake was when he was
fully asleep, and he worried about the strain his schedule was putting on his new marriage.
Nothing you can do about it now, Jim, he reminded himself. The only way to make an
impression on these guys is to work your tail off. And if that means working 12 hours on
Christmas Eve, then thats what youre going to do. He shook his head in dismay as he
spared another glance at his wife. It cant always be like this, Honey. They have to let up
on us soonno one can be expected to work like this all of the time.
When he was dressed, he stood near Catherines side of the bed, wishing he could give her
a kiss, but not wanting to wake her. She looked so fragile and young, sleeping on her side
with her knees drawn up, their baby growing in the swell of her belly, her breasts full and
lush. Only 19she looks like a baby herself sometimes. Shell just be 20 when the baby
comes, he thought as he gazed at her sleeping body. Thats so young to be doing this
alone. He knew that his contribution had been far less than either of them wished for. But
he had no options, he reminded himself. He knew that Catherine would lose all respect for
him if he contented himself with living off her money. When they had visited her mothers
family in Newport the past summer he could nearly feel the animus she held for her cousins
who whiled away their days spending the family fortune. No, they had made their choices,
and they were stuck with them now. If he was going to practice law, he was going to be the
best damned lawyer he could be. There was no other way.

"Good morning, Seor Evans," Marta smiled when he walked into the kitchen. "I heard that
you were up, so I made some breakfast for you. Will you have time to eat?"
He quickly looked at his watch, seeing the time tick slowly by, knowing he should leave, but
also knowing that there would be absolutely nothing open near his downtown office building.
"Id love to have a little breakfast, Marta," he agreed. "I wish Catherine could join me, but
she is still fast asleep."
"Yes, yes, she needs her rest. I hear her walking the halls much of the night," she revealed.
"She has a hard time with her back, no?"
"Yes, she does," he agreed, wishing there was something he could do to ease her silent
suffering. Happening upon an idea he hopped up from his chair and pulled the yellow pages
down from the cabinet. "Marta, would you do me a very big favor?" he asked as he scanned
down the list of businesses that he sought. "Call some of these people and see if anyone will
come to the house to give her a massage, will you? Let them know that shes pregnant, of
course, and see if any of them seem like theyd care for her a little bit. Do you know what I
mean?"
He gazed at Marta with his sea-green eyes, trying to make her understand his wishes. He
didnt just want any old masseuse to come in and beat on his poor wife. What he really
wanted was someone to give her some of the coddling that he wished he could provide, but
had neither the skill nor the time to do.
"Yes, I think I understand," she said, taking the phone book from his hands. "You want a
ahow do you saysomeone to pamper her, no?"
"Exactly!" he smiled, pleased that Marta understood his desires. He reached into the back
pocket of his jeans and pulled out more money than he thought the charge could possibly
be, and handed it to her. "Make sure theyre gentle, Marta. Her back is very tender right
now."
"Yes," she nodded somberly, "I will make sure."
"Oh, and Marta, will you do whatever you have to do to make sure she eats something
today?" He shook his head in frustration as he commented, "Shes only gained fifteen
pounds during this pregnancy, and all of that has to be from the baby. The doctor thinks
shes probably lost ten pounds of her normal body weight, and frankly he seems worried
about it."
"S, s, I will do it," she assured him. "Now eat some breakfast, Seor Evans. You need to
take care of yourself, too."
"That would be nice, Marta," he smiled sadly as he sat at the table to wolf down the hearty
meal she had prepared. "But thats just not an option at the moment."

The pretty, young blonde woman stared at her in open-mouthed surprise. "He went to
work? But Marta, its Christmas Eve! And its Saturday!"
"Yes, yes, I know," the older woman soothed, guiding the younger down onto a chair. "He
didnt look like he wanted to go, Seora Evans. He looked so tired"
Catherine crossed her arms and laid her head down, willing herself not to cry. Her long
blonde hair fell forward, obscuring her features, and giving her a moment to collect
herself. Sighing heavily, she finally lifted her head and said, "I thought we could finally
decorate the Christmas tree today."
"Oh, I see." The cook had been wondering when the bare tree would gain some form of
decoration, but she had thought that maybe the young couple liked it that way. "Maybe I
could help you, Seorathen it will be a beautiful surprise for Seor Evans when he comes
home from work."
Forcing a smile, Catherine nodded, knowing that she couldnt do it alone, and refusing to
have their first Christmas be spent around a bare tree. "That would be lovely, Marta. Id
appreciate it."
"Will you go to midnight Mass tonight, Seora?"
"Yes." She paused for a moment, wondering if Jim would be up to it. "I think we will. Jims
father is expecting us."
"Why dont you let me prepare a traditional Spanish Christmas dinner for you?" the cook
asked. "You can enjoy the meal after Mass. Maybe you can both take a little rest this
afternoon so you can enjoy yourselves tonight."
"Thats very thoughtful of you, Marta," Catherine agreed. "That sounds like it will work out
beautifully. Ill just call Jim to make sure he thinks its all right."
"All right, Seora. Ill make my list for the grocery." Marta was beaming a smile at her, and
Catherine recognized once again that they had utilized her talents very rarely. What with
Jim missing most evening meals, and her balky stomach, the poor woman had barely
prepared ten proper meals in the months she had been with them. It wasnt that she hadnt
tried, either, Catherine thought fondly. Marta was almost constantly in the kitchen, trying
to concoct some small treat that would tempt Catherines reluctant appetite. She had even
taken to making a good lunch for Jim to take with him, when she noticed how loose his new
suits had already grown. But cooking an elaborate meal was one of the things that gave
Marta joy, and she was fairly bubbling as she sat down at the table to create her extensive
list of ingredients.
To Catherines surprise, Jim was fairly enthusiastic about the planned feast, and Marta
immediately grabbed her purse and headed off to Draegers in San Mateo to assemble
everything she would need.
Catherine sat at the breakfast table, idly patting her belly to soothe the baby, who was
performing some rigorous regimen of gymnastics this morning. "Shhh, calm down, little
one," she soothed, deciding to get up and walk a little, a trick that usually calmed the baby

