Wings of Love (26 page)

Adam proceeded down the washboard road
bouncing in rhythm with the tractor.  This was the third
and final cut of the season.  He spotted the herd of deer
over in the bean field scavenging through the remains that were
missed on the last picking.  He felt the dampness in the
cool October air. 

Adam absorbed the warmth of the red and
orange hues of the sunrise this morning.  He understood
now the pride his father felt for this land.  It wasn’t a
concept his dad could ever teach him.  It was a lesson
Adam learned on his own from his recent time spent working on the
farm.  He could honestly say he was proud to follow in
his fathers’ footsteps.

Adam’s tractor hummed as he plowed through
the hay fields filling the air with the sweet smell of the newly
mown hay.  He watched the news last night and there was
no chance of rain in the forecast for the remainder of the
week.  Adam knew this was important in order to bale the
hay once it was dried.

Adam finished up for the day and was rolling
down the road anxious to get home to Amy when he saw his sister,
Laurel running down the road towards him.

“Adam, come quick,” Laurel shouted over the
engine.  “Amy is in labor.”

Adam waited until Laurel hopped up on the
tractor before rushing back to the house.  He pulled the
tractor in the tool shed running into the house as fast as he
could.

“Amy, is it time?”  Adam rushed
over to where she sat on the couch. 

“I think so.”  Amy grabbed his hand
just before another contraction started.

“Her contractions are about 5 minutes
apart.”  Adam’s mother looked at the clock in the
kitchen.  “She’s been having them for about an hour and a
half now.  I think you better get her suitcase.”

Adam took three stairs at a time as he went
up to their bedroom and came back down just as
quickly.  “What was I supposed to get?”

“The suitcase!”  Amy shouted as her
contraction just ended.

Mrs. LaPointe took the suitcase from Adam
when he finally came back downstairs with it.  She
followed as Adam helped Amy hobble out to the truck and lifted her
up inside.  He took the suitcase from his mom and tossed
it in the back seat.

“I’ll call you later.”  Adam
shouted out to his mom and Laurel as he peeled out of the driveway
speeding the rest of the way to the hospital.

Chapter 20

“Oh my, a little, baby boy.”  Amy
cried as she held her newborn son.  “Look at him
Adam.  He has your dark black hair.”

“Hi there little guy.”  Adam
touched his tiny fingers and toes.”  He kissed Amy’s damp
forehead.  “I love you babe.  Our son is
beautiful.”
“Do you want to hold him?”  Amy gently handed him over to
Adam.  “Here’s your daddy.”

“Amy, he is so tiny.”  Adam
awkwardly held him in his arms.  He gave his son a soft
kiss on the forehead.  “Welcome to our
world.  I’ve been waiting to hold you for a long
time.”

Amy watched Adam as he cried tears of joy for
this little miracle through misty eyes of her own.  She
had been in labor for twelve hours and Adam stayed by her side the
entire time.

“Well daddy, I think you need to give your
son a name.”  Amy reached for him as Adam carefully
handed him back to her. 

“I think we should name him after both our
dads.”

“Alex Joseph LaPointe.”  Amy smiled
down at her bundle of joy.  “I like that.  You
have some big shoes to fill little guy.”

Amy and Adam spent the morning basking in the
joy of the birth of their son.  Amy fed Alex and swaddled
him snuggly in a receiving blanket gently patting his back until he
burped.  She cradled Alex in her arms until Adam laid him
in his bassinet to sleep.

“How are you doing babe?”  Adam
caressed her arm with his hand.  “You sure have a high
tolerance for pain.”

“It was all worth it,” Amy
admitted.  “You better call your mom and
dad.  Could you call my mom too?”

“Sure.”  Adam picked up the phone
and dialed Amy’s mom first.  “Here, Amy.  You
give her the news.”

“Hi mom.”  Amy gazed over at Alex
as she spoke.  “You have a healthy
grandson.  He was born at 12:21 this
morning.  He weighs 8lbs. 7oz. and is 21 inches
long.”

“Congratulations honey.  How are
you and the baby doing?”  Her mother
asked.  “Can I talk to Adam?”

“We’re both doing fine.  Yes, hold
on a minute.”  Amy handed Adam the phone.

“Thank you.  Alex Joseph
LaPointe.”  Adam said proudly as he looked at the
hospital guest book.  “Visiting hours is from 4-8
tonight.  We’ll see you then.”

