AUTHORS NOTE: This is an alternate Reality story, because of what I�m about to do, but don�t let that turn you away its going to be fun I promise
SUMMARY: The O�Connell clan is going to get a little bit bigger.
RATED: PG-13
Mixed Blessings
Chapter 1: Trials Of Life
Mornings were Rick�s least favorite part of the day. He had enjoyed them when he and Evelyn were first married, happy to wake up and make love to her before the day began. For the past fourteen months morning for both of them began at 6am. Their son never slept any later than that, despite their efforts to get him to go back to sleep. Now in the bathroom as he lathered his face for a shave, Evelyn walked in with Alex.
�Hey buddy,� Rick said as he tried to kiss him.
Before his daddy could touch him, Alex turned his head against Evie�s neck, wrapping his left arm around her. He usually woke up with a smile on his face, but not today, and Rick had a feeling it was going to be a long day.
While Rick started to shave, Evelyn sat down on the edge of the bath tub and put the plug in the drain, then turned on the hot and cold water to let the tub fill for Alex�s bath. In their room she removed his fuzzy yellow sleeper while he rubbed his eyes, then leaned down and nibbled his belly getting laughter from him.
Alex took that opportunity to reach out and grab two fists full of her hair and screech, as did his mother.
�Rick help,� she called out, wishing she would have thought before nibbling his belly.
Quickly Rick stepped out of the bathroom and found his wife somewhat stuck. �He got you,� Rick said as he chuckled then yelped when her left foot shot out and kicked him against his shin. �Okay I won�t tease you in the morning,� he said as he gently pried Alex�s hands lose.
�Will you bathe him while I get ready for the museum?� she asked as she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him fully on his lips before heading for the closet.
It was obvious that she wasn�t really going to give him a choice, and once Alex�s nappy was off, Rick picked him up and immediately got soaked. �Thanks pal,� he said as he held Alex slightly away from his wet briefs.
In response, Alex laughed reaching out to grasp his daddy�s nose.
~*~
Breakfast was not much better than bath time. Alex was learning to feed himself, and most of the time the food missed his mouth and ended up on the front of his bib, or on the floor. This morning, he had made a game of taking a bite of egg, chewing it up and spitting it back onto his plate, while his mum read the morning paper, and his dad finished making another batch of eggs.
Evelyn happened to look up from the paper at that time and found her son making a mess. �Oh Alex no no baby,� she said as she stood up and walked to his highchair. �Those eggs are yummy.� To prove her point, Evelyn took a bite of eggs, even though she had finished a whole plate of her own. �Yummy,� she said as she spooned a small bite into his mouth.
Alex quickly chewed that up and opened his mouth for another bite, so Evelyn scooted a chair in front of him, and began to feed him, deciding it would be less of a mess for Rick to clean.
Today was Marie�s day off, and since Evie was spending a half day at the museum, Rick would be caring for Alex on his own.
When he walked over to the table, Rick noticed Evelyn feeding their son, but opted not to say anything. The last time he had, she had gotten quite upset with him, and he wanted the rest of the day to go by without any arguments.
After eating most of the eggs on his plate, Alex turned his head away from the spoon, which translated into �I�m finished now.� He held still while his mum wiped his hands and face and once he was on the floor he toddled over to the cabinets and opened one of the doors pulling out a pan, which made a loud crash as it hit the floor. The loud noise startled him, and Alex very quickly began to cry bringing both parents to his side.
Evelyn looked at his hands and toes relieved to find that he was unharmed. She sat down, gently rocking him as he continued to cry. �There there, you just had a fright,� she crooned as she rubbed his back.
Rick knelt behind them putting his hand on her shoulder. Why don�t you call the museum and tell them your taking some family time. It�s supposed to be a nice day, and I thought we could all go to the park,� he said.
�I think I will do that,� she said once Alex had climbed out of her arms ready to go find more trouble.
~*~
It was a warm breezy spring day, and once Rick had helped Evelyn spread out the quilt she had brought with them, he knelt down and let her take Alex out of the carrier he wore on his back.
As soon as he was on his feet, Alex tried to run off, but Evelyn had ahold of his hand and stopped his efforts. �Wait for me and your father,� she said.
Once Rick was ready she let Alex go, taking instead her husband�s hand, smiling as Alex ran ahead of them. �I�m glad you suggested this,� she said.
