Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program Big Valley are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the authors. The ideas expressed in this story are copywrited by the author.

 

 

 

The Morning After-nicole g esq

 

Audra awoke, blinking her eyes slowly, her body rebelling as she stretched, sore from the night before.  As she glanced at William lying next to her, a satisfied smile crossed her lips.

 

Her entire world had turned upside down in twenty-four hours.  Dressing for the hastily prepared wedding, she had smoothed her dress admiring the way the silk and lace was cut for her figure.  Seeing her brothers in the hall, dressed in their striking suits, Nick commented on her relative calm compared to the whirlwind of activity which had possessed the house for the last two weeks and Jarrod told her she looked “positively radiant.”

 

But this morning, lying in what had been her marital bed for the night, her thoughts were quickly taken back to the night before, when she had lain there with William and all that led up to that moment.  Victoria had tried to prepare her daughter for it but nothing she said came close to the way her body felt, the way her mind and soul exploded with love.  As Audra looked down at William lying next to her, the perfect vision of contented sleep, she longed to reach out and touch the golden curls, last night plastered wet on his head, and she smiled at the rosy cheeks, his face no longer red from the work of the night just past.  How her hand wanted to stroke the smooth body, but she dared not, lest she wake him and disturb the perfect moment.

 

She thought back to the previous night, her mind struggling to recall all that happened.  Already the moment of pain when her tissue tore becoming a blur, recalling only the exhileration that followed, and, as she lay on the bed, the sun’s beams brightening the room, she felt her body react as she stared down at her prince.

 

Watching him sleep, she knew without a doubt that she would love him forever, do anything for him and she could not imagine spending even a moment apart.  Not able to tear her eyes away from the features she already knew so well, she studied them anew, taking in every detail, the light lashes lying against his cheeks, the turn of the pink mouth.  Shaking her head, unable to contain the giggle, she thought of him last night, his mouth pressed against her body.  Once again, there had been a moment when she grimaced, surprised by the force with which he sucked so greedily, desperate for all she had to offer, but remembering her mother’s wise words, she had remained calm and, taking a deep breath, allowed her body to react as it wanted, letting William take the lead as she stroked the back of his head.

 

Feeling her husband shift on her bed, she looked past William to Michael, still fully clothed with the exception of his boots.  Late into the night, when Michael claimed to be tired, she had challenged him, insisting she and William had done all the work.  He had smiled at her, the love for his wife and their new son shining in his eyes, watching the two of them cuddle until all three were fast asleep.

 

Now, as he rolled to face her, she stared at father and son, comparing the two, her husband waking and smiling at his wife and son once again, until there was a knock on the door and it opened just a fraction.  “Come in,” Michael called out softly, keeping his voice gentle, watching as the door opened and a brother’s head appeared around the side.

 

“Heath?  You’re supposed to be on your honeymoon,” Audra whispered fiercely.

 

“Our train’s not leaving for a couple of hours and Becky said she couldn’t leave without seeing Billy one more time.”

 

“His name is William, not Billy, and isn’t he an absolute angel?!”  Audra looked down at her son, then back up at her brother and his new wife as they neared the bed.  “I’m sorry for all the fuss and bother yesterday.”

 

Michael having stood to stretch, Heath crouched down at the side of the bed and reached out to pat his nephew tenderly, “Way I figure it, he just wanted to be sure he didn’t miss all the festivities.  One thing’s for sure, won’t be hard to remember his birthday.”  They all shared a soft laugh but quieted quickly as the babe began to stir.  Immediately upon waking, still uncertain of his new surroundings, William’s deep blue eyes began to blink in the bright light of day, the gentle stretching of his body evident through the blanket which swaddled him.

 

Heath watched as his sister’s eyes sparkled brighter than he had ever seen them and, completely absorbed in this new bundle of life, she reached down and confidently picked up her son, cradling him in her arms, cooing tenderly.  He smiled as he thought of Audra yesterday, worried about her dress, her hair, her vanity still a priority.  As he watched her with her son, worried about his needs, his cares, he found himself chuckling, amused how on his wedding night, his sister had become a woman.