Chapter 42

I was there. Lana was there. And so were Owen and Abigail and Mortimer. The door swung open and a white clad lady with a stethoscope looped around her neck came smiling up to the soon to be proud poppa.

“Doctor?” said Mort.

“It’s a boy. Mom and our new young man are doing fine. You’ll be able to go in shortly. The nurses are in charge for next little bit.

Everybody was talking at once to everybody else. Well, except Mortimer. He was talking to himself. He was kind of funny I thought. I went over to him.

“Well, Dad, this is a big day for you, and for the rest of us too when one gets right down to it,” I said. He was nodding. I think he was short of breath. I wasn’t sure, but he looked faint to me.

“Mort, are you okay?” I said.

“Yes, yes, just excited I guess. I need to get some air. Would it be all right if I got some air?” he said.

“Sure, sure,” I said. Owen had joined me just as the man asked about getting a breath of air. The two of us walked him out on the semi-veranda that the little waiting room afforded.

We sat him down on the only bench. He seemed to revive if that would have been the right word.

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s just that everything ... I guess I’m just a pussy like my wife is always happy to assure me.”

Hmm, I wondered at that. So Mia was becoming an alpha. I was glad it was Mort and not me that had to deal with her.

A nurse came out to see if we wanted to see the baby—like that was a serious question. We did and we would but first it would be Mort who got to see his son for the first time.

We were back inside and Mort had disappeared into the inner sanctum of the place to see his wife and baby.

It was maybe fifteen minutes later; I didn’t have a watch, before he came out and motioned us to come in. We all crowded in around the bed. Momma was holding him. He sure was pretty.

“Everyone,” said Mia, “Meet Sam Glass.” I’d heard her, but hadn’t heard her. I couldn’t have heard her. Ronald had named his dog for me and now Mia had named her son for me. I was speechless. Everyone began congratulating me. Well everyone except Abigail who was standing back a bit. She was smiling, but not too grandly.

“I’m honored,” I finally said, finding my voice. And I was.

“Dad, Mort and I wanted to do this for you. It’s a beautiful name of a beautiful man and my Dad,” she said.

Owen congratulated me specifically and I think sincerely. I think that meant as much to me as Mia having named the baby after me.

“Thanks,” I said. “And thank you Mia and Mort. It is truly an honor for me.”

It was only a bit later that the nurses shooed us out to allow momma and baby to get some rest. Even Mort had to take a breather.

“He should have been named after you,” said Abigail. “You’re the one that’s been there for her from day one in every meaningful way.”

“Abigail, it is little enough that the man gets that bit of recognition from his daughter. Don’t even think of making anything negative out of it. She felt she needed to honor him, and frankly so do I. The man deserves to have something to brag about and now he does. Something tangible that he can point to that tells the world that his daughter really does love him. There’s been little enough of that coming his way to this point. Okay?” he said.

“I guess, honey. I guess you’re right. You usually are. I just wish that ... well, never mind,” she said.

“Hmm, I won’t and neither will you. I insist. Now, maybe we can get on with being a family without the rancor and drama of the past. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said.

It was a couple of days before I was able to hold my grandson and bask in my new found glory. It might turn out to be a chimera when all was said and done, but for this moment in time, I was on top of the world.

The mom and baby had come home in two days not the usual one. That was a benefit of having a powerful father like Owen. The good thing in that was that Owen did seem genuinely glad that I had gotten my name honored before he did. I kinda found myself trying to make him feel good, or at least less neglected, after the fact. He seemed to appreciate my efforts in those respects, Abigail not so much. That bothered me. It was like so long as I didn’t demand too much and knew my place, all would be fine. But if I got to being too uppity well she was ready to put me back in my place and that without a whole lot of ceremony or handwringing.

In order to avoid any conflict, I just stayed out of her way for the while. Lana on the other hand was at pains to make herself popular with just about everybody who ventured within her space. And, she was succeeding, in making herself popular that is. Everyone seemed to love her. It was getting to the point where I was going to be complaining about being neglected!

And then Sarah, my other daughter, threw a monkey wrench into the whole schemoigen; she got herself pregnant too! Talk about situations.

“Sarah’s having a girl,” said Abigail.

“Yes, I heard,” said Owen. “And... ?”

“No, nothing,” she said. “It’s just, well something. I mean it’s wonderful.”

“Hmm, yes nothing, something, wonderful. I don’t think she’s going to name her Sam,” he said.

“Maybe Samantha?” said Abigail, and she said it as though she were, not so much sarcastic as serious.

Owen turned to look at his wife. “Really?” he said. “You’re going to continue this nonsense?”

“No, no, I was only kidding. No I don’t really think Sarah will name her baby girl Samantha,” she said.