down. She paused for just a moment, reminding herself that it wasnt just "the baby" any
longer. It was their daughtertheir little girl. She smiled as she patted her, rubbing her
hand all over her child through her silk robe. "We need a name for you, little one," she said
fondly, speaking aloud to her child. "Ive been telling your daddy that "Little Sprout" is not
an acceptable name for a sweet little girl."
It had seemed so far off when they didnt yet know the sex of the baby. But nownow she
felt like they needed to attach a name to the childto make her seem more like a person.
They had been through the gamut of family nameswith Jim calling an immediate halt to
the mere discussion of names like Phoebe, Maxine, Olivia, and Beatrix, the names of some
of the women of previous generations.
"This would be easier if you were a little boy," Catherine told her child. "We had already
decided on naming you James Sloan Evans, Junior. Your daddy even agreed that we could
call you Sloan, just to give you a little panache." She patted the baby fondly. "Dont tell
your Daddy, but Im happy that you turned out to be a girl, even if he cant think of a name
for you. Im worried enough about being a good mommyhaving to figure out how to raise a
little boy would be far beyond my capabilities." The baby did a complete flip, nearly taking
Catherines breath away. "Oh my," she gasped as she grabbed onto a chair for support.
Patting her stomach gently she smiled and said, "I see you agree with me, little sprout."
The telephone rang, pulling her from her thoughts. "Hello?" she answered in her polite,
slightly formal voice.
"Hello, Dear. Hows my little girl?"
"Hello, Father," she said fondly. "Im fine, how are you?"
"Im good. Cant talk long, Dear. The phone system here is just abysmal. Hard to believe
were three quarters of the way into the century and you cant get a reliable phone
connection from Mexico to California."
"How is the sailing, Father?" she asked, feigning interest in the sport to be polite.
"Just fine, Catherine. The conditions couldnt be better. I think Ill celebrate Christmas by
going fishing for something exotic this afternoon. How about you? How will you spend the
holiday?"
"Were going to midnight Mass at Jims fathers of course, and then well have Charles over
for dinner tomorrow evening. It should be nice," she said, feeling a lump form in her throat
as she said the words.
"Well, I just wanted to make sure you were all right," he said rather grufflyemotional
connections never his forte. "I know this will be a tough year for you, Catherine. I just
thought Id remind you to buck up, Dear."
"Thank you, Father," she said, feeling the tears form in her eyes. "Im sure well be fine.
Have a good day."
"You too, Catherine. Try not to think about it too much, okay?"

"I wont Father," she lied. "Thank you again for calling."
The line went dead, either intentionally or by accident. Using all of her reserves, she
propelled herself up to their bedroom, carefully locking the door and turning on the radio
to KDFC, the classical station, before she fell to the bed and cried until she had no more
tears to shed.

When Marta arrived home, arms filled with shopping bags, she immediately got to work on
the request Jim had made. Much to her pleasure, she found a very nice sounding woman
who had the time to come to the house in the afternoon for a massage. She claimed to be
the mother of three, and seemed to know exactly what Marta was talking about when she
described the backaches with which her young employer was bedeviled. After making the
arrangements, she began to assemble all of the ingredients she would need to make the
feast, losing herself in her work until she noticed Catherine enter the kitchen again,
dressed and ready for the day.
Regarding the haggard-looking young woman, she once again noticed the tell-tales signs of a
recent crying spell. The poor little thing, she thought, wishing she could wrap the young
woman up in her arms and soothe away her pain. Such a horrible thing to loose your mother
at such a young ageand how much worse to have it happen when youre pregnant with your
first child. She felt tears spring to her own eyes as she felt the sadness wash over her. It
took just a moment for her thoughts to turn to her own family, and her decisions not to
spend Christmas with them in Seville.
As much as she missed her family, she knew it was better to stay away during the holidays.
Nothing reminded her more of her late husbandgone just over a yearthan being
surrounded by family and friends during the festive time. It is better this way, she
thought. At least here I can be of some help for to this sad young woman. It does no good
to focus on my own broken heart.
Forcing a bright smile on her handsome, elegant features, Marta placed a gentle hand on
Catherines shoulder and insisted. "Its time for a little breakfast for you, Seora."
"But Im really not hungry" the pale young woman began.
Touching her lightly on her protruding belly, Marta reminded her, "Even if you are not
hungry, your baby is. She needs breakfast," she said firmly, determined to get some
calories into the too-thin body.
Catherine shot her a puzzled look, unconsciously touching her child as she asked, "Did I tell
you that she was a girl?"
"No, no one told me," Marta informed her. "I knew it long ago. Its obvious," she said easily,
guiding the reluctant woman back into a chair to await the food that she was going to make
sure got past her lips.

The living room was awash in boxes of lights, garland, delicate strings of glass beads,
beautifully crafted hand blown glass ornaments, and lovely, hand painted, carved wooden
animals.
They had been diligently working for two hours, with Marta doing all of the more rigorous
work. She would not even let Catherine stand on the low step stool, insisting that her
center of gravity was not stable enough to risk it.
"Tell me about Christmas in Spain, Marta," Catherine asked, as she unwound a long string of
lights. "Ive never been to Spain during the holidays."
"Oh, its very nice," she said, smiling broadly. "Not like here, so much though. The Santa
Claus is not worshipped where I am from," she said thoughtfully.
Catherine giggled girlishly, gently correcting Marta. "We dont worship Santa Claus,
Marta," she said.
"No?" the cook asked, slightly puzzled. "II know that many do worship the Christ child,
but I thought that for others Santa Claus was..." she shrugged her shoulders, obviously
having a difficult time with the concept that she was trying to explain.
"Oh, no," Catherine smiled. "Most of us celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ. Really,"
she insisted, when she saw the doubt on the older womans face.
"I just thought" she began. Her head tilted and she asked, "Where is the Nacimiento?"
She gave a tentative look in the remaining boxes, seeing no evidence of the object of her
quest.
"Nacimiento?" Catherine tried to extrapolate her knowledge of Italian and hazarded a
guess. "Nativity Scene?"
"S, s. Where is the Nativity Scene?"
"Oh!" Catherine looked a little puzzled herself, giving a look into the boxes along with
Marta. "All of this belonged to my mother," she said softly. "Im not really sure"
"Dont worry about it," Marta soothed, seeing the grief settle onto the delicate features.
"We have different customs, but they are all good."
Catherine smiled at the obvious efforts of her cook to make her feel better. "Tell me
about the Nacimiento," she asked.
Marta sat down upon the step stool, a fond look of reminiscence on her face. "We dont
have a Christmas tree," she informed her young employer. "Some do, of course, but my
family focuses on making a big display of the birth of the Savior," she said. "We decorate
our house with a big Nacimiento on Christmas Eve, putting the three wise men very far off
in the distance. On their way to Bethlehem they passed through Spain you know," she said
in a serious tone of voice. Her eyes crinkled up into a grin as she added, "At least we tell
the children this."

