enola_ray-of-sunshine-8

A RAY OF SUNSHINE by Enola <<< Part 7

PART 8

Erica wasn’t disappointed when she was told that the baby Stacey was waiting was a boy. She was the one who had taken the name choice issue most seriously. When her mum was expecting her she had bought a babies’ names’ book to help her to pick them. Sometimes Erica took the book to school and had a look at it whenever she got the chance to. One evening, about ten minutes later Stacey had put her to bed, the little girl came down carrying the book and proudly announced that she had finally the perfect name for her little brother. Jess. As she explained afterwards, it was the perfect name for the baby because its letters were their initials: James, Erica and Stacey. Plus Susan which was her middle name. Stacey and James looked at each other with a big grin on the faces. They agreed with the little girl – Jess was perfect.

Being seven months pregnant had its advantages. Stacey had given up working three weeks ago since, at some point, it had become too tiring. The first week at home seemed not to go by since James spent a great deal of time at Hall or Nothing or at the recording studio because the band was working at their new album. Later things got better. Sometimes Harriet came and saw Stacey and kept her company on mornings when Erica was at school. They used to talk a lot about anything concerning pregnancy and what came afterwards. To Stacey was very important having someone like Harriet to rely on.

Harriet had just gone away, when one morning a deliveryman brought a parcel for Stacey. It was small and light and when she opened it she took out a CD case. Opening it she realised that in reality there was a recordable DVD where on the top of it someone had written ‘play me’ with a waterproof marker. It was a very familiar handwriting. She couldn’t help but smile. What was that DVD about? And why did James send it to her through a deliveryman? Once she had put the disc on the player she sat on the sofa and pressed play on the remote control. After a few seconds James appeared on the screen. He was at the recording studio wearing earphones in front of a microphone. He cleared his voice then music began.

“Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain / Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain / Oh, the dark days are done / The bright days are here / My sunny one shines so sincere / Sunny one so true / I love you”

“Oh my god!” she said aloud, “I can’t believe it!” She covered her face with her hands and realised that her cheeks were burning.

“Sunny, thank you for that sunshine bouquet / Sunny, thank you for the love you brought my way / You gave to me your all and all / Now I feel ten feet tall / Sunny one so true / I love you”

Her eyes filled with tears and she felt her heart pounding in her chest. All that was absolutely crazy!

“Sunny, thank you for the truth you let me see / Sunny, thank you for the facts from a to z / My life was torn like windblown sand / And then a rock was formed when we held hands / Sunny one so true / I love you”

She knew why he had sent it to her. He wanted her to watch it alone because otherwise it would have been too embarrassing for him.

“Sunny, thank for that smile upon your face / Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace / You’re my spark of nature’s fire / You’re my sweet complete desire / Sunny one so true / I love you”

“Oh James you’re totally insane!”

“Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain / Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain / The dark days are done / The bright days are here / My sunny one shines so sincere / Stacey one so true / Stacey one so true / Stacey one so true / I love you”

She closed her eyes and let tears of joy falling copiously down her face. She hadn’t realised that in the meantime James had come home. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her pulling her towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and held him as tighter as she could. He kissed and stroked her soft curly hair.

“That was absolutely amazing. The most romantic thing a man has ever done for me.”
James giggled and wiped tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “Happy to know you liked it. Last week I was with Martin in his car. They were playing it on the radio and I realised that it expressed perfectly well the way you make me feel. My days were rainy before I met you but now they’re sunny.”
“I really like the line ‘you’re my sweet complete desire’”
“Yeah, that’s one of my favourite too.”
“That just makes me very horny. Let’s go upstairs!”
“Oh dear! That’s the third time today! You woke me up at two forty this morning and then we did it again before Erica got up.”
“Blame pregnancy and hormones!”

James helped Stacey to lie down on her side, then he lay next to her. As they kissed she undid his trousers searching for his penis. A soft moan escaped his mouth as her hand stroked him making him get hard.
“Mmm, that’s so nice!”
She smiled at him. “Shame I can’t give you that thing you love so much. And I can neither have a little lick.”
“It doesn’t matter luv. Coming in your hand is not any bad. You know that every time you lick me I fear you may swallow a bit of my sperm. That wouldn’t be nice towards our little one. Remember what your doctor said about eating and drinking healthy stuff, how important this is for the both of you.”
“I know,” smiles Stacey. “I would rather cut a hand or a leg off than do any harm to our baby. Luckily we can have sex until almost the end of pregnancy. I so need you to make me feel good. Have you see my ankles and feet? The only things I can were are sleepers.”
“You don’t have to go dancing or anything after all.”
“OI! Shut up!”

