Status: OneShot
The Turtle Dove
The Turtle Dove
”Welcome home honey, how was your flight? We were all so worried for you.” Mom opened the door and gave me a hug.
“Hi Mom, I’m so glad to be home, the flight was fine, just a long wait for it.” When she let me go I put down my bag inside and closed the door.
“Let me take a good look at you, it’s been so long since last time you visited.” Mom took a step back to get a better look, and I felt stupid just standing there.
“Mom, you can look at me later, now there’s someone I need to see, where is she?” It was good to see Mom, but since I’d gotten the news, all my thoughts were with Lorinne.
“I know, I just wanted to have a moment with you first, she’s upstairs, and she is waiting for you.” She smiled and pointed towards the stairs.
I threw my jacket on the railing and ran up the stairs. The door to her room was wide open and I could hear small cries from the new little person in there. “Lorinne?” I carefully knocked on the doorframe before I entered the room.
She sat in an armchair by the window holding the little creature. “Welcome home.” Lorinne looked up and gave me a smile. The smile was filled with all the joy I felt in this moment, she was alright and the baby was alive and well.
Lorinne carefully stood up and I walked up to her. I gave her a careful kiss on the cheek and looked down at the baby. “Is it a...”
“It’s a boy.” She finished my sentence as I looked up.
“Just what I was hoping for, our family truly needs another man in it. I’m starting to feel lonely.” Lorinne let out a small laugh.
I was the only male in our family after our father died five years ago. I have two elder sisters; both living out of the country and Lorinne is the youngest of us. I’d move out of town to study, but Lorinne stayed at home with our Mom.
“Say hello to Conrad, the newest member of the family.” The baby moved in his mother’s arms at the sound of his name, a name I was quite familiar with. It had been our fathers’ as well.
“A fitting name for the next generation.” Lorinne took a step closer and carefully leaned the baby towards me. “Are you sure?” I asked carefully as I held out my arms.
“You’re the uncle, so you better get used to the feeling. We’re not going anywhere brother dearest.”
“You know it’s the fourth time I’ve become an uncle now. I’ve been an uncle for almost six years already.” My oldest sister Ingrid had two kids and my other sister Sarah had her first two years ago. Now Lorinne had a son. Times like these made me feel alone. I had a wonderful family, but they also had one of their own. Ingrid had her family and Sarah had hers. Even Mom had found someone to share her days with. Edward had been one of my fathers’ business associates and a good friend to the family for years. He was a good man and I was glad Mom had someone to share her life with.
The baby felt so light when I held him in my arms. Conrad was sound asleep and did not budge as his mothers embrace changed to mine. His right hand gripped a piece of my shirt.
“He has a firm grip already; I think we might have an athlete in the family now.” I lowered my left hand to his, and his right hand gripped my forefinger.
“You would like that, wouldn’t you? You could be his little league coach or track trainer. Maybe a swim coach?” Lorinne was making fun of me, because I wasn’t an athlete myself.
“Ha ha ha. It’s just nice not to be the only male anymore. I think I’ll sit down with Mr. Conrad here and Edward, and we’ll drink some scotch and smoke cigars and talk about manly things.
“Sounds like a perfect way for this little creature to begin his days.” For a few moments I just stood still, looking at the boy. “You look good with him in your arms. Adam, don’t you think it’s time you start to think more long-term?”
I knew this was something she would bring up; because it was something I would hear from someone in my family all the time. They would ask if I had a girlfriend, or discuss my readiness to become a dad or a husband.
“Lorinne…”
“Just listen… When Bradley left I thought I wouldn’t survive by myself, and it took me almost nine months to realize that I could do this, because I have my family to lean on.”
“But I have all of you to lean on too, isn’t that enough?”
“Love to your family is the most important thing, but there is another kind of love… I got to experience it, even if it was for just a short time. You deserve that too.” Lorinne had a sad expression on her face, and I felt bad. Bradley, the father of her child, had left Lorinne when he found out she was pregnant.
My mind fixated for a second on Penny. It had been two days since she left, and I still didn’t know what to think or feel. Her appearance in my life had been so sudden, and she had left just as quickly. The circumstances for our meeting had been impossible, we were from different worlds and she had just lost her brother.