Catherine smiled back, charmed by the enthusiasm her cook showed for her subject. "The
Three Kings are very important in our celebration. We do not give presents on Christmas
those come during Epiphany, January sixth. That is when the kings brought gifts to the
Christ child, so that is when we give little gifts to each other. Mostly for the children," she
added. "On Christmas, we all go to Mass together, La Misa del Gallo, we call it."
"The Mass of the Rooster?" Catherine assumed that her translation was off, but Marta
agreed.
"S, S. The Mass of the Rooster. It is a very long Mass," she laughed. "It is nearly time for
the rooster to crow when it is finished. Then we go home and have a very elaborate feast
like you will have tonight," she said proudly. "The feast lasts all night long. We say esta
noche es Nochebuena, y no es noche de dormir."
"Ahh. This is the good night, and is not meant for sleep," Catherine guessed, fairly sure she
was correct on this one.
"You are very good!" Marta cried. "How do you know so much Spanish?"
"I dont, really," she blushed. "I know Italian and some French, and the Romance languages
all have much in common." Patting her belly she said, "Id like the baby to learn to speak
both Spanish and Italian."
"I will teach her," Marta found herself saying. "It would be my pleasure."
"Would you really?" The look of delighted wonder on the young womans face was so
touching that Marta felt her heart clench with emotion.
"Of course I would. Maybe we can all learn together, no?"
"That would be lovely, Marta. I look forward to it."
"I do too," the older woman said fondly. "I cant wait to meet the little one."
Catherine paused and cocked her head in question. "I dont know much about babies, Marta.
When should we start?"
"Well start the day she comes home from the hospital," the older woman decided
immediately. "Ill speak Spanish to her exclusively. Its the best way."
The young woman smiled brightly and agreed with the plan. "It can be your secret language,
Marta, for when she has secrets from her daddy." An impish grin covered Catherines face,
and Marta nearly had to bite back tears at how impossible young she looked when she
smiled that way.

I will do my best to make sure we see more of those smiles in this house , the determined
older woman decided.
They worked together in silence for a while, each lost in her own musings. When no more
decorations would fit on the sturdy spruce, Marta pulled out a gorgeous, delicate china doll,
clad in a nearly translucent gossamer gown. "Ohh! What a beautiful angel!" she exclaimed.

"My mother bought this for me when she was in Italy just before Christmas last year,"
Catherine said softly. "She said that someday my husband and I could put this on our tree."
Her lower lip trembled as she said, "Neither of us knew it would be this year. Or that she
wouldnt be here to see it." She collapsed in tears, allowing Marta to wrap her in her arms
and comfort her as she would a small child. "Im sorry," she said as she pulled away, her
embarrassment over her display as intense as her grief. "I dont seem to have any control
today."
"You dont need to control yourself, Seora Evans. Not with me."
Looking up tentatively at the woman who still held her loosely, Catherine sniffed a few
times and made a hesitant request. "Would you do me one great favor, Marta?"
"Of course. Anything."
Her lip trembled again as she rasped out, "Will you call me Catherine?"
"Of course," she said immediately, terribly touched by the request. "When it is just you
and I, I will call you Catherine."
"Thank you," she said softly. "I could use a friend right about now, Marta."
"I will be your friend, Catherine," she assured her. "I am honored that you wish to be
mine."
"I think Ill go lie down for a little while if you dont mind. Im feeling awfully tired today."
"Yes, please, go," Marta insisted. "Ill clean up here. When you wake Ill make you a little
lunch."
The frail woman smiled weakly, walking awkwardly as she made her way up the stairs.
As Marta began to neatly pack the remnants of their decorating spree, she considered how
few people Catherine seemed to have in her life. The older woman had only been in the
Evans' employ since September, and even in that time she had seen Catherines "friends"
slowly fall by the wayside. She knew that she should not be angry with the young women,
still juniors in college and focused on their own interests. But she was angry, unreasonably
so, that they couldnt spare a little time for their friend who desperately needed some
companionship. I will do my best to make up for her lonely heart , she decided. It wont be
the same as having her own young friends, but I will not abandon her, she thought with a
fiery intensity in her dark eyes.

The masseuse was, as advertised, very gentle and kind. She performed impressively, doing
a very good job of relaxing some of the tension in Catherines lower back. After the woman
departed, Marta went up to check on Catherine and restate her offer of lunch. Knocking
softly, she opened the door to the master bedroom just a crack, smiling fondly at the
young woman who lay in bed, already sound asleep. She needs sleep more than food right
now, she decided, even though she knew it was a close race.

Jim wandered into the kitchen a little after six, looking like he was having a hard time
picking up his feet to propel himself across the stone floor. "Hi, Marta," he said,
unsuccessfully trying to hold back a yawn.
"Seor Evans," she said reprovingly. "You look like you are asleep standing up!"
"I am," he murmured softly. "Hows Catherine?"
"She slept much of the afternoon. Her massage was very good. She was very pleased that
you thought of it for her."
He smiled tiredly and said, "Maybe Ill go catch a nap before Mass tonight."
"That is a very good idea. Make sure that youre not alone," she said, a playful tease to her
voice. "Seora Evans looks every bit as tired as you do."
"Ill do my best, Marta," he said with a small smile twitching at his lips. "Shes a determined
woman when she wants to be."
"Yes, she is, but she also needs a little extrahow did we saypampering."
"That she does," he agreed, grabbing an apple as he left the kitchen. "Oh, would you wake
us by ten? We need to leave here by eleven to be on time."

She was intently working on her recipe when the phone rang. "Evans household. May I help
you?"
"Yes, is thisMarta?"
"S, yes, it is. Who is calling?"
"This is Charles Evans, Marta. Jims father. I just wanted to call and ask him when he and
Catherine will be here this evening. If they wished, I wanted to invite them for a little
sherry before Mass."
"Ohthat sounds very nice, Reverend Evans," she said, wondering how to make her point
without being too forward. "I can wake them to ask "
"Theyre asleep?" he wondered, checking his watch. "Its eight oclock."
"Yes, I know. They are both so exhaustedI dont know how they manage to stand on their
feet."
"Hmm" he mused. "Thats not very encouraging, Marta, for either of them." He paused for
a moment, obviously considering something. "Would you do me a favor, Marta?"
"Yes, sir, of course."

