Chapter 8

By the time Elsie had returned, Charles was already sound asleep with little Charles snuggled close against his chest. She was quiet as she tiptoed across the room, sat down on the bed, and slipped under the cool bedsheets. Little Charles sighed in his sleep as she moved closer to him.

Elsie felt her body relax as she watched the gentle rise and fall of father and son's chests as they slept peacefully beside her. She felt the drag of sleep on her eyelids, and just as her eyes fluttered closed, she felt movement in the bed. She opened her eyes to Charles' warm, sleepy smile as he propped up on his elbow.

"We missed you," he whispered.

Elsie laughed softly at his drowsy confession. She held her breath as he reached over and took her hand within his own. She flashed a grin as she squeezed his hand nervously but affectionately. The brightness that shined in his eyes thrilled her yet terrified her all the same. She now felt so torn toward him in everything; it was a constant, heavy burden, and she wondered if she would ever feel comfortable enough to fully trust him again. Charles saw the discomfort in her eyes and removed his hand from hers. Elsie felt her body relax somewhat as he did so, and she hated herself for it.

The baby sighed in his sleep once more, and Charles responded by pulling him closer in his arms and kissing him softly on the forehead.

"I love you," Elsie heard Charles whisper to their son.

She felt a tug at her heart as she remembered the way those words sounded when he had spoken them to her so long ago. She could even still recall the way those very words tasted on her tongue when she had spoken them back to him; now she seemed to only say them in the fleeting sweetness of her dreams. How she longed to taste those delicious, filling words once more...

"Why did you name him after me... after all that happened between us?" he asked quietly. "I'm honored."

He added the last two words as almost an afterthought as a glint of fresh tears welled in his eyes. Elsie took a deep breath but did not release it right away and she moved so that she was lying on her back. Exhaling slowly, she stared blankly up at the ceiling. She knew he was going to ask sooner or later.

"I wanted our son to always feel connected to his father even if he wouldn't be near him," she replied in a small voice. "I wanted to always feel as though a small part of you were still around..."

"Did you ever regret it?" Charles asked after a moment.

Elsie turned her head toward him so that their eyes met.

"Never."

A few moments of silence rang between them. It was Charles who broke the quiet tension.

"I've been thinking that perhaps the three of us could go on a picnic tomorrow, if you'd like," he said sleepily.

A small smile spread onto Elsie's lovely lips.

"I would like that very much," she replied.

"I look forward to it," he said, his voice lower now than before.

She watched as his eyelashes fluttered until his eyes finally shut and his breathing slowed and steadied to match the baby's. Elsie, however, felt anything but tired as her mind raced with thoughts and her chest stirred with conflicting feelings. She thought about tomorrow's picnic with honest pleasant anticipation, but on the other hand, as there was always another side of her thoughts, she wondered if Charles would want to sleep this way during the night as well. This latter thought was particularly poignant, as if it were so, it would most certainly be a very long and troublesome night...

To be continued