“Adam… So there is someone?” She was smiling when I looked up at her.
“Not really.”
“Adam, I’m your sister and I know when you’re lying, so spit it out.” I handed the baby back to her to focus my thoughts.
“It’s not that easy. We met under difficult conditions, and I fear it’s hopeless.” It was more difficult than I anticipated thinking about Penny. I thought it was just a brief encounter, but now I wasn’t sure anymore.
“What’s her name?” Lorinne’s voice was soft, like her entire being had become softer after giving birth to her son.
“Penny.”
…
Later that evening when Lorinne had put Conrad to sleep, we all gathered in the living room. Edward had set a fire in the large fire place, and the cold from outside fell away as the warmth from the fireplace spread.
Edward handed me a glass of scotch and a glass of wine to my mother. Lorinne just had some water.
“We’re having a big family gathering this Christmas at my brother’s house. It has been planned for a few years now, but there’s been a lot of sorrow, and every time a family gathering has felt impossible. Even now, only a few days ago my sister called me to give the terrible news that her son passed away.”
“I’m so sorry…” I was about to get up, but Edward waved his hand and I sat back down.
“Families suffer, and as big as ours is there is bound to happen something sometime. We had a long conversation my sister and me, and we both came to the conclusion that this is the year we’ll all gather together.” Edward took a sip of his drink.
“How many are we talking about?” Lorinne spoke up for the first time since we sat down.
“Well it would be the four of us, and Conrad of course. My sister has a smaller family; it’s just her and her husband and their daughter now. Then my older brother has four children and they’re all bringing a plus one, so they’ll be ten all together. My younger brother will bring his wife and two children, so we’ll be a few.” Edward smiled and sat down next to Mom in the couch opposite the one I and Lorinne were sitting in.
“Your brother must have a huge house.” Lorinne smiled.
“My father had a thriving family business, which my older brother and I took over after our father passed away, and well you can probably tell that we aren’t starving. My brother’s house is actually bigger. The house he lives in is our parents’ house, but he moved in there with his family to be closer to our mother, so that she wouldn’t have to live there alone. You will meet her too, the family patriarch nowadays.”
“It’s decided then…this year Christmas is all about family and four generations of people from different places in the country.” Mom raised her glass, and we made a toast to family.
“How far is it to your brother’s house?” I wasn’t looking forward to more travel after being stuck for six days.
“It’s a couple of hours away, so the car ride won’t be too terrible. And we’ll be able to catch up during the trip, the rest of us haven’t seen you in a couple of months when you’ve been so busy studying.” Mom smiled and her words made me feel a bit guilty. I should have made it home almost a month before, but I had a few exams I had to retake, so I was delayed. I felt bad, because I’d missed my sister giving birth to her son.
“I’m sorry, but know that I’m done with all work relating to my studies, I’ll get my diploma in no time, as soon as I’ve passed those last few exams.”
“We’re all proud of you brother dearest… you’ll be the one to continue the family business one day.” Lorinne gave me a light shove and laughed.
“Then I’ll be the boss of all of you, know that.”
They all just laughed.
We stayed in the family room a couple of hours as I told my family about the adventures I’d faced during the days I was stuck at the airport and my apartment. I didn’t mention Penny, because I saw no reason in telling about another failed attempt from my side. I was sure Lorinne would ask about it later.
As the clock closed in on midnight my mom and Edward excused themselves and went to bed. Lorinne and I stayed behind and she told me about everything I’d missed the two months we’d been apart. She told me about the birth and her first week with her son. I was so happy for her.
…
Two days later the car was packed, with what seemed to all be related to the baby and his needs, and with me, Lorinne and Conrad in the backseat and mom and Edward up front. It had been snowing the day before, but the driving conditions seemed good.
Edward pulled out of the driveway and we were on our way. Mom drilled me about those last exams that had forced me to stay behind and she wondered why it had taken me so long to finish them. It took me probably half the ride to go through everything related to my studies, until Lorinne had enough and started talking about the presents we had in the trunk.
