Page 42 of Highlander’s Evil Twin

He smiled. “Even Laird McCloud is happy. He sent a messenger here yesterday to show me the program for the wedding and recital. They will be holding it at their castle and said we are welcome of course to bring Alistair or, if we wish to stay there without him, we could train one of the servant’s up to be a Nanny and Alistair remains here? What do you think?”

“We will see nearer the time. I don’t like the idea of leaving him. But having someone trained to help us is a good idea.”

Heather put Alistair down for a nap. She felt exhausted. Waves of tiredness washed over her. Perhaps she was sickening from something. She wasn’t sure who fell asleep first, but her dreams were deep and disturbing. She felt drugged. It was as if she could not break free from the clutches of sleep but was being pulled towards a land filled with dangers. Her sleep was fitful. She heard screaming but couldn’t see where it was from. She began to panic and ran looking for the sound or trying to find her way out.

She tried to wake up. A voice inside told her this was a dream, but it felt as if there was a weight on her chest. Her body was heavy, sinking into a world that did not belong to her. She was suffocating. She fought back. Fighting her way up through the layers of make-believe. Her eyes opened wide and she sat up, gasping for air with beads of sweat upon her forehead. She felt confused, bewildered, and more tired than when she had laid down. Heather shook her head, trying to pull herself out of the tiredness. She opened the window to breathe in more air hoping that would replenish her brain, but, yawning, she picked up Alistair, who was awake and watching her.

“Are you hungry?” she asked him. His little face seemed to signify he was. She unbuttoned her top and walked around with him while he suckled. It was the simplest pleasures like these that made her feel so contented. In these quiet moments, her love for her family and this wonderful child grew beyond belief. He relied on her, needed her, and loved her. Even as he drank greedily, his green eyes did not leave her face and that connection, that pure love, welled up inside her. Love was the most wonderful emotion in the world.

Hiram asked Laird McCloud how the preparations were coming on for the wedding, and if he needed anything extra for the day. “I want to contribute and can bring over many ingredients and can lend you some of our servants too.”

“Aye, that would be splendid,” Laird McCloud commented. “I want to give them a good send-off.”

“Aye, as do I. It will be the party of the year, of that I am sure. I can’t believe my little sister is marrying.” Hiram shook his head. “It doesn’t seem possible.”

“Aye, and my youngest boy. I would never have thought he would be the first of my boys to walk down the aisle.”

“It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I got married myself!” Hiram commented. “Things change so quickly. Now my son is over six months old. Soon, he will be running around the castle.”

“Aye, they grow up fast sure enough.” Laird McCloud laughed.

“Maybe it is when we have children. We measure time differently.”

On the way back, Hiram wondered if that were true. Time did seem to be going incredibly fast. He knew he had more responsibilities now and more work to do but every time he returned home, it seemed as if his son had grown substantially. The ride back was long, but he enjoyed the sensation of the horse moving beneath him and spurred him on. He couldn’t wait to be able to teach Alistair how to ride and soon, Heather could restart her lessons. He slowed down as the lights from the castle greeted him and jumped off the horse. A young stable boy immediately went to greet him and took the horse back to the stables.

Hiram found Heather in the kitchen. She was cooking.

“Why are you cooking, and not the staff?” He asked her.

“I felt like making something special for you tonight.”

“What is the occasion? A celebration?” He wondered if she was pregnant already and trying to tell him the news.

“Nah my love, I just feel like making something nice for you. Maggie has Alistair in the other room, and she is reading to him. I just felt like experimenting and went into the garden to pick some nice fresh herbs.”

“You seem a bit tired still. Don’t overdo it.”

“I know. It is crazy. I don’t understand it. Today, I fell asleep for hours. I just couldn’t wake up.” She patted her tummy. “I am not pregnant, if that is what you are thinking.” She laughed.

“Perhaps we should get the doctor for you? Maybe a tonic?” Hiram stroked her cheek.

She nodded. She didn’t really want to, and she most definitely didn’t want to take medicine. She was still breastfeeding and that came first. She just couldn’t understand the fatigue that had hit her earlier. She still felt tired and knew if she lay down, she would be asleep in minutes.

24

Heather went with Hiram to the doctor. She didn’t have much choice. After another night of bad dreams and feeling frightened, Hiram had marched her to the doctor’s door. In a way, it was a relief. She still felt worn out and had no energy, even though the baby was sleeping well each night. She’d slept as well but still felt low.

The doctor had examined her but was puzzled.

“What’s wrong with her? We know she isn’t with child again. But she felt exhausted last time when she was pregnant,” Hiram said.

The doctor didn’t answer him right away, but instead kept studying the book he had opened on his desk. “I am not sure...I don’t want to take a guess. I need to arrange some tests. We need to consider all options,” he explained.

“I understand, it is just frustrating, and I feel helpless,” Hiram stated.

Heather wondered if it could be a form of depression. Her mother had been depressed for a while. A low mood and exhaustion. Sometimes it could just happen without warning. “Is it possible to be depressed?” she asked the doctor.

The doctor replied, “Yes, a low mood, exhaustion, not wanting to do things, yes, it could be depression, but I think there could be more to it or, maybe a combination of things. Do not worry, we will get to the bottom of it.”