He was about to agree with her, when a few feet ahead of them Alex stumbled, falling face first on the hard dirt ground. Rick let go of Evelyn�s hand and got to him as he started to scream. Blood was flowing out of his nose, and Rick quickly took out his handkerchief holding it there despite Alex�s screams.
He let Evelyn take him, and as always he was amazed at how easily she was able to calm him. It didn�t take long to stop his nose from bleeding, and once Alex was feeling better he was on his way, making fast tracks for the small fish pond, to look at the ducks.
�You need to show me how you do that,� Rick said as they walked after him.
�I don�t think it�s a matter of showing you how,� she replied. Whenever Alex was hurt, he wanted her to make him feel better, not letting Rick or Jonathan around during those times.
At the pond Rick knelt beside Alex helping him break off small pieces of bread to feed to the ducks which had flocked in front of them in the water. Behind them Evelyn pulled out her camera and snapped a few shots of them, before putting it back into her satchel.
�Mum mum,� Alex said as he turned around and started toward her. The lace on his left shoe had come undone and before either parent could react to catch him, Alex fell down sliding on the concrete. This time his knees and arms were skinned as well as his forehead and nose.
At their picnic spot, Evelyn managed to get his scrapes wiped off, but it was evident by his shrill cries that their day in the park was over. As a last resort she took out his bottle and was relieved when he started to drink it.
�Should we stay?� Rick asked as he stopped packing the picnic basket.
�No. He needs a rest, and I want to get him home and try and get these cleaned out a little better,� she said as she stood up, with Alex still cradled in her arms drinking from his bottle.
Once Rick had all their things gathered, they walked the short distance to the car, and once they were on their way, Alex fell asleep, needing a rest after the bumpy start to his day.
~*~
Quiet was a treasured time for Rick and Evelyn. After Alex had been put down for his nap, they settled down in the parlor eating the lunch they had originally packed for the park.
�I hope he�s not coming down with another cold,� Evelyn said as she finished off her sandwich.
Rick had barely started on his and lifted his brow when he realized she was finished. �You weren�t hungry were you?� he asked.
�Being a mum does that to one,� she said, leaning against his left side.
�And being a dad,� Rick agreed as he finished his sandwich in two more bites. After dusting the crumbs off his hands, onto his plate, and setting it aside, he placed both arms around his wife. �Why don�t I get Jonathan up and have him watch Alex while we go outside?� he asked. When he didn�t get a response he leaned foreword and found Evelyn had fallen asleep.
He smiled, and after a moment stood up gathering her in his arms. Quietly he walked upstairs to their room and there put her in their bed, wondering if both Evie and Alex were coming down with colds, hoping that they weren�t. His wife had never been a good patient, and when she was sick with something, that usually put Alex in a less than cheerful mood.
Not tired himself, Rick walked out of their room, and decided to check in on Alex. When he opened the door he found Alex sitting up in his crib holding a bear, whose nose he was chewing on. �You didn�t sleep very long,� Rick said as he walked to the crib, hoping that Alex wouldn�t wake Evelyn.
When he lifted Alex out of the crib, his son laid his cheek against his shoulder, pulling his arms between his chest and Rick�s. Alex allowed his father to rock him for a few minutes then lifted his head, and said one of the only words he could say. �Book book.�
From his book shelf, Rick pulled out The Ugly Duckling, and then sat down in the rocking chair. He settled Alex on his lap and opened the book, ready to read when Alex touched a picture.
�Thats a goose,� Rick said. Alex touched another picture, and for a few minutes Rick named the pictures he pointed to, then began the story. He read all of three pages before Alex�s head fell forward. Carefully Rick reached over placing the book on the small table they kept by the rocking chair, then he stood up cradling Alex against him as he walked the three steps to the crib.
Without so much as a peep, Rick put Alex in his crib, and covered him with a yellow blanket, then decided he would take a nap after all.
~*~
The first time Jonathan held Alex in his arms, it seemed that an instant friendship formed. Alex loved his uncle Jon, and after a three hour nap, he and his uncle were in the kitchen having a snack.
�Here comes another bite,� Jonathan said as he spooned another bite of cooked apples into Alex�s mouth. The next bite Alex turned his head on. �All right, lets wipe your hands and your face, then we will build a grand tower,� Jonathan said as he easily did that, mindful of his sore nose.
In the Parlor, Jonathan got the small box containing several building blocks from the bottom of one of the several book shelves in the parlor. Then he dumped them out on the floor. While Alex started to pick them up one at a time, carrying them over to the piano bench, Jonathan started to make a base for a tower. He knew he had to build fast and had made a pretty tall structure, when Alex ran over and kicked it, falling back on his bottom, laughing.
