A scowl crossed Adam’s face just as they heard the sound of a baby, crying. Both brothers jolted. They stayed still for a moment, waiting to hear the sound again. When they did, they both rushed out of the sitting room and stood at the door to Stephen’s bedroom.
“Annie!” Stephen cried, unable to contain his joy and anxiety as the baby continued crying.
Adam placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder and squeezed it. Both of them stared at each other with a mixture of excitement and anxiety until a tired-looking Olivia opened the door.
Smiling, she said to Stephen, “Congratulations. You have a daughter.” And to Adam, she said, “Congratulations. You have a niece.”
Then she shut the door in their faces.
Rapturous laughter burst forth from the throats of the brothers and they hugged each other fiercely.
“Thank you, Lord.” Stephen clapped his hands with glee.
Adam hugged his brother again as euphoria flowed inside him.
“I am now a father!”
“And I’m now an uncle.”
Both men laughed again until Cora opened the door.
“Go away, you two. You’re disturbing mother and child.”
“I want to see them.”
“You will as soon as we finish cleaning them up. Now go back to the sitting room,” Cora firmly instructed her foster sons, pointing toward the sitting room.
Grudgingly, both men left after Cora shut the door in their faces a second time.
“I look forward to seeing them,” Adam mentioned as he settled back on the chair he had earlier vacated.
“You have no idea how much I yearn to see them,” his brother said with a wide smile.
Stephen refused to sit down. He kept on walking around the sitting room until Olivia came into the place with a bundle in her arms and gently placed it in Stephen’s arms.
“Stephen, meet your daughter,” she said with a soft smile. “You’re both blessed beyond measure.”
And then she left the room to tend to Annie.
Adam slowly rose to look at his niece. The brothers shared a warm smile before they went on staring at the baby with awe. Adam couldn’t say how long they stood there staring at the sleeping baby until Olivia returned to say Annie was ready to see her husband.
“Cora said you can’t stay for long, as Annie needs to rest after the delivery.”
Stephen nodded. “Thank you.”
To give the new father some privacy with his baby and his wife, Adam and Olivia went to the porch and sat on the bench. The chilly night breeze swirled around them. Olivia rubbed her arms against the cold, and Adam speedily took off his jacket and placed it across her shoulders.
“Thank you. I forgot to bring my shawl in my hurry to get here. Won’t you be cold?”
He shook his head. “Your presence is enough to keep me warm.”
She blushed.
“Thank you for coming to help Annie.”
She smiled. “It was the least I could do. She has been a very good friend to me.”
“I hope the birth wasn’t difficult.”