Adam hung up the phone and dialed his
parent’s home.  “Hi mom.  Guess
what?  You and dad have a beautiful grandson named Alex
Joseph.  He has my hair and Amy’s beautiful face,” Adam
winked at Amy as he spoke.  “I can pick you up around
three o’clock.  I’ll see you then.”

Amy and Adam spent the rest of the afternoon
learning how to care for Alex.  Amy fed him every couple
hours and Adam mastered changing diapers.  They shared a
complimentary dinner while little Alex slept soundly. 

“I’m going to go get my mom and dad now,”
said Adam.  “I’m so excited for them to see
Alex.  Wow.  We really have a son!”

“I know, isn’t it
unbelievable?”  Amy kissed Adam when he leaned
over.  “We have this little baby that is depending on
us.”

“Thank you, Amy for giving me a healthy,
beautiful son.”  Adam hugged her before he stood
up.  “Do you need anything before I go?”

“No, I think I’ll rest until he wakes up
again.”  Amy glanced over at Alex sleeping like an
angel.  “Hurry back.”

“You know it.”  He crouched over
the bassinet and gave Alex a kiss.  “I love you little
guy.”

Amy stared at the doorway daydreaming after
Adam left.  What a wonderful man she had fallen in love
with and what a wonderful life they created together with their
love.

***

“Say hello to Grandpere,” said Adam as he
slide his chair next to his father’s wheelchair.  “Isn’t
he precious?”

“God has blessed us.”  His father
forced the words out slowly.

“He’s a little angel from
heaven.”  Mrs. LaPointe stood behind them and peered at
the baby.

“Here is your Grandmere
Anne.”  Adam stood and handed Alex to his mom. 

“He must be dreaming.  He is
smiling.”  Grandmere Anne motioned at the box wrapped in
little boy blue wrapping paper.  “You can open the gift,
Amy.”

Adam handed the gift to Amy and sat down next
to her on the bed.  She unwrapped the package and held up
a crocheted afghan which displayed a giraffe, a monkey and a lion
on it.

“It is adorable.  Thank
you.”  Amy gushed.  “Look Adam, a lion.”

“I told you it’s our
destiny.”  Adam chuckled as he kissed his mom on the
cheek.  “It’s a perfect gift for Alex.”

“Well, hello everybody!”  Mrs.
Makowski greeted them as she walked into the room carrying a bag
with an “It’s a Boy” balloon tied on it.  “Where is that
little baby?”

“Here’s your grandson.”  Mrs.
LaPointe shared him with her as they both cooed over him.

“He’s is the prettiest baby I ever
seen.”  Mrs. Makowski handed Amy the bag and cradled Alex
in her arms.  “You’re a big fella, aren’t you?”

“Here Adam.”  Amy passed the gift
to him.  “You can open this one.”

Adam untied the balloon and knotted it on
Alex’s bassinet.  He took the tissue out and peeked
inside.

“Wow.”  He lifted out the items as
he held them up for all to see.  “Plenty of sheets,
t-shirts, sleepers, diapers, bibs, blankets.  What’s
this?”

“Bumper pads,” said Amy.  “They go
around the crib.”

“How about this?”  Adam held up
another item he had no clue on what it was.

“That’s a mobile.  Look it has
little giraffes, zebras, elephants and wait…”  Her eyes
smiled at Adam.

“A lion!”  Adam laughed along with
Amy at their inside joke.

“Thanks mom.”  Amy took Alex from
her as he started fussing.  “I think he’s hungry.”

Adam took his son from Nana Grace and paced
back and forth to quiet him down before passing him to
Amy.  The family stayed for awhile longer until visiting
hours were over.

“I’ll be back in the morning
babe.”  Adam gave her a kiss.  “Goodnight
little guy.”

Adam watched Alex smacked his lips together
as he stretched out his little arms.  He lumbered out of
the room not wanting to be away from his family.  Soon
they would be home and he had a million things he wanted to get
finished before they arrived.

***

“Welcome home.”  Adam turned on the
light as he opened the door of the bedroom next to theirs.

“Adam, when did you find time to do all
this?”  Amy stood in the doorway rocking Alex in her
arms.  The room was painted sky blue with puffs of white
clouds floating on the ceiling.  The walls were painted
with animals to match the sheets and afghan that were now on Alex’s
crib with the mobile above it. 