"Would you tell them that I would prefer that they not come to Mass tonight? Nothing is
more important than Catherines health right now, and if she needs her rest, she should
stay home. Ill see them tomorrow."
"Oh, s, I will tell them, Reverend Evans," she said, her pleasure showing. "I think God will
not mind if they dont come to church tonight."
"Im certain that youre right, Marta. Now see what you can do to put a little weight on
that daughter-in-law of mine, will you?"
"I will do my best, Reverend Evans. I will start tonight!"

"Marta!" Jim Evans voice boomed down the staircase as he took the stairs two at a time. "I
thought I asked you to wake us at ten! Its 10:30! Well never make it! Where are my clean
shirts?"
He happened upon their cook, placidly setting an elegant table in the dining room.
"Marta," he said slowly, "whats going on?"
"Your father called a few hours ago, Seor Evans. He said he doesnt want you to come to
Mass tonight. He said God wants you to stay home and have a nice dinner."
"What?" The young man stood staring at her, his hair mussed from sleep, a pair of jeans
the only covering on his muscular body. Even though he looked totally confused, his nose
began to twitch at the fantastic array of scents that emanated from the kitchen. "Were
supposed to have dinner?"
"Yes. You are supposed to eat pavo trufade de Navidad. God said so." She looked entirely
serious, but there was a twinkle in her eye that he had not noticed before.
He shrugged his broad shoulders, scratched his head briefly and said, "Well, if God said so,
who am I to argue? Ill go tell Catherine."
"This is a special Christmas meal, Seor Evans. Guaranteed to bring you luck for the whole
year."
"Then Id better dress appropriately," he smiled, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Marta. I know you had a hand in this little plot, and I appreciate it."
"Its not me," she insisted, innocently blinking her eyes. "Its God."

The young couple dressed carefully, heeding Martas warning that the meal was a special
one. Catherine wore what she had purchased for Mass, a simple long sleeved, chocolate
brown velvet dress with an empire waistline. A small amount of cream-colored lace adorned
the collar and the cuffs, giving the dress a slight Victorian flare. She looked absolutely
lovely in it, the color matching her eyes nearly identically. Her hair was parted slightly off

center, as she usually wore it, and hung loose down her back, with two small braids sweeping
the hair back from the sides. A brown velvet ribbon was neatly tied at the juncture of her
braids, finishing off the style perfectly.
Very little jewelry adorned her person--just her wedding set, and a pair of small golden
knots resting upon her earlobes. A touch of makeup removed the last vestiges of her
fatigue, not much needed since her extended nap had erased most of the dark smudges
from beneath her eyes.
Jim looked quite handsome also. He wore a navy blue blazer over a cream-colored
turtleneck sweater, and a pair of dark gray slacks. Cordovan tasseled loafers, shined to a
mirror finish, completed his attire, and as Marta took them in she had just a fleeting
moment of dismay that no one else would see the handsome young couple this evening. "You
both look wonderful," she gushed, her pleasure evident.
"Thank you, Marta," Catherine smiled back shyly. "I feel so much better. Turning slightly to
gaze at her husband she said, "Thank you both for taking care of me today. I feel very
special."
Jim looked at her and gave her an equally shy look. "No problem, Honey," he said quickly,
wishing that Marta would leave them alone for a moment. Along with all of the other
adjustments, he had to learn to conduct his normal life with servants in the house, and he
was still a little uncomfortable about it. Catherine assured him that he should just ignore
the staff and act normally, but he knew that would take a long time to manage effectively.
"Come, come, sit down," the cook insisted, showing them to the table. She had outdone
herself for the feast. A profusion of candles brought the only light to the table, a festive
Christmas floral display took up an impressive amount of space, and the silver and china
they had received for wedding presents was displayed in beautiful fashion.
As soon as the couple sat down, the feast began, the happy cook bringing course after
course to the table. When she emerged with the entre, both Catherine and Jim made over
the delightful presentation for long minutes, pleasing the older woman to no end. "So this is
turkey baked with truffles, eh?" Jim asked as he regarded the golden bronze bird.
"Yes, Seor Evans. It is the traditional dish for Christmas Eve in my country."
Catherine glanced at the clock and asked, "Marta, dont you want to go to Mass? You still
have time to make it."
The older woman paused, her eyes darting from one of her employers to the other.
"Yes, please, by all means, go," Jim agreed, wishing for a rare bit of alone time with his
wife.
"But there is so much to do" she hesitated. "I havent served the dessert yet."
"Marta, we havent eaten the entre yet," Catherine reminded her gently. "Please. Both of
us want you to go to Mass. We insist."

Marta beamed a genuine smile at both of them and was taking her apron off as she exited
the room, calling over her shoulder, "God bless you both. I will say a special prayer for you
and the little baby."
"Alone at last," Jim smiled, a wide, relaxed grin that Catherine had not seen since they had
been married.
"I have no complaints," she agreed, clinking her glass of sparkling cider with his glass of
chardonnay. "Im dining with the handsomest man in San Francisco, our little girl is nearly
ready to join us, and Im well rested for the first time in a month. How about you,
Sweetheart? How do you feel?"
"Well, Id say that I feel quite good. Im dining with the most beautiful woman in the
country, if not the world." He grinned wolfishly at her, making her giggle at his
exaggeration. "Theres a little sprout in here thats just about to come out and play," he
said, patting Catherines swollen belly, "and I had a marvelous three and a half hour nap. I
feel grrrreeeaaattt," he said in his imitation of Tony the Tiger that Catherine was always
charmed by.
They spent the rest of their meal talking about Catherines afternoon tree-trimming party
and Jims work on the big case that he was assigned to. They were so thoroughly stuffed
when they finished their entrees, that neither could even consider dessert at the moment.
The baby started to wake up, going into her usual nighttime routine of tumbling and
acrobatics. Catherine stood and began to walk around a little, the motion of her gait usually
calming the baby.
"I have a thought," Jim said, his eyes twinkling. "Dancing should be as effective as walking,
shouldnt it?"
Catherine blinked slowly, wondering what had gotten into her husband, who was generally
loath to dance. "I suppose so," she said. "Do you want to dance?"
"I never thought youd ask," he grinned toothily, rising to grasp her hand gently. Leading
her into the living room, he switched on the stereo, smiling when the stylus settled onto
the record that was already on the turntable. "Oh, what a surprise," he smiled. "Stevie
Wonder."
"I like him," she blushed shyly, knowing that her husbands tastes went towards a harder
rock beat.
"Our baby is going to be surprised that were not black," he teased gently. "All she hears is
Motown."
"Thats not true," Catherine smiled. "When shes in your car she is assaulted by the Doobie
Brothers and the Eagles and all of those Jackson Browne tapes you always have lying all
over the seat."
He smiled back at her, drawing her close, snuggling up against her protruding stomach. "I
think she likes my music," he decided, "but I have to admit that I like this song. This is