James chuckled for a while then his mouth captured hers again. He moved her hand beneath her top brushing her big belly with his fingertips. He reached for her bra behind her back and unhooked it, so he pulled her top up her breasts.
“I adore your boobs. Feet and ankles aren’t the only things that have developed in here. Is it possible that I find them bigger every time I see them?”
He bent over her and took one nipple between his lips making Stacey sigh as his warm tongue brushed it gently. Her hand, still on his erection, moved up and down making him get bigger and harder.
“I so need you inside me.”

He stopped her before he came and took her tracksuit bottoms and knickers off. He got undressed as well and lay behind Stacey. He put his hand on her hip and snuggled his head onto her neck covering her skin with soft kisses. She opened her legs inviting him to move his hand down her buttock and it made its way towards her sex. Soon Stacey got wet under the gentle touch of James’ fingers. She gave a gasp of pleasure when she felt him entering her gently.

James was over the moon when they were finally delivered the Wales rugby and football kits that Stacey had ordered through the internet on his behalf. The thought of his little boy wearing them made him smile widely. Erica was ignoring him. Sitting on the floor by the tea table she was making a drawing.

“Look darling, aren’t they cute?”
The little girl didn’t answer to her dad’s question. She got up collecting her crayons and pictures and left the room.
James looked at her in disbelief. “What’s wrong with her now?”
“I don’t know,” said Stacey shrugging her shoulders. “I’ll go and talk to her.”

When she entered the child’s room Erica was on her bed combing one of her doll’s hair. Stacey sat next to her. “Is it alright honey?” She could not brush the kid’s hair as she withdrew inexplicably.
“Leave me alone,” she said annoyed.
“What’s up? Please tell me.”
“You’ll stop loving me when you’ll have Jess,” replied Erica in the same tone.
Stacey shook her head, “Darling what…”
“That’s what happened to Alex, one of my schoolmates,” she went on raising her voice. “Her mum got married again and now he has a little sister. His stepfather loves his baby more than him.” Her gorgeous brown eyes now sad filled with tears. “I’m not your child but Jess is. And daddy is so happy he’s going to have a boy…”

Stacey pulled the child towards her and before she could go on she held her tightly as to reassure her. “I’m really sorry for Alex, but that’s not going to happen to us,” she began speaking softly and sweetly stroking Erica’s long hair. “You know that I love you and nothing will ever change this. It’s true that you’re not my daughter but, believe me, I love you as if you were. And after Jess’ birth I promise that things won’t change. I’ll love the both of you in the same way. And you know that also your dad loves you. You’re his little princess and his firstborn. You’re special to him. You’ll realise that when you’ll be older. You’ll always be his little girl.”
Stacey kissed the child on the forehead and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I’m sorry. You know that I’m happy you are my new mum because I love you so much.”
“I know honey. I know that you love me, but please, don’t ever stop telling me that you do, okay?”

“I think I have to apologize to you,” said James standing on the threshold of his daughter’s room. “I didn’t think you might feel neglected. Can you forgive me?”
Erica nodded her head smiling.
James sat down and held his child in his arm kissing her forehead. “You know that Jess will need special attentions, he’ll have to be fed, changed and rocked. But that won’t mean Stacey and I will love you less. You have no reason to be jealous, ok? Do you feel like going to the zoo tomorrow? Just the two of us.”
“That would be lovely, daddy. Will you buy me an ice cream?”
“Sure, darling!”

“It was very nice of Harriet fetching Erica from school,” said James fondling Stacey’s eight-month belly. “So I can finally relax and cuddle you.” Stacey snuggled to him and kissed him on the neck softly. “I’m so looking forward to carrying our little one in my arms. I remember the first time I took Erica. She was so tiny and I was so afraid of harming her because she wouldn’t stop crying. Everyone said that I didn’t have to worry as she was only hungry. She was very quiet, she just slept and ate.”
“I’m looking forward to it myself…especially because I feel like exploding anytime! I can’t believe I’ve become so big. Sometimes I wonder whether the baby is only one.”
“I think we are going to have a big boy!”
“I’m having a caesarean, thanks god!”