�I think you might have better luck if you push it with your hand,� Jonathan said as Alex got up.
�Whose making all of that noise?� Evelyn asked as she walked down the stairs, followed by her husband.
�Mum mum,� Alex called out as he ran to her.
Evelyn smiled and picked him up. �I didn�t hear him wake up,� she said as she carried him over to where her brother was putting blocks back into the box.
�I was in the guest room looking for that book father wrote,� Jonathan said. At her surprised look he defended himself. �I can read to you know, and I thought he wrote a book about the treasures of Hamunaptra,� he said.
Rick was sitting with Alex, playing with one of his wooden trucks, but looked up when Jonathan mentioned that name. �Lets not start another debate about the treasure,� he said.
Jonathan had been after Evelyn to sell off her share of the treasure since finding it all that time ago. She had simply refused, letting the Museum in Cairo keep most of it, and keeping a few pieces locked in the safe.
�I�m not starting anything,� he said, then left, to try and find the book, not wanting to hear Rick�s reason�s for not wanting Hamunaptra brought up.
Alex took the truck his father had been using, oblivious to the negative feeling in the room, and pushed both his red truck and his blue truck over to the chess table, crashing it against one of the legs. Some of the pieces shook and fell over.
�Alex, don�t do that,� Evelyn said as she knelt down and stopped him before he could crash his truck again.
�No no no,� he said trying to move her hand.
Instead of arguing with him, Evelyn carried him over to the Piano and sat down with him on her lap. She played a simple tune then let him play, or more bang his hands on the piano. �Be gentle,� she said as he hit the keys particularly hard.
After a few moments, Alex was ready to get down and play He spotted his father sitting on the couch reading the paper, and ran across the room. He reached up and hit the paper, laughing as Rick dropped it and lifted him up, then tossed him into the air.
�I think that long nap did some good,� Rick said as Evelyn came and sat down next to them. Alex was looking at the tattoo on Rick�s right arm, content for the moment.
�I do too,� She said as she once again rested her head against his left side.
Rick noticed that she had shut her eyes again and frowned. �Hey gorgeous, why don�t you go lay down again. I think Alex and I might go out and see the horses,� he said as Alex ran over to his trucks, once again banging them against the side of the chess table. To his surprise she agreed again, and after she had gone upstairs, he put Alex�s shoes on him, then took him outside, to enjoy the rest of the beautiful day.
~*~
Nights, after Alex had been put to bed, belonged to his parents. In their room the only light came from several candles on various dressers and tables. In the bathroom, more candles were lit, and in the tub, Rick sat with his back against one end of the tub, with his eyes shut. His heart had stopped racing and was returning to its normal rhythm, and in his arms, with her back now against his chest, Rick could feel Evelyn�s heart beat also slowing down. He realized then that the water was getting cold, and after a moment stood up, helping his wife to her feet.
Once they had stepped out of the bath tub and she was in his arms, he could not resist kissing her, and doing much more.
~*~
Much later as they lay in bed, well spent from their earlier activities, Evelyn lay with her back pressed up against her husband�s chest rubbing her hand over his, which he had pressed against her stomach. �Rick, do you ever miss going on digs?�
His eyes opened. �The one�s not involving a book or a walking talking corpse,� he said, remembering the few they had gone on before having Alex. �Why do you ask?
�I was just thinking now that Alex is older, we could perhaps hire a nanny, and sometimes go away, letting her come with us to take care of him,� she said.
Remembering his childhood with both a mother and a father to care of him, and not having a good feeling about some stranger taking care of his son, Rick had his doubts. �I don�t know Evie, do you really want someone we hardly know to help take care of him?� he asked.
�It wouldn�t be someone we didn�t know,� she said as she rolled over to face him. �Jonathan said he saw our old Nanny in town the other day. He said she is living alone, and I thought maybe it would be nice to have another set of eyes, ears, and hands to help with Alex,� she said.
Rick reached out and brushed aside a few strands of hair which had fallen in her face. He leaned in and kissed her lips then pulled away. �Can I at least meet her before we decide?� he asked.
�Yes. I invited her to come over tomorrow for lunch,� Before he could get angry with her, Evelyn pushed him onto his back, then moved over him, quickly, but effectively changing the subject.
Please Review. I value your thoughts.