Chapter Twenty Two: A Ray of Sunshine - Margaret Regina

“Why do we have to name her what you want to? Why can’t she have the first name I want?” Rosamund argued. It was the ongoing argument about what we should name our daughter. I wanted to stick with my family tradition of all Hobble children having a British name. It was something that Mom and Dad had started with us kids and all of the grandkids so far had British names. I didn’t want to have the first grandkid that didn’t have one.

“It’s a tradition, Rosamund.”

“But what about my family’s tradition? That all girls have a name starting with an “R”? Why do we have to do yours but not mine?! Afterall, she’ll have your last name.”

We had been having this argument for months. I was hoping that once we arrived in Appaloosa that she might give in but it had only made her dig her heals in even more. I was about at my wits end. We had been staying at her parents’ house for about a month and a half and I’d had about all I could take. I had only seen my family a handful of times since Rosamund’s family monopolized our time. I suppose I could have gone to my parents’ house alone but I wondered what her parents would think. Would they think I was a bad husband for leaving my very pregnant wife while I went out? The last thing I needed was to have Robert or Regina think bad of me. I knew they already thought less of me. Rosamund and I had tried to hide the fact that we didn’t get along much but every once in a while we would argue when they were home.

I was thankful that they had both gone shopping and weren’t there to hear the reoccurring name argument.

“Really? Not this argument again. . .”

“What?! It’s the truth! She’ll have your last name so why can’t she have the first name I want?”

I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. I actually understood her argument and I might have been more receptive to her suggestion if she wasn’t so aggressive about it. It didn’t help that I didn’t feel like she was giving my argument any merit.

“We have to decide something, Jefferson. She could come any day now.”

“It’s still one week before her due date.”

“Anytime means anytime.” She warned. “So why don’t we stop arguing and just go with the name I like. It would make things so much simpler.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. It felt like the walls were starting to close in on me. I walked over to the foyer table and grabbed my keys. “Where are you going?!”

“To my parents’ house. I haven’t seen them since my birthday and I think they might appreciate it if I visited them a little more often, since I am in town, afterall.”

“What if I go into labor?!”

“I have my cell. Plus, you’re not alone; the butlers here.”

“Jefferson! You can’t just leave me! What if something happens to me, or the baby?!”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Rosamund. It’s not like I’m going to a different town. It’s less than three blocks from here.”

“Jefferson! Don’t go we can talk about this. . .” I closed the front door before she could waddle towards it to stop me. 

I got in my car and drove down the hill to my parents’ street. I felt absolutely horrible that I had seen them so rarely while we had been here. I had almost not seen them on my, Charlie, and Bridge’s birthday since Rosamund had tried to keep us from going. She claimed she didn’t feel well and wanted us to stay at her parents instead of celebrating with my family. When I made it clear that I was going to my parents’ house with or without her, she miraculously felt well enough to go. She acted miserable the whole time we were there and I had been completely embarrassed. Even Mom looked unhappy and that was saying a lot. I pulled up to the gate and entered in the code for it to open.

I pulled into the drive and saw that Bridge’s SUV was there. I pulled in behind her and closed the car door. Before I could make it up the stairs the front door was opening. 

“Uncle Jeff!” Charles came running out of the house and hugged me.

“Hey kiddo!” I said as I hugged him back.

“Where’s Aunt Rosamund?” 

“She didn’t feel good today so she didn’t come with.” He nodded and ran back into the house. I followed him in and was immediately bombarded by family.

“Jeff! What are you doing here?” Mom exclaimed as she came out of the kitchen into the hallway.

“I wanted to spend some time with you all before the baby got here. Plus I felt kind of bad about my birthday.”

She nodded and made an unhappy face. “Well, it was definitely. . .something. I’m glad you were able to get away for a bit and visit us. Kate and I are finishing making lunch. Can you stay and eat?”