Those moments of joy and tenderness had a sudden end when the phone rung. James answered it. He kept silent for a moment before handing the cordless phone to Stacey. “Honey, it’s a guy who claims to be your half-brother.”
Stacey looked at him in disbelief. “What does he want from me?”

She didn’t speak much. She only listened to him then she repeated I’m sorry I can’t several times.

“James, help me to get up.” Her voice sounded upset and her hands were shaking.
“What did he say?” asked James helping her.
“You won’t believe it,” said Stacey pausing for a while. She then took a deep breath and went on, “She wants to see me.”
“WHAT?”

Stacey paced the room forward and backward keeping silent. “She’s seriously ill. Her son said she doesn’t have much time left.” She paused again before ranting. “She’s got such a nerve. She’s never given a damn about me. She abandoned me when I was four and she dares look for me now, after 24 years?”
“Honey, please, sit down and try to calm down.”
She threw her arms around James’s neck and burst into a desperate cry. “What the hell does she expect from me? Does she really think that I’ll run to her and forgive her? NEVER! I will never forgive her.”
James held her as tighter as he could, but despite all of his attempts, he didn’t manage to calm her down.

Dr Powell, Stacey’s gynaecologist, looked extremely pensive as she examined her patient who, although she had been given a tranquillizer, was still excessively distressed. This was the reason that led her to hasten the delivery.

“It’s too soon,” whined Stacey, “the baby is due in four weeks.”
“Don’t you worry Stacey,” said Dr Powell with a light smile and more confident voice, “Jess won’t be the first baby to be born before the due time. Thirty-four weeks are enough, and from what you said last time we saw, you’re looking forward to delivering this young man.”
Tears rolled down Stacey’s face. “I didn’t want things to be like this.”
The doctor took her hand and said, “Now just relax and we’ll think to the rest. Everything will be fine. In one hour you’ll finally hold your baby boy in your arms.”
As Dr Powell left, James bent down and kissed Stacey softly on the forehead. “You heard her? Everything will be okay, love.”

Sleeping peacefully in his cradle, little Jess Noah Bradfield was the most photographed newborn baby of the St Elizabeth hospital. While Harriet and Erica were busy taking pictures with a digital camera and a mobile phone, Ruth was filming him with her tiny video camera. James had gone out after receiving a call from his dad, who informed by Harriet of his first grandson’s forthcoming birth, had caught the first train to London. James told him that both Stacey and the baby were fine and that he would send someone to Paddington to pick him up. When he returned, his tired face was lit up by a tender smile as he looked at his baby son deeply asleep. However, Harriet noticed that there was something that upset him.

“What’s up?” she said softly leaning her hand over his shoulder. “You should be on seventh heaven. You’ve just had a lovely baby boy.”
“I just can’t help being worried for Stacey. You didn’t see her, you didn’t hear her. She was so angry and anguished. I despise that woman, Harriet. I’d just want her to leave Stacey alone, she’s hurt her enough. I won’t let that woman hurt her again.”

Stacey was still sleeping when Harriet entered her room some minutes later. She sat on her bed and stroked her curly brown hair gently. Knowing about the phone call Stacey had got from her half-brother a few hours ago had shocked her. Like her son-in-law, she was mad at that woman as James called her. She had caused too much pain to that lovely girl, and now she was aware that Stacey would need her more than ever. She smiled widely when Stacey awakened.

“Hello darling. Congratulations, you’re a mum!” she bent forward and kissed Stacey on the cheek.
“Have you seen Jess? How is he?”
Harriet could hardly contain her excitement. “Oh he’s so cute. Really adorable. And don’t worry, James spoke to his paediatrician earlier and he said Jess is healthy, as sound as a bell, he actually said. The two of you will go back home soon.”

Thanks to Harriet’s words Stacey could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The thought that she would harm her baby had been tormenting her during the whole pregnancy. Hearing her baby crying for the first time and holding him for a few seconds had only partially reduced her anxiety. She was a lot more relaxed when James came in her room wearing one of his biggest grin. He got closer and kissed her sweetly.

“Harriet told me that our little one is fine.”
James nodded his head whist stroking her long curls. “Jess is such a cutie. Erica is totally in love with him.”
“Thank you for everything, honey. For your support and understanding. I love you so much, you know. I want to marry you James.”
James stared at her in silent for a moment. “Are you talking seriously?”
She nodded her head smiling at him.
“I love you too. ” He kissed her again, more passionately this time.

