It has finally hit me. I am a mother. A mother. Just like Mother is a mother to me and my brothers and sisters. Sometimes I can hardly believe it. I hold my little baby in my arms while he feeds and I have a feeling I cannot describe to anyone. But Avery! He is so proud of being a father. You'd think he was the only one who ever had a child. I am surprised a little at the way he has taken to this parenting thing. He has always treated me so gently and caring ever since we got married. I have felt loved right from the start. Since we became parents it is a whole other side of Avery that I had never seen.
Avery's parents came to see us three days after our son was born. We named him Benjamin Wesley Longworth. They thought his name fit him.
"He will grow up to be dignified with a name like that," Mrs. Longworth declared as she took him into her arms.
"Yes, he will," Avery answered quickly with pride showing in his eyes as he looked onto his family.
I think that was when it hit me that we were a real family. Possibly we would have more babies and have a family like my own family. Brothers and sisters for Benjamin. We have a big house with the two of us, it didn't seem important to get the rest of it decorated and set up. Now I will need the bedrooms ready for the babies I will have. The children we will raise. Our family.
Later that night after the Longworths had left, I sat in the kitchen having some tea, when Avery came in. He looked at me and said, "Rachel, you have made me a proud man. I...."
I interrupted him, "Avery, you don't have to tell me this. I know you are pleased with me and the baby."
"Listen to what I want to say first. Rachel, when you came into my life, it changed. Before our wedding I worked all the time. I was hardly here. Always working and trying to make some money. Trying to build this house and the freight team. I was so busy I didn't have time to enjoy life. You know what I mean?"
I nodded. I wanted to hear what he had to say so I thought I'd just stay quiet till he was done. He went on, "I knew I needed a wife to live here with me. To raise children. To be a family. But I didn't really know or think about what it meant."
"And that's when I came into the picture," I smiled at him.
He nodded and went on, "Yes, but I didn't know when I decided I wanted to marry you what kind of a person you were or anything like that. I chose you because of your parents and thought they would have raised a girl to be a good wife. A wife who could cook and have babies and take care of a house. But I found you were much more than all that."
"Thank you for that. It means a lot to me Avery to know how you feel about me." I started to get up to clear the cups off the table.He grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Not so fast, Mrs. Longworth! I am saying something and I want to get it out while I can. I can't always say things like this to you. I love you. I love you dearly. You and that baby in there are the most important things in my life now. Nothing will ever come before you. Everything I do from now on is for you and him. Do you understand?" then he pulled me closer to him into his arms.
"Oh Avery, you know how much I love you. I love you and everything about you. You are my world and now Benjamin is in that world too." I reached up and kissed him. Life couldn't get much better than this.
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016
Updated 2016
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