“You think I’m going to pass up some of your cooking? I’d have to be insane to do that.” She smiled and hugged me before going back into the kitchen.

I noticed someone walking out of the family room and I turned to see who it was. I was Scarlett walking while studying a music book.  She continued to walk with her head in the book until she walked right into me. “Oh! I’m sorry. . .Jeff?”

I laughed. “You wouldn’t have even noticed I was here if you hadn’t run into me.”

She blushed. “Sorry. I was reading. . .”

“. . .About music. What a shock.” I teased her. “Can I at least have a hug?” She smiled and hugged me.

“Do Charlie and Bridge know you’re here?”

“I doubt it since I just got here.”

She smiled “Are you eating lunch with us?”

“I sure am.”

She hugged me again and went back to walking and reading her book. I sometimes felt bad for Scarlett. She was so much younger than Charlie, Bridge and me that in some ways, she seemed more of a niece to Bridge and me than a sister. She was only two years older than Charles. From what I had heard from Bridge, Charlie was almost like another father figure to her, rather than a brother.  She seemed to not really mind, though.

“I must be hearing things! I could have sworn I heard. . .” I looked towards the stairs and Charlie was coming down them with Bridge and Carson behind him.  “Someone pinch me, I’m seeing things! It must be a mirage or something! That can’t possibly be my little brother standing in the hallway!”

I shook my head. “Nope. Not a mirage. I’m actually here.”

“What did you have to do to get here?” He asked as we hugged. 

“Let’s just say that it wasn’t all peaceful when I left.” I admitted. I looked at Bridge and she was bitting her lip. “Still having to bite that lip, I see.” I joked with her.

She nodded and we hugged. “Is it wrong of me to say that I’m happy that you’re here by yourself?”

I attempted a smile. Truth was, I was happy that I was there by myself too.

“It’s good to see you, Jeff! Haven’t had much of a chance to talk to you since you’ve been home. How’s the campus house?” Carson asked after we hugged.

“It’s good. I’m a little stressed though about the nursery. I hadn’t gotten much done before we left. Part of that was our indecisiveness about which room to use.”

“What room did you decide on?” Bridge asked.

“I think it used to be Julia’s room? The one to the right of the second floor bathroom.”

“Yeah, that used to be her room. Mine was to the left.” Bridge admitted.

“Speaking of babies. . .where are all the twins?” I wondered.

The three of them started laughing. “They’re all asleep in the nursery. Bridge and Carson brought their portable sleepers over and we somehow managed to get them all to take a nap. It’s like a miracle!” Charlie explained.

I chuckled. “That does sound like a miracle. Three sets of twins all taking a nap at the same time.”

I heard the front door open behind me. “Surely I’m seeing things! I could have sworn I saw Jeff’s car in the drive!” Dad joked as he entered the house. I turned around and we hugged.

“Hey, Dad! I know, it’s pretty rare to see it in the drive these days.”

“How’s Rosamund doing?”

“Very pregnant, and very moody.”

He nodded. “Well, that happens in the last couple months sometimes.”

“Yeah, we’ll blame it on the pregnancy.” I heard Bridge say under her breath and Carson tried to shush her.

“I’m going to go see if your mom needs help. You staying for lunch?” I nodded. “Good! Gonna be a housefull!” I watched as he walked into the kitchen.

“So, any news on the name front?” Charlie asked as we walked into the living room.

“No.” I said bluntly.

“I guess Charlie and I have been fortunate. Kate or Carson either haven’t cared or their family names work with our family naming traditions.”

“Yeah, well, that isn’t so with the Carter family. Either our family tradition is about to be broken or theirs is.”

“Can’t you come up with a British name that starts with an R?” Carson asked.

“Not one that we can agree upon. I swear she’s going to be ‘Girl Hobble’ for a good while after she’s born.”

We were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. 
“Hello?” I jumped up the second I heard her voice. I walked into the hallway and peaked around the corner.

“Star?”