true you know," he whispered into her ear as they started to sway to the music. "There are
brighter days ahead."
She hugged him as tightly as she could, their baby cuddled between their bodies. "I hope
so, Jim," she said, her voice tight with emotion.
He returned her embrace, wishing that he could take away every bit of pain from her lovely
face. "A smiling face you dont have to see. Cause its as joyful as a Christmas tree," he
sang softly, his voice not well trained, but beautiful to her ears. "Please smile for me."
She looked up at him and allowed every bit of the love she felt for him to show in her
expression. "Ill try to keep smiling," she promised, knowing in her heart that they could
get through the tough times ahead if they could carve out some time alone together.
They continued their dance, his discomfort with the art form combining with her
ungainliness to form an inartistic, but very tender merging. The baby slowly calmed down,
lulled into slumber by her parents' gentle movements. Catherine looked up at her husband
and made the suggestion that had occurred to her while she slept. "I have an idea for her
name," she said, nearly holding her breath in anticipation of his reaction.
"Let me guess," he mused. "You have a great aunt Hermoinie that will never forgive you if
you dont name her after her and your great uncle Waldo."
"No," she laughed gently. "I think you might actually like this one."
"Im all ears," he said, pulling back a little to be able to see her face.
"I still want my family mentioned, so I thought we could give her three names. Both mother
and fathers families could then be carried on."
"I hope you mean Smith and Dunlop," he said, a concerned look on his face, "because Bill
and Phoebe are just not going to cut it."
She slapped at his chest lightly. "Of course I mean Smith and Dunlop. Or rather, Dunlop
and Smith. Just like mine."
"Okay," he said. "Thats actually a very good idea. So do I get to pick the first name?"
"You may if you wish," she agreed, "but I was going to suggest Jamie."
He beamed a grin at her with so much power that it looked painful. "Jamie?" he asked with
delight. "For me?"
"Of course for you," she said, snuggling against him again. "After all, the babys going to be
my lasting gift to you, she may as well know from the start that shes daddys girl."
"Its going to be okay, Cat," he said emphatically, his voice cracking with emotion. "I swear
its going to be just fine. Work will ease up soon, and well have some time together. Next
year at this time well be having Christmas dinner with our little baby. With our Jamie," he
said, tears streaming down his face, to merge with those that fell from his wifes eyes.

"Well be a family, Jim," she sniffed. "You and me and our Jamie."

PART 2
"You know, Marty, I dont think youve ever had a better idea in your entire life." The
auburn haired woman rolled onto her back, stretching languidly as she allowed her body to
relish the deliciously decadent sensation of remaining in bed past the sunrise.
"I have a few more ideas that might make you forget that one in a flash," he murmured,
sliding his arms around her bare body and drawing her close.
"Are you absolutely certain that theyll be gone for a while?" the woman asked, her green
eyes landing on the closed door suspiciously.
"I swear that they wont be home before eleven oclock," he promised, sparing a look at the
clock over the dresser. "We have two hours. Two whole hours without the pitter patter of
one little foot." He rolled onto his back then and gazed up at the ceiling with a look of
supreme satisfaction. "Im nearly giddy with pleasure."
Fionnuala shot him a worried look. "What if Siobhan makes a scene and they force her to
leave?"
"Its the day care at the church!" he cried. "They wont throw her out into the street!"
She bit her lip worriedly. "They might," she hazarded, thinking of the times she had been
on the verge of binding the child to a chair with a sturdy length of rope.
"Oh, no you dont, Fionnuala Ryan. Youll not be spending our stolen moments worried about
that little pack of wolves. Theyll all be just fine. Michael is a very responsible young lad,
and he would not have dropped her off if he wasnt sure they knew what they were in for."
"Maybe we should call, just to make sure." She started to rise from the bed, but her
husband caught her by the arm and reeled her back in.
"The front door is locked. None of the boys has a key. The door to the bedroom is locked.
We dont even have a key. If you want me to, Ill get up and shove the dresser in front of
the door, Love."
She looked over her shoulder seeing the expanse of glass. "What about the window?" she
asked in a seemingly serious tone. "Siobhan couldnt make that," she paused for a moment
reconsidering before she shook her head roughly, "but Conor could!"
He got to his knees, checking each of the sashes to make sure that the locks were secure.
As he lowered the shades his smile increased, until he lay back down next to her, a very
amorous look in his clear blue eyes. "Theyll have to break a window," he whispered. At her
wide-eyed look he assured her. "Thats why I lowered the shadestheyll catch most of the
glass."
Blushing lightly she asked, "Im being silly, arent I?"