A knock at the door interrupted them. As the door opened, they heard their baby crying. A nurse carrying him entered the room. “Someone is hungry,” she said walking over.
James put another pillow beneath Stacey’s back so that she could feed Jess more comfortably. The nurse gently put him on Stacey’s arms instructing her in what she had to do.
“Here’s my puppy,” she said softly rubbing her nose against his. “Do you remember me? I’m your mum and I love you lots.”
Jess’ reply was a louder and more insistent cry which made them have a hearty laugh. Stacey uncovered her breast and finally fed her baby.

“Are you sure you wanna do that?” asked James. Stacey had just parked her car in front of the Colchester cemetery.
“We’ve got here and going back home would be stupid at this point.” She unfastened her seatbelt and drank some water. “I don’t know why, but I need to do it.” She kissed James then stepped off the car.

Eleven days after Jess’ birth she got another phone call from Mike, her half-brother, informing her that their mother had passed away that very morning. She hadn’t felt anything, either relief at the thought that she would never hurt her again or regret. Not even for a second she had repented not going to her when she had asked for her. Yet, she was now at her grave. In Loving Memory of Abigail Beatrice McMahon – Beloved Wife and Mother said her gravestone. Her stomach was in knots. Beloved mother, she said to herself.

She was going to walk away when she heard someone calling her name behind her. She turned around and saw two boys coming towards her. She understood at once who they were. Mike, the eldest, introduced himself and his brother Dave.
“We’re so happy to meet you,” said Dave shaking hands with Stacey. She attempted to say something but couldn’t. “We want you to know that we understand why you didn’t come and see mum.”
“You had every reason not to,” added Mike. “We didn’t know anything about you till a week before we contacted you. We wouldn’t believe what she did. We still can’t.”

Stacey tried to recall a moment she had felt more uncomfortable but didn’t find any. The only thing she wanted was going away. She turned around and saw James standing by the gate and looked at him with the hope he would come closer and save her from that awkward situation.

“Is that your fiancé?” inquired Mike seeing that James was looking in their direction. “I noticed your ring. When are you getting married?”
“In a couple of months,” replied Stacey shyly. “We had a baby three weeks ago.”
“That’s fantastic news! Congratulations! Boy or girl?”
“Do you have any pictures?”

Stacey looked at the two boys for a while. Their smiles and genuine interest in her life lessened her discomfort. “Erm, yes. I have some pics. It’s a boy.” She dug around in her bag for her document wallet and took out a picture of her baby son. “Here you go. He’s called Jess,” she smiled handing the photograph to Mike.
“Aww! He’s so cute!”
“Oh yes, he is. Look, he’s got her nose.”
“You think?” asked Stacey studying the picture carefully
“Definitely!”

She had a hint of a smile when she joined James after leaving her half-brothers at their mother’s grave.
He put his arm around her neck and kissed her. “Those were –”
“Yes.”
“Is it alright? You’d been chatting for a while.”
Stacey nodded. “They said they would like staying in touch, getting to know each other and stuff.”
“What do you think about that?”
“I don’t know,” she sighed resting her head over his shoulder. “I have to think over that. They were so nice to me.”
James kissed her forehead softly. “Let’s go home now.”
“Yeah. I look forward to getting back to our kids.”

James’s day didn’t started well. He got a phone call from the vicar that was going to marry them. In her childhood, Stacey had been a member of the church choir and had seen dozens of couples getting married. She had always been a little jealous of the brides, of their gorgeous white dresses which made them look stunning, of their dads who walked them to the altar wearing the biggest of their smiles, of their mums who couldn’t help but crying at the thought that their little girls were now women. Her parents weren’t going to be there but that didn’t matter.

She had found the church of St Christopher on the internet and had loved it immediately. She had showed it to James and a couple of days later they had gone to visit it and to arrange everything with the vicar. Now, a couple of weeks before the wedding, Father Albert was informing him that, due to the heavy rains of the past few days, the church had been seriously damaged and considered tottering. That forced them to put off their wedding until next month.

James was thinking of how he would tell Stacey when the bell rang. Opening the door he saw a tall man with short greyish curly hair in his mid 50’s.
“Hi, Mr Bradfield. My name’s Stanley Prescott,” began the stranger in a strong American accent. “I’ve got something to tell you about Stacey.”
“Listen mate,” said James trying to keep calm. “I don’t know you, I don’t know what the hell you have to do with my girlfriend, and I don’t give a shit. So please go away and leave us alone.”
He was going to shut the door when the stranger said something that made him change his mind.