“I did it when I came home at
night.  And I had a lot of help.  Janet and
Luke flew in from New York last night and put the crib
together.  Joey helped me paint the walls and Angie
painted the tiny clouds above. Look three of them even have
our names on them.  Crystal stopped over with Bob the
other day.  He brought the rocker and changing table and
she is the one who painted the animals.  Our moms came up
with the idea.”

“I thought he was going to sleep in our
room?”  Amy felt Adam’s arm as he pulled her closer to
him.

“Well, I know that’s what we originally
decided.”  Adam searched her eyes.  “I just
thought it would be nice to surprise you.  I hope you
don’t mind?”

“Adam I love it!!!”  She tiptoed
over to the crib and laid Alex down covering him up with his
afghan.  “Snug as a bug in a rug.”

Amy noticed in the corner of the crib was Mr.
Lion, the little character that gave her the courage to tell Adam
her true feelings for the very first time.  She smiled up
at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I love you Adam.  Thank you for
being you.”

“I love you too babe.  Thank you
for bringing out the best in me.”

“I really hate to go but I do have to get
those bales of hay put up in the barn.  It is supposed to
rain tonight.”  Adam kissed the tip of her
nose.  “You take it easy and rest.”

“I will,” she promised.

Amy sat in the rocking chair when Adam
left.  She closed her eyes thinking of all the wonderful
things she was thankful for.   A healthy baby boy, a
husband who she loved more than she even knew was possible, a
family who embraced them through good times and bad, and friends
she grew up with and had grown stronger relationships with through
the years. 

Amy’s eyes fluttered open as she heard Alex’s
newborn cry.  She approached the crib and lifted him up
cradling him while she returned to the rocker to feed
him.  She cherished this tiny baby who had already stolen
her heart, just like his daddy had many years ago.

***

Adam hiked up the path with Amy carrying six
month old Alex on his hip.  He held her hand as they
approached the spot of the old white pine tree that his great,
great grandfather had planted.  He playfully nibbled on
Alex’s chubby hands as he reached for him.

“Alex, this is daddy’s secret
spot.”  Adam explained as Alex gurgled and touched his
nose.  “You know this is the place Daddy decided he
wanted to be with Mommy for the rest of my life.”

Adam held Alex up in the air blowing
raspberries on his tummy.  He sat down with Alex in his
lap as he watched Amy set up some lunch from the picnic basket she
had brought along.

“You know what Amy?”  Adam asked as
he watched Alex put the Fisher Price snap lock beads in his
mouth.  “Everything I ever needed was always right here
before my eyes.”

Adam sat Alex on the blanket with his toys
after lunch.  He stood up and took out his pocketknife
and walked over to the pine tree.  He carved a large
heart around the letters A.L. + A.M. that he had etched in a couple
years ago.  Inside the heart he carved ALEX beneath their
initials.  

“Our family.”  Amy stood next to
Adam as Alex grasped her heart necklace; that she had worn since
the day he’d given it to her, placing it in his mouth.

“I left plenty of room for
more.”  Adam eyes twinkled when he looked into hers.

“Well, then I wouldn’t count on this spot
being much of a secret anymore!”  Amy gazed into his eyes
while Alex giggled along with them.  “Oh you think that
is funny, huh?”

“He won’t think it’s so funny when he has to
learn how to share.”  Adam took Alex when he reached for
him as Amy cleaned up the remainder of their picnic.

Adam strolled with Amy back towards the house
as they discussed the life ahead of them.  He stopped at
the tree where he hung up a baby swing earlier that
morning.  Adam placed him snuggly inside then gave him a
push. He smiled with Amy as Alex squealed with delight.

Adam knew his life couldn’t be any
better.  He loved Amy more than anything else in the
world.  She was his wife, the mother of his child, his
lover and most importantly his best friend.  Adam
couldn’t think of anything more a man could possible want or
need.  He was blessed with more than he ever dreamed
of.  He couldn’t wait to see what the future held for
them and what chapters were yet to be written.

####

About the author:

Jeanette Skutnik is a first time author who
lives in Michigan with her husband and family. She is an avid
supporter of our United States military. She also is an active
member of her church. When she is not writing she enjoys music,
knitting and crocheting.

Connect with Me Online:

www.facebook.com/throughtheyearsseries