"Just a little, Love, but you have every reason to worry. Im quite sure that we havent had
an uninterrupted two hours inmy God, I dont even know how long its been!"
"Its been a long while," she decided, resting her head upon his muscular chest. "Far too
long." Her hand rested on his abdomen, and she began to idly draw intricate little patterns
on his skin. "Remember when we were first married?" She chuckled lightly, "We thought it
would always be like this. Us in our room, making love the whole night long, while our angelic
little children were tucked into their little beds, sleeping peacefully until the morning
light."
"Were we really ever that nave?" he wondered, trying to recollect that far in the past.
"I remember lying in this very bed wondering how our lives would change when I was
pregnant with Brendan. We decided that it wouldnt make much difference at all," she
laughed. "We thought it would be like having a boarder, if my memory serves me well. Wed
take our meals together, and such, but our lives would generally be rather independent."
"I find it impossible to believe that we had that conversation," Martin insisted. "We were
never that young or callow."
"Oh, yes we were, Marty," she assured him. "If we had not been, wed never have started
down this treacherous path."
"Well, well, well," he chuckled. "If thats the case, why did we decide to have Conor?
Wouldnt we have learned our lesson by then?"
"As Ive told you a thousand times, Martin, Brendan was sent to us by a particularly kindhearted angel. We were allowed to experience the joy of having a nearly perfect child. But
one of the holdover followers of Lucifer decided that we were unworthy of such a gift, and
gave us Conor to even out the scales."
"You love that boy as much as the air you breathe," he scoffed, knowing that she put on the
"long-suffering mother" role just for sport.
"Of course I do," she agreed immediately, rolling onto her stomach and crossing her legs at
the ankle, slowly lifting and letting them fall to the mattress repeatedly. Her chin was
resting on her braced hands, and for just a moment, Martin saw the young woman that he
had fallen in love with more than ten years ago, when she was just nineteen and fresh from
the Emerald Isles. "Hes one of the joys of my life, and I wouldnt change a thing about
him." She grinned widely at her husband and added, "Well, Id remove his fascination with
trying to climb to the roof from the tree in the backyard, but other than that, I wouldnt
change a thing."
"Uh-huh," he smiled knowingly. "And which angel brought Rory to us, Love?"
"That was no angel," Fionnuala laughed. "That was my little devil, Marty, trying to convince
me that I was in my safe time when I knew full well that I wasnt!"
"We were about ready anyway, Fi, and you know that, too. You cant tell me that you regret
having Rory either."

"I would never make that claim, Marty. He and Brendan are nearly tied in the most perfect
child category."
"That brings us to the child that could try the patience of a saint, the ever fascinating
Siobhan," the handsome man teased, running his fingers down his wifes spine. "Did you feel
a chill at the mere mention of her name?"
"Just a wee one," she admitted. "You know Marty, if I loved that child any more Id go
mad." She shook her head slowly, a gentle smile settled upon her face. "As it is, Ill just
wait until she drives me there."
He scooted closer, his hand still resting low on her back. As he drew near, his hand began
to move, making slowly expanding circles all across her smooth skin. "You know, Love," he
murmured, "wed always planned on having five. Isnt it about time to put some of those
plans into action?"
She allowed her head to drop, her shoulders still high off the bed. The delicious sensations
of his gentle touch almost lured her into another grievous mistake, but she pulled back
before she was cast into the inferno. "Oh, no you dont, Martin OFlaherty. Youll not trick
me into another babynot when Siobhan is truly all that a sane woman can handle."
"But I thought wed have five," he pouted, his big blue eyes filled with mock sorrow.
"Ill consider itand I do mean that Ill consider itwhen shes in school. Not a minute
before, Martin. No arguments!"
"Aw, Fi," he soothed, his wandering hand never stopping his ministrations.
She pointedly removed his hand and rolled onto her side. "Dont you aw, Fi me, Marty.
Youre not the one here with the lot of them day in and day out. You go prancing off to
fight your little fires, knowing full well that its me that should get hazard pay."
Her green eyes were flashing, but he knew that most of her bluster was just that.
Wrapping his arms around her tightly he nuzzled his face into her sweet-smelling neck.
"Whatever you say, Love," he soothed. "Youre the boss."
"Uh-huh, and the boss says that you wont be coming inside today without a raincoat."
He chuckled at her chronic shyness over using the proper names for body parts and various
elements of the sex act. After four children, and more intimate encounters than either of
them could count, she could not even bring herself to say the word "condom." "I just so
happen to have secured a new supply of raincoats, Love. Care to see if we can run through
the entire box?" He shook the item in her face, knowing that she didnt like to be reminded
of the reality of their contraception practices.
"Dont you go shaking that thing in the light of day, Marty!" She grabbed the box and
stuffed it under his pillow, lightly tapping his cheek with her open palm. "I know just where
my little Conor gets his devilish side," she teased. "Hes just like his daddy."
"Enough talk of babies and children and mommies and daddies," Martin insisted, sneaking
his hand into his box of raincoats and withdrawing one. "Lets talk about men and women. In

particular, beautiful, auburn-haired women, with soft, full curves, and the nicest pair of
br" His speech was cut of by a soft warm hand covering his mouth.
"Hush up and kiss me, Marty," she demanded, pulling him down onto her body with
surprising force, causing the large man to chuckle happily and comply immediately and
repeatedly.

The determined knock on the door sent the couple scrambling, clothing flying around the
room as they tried to wake up enough to get dressed. "My God! You put me into some kind
of coma!" Fionnuala cried, trying to button her blouse while she attempted to step into a
shoe.
Martin looked completely stunned, his eyes still unfocused, his hair comically mussed. "Did
you drug me with chloroform?" he asked slowly, as he jumped around the room, trying to
get into his pants.
"Hurry up!" she hissed, unlocking their bedroom door. "When the front door opens, theres
no safe harbor!" She raced down the few stairs from the living room, throwing open the
door as the little pack of wolves came running in.
"Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama!" Siobhan cried, expending all of her recognizable vocabulary.
Her little hands were extended high over her head, grasping and releasing repeatedly, her
usual signal for "pick me up."
Fionnuala picked her up immediately, receiving a multitude of kisses in return. "Did my little
angel enjoy herself this morning?" she cooed into the babys pink ear.
"Mama!" Siobhan replied, meaning either yes or no, depending on her mood.
She began to kick her remarkably long legs, signaling that cuddle time was over. As soon as
she was released she took off at full speed, elbowing her way into the front of the line, all
four siblings running for the refrigerator, looking for their mid-morning feeding. Martin
saw the group make their move and he quickly took after them, determined to keep the
damage to a minimum.
Fionnuala knew where the pack was headed, but she assumed that her husband could handle
them. She draped her arm around her nephew and drew him into the living room. "Tell me
everything, Michael," she insisted. "The unvarnished truth, please."
"It was fine, Aunt Fi. Really." The seventeen year old had the most angelic of faces
plastered on, but his aunt knew him better than to believe that.
Just then Brendan came running in. "Did ya tell her, Michael?" he asked excitedly.
"No, Brendan," his mother insisted. "Michael wanted you to tell me all about it, since youre
such a good storyteller. Ive been waiting for you." As the happy eight-year-old climbed
onto her lap, Fionnuala discreetly stuck her tongue out at her nephew who was busy rolling
his eyes.