Saying that Stacey had been bad-humoured lately was an understatement. The wedding arrangements had sent her to a constant state of panic and, as if that hadn’t been enough, knowing that they had been forced to postpone the ceremony had worsened things. She was more than convinced that it was a sign, something that said that they couldn’t get married. Furthermore, James had been strange and she felt that he was hiding something. According to Ruth, she didn’t have to worry about that. They would get married and if James was hiding something, she was sure it was going to be a surprise.

“Darling, I’m home!” called Stacey placing her umbrella into the umbrella stand by the front door, then he took off her damp coat. A moment later she felt James’s arm around her waist. He kissed her on the cheek, so she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed sweetly, then James said that someone was waiting for her in the lounge.

“Honey, this is Stanley Prescott,” said James. Stacey smiled at the stranger and shook his hand.
He stared at her, his eyes filling with tears. He opened his mouth but not a word came out of it.
“Are you ok?” asked Stacey concerned.
“We’d better sit down,” said James taking her by the hand. They sat on the couch, the man on the armchair just opposite. “Honey, Stan has to tell you something important, so listen to him will you?”
“Ok.”

Stanley cleared his throat and started speaking. “Around thirty years ago, my sister and I came here on holiday to visit our grandparents. That summer I met a girl, she was almost ten years younger but this didn’t stop us having an affair. I really fell for her although she was fickle and bitchy. I was ready to stay here if she had wanted me to. But she didn’t. A couple of months later she told me that it was over between us. Saying that I loved her was useless. She told me to leave her alone or she would report me for raping her. She was 15 after all, so no one would believe my version. I got back home to Nevada and little by little I managed to forget about her. I got married and lived happily. Then, last month I got a letter. She said that she was ill and that she would die soon. She told me that 29 years ago she had had a baby girl and I was the father.”

Stacey shook her head in disbelief. “You believe her?”
“Darling,” began James holding her hands in his, “Stan came two weeks ago and told me. I took some hairs from your hairbrush. Forgive me, I couldn’t tell you anything. We needed to be sure.”
Stacey got up and left the room quickly. James ran after her calling her name. “She knew. She always knew but didn’t say anything,” she raged. James tried to hug her but she withdrew. “Please James, leave me alone.”

“I think I’d better go,” said Stanley when James returned to the lounge.
“She needs time to realize that.”
“I know and I don’t care how long it will take her. I’ll wait.”
They hugged each other so James walked him to the door.

“DAD!! Please don’t go!” Stacey ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. They hugged each other and burst out crying. Even James couldn’t help but cry. He left the two of them alone and went upstairs.

“You’re the most gorgeous bridesmaid ever,” smiled Stacey
“You are a lot prettier. When I’ll get married I want a dress like yours.”
They heard a knock at the door.
“If it’s your dad don’t make him come in!”
Erica giggled and opened the door a little. “It’s uncle Mike and uncle Dave.”
Stacey smiled and told the little girl that they could enter.

“Thank you honey,” said Mike as he came in the room. He saw then his sister wearing her bride dress. “Oh my! You look…gorgeous!”
“Wow! I agree with Mike here,” sighed Dave closing the door.
Both of the boys got closer and kissed her paying attention not to tread on her dress.
“It’s so nice having you here guys.”
“Thanks for inviting us. We’re happy to be here today.”

Mike and Dave left in a while since they said that her dad was waiting outside. When Stanley saw his daughter he got speechless. His jaw dropped open and his eyes filled with tears. His wife couldn’t give him any children because of her weak heart which had caused her premature death at the age of 47. If only he had known about her years ago he would have come and took her to the States. He was sure that his wife would have loved her like a true daughter.

“I still find hard to believe it’s all real,” he said brushing Stacey’s cheek.
Stacey smiled at him. “I know dad, it’s just like a dream.”

James and Stacey hugged and kissed their children before setting off for the Lake District were they would spend their honeymoon. Although they were going to be back in a week, they were aware that they would miss them like mad. They finally said bye to Harriet and Stanley and got on the train carrying their light suitcases. Whilst packing James had said something that had made Stacey laugh her head off, we don’t need many clothes. We’re going to spend all of the time in bed after all.

THE END.

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