After placing Andrew in his bed, Rebecca moved to the other cradle and picked up their eldest son. "And this," she presented him, " is Charles Huger Redmond the second."
Charlie Two was solid little boy with a shock of black hair standing up from his head like a bantam rooster’s and bright blue eyes that regarded his father very solemnly. "Hello, son. I do hope you do not turn out to be as stubborn as your father." Charlie looked up at Rebecca and smiled. "We celebrated his arrival with a small found feast –– roast goat. I do hope it was not predictive of his personality."
"No, he is very sweet. A good little boy who does not fuss and entertains himself most of the time."
"Well, dear wife, I would say that you have built us a lovely family while I was gone."
--*--
Tess came and bundled the children away to bed. Em was a little reluctant to go, but Charlie promised her that he would be in the bedroom upstairs in the morning, and she could come and visit him as soon as she woke up.
Charlie and Rebecca talked late into the night. Charlie laid all of his fears and uncertainties before Rebecca, trying to make her understand why he had thought she would be better off without him, and ending up by convincing himself even more of what a fool he had been.
Rebecca palmed Charlie's cheek. "You are exhausted, my love. We need to sleep."
"I am tired, dear, but I fear that I will have to forego sleeping with you for one more night. I just do not think I can get up the stairs."
"Oh I think I can find a way for us to be together. I cannot go another night without being near you."
Charlie caught his breath. She had been rather distant physically throughout the evening. Patting his knee and leaning her head against his good thigh was the limit of her contact. He found that as the night progressed, he longed for her touch. No, he was not in any shape to make love, but he needed to feel her arms around him again and he ached for just a touch from her lips. "I would love to be with you, dear. So whatever you devise, I will be happy."
"Then I shall be right back." Rebecca left the parlor, returning a few minutes later with a pile of bedding that was bigger than she was. After a few minutes, there was a bed placed on the floor near the fireplace. She turned and held out a nightshirt. "Would you like me to help you get dressed for bed?"
"I have no other options, dear. I just cannot do it myself yet. The arm and hand will not cooperate." He saw the slightly dashed looked on her face and added, "but even if I could do it, I would love your assistance."
She nodded and approached him slowly. "Tell me if I hurt you." Carefully she unbelted his robe and help him slip out of it. Then the clothes began to come off. She was very careful about Charlie's right side. "Are you all right?"
Charlie was breathing a little hard. Moving that right arm was painful and anything that nudged the raw bones of his hand was also difficult. She had not yet gotten to the most difficult wounds. "I am as right as I get nowadays, dear. You are far more gentle than Jocko."
"I would hope so," she chuckled and began rolling the sleep shirt. "Do you have any suggestion for what you think might be the best way to do this? To be honest Charlie, it would be easier for you to sleep nude, but it is difficult to say who might walk in here."
"Well, if you get it on the right arm first, then over my head, I can work my left arm into without too much trouble. Then all you have to do is get my trousers off."
"All right." She helped pull the shirt over Charlie's head, slowly and carefully. "Now just hold it up while I take off your trousers." She worked the button and the hook free. "I am sure this is going to be painful, but I will do it as quickly as possible."
Charlie held his breath while Rebecca carefully eased his trousers over the bandages on his hip and thigh. She looked at them carefully for a moment, and seeing no signs of seepage, patted him on his calf. He looked down at her and smiled. "Painless, dear."
"Good." She very gently touched Charlie's right leg. "These do not bother or concern me, Charlie. You are still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
Charlie looked at her, seeing the truth in her eyes. "You, my beloved, are terribly biased. I hope you stay that way."
"There is nothing biased about how I feel about you." She helped Charlie pull the sleep shirt down. "Now, can we get you to the bed?"
Charlie grinned at his beautiful wife. "I certainly think you are the most stunning, beautiful, feisty thing I have ever set eyes on. And yes, I think if you give me a hand, I can lower myself down there."
Rebecca held her left hand firmly as Charlie moved from the couch to the bedding on the floor.
With a shaky moment or two, Charlie managed to get down onto the bed without doing major damage. She carefully arranged herself so that the injuries were properly supported and then sank into the soft padding. Extending her left hand to Rebecca, Charlie almost shyly asked, "Can I offer you a shoulder?"
"Absolutely, just let me get