"It was sooooo funny, Mama," Brendan began, giggling excitedly. "We were half-way up the
hill when a fire truck rolled by."
Fionnualas eyes grew wide and she leveled her gaze at Michael, making sure that Brendan
couldnt see her face. "What happened then, Sweetheart?" she heard her voice ask.
"Michael had one of her hands," he related, not needing to identify who "her" was, "and
Conor had the other. As soon as she heard the siren, she yanked her hands away and
started running back down the hill!" He started to collapse in laughter, oblivious to the
deadly stare his mother was giving his cousin, who was sinking lower and lower in his chair.
"Then what, Brendan?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"She ran so fast, we couldnt come close to catching her, Mama. The whole time she was
screaming "woo woo," you know how she does whenever she sees the fire trucks," he
reminded her.
"Yes, Sweetie. Thats always funny," she agreed, feeling faint.
"Im surprised you didnt hear us all yelling at her when we went running by," Brendan said,
his sweet little face innocently blinking up at his mother.
"That would have been funny, wouldnt it, Love?" she asked, surreptitiously making a fist
and shaking it ominously at her nephew.
"Yeah, it would have been funny to have you and Da running with us." He found this scenario
quite hysterical, and the story was put on hold for a few minutes while he laughed giddily.
When he collected himself, he continued. "The truck was going to a business just across
24th Street, so after we crossed she started to slow down."
"You all ran across 24th Street?" she asked, her voice an octave higher than normal.
"Yeah! It was so cool! Traffic was kinda stopped for the fire truck so we hardly even had
to slow down! You shoulda been there, Mama!"
"Yes, I should have been, Brendan. We could have all laughed together." The murderous
look she was directing at her nephew had caused most of the blood to drain from the young
mans face, and he had sunk so low in his chair that he was practically sitting on his neck.
"Im hungry!" the little boy cried, as he climbed off his mothers lap. "Hey guys, she
thought it was funny!" he yelled when he ran into the kitchen.
"Told you so!" Conor shouted.
"Did not!" Brendan yelled back.
The sound of rapid little feet presaged the arrival of the fire buff in question. "Mama!"
She once again climbed onto her mothers lap, cuddling furiously for a long while. Fionnuala
closed her eyes and hugged her tight, trying to quell the uprising in her stomach at the
mere thought of her babies running through traffic.

She didnt hear him get up, but Michael came over and wrapped his arms around the two of
them, whispering, "I love her too, Aunt Fi. I would have thrown myself in front of that fire
truck to save her. Im so sorry."
She was unable to stay angry with the boy, knowing that her little one could get away from
a maximum-security prison if she had a mind to. She snaked an arm around his back, giving
him a hug in return. "Ive lost her a time or two myself," she admitted. "One time, not long
ago, I was going up on the Muni escalator, thinking she was right next to me of course. I
looked across at the facing escalator, and she was coming down! She waved to me, just as
happy as a clam. We rode up and down on that thing ten times, with me shouting frantically
at her, before I enlisted some kind soul to head her off at the bottom."
He chuckled at his aunts attempts to reassure him, still feeling a little sick to his stomach.
"She just seems so sweet and calm sometimes, Aunt Fi, you forget."
"I know, Michael," she agreed. "Sometimes I long for the days before she could walk. Ahh
bliss," she recalled, smiling happily.
"Yeah. I suppose we should enjoy her now, while she cant talk," he chuckled, assuming that
she would be an even bigger handful when her verbal skills matched the physical.
The tranquil, adorable little face of innocence gazed up at Fionnuala, the childs nearfrantic nuzzling of her mothers body having calmed her completely. The charmed woman
gazed intently into her babys eyes, and shared a loving smile with her. "Has my little
hummingbird gotten her nourishment?" she cooed, to Michaels amused laugh.
The young man rose to his feet, and gazed at the pair, commenting fondly, "Thats an
amazingly apt description, Aunt Fi. She does remind me of a little hummingbird that has to
light on you every hour or so, just to fill herself up with enough hugs to keep going."
"Ive never had a baby who needs to cuddle as much as this little one," Fionnuala mused,
dropping her face to rub noses with her delighted toddler. "Ive been completely spoiled,"
she chuckled.
"Some would say shes been spoiled," Michael joked, not believing it for a minute.
"No, Michael, you cant spoil a child by showering them with love. It amazes me that people
can even think that. Im the one who has been spoiled. Some day shell not need her Mama
this much, and it will truly break my heart."
"Not to worry, Aunt Fi," Michael insisted, picking his little cousin up when she extended
her arms towards him. The child immediately gave him a sloppy kiss, and then stuck her
head into the crook of his neck and rubbed against him fiercely, causing him to giggle
helplessly. "I have a feeling this one will be a cuddle-fiend all of her life."

"Do you really think shell learn to talk one day, Marty?" Fionnuala asked as they all sat
down to a late lunch. The boys were chattering away so frantically that the adults could
carry on a separate conversation, and barely be missed.

"Fi, Ive told you time and again. Id stop talking if I had a crew of people following me
around, trying to guess what I wanted every time I pointed my hand."
"I suppose," she said, a worried little frown crossing her forehead. She closely observed
her children, watching little Siobhan make her rather elaborate set of hand signals, which
seemed to be perfectly understood by her brothers. Rory, in particular, perhaps because
he was the closest in age, seemed to know, with an almost psychic sense, exactly what his
little sister wanted, and would get it for her if possible.
At the moment, Siobhan was pointing at her sandwich, making a face while shoving the plate
away, until Rory climbed off his chair, opened the bread, and removed the single lettuce
leaf. His little sister rewarded him with a bright grin, which he barely noticed as he
trudged back to his seat.
"My God, Martin, youre right!" she gasped, knowing that her husband had been watching
the scene play out. "How have I not seen that before?"
"You see it all of the time, Love," he assured her. "Its hard to step back and take the
overview."
"What should we do?" she moaned, not looking forward to a test of wills with her
remarkably headstrong daughter.
"Shell grow out of it, Fi. Once her needs are a little more complex, she wont be able to
have them satisfied with a pointing finger and a grunt. I promise you, when she has
something to say, shell say it."
"I hope youre right," she mused, watching the adorable little tyke demand and receive a
second glass of milk, all with just the power of her big, blue eyes.
"Oh, Im sure Im right," he assured her. "I predict that within a month or two, shell be
chattering like a magpie."
Fionnuala smiled at him, a gentle, fond look making him smile in return. "As excited as I was
to hear her call me mama, I could use a little variety," she decided, causing her husband to
chuckle softly at the comical look on her face.