Mom had been busy shopping the weeks leading up to the birth and she was sure she’d gotten something for everybody. She’d even gotten a few extras in case there were surprise guests. I didn’t know how that would be possible since Edward was a man dedicated to the details in life. So to have a family gathering where Edward wasn’t totally on the situation seemed impossible. But it was dear of Mom to be absolutely sure.
When we finally arrived at the Montgomery residence three hours after we set out I was glad to be out of the car. I guess my body still wasn’t over the amount of sitting I’d done while waiting for the hurricane to pass. I took a few steps and stretched my aching limbs. Lorinne stepped out as well, with the baby chair in her hands. Conrad had slept the entire journey.
Edward started for the house together with Mom. That’s when I took my first good look at the house, or should I call manor. The place was huge; no wonder over twenty people would spend the entire holiday at this place. Lorinne counted over a hundred windows and from the main building I could tell there were both a left and a right wing.
“I call for the entire right wing; you all know how much space I need.” I could hear Mom laughing at my statement.
“Come on kids, you have some people to meet.” There was already four cars next to our, I guess all the others were here already. I looked over the huge yard filled with probably a hundred different plant species, and it was already getting darker outside. I looked at my watch; twenty to six.
We were met by Edward’s older brother Raymond. I could tell he was the oldest of the siblings, because he had this aura of wisdom around him. He was tall and sturdy, his hair completely gray and his eyes just as piercing blue as Edward possessed.
The staff at the manor carried in all our belongings, but I made a quick trip to the car to get Lorinne’s bag, because she had some things she needed in it. The rest of the family gathered in the common room. Edward’s younger brother and his family were already here, but his sister’s family hadn’t arrived yet, but I could see a car approaching as I closed the door to our car.
I got inside and handed Lorinne her bag as the doorbell rang. Raymond was about to get up, but I had him sit back down as I was already up.
“I’ll get it.”
I moved to the door and slowly opened it, I wouldn’t know what Edward’s sister looked like as I’d never met her before, but maybe she would look like her brothers.
The person that stood by the door was definitely not Edward’s sister, so I guess it was his niece. She had her back to me as it seemed she was talking to her mother. Her voice sounded familiar and as she turned to meet me I was surprised.
I knew this girl; I’d after all spent almost a week in her presence.
“Penny?”
“Hi Mom, I’m so glad to be home, the flight was fine, just a long wait for it.” When she let me go I put down my bag inside and closed the door.
“Let me take a good look at you, it’s been so long since last time you visited.” Mom took a step back to get a better look, and I felt stupid just standing there.
“Mom, you can look at me later, now there’s someone I need to see, where is she?” It was good to see Mom, but since I’d gotten the news, all my thoughts were with Lorinne.
“I know, I just wanted to have a moment with you first, she’s upstairs, and she is waiting for you.” She smiled and pointed towards the stairs.
I threw my jacket on the railing and ran up the stairs. The door to her room was wide open and I could hear small cries from the new little person in there. “Lorinne?” I carefully knocked on the doorframe before I entered the room.
She sat in an armchair by the window holding the little creature. “Welcome home.” Lorinne looked up and gave me a smile. The smile was filled with all the joy I felt in this moment, she was alright and the baby was alive and well.
Lorinne carefully stood up and I walked up to her. I gave her a careful kiss on the cheek and looked down at the baby. “Is it a...”
“It’s a boy.” She finished my sentence as I looked up.
“Just what I was hoping for, our family truly needs another man in it. I’m starting to feel lonely.” Lorinne let out a small laugh.
I was the only male in our family after our father died five years ago. I have two elder sisters; both living out of the country and Lorinne is the youngest of us. I’d move out of town to study, but Lorinne stayed at home with our Mom.
“Say hello to Conrad, the newest member of the family.” The baby moved in his mother’s arms at the sound of his name, a name I was quite familiar with. It had been our fathers’ as well.
“A fitting name for the next generation.” Lorinne took a step closer and carefully leaned the baby towards me. “Are you sure?” I asked carefully as I held out my arms.
“You’re the uncle, so you better get used to the feeling. We’re not going anywhere brother dearest.”
