“Those we love never truly leave us. There are things that death cannot touch.”
– Jack Thorne
Eight months later
Andrea stared at the baby in her arms, his face so perfect and innocent it overwhelmed her with emotion. Before she could blink the moisture in her eyes away, a tear slid down her cheek and landed on the infant’s forehead.
“Now why you gotta do that?” Mattie took her thumb and blotted away the moisture. “You gonna go drownin’ the poor babe.”
“I can’t help it,” Andrea said, her gaze wandering over the baby in amazement. “It’s like a Christmas miracle, a bundle of hope. He’s so beautiful.”
“The most beautiful baby evah bawn.” Mattie nodded her head in agreement.
“And an impatient one,” Andrea commented as she laid her head back on the pillow. The baby had come a month earlier than expected, but holding the infant in her arms was the best Christmas present she’d ever received.
Closing her eyes, Andrea’s thoughts drifted back to the other life-changing event that had occurred in December—the tragic death of Daniel after the Battle of Fredericksburg.
“A life extinguished and a new one born on the same day.” She looked up at Mattie. “Alex seemed to know. How—”
“Now, don’t go trying to figure out the mystifications of the Almighty.” Mattie scolded her as she bent down and stared at the tiny face. “Little Daniel be a blessing to us all.” Then she quickly wiped a tear from her own eye. “He a little bit of stardust blown off the hand of God. A link between the angles and earth.”
The two studied the baby in silence then—as they’d been doing just about every minute since the minute he’d been born.
“Is he awake?” The door burst open and Izzy bounded through, joining the other two in staring wide-eyed at the baby. “He looking at me,” she said excitedly, leaning down even closer.
“Of course, he looking at you.” Mattie exhaled with vexation. “He wondering who making all that clamoration.”
“He so tiny.” Izzie reached out and tentatively touched the small fingers that were curled into a fist.
“You was tiny too,” Mammie said. “Big as a loaf of bread you was.”
“Really?” Izzie stood up straight. “I’s taller than you now.”
“Dat’s right. You sprouted right up. Just like this baby boy gonna do.”
Izzie leaned down again with a serious expression. “He just like a little Ol’ Him.” She looked up, her dark eyes more glossy now. “So small, but he fill my heart right up to the top.”
Daniel yawned then and closed his eyes, as if the conversation bored him.
“Awww. He going to sleep.” Izzie’s face dropped with disappointment.
“Dat what little ones do,” Mattie said. “They eat and sleep.” She held out her arms to take the infant. “You best get some rest too, Miz Andrea.”
Andrea brought the baby up close for a last squeeze. “I hope I’m up to the task of being a good Mother.” She looked at Mattie as she placed the baby in her waiting arms. “There is so much to teach him.”
“You only gotta worry about two things,” Mattie said, rocking the infant gently. “You got to give him roots. And you got to give him wings.”
After Mattie gently laid the infant in the bassinet, she and Izzie stood over him in silence, both smiling wistfully for a few long minutes, before tiptoeing toward the door.
“Thank you, Mattie,” Andrea said when they reached the threshold.
Mattie stopped and turned around. “For what?”
“Everything.” Andrea leaned against the pillows with a joyful smile on her face. “You told me once that if I kept pushing through the storm, there’d be a light on the other side. Do you remember?”
Mattie nodded. “Yes. I ‘member.” She looked toward the cradle where the little boy lay sleeping. “Now you knows what I was talking about.”
“Yes, now I know.”
The door clicked shut, and Andrea leaned back, saying a prayer of thanks for her many blessings.
Thank you dear Lord. You gave me nothing that I asked for…yet everything I could hope for.
Sweeping her gaze around the room, Andrea sensed Alex’s smiling presence more than ever.
And so she fell asleep with a heart overflowing, dreaming of the baby that filled her with wonder and joy, and imagining the man he would someday become.
***
I hope you enjoyed the Shades of Gray Trilogy!
If you’re not ready for the story to end, sign up to receive the Epilogue, and discover what happens to Andrea after the war.
CLICK HERE.
Don’t forget to leave a review. It truly helps!
And feel free to email me about what you thought about Shades of Gray. I love hearing from readers! writefromthepast@yahoo.com.
If you prefer a happily-ever-after ending, try NOBLE CAUSE. It’s the original Shades of Gray with a different ending.
Thank you for reading! I appreciate your support!