Chapter 24

Violet lay on the grass next to Gilbert's real headstone, with the real inscription: "A loving husband, father, son, and brother. A humble war hero." It was how what he wanted. Of all of his accomplishments in life being Violet's husband was what he considered his greatest.

The day their child was born he stayed in the hallway, despite everyone's insistence that he should be resting, he stayed just outside the door and listened to her. She refused to let him into the room to see it, even after he pointed out he had seen her blood before in battle. "I watched your arms get blown off." He reminded her with a raised eyebrow as she breathed through one of her earlier contractions.

When the contraction started to fade she stood up straight, the blue eyes he so desperately hoped their child would have were fixed and stern on him. "I said no. You'll just be in the way and you should rest so that when the baby is here you can hold them." He sighed, only half agreeing with her.

He was not surprised at how strong Violet sounded on the other side of the door as she moaned, low and primal sounds, on the other side of the door and breathed loud rhythmically. She only yelled out once, and although he knew there was pain, he couldn't help but hear the sound of joy under all of that pain. After her exclamation there was only a moment of silence before the beautiful cries of new life filled his ears and reached down into his heart.

He waited, he wanted Violet to have her time with their child, to bond. He listened as she cried and kept repeating "you're here. You're really here." He listened as the midwives helped Violet and their child nurse, reassuring Violet repeatedly that her prosthetic arms where not harming the newborn.

When the door finally opened and they were carrying out piles of bloody sheets he had to remind himself that it was normal, that he had heard their voices on the other side of the door, so he knew they were okay. He called for Kyle before entering the room when he was given permission.

His heart swelled when he saw his wife sitting the bed, a little pale, but a look of bliss about her he would hold onto for the most painful moments of his time left in this world. "Hello." She said as he entered. He was rolled up next to the bed and she tilted the baby for him to see. He looked to the baby with it's thick black hair and eyes shut and then back up to Violet. "What should we name her?" She asked.

"Her? I have a daughter." He smiled and asked Kyle to help him into the bed next to Violet so he could hold his daughter. "I'll need to take a look at her before we can name her I think."

As he held his child for the first time happy and sad tears fell from his eyes like stars falling from the sky and just like that he knew exactly what to name her.

Three months. He held his baby for three months of Fall weather, wrapped in blankets, sitting by the fire, reading to her and telling his baby all the things he wished she could hear from him.

A week before he passed her hired Iberis to write for him. Violet knew exactly what they were doing, and part of her hated him for not letting her do the work, but how could she? She loved him all the more for not using her to write the letters so she could receive them later.

Today she lay next to his grave, watching how the tree beside it was beginning to change colors with Fall.

"She's five years old today. All she wants is a pet cat. You know how I feel about cats. We are have a little party for her later. Kyle and Iberis are bringing their little one over. She's pregnant with their second, although she hasn't told Kyle yet... Dietfried and Hodgins are with her now. It makes me happy when I watch them play with her. That happiness always feels bittersweet though as I imagine you in their place.

Dietfried basically lives with us when he's not out to sea or on diplomatic missions, but I have a feeling that will change soon. He's fallen in love with an opera singer. Imagine that, Dietfried and an opera singing. Did I mention he bought our girl a cat? A black on with big green eyes. How could I possibly say no when the first this she did was name it Major? She's has a better sense of humor than either of us. Your brother says she's just like you as a child though; kind, adventitious, always trying to put a smile on other people's faces." Violet gets up to her feet and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Thank you for the letter. I miss you, we miss you. I love you Gilbert." As she walked back to the house the cool autumn breeze pushed past her, blowing her dark green skirt back and her messy blonde hair from her face.

While the children play the adults, with the exception of Dietfried who is playing with his niece and her guests, watched and chatted about how fast they're all growing until Kyle finally changed the subject away from children. "I received a letter from Leon the other day. He's coming to Leiden on his book tour. He'll be speaking at the local college."

Violet smiled, Gilbert and his child were very big fans of Leon Stephanotis and his adventures around the world. She often found him curled up with his little girl by the fireplace reading one of Leon's adventures out loud to her, despite the futility of it, Violet kept those memories of him alive for their daughter now by showing her Leon's photos and sometimes teaching her to read using his articles.