“You know it’s the fourth time I’ve become an uncle now. I’ve been an uncle for almost six years already.” My oldest sister Ingrid had two kids and my other sister Sarah had her first two years ago. Now Lorinne had a son. Times like these made me feel alone. I had a wonderful family, but they also had one of their own. Ingrid had her family and Sarah had hers. Even Mom had found someone to share her days with. Edward had been one of my fathers’ business associates and a good friend to the family for years. He was a good man and I was glad Mom had someone to share her life with.
The baby felt so light when I held him in my arms. Conrad was sound asleep and did not budge as his mothers embrace changed to mine. His right hand gripped a piece of my shirt.
“He has a firm grip already; I think we might have an athlete in the family now.” I lowered my left hand to his, and his right hand gripped my forefinger.
“You would like that, wouldn’t you? You could be his little league coach or track trainer. Maybe a swim coach?” Lorinne was making fun of me, because I wasn’t an athlete myself.
“Ha ha ha. It’s just nice not to be the only male anymore. I think I’ll sit down with Mr. Conrad here and Edward, and we’ll drink some scotch and smoke cigars and talk about manly things.
“Sounds like a perfect way for this little creature to begin his days.” For a few moments I just stood still, looking at the boy. “You look good with him in your arms. Adam, don’t you think it’s time you start to think more long-term?”
I knew this was something she would bring up; because it was something I would hear from someone in my family all the time. They would ask if I had a girlfriend, or discuss my readiness to become a dad or a husband.
“Lorinne…”
“Just listen… When Bradley left I thought I wouldn’t survive by myself, and it took me almost nine months to realize that I could do this, because I have my family to lean on.”
“But I have all of you to lean on too, isn’t that enough?”
“Love to your family is the most important thing, but there is another kind of love… I got to experience it, even if it was for just a short time. You deserve that too.” Lorinne had a sad expression on her face, and I felt bad. Bradley, the father of her child, had left Lorinne when he found out she was pregnant.
My mind fixated for a second on Penny. It had been two days since she left, and I still didn’t know what to think or feel. Her appearance in my life had been so sudden, and she had left just as quickly. The circumstances for our meeting had been impossible, we were from different worlds and she had just lost her brother.
“Adam… So there is someone?” She was smiling when I looked up at her.
“Not really.”
“Adam, I’m your sister and I know when you’re lying, so spit it out.” I handed the baby back to her to focus my thoughts.
“It’s not that easy. We met under difficult conditions, and I fear it’s hopeless.” It was more difficult than I anticipated thinking about Penny. I thought it was just a brief encounter, but now I wasn’t sure anymore.
“What’s her name?” Lorinne’s voice was soft, like her entire being had become softer after giving birth to her son.
“Penny.”
…
Later that evening when Lorinne had put Conrad to sleep, we all gathered in the living room. Edward had set a fire in the large fire place, and the cold from outside fell away as the warmth from the fireplace spread.
Edward handed me a glass of scotch and a glass of wine to my mother. Lorinne just had some water.
“We’re having a big family gathering this Christmas at my brother’s house. It has been planned for a few years now, but there’s been a lot of sorrow, and every time a family gathering has felt impossible. Even now, only a few days ago my sister called me to give the terrible news that her son passed away.”
“I’m so sorry…” I was about to get up, but Edward waved his hand and I sat back down.
“Families suffer, and as big as ours is there is bound to happen something sometime. We had a long conversation my sister and me, and we both came to the conclusion that this is the year we’ll all gather together.” Edward took a sip of his drink.
“How many are we talking about?” Lorinne spoke up for the first time since we sat down.
“Well it would be the four of us, and Conrad of course. My sister has a smaller family; it’s just her and her husband and their daughter now. Then my older brother has four children and they’re all bringing a plus one, so they’ll be ten all together. My younger brother will bring his wife and two children, so we’ll be a few.” Edward smiled and sat down next to Mom in the couch opposite the one I and Lorinne were sitting in.
“Your brother must have a huge house.” Lorinne smiled.
“My father had a thriving family business, which my older brother and I took over after our father passed away, and well you can probably tell that we aren’t starving. My brother’s house is actually bigger. The house he lives in is our parents’ house, but he moved in there with his family to be closer to our mother, so that she wouldn’t have to live there alone. You will meet her too, the family patriarch nowadays.”
“It’s decided then…this year Christmas is all about family and four generations of people from different places in the country.” Mom raised her glass, and we made a toast to family.
“How far is it to your brother’s house?” I wasn’t looking forward to more travel after being stuck for six days.
“It’s a couple of hours away, so the car ride won’t be too terrible. And we’ll be able to catch up during the trip, the rest of us haven’t seen you in a couple of months when you’ve been so busy studying.” Mom smiled and her words made me feel a bit guilty. I should have made it home almost a month before, but I had a few exams I had to retake, so I was delayed. I felt bad, because I’d missed my sister giving birth to her son.
“I’m sorry, but know that I’m done with all work relating to my studies, I’ll get my diploma in no time, as soon as I’ve passed those last few exams.”
“We’re all proud of you brother dearest… you’ll be the one to continue the family business one day.” Lorinne gave me a light shove and laughed.
“Then I’ll be the boss of all of you, know that.”
They all just laughed.
We stayed in the family room a couple of hours as I told my family about the adventures I’d faced during the days I was stuck at the airport and my apartment. I didn’t mention Penny, because I saw no reason in telling about another failed attempt from my side. I was sure Lorinne would ask about it later.
As the clock closed in on midnight my mom and Edward excused themselves and went to bed. Lorinne and I stayed behind and she told me about everything I’d missed the two months we’d been apart. She told me about the birth and her first week with her son. I was so happy for her.
…
Two days later the car was packed, with what seemed to all be related to the baby and his needs, and with me, Lorinne and Conrad in the backseat and mom and Edward up front. It had been snowing the day before, but the driving conditions seemed good.
Edward pulled out of the driveway and we were on our way. Mom drilled me about those last exams that had forced me to stay behind and she wondered why it had taken me so long to finish them. It took me probably half the ride to go through everything related to my studies, until Lorinne had enough and started talking about the presents we had in the trunk.
Mom had been busy shopping the weeks leading up to the birth and she was sure she’d gotten something for everybody. She’d even gotten a few extras in case there were surprise guests. I didn’t know how that would be possible since Edward was a man dedicated to the details in life. So to have a family gathering where Edward wasn’t totally on the situation seemed impossible. But it was dear of Mom to be absolutely sure.
When we finally arrived at the Montgomery residence three hours after we set out I was glad to be out of the car. I guess my body still wasn’t over the amount of sitting I’d done while waiting for the hurricane to pass. I took a few steps and stretched my aching limbs. Lorinne stepped out as well, with the baby chair in her hands. Conrad had slept the entire journey.
Edward started for the house together with Mom. That’s when I took my first good look at the house, or should I call manor. The place was huge; no wonder over twenty people would spend the entire holiday at this place. Lorinne counted over a hundred windows and from the main building I could tell there were both a left and a right wing.
“I call for the entire right wing; you all know how much space I need.” I could hear Mom laughing at my statement.
“Come on kids, you have some people to meet.” There was already four cars next to our, I guess all the others were here already. I looked over the huge yard filled with probably a hundred different plant species, and it was already getting darker outside. I looked at my watch; twenty to six.
We were met by Edward’s older brother Raymond. I could tell he was the oldest of the siblings, because he had this aura of wisdom around him. He was tall and sturdy, his hair completely gray and his eyes just as piercing blue as Edward possessed.
The staff at the manor carried in all our belongings, but I made a quick trip to the car to get Lorinne’s bag, because she had some things she needed in it. The rest of the family gathered in the common room. Edward’s younger brother and his family were already here, but his sister’s family hadn’t arrived yet, but I could see a car approaching as I closed the door to our car.
I got inside and handed Lorinne her bag as the doorbell rang. Raymond was about to get up, but I had him sit back down as I was already up.
“I’ll get it.”
I moved to the door and slowly opened it, I wouldn’t know what Edward’s sister looked like as I’d never met her before, but maybe she would look like her brothers.
The person that stood by the door was definitely not Edward’s sister, so I guess it was his niece. She had her back to me as it seemed she was talking to her mother. Her voice sounded familiar and as she turned to meet me I was surprised.
I knew this girl; I’d after all spent almost a week in her presence.
“Penny?”