“Good, because one of us needs to be getting some rest.”
There were the muffled sounds of someone down in the kitchen.
“I think Sophie is up again.”
He said, “Aye, when there is a new bairn in the house there is always a great deal of activity, at all hours.”
“I had already forgotten, I think.”
“Ye will be reminded soon enough.”
“Very funny, Mister, I am not pregnant, and I am not taking a pregnancy test because I am so sure of it.”
He laughed. “Tis one way tae prove me wrong, I suppose, but we shall see.”
He pushed me over and put his head on my breast, his hand on my stomach.
“Dost ye hear that, bairn, yer ma is tryin’ tae prove me wrong, tis her great weakness that she haena figured out yet that she daena ken what is happening with her own body, that I will be right in it.”
I said, “My great andonlyweakness.”
He was quiet, so I batted his shoulder. He chuckled.
I said, “You ought to agree, myonlyweakness.”
“Nae, I canna, because tis nae true, mo reul-iuil, ye and I hae been married now for many long years, we both hae many weaknesses and we both ken them well. Tis part of being a family, we canna deny them. Ye ken all of my weaknesses and so ye are there tae help me when I am confronted with them. I ken all of yers, tae deny that is tae dismiss m’love for ye.”
“That’s a very good point, you love me despite my faults.”
“Aye, if ye think on it, the more faults ye hae, that means the deeper m’love. Shall I recount yer faults so ye can see how much I love ye?”
I laughed. “You’re being very funny tonight.”
“Aye, all is well, ye ken, the bairn is here, Lochinvar has fallen for the maiden Ash?—”
I said, “He hasn’t been home in days.”
“Aye, he has become trapped in her sweet peach pies.”
We both laughed.
He said, “He told me he is coming back in the morn, he has chores and he wants tae see the bairn.”
“You Campbell boys love the babies.”
“Tis true, ye see a bairn and ye ken ye are winning.”
I raised my head and looked down on him. “Winning what?”
“All the things, ye are winning all the things when there is a bairn.”
I put my head back down. “I do like to win, we are winning a lot right now, what do you think Sean and Lizbeth are up to?”
“They are preparing.”
“Frantically, I bet, packing everything they think they need. It’s kind of hard to explain that they don’t need anything.”
He raised his head. “We ought tae take them some chests tae pack in. Twill be comforting tae hae plenty of room — they canbring everything they want, it daena matter, they daena hae tae be concerned.”