"Well, Love, weve gotten through the worst part of the Christmas season," Martin said
late that night. "The dreaded opening of the gifts."
His wife laughed softly, her head pillowed comfortably on his broad chest. "What in the
world goes on in the heads of the parents who force their children to wait for Christmas
morning?" she mused sleepily. "Are they sadists or masochists?"
"Its a puzzlement," he agreed, knowing that the thought of being awakened at four a.m. by
his little pack of wolves was not something to look forward to. "I think the gifts were a
success," he decided, looking around the toy strewn room.

"Yes, they seem to be," she agreed. According to the OFlaherty Family Rule Book, each
child was given two gifts on Christmas Eve. The gifts were invariably toys, neither parent
having the nerve to allocate one of the precious gifts to something so pedestrian as
clothing.
"Did you see the side bet that Conor and Brendan had going on?" Martin laughed.
"Of course I did," Fionnuala chuckled. "They think were terribly slow, dont they?"
"Indeed they do. It was obvious that Conor knew what every toy was long before it was
opened," Martin mused, still not having any idea how his son could have found every hiding
place.
"He even knew about the things I had hidden at Maeves!" Fionnuala laughed, suitably
impressed with the six-year-olds investigative abilities.
"Maybe hell be a police detective when he grows up," Martin guessed.
"Or a jewel thief," his wife chimed in, thinking that career equally likely.
"What about Siobhan, Love?" he asked. "What can you see her doing?"
"Hmm how can you make a living when you dont speak, but you can evade a pack of hungry
bloodhounds " She chuckled softly, patting her husband on the leg. "I dont have a clue
what shell be, Marty. All I know is that whatever it is, shell do it with gusto. My little one
is going to wring every bit of pleasure out of life that it has to offer."
"That she is," Martin agreed, gazing at the cherubic toddler, sleeping on the floor. She was
lying amid a sea of wrapping paper, ribbon and sundry toys, some of them obviously under
various parts of her little body. Rory was lying right next to her, his position a near-mirror
of hers. Martin gazed at the two and mused, "Do you think shell always be as big as she is,
Love? Shes exactly the same size as Rory, and shes two years younger!"
"I dont know, Sweetheart. The doctor said she was in the 130 th percentile on the growth
chart. He just shakes his head when we go in now. I think the office staff finds it quite
humorous, though. She was 39 inches tall when last we checked."
"Well, no matter how tall she is, shell be one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Theres no doubt in my mind," he said fondly, capturing his wifes chin and giving her a slow,
determined kiss. "Her mother will always be the worlds number one beauty, but I think my
Siobhan will follow closely at number two."
"Uh-huh," she smirked at him, returning his kiss with equal interest. "And the fact that
shes the spitting image of you, factors in how?" She batted her mist-green eyes
tauntingly, biting back a giggle when he slipped his hand inside her blouse and gave her a
good tickle right to the ribs.
"Ssssh," she hissed. "Dont you dare wake them."
He looked down at his sleeping children, all four of them sprawled out in various positions
amidst the mess. "We cant leave them here, Fi," he reasoned.

"And why not?" A light blanket over each one, and theyll be just fine." She gave him a
pointed look and said, "Its time for you to receive your Christmas present, Martin. Do you
really want to waste an hour getting these four into their pajamas and beds?"
"Come to think of it," he said, immediately getting to his feet, and pulling his wife up with
him, "a night on the floor builds character." Tiptoeing noiselessly into their room, he pulled
out all of their available blankets and blanket substitutes, and started to cover the
sleeping children, while his wife went to get ready for bed.
He got Brendan and Conor fixed up with no problem, each of them having managed to
secure a soft toy for their heads. Rory was a little tougher, being in the middle of the pile,
but he covered him as best he could and spent a moment regarding his little girl.
Jet-black hair, just long enough to chronically fall into her amazingly bright blue eyes;
round little face, so remarkably guileless looking as she slept. Her long, thin, but
remarkably sturdy body was lying atop some little wooden Playskool Weebles, and he could
not, in good conscience, let the toys jab her all night long. He crawled across the floor,
gingerly avoiding every toy that he saw, brushing his hands across the floor to clear the
way. He lifted each appendage and removed all of the litter, pulling one last toy from
behind her shoulder. Satisfied that she would be comfortable, he leaned over even further
to tuck the blanket in, knowing that she would have it off in moments, anyway. As he
started to get up, big blue eyes blinked open, and a delighted grin enveloped her face as
she saw her father looming over her. "Da Da," she said, looking happier, and more at peace
than he could ever remember. She puckered up for a kiss, not noticing the tear that
escaped from his eye. Wrapping her up in his arms, he closed his eyes tight and placed at
least five kisses on her soft little face, oblivious to everything in the world except the
depth of love he saw in those remarkably blue eyes.
As he stood he nearly backed into his wife, who wrapped her arms around him from behind.
He was far too tall for her to be able to see over his shoulder, so she playfully poked her
head out from under his armpit. Her beautiful face turned up slightly, and she gazed at him
with a look of quiet understanding. "Feels delightful, doesnt it, Da Da?"
Unable and unwilling to hide his feelings from his beloved wife, he allowed a few tears to
escape, hoping to always remember the moment that his little Siobhan first spoke his
name. "Its all together wonderful," he murmured, turning in her embrace, then bending to
bury his head in her neck. "Ive never had a better Christmas."
"Its not over yet, you lucky man," Fionnuala reminded him, taking his hand as she gave him
a devastatingly seductive look. "Weve got a few more raincoats to try on, Love."
"Remind me again why people complain when it rains?" he joked as he wrapped his arm
around her waist.
"I dont have the slightest idea," she assured him. "Im rather partial to a steady downpour
myself, Sweetheart." He rested his dark head against her lighter one as they crossed the
room, flicking off lights as they went. As they entered their room the only sounds in the
house were the quiet, heavy breathing of the sleeping children, and the heavy breathing of
one very happy man, trying to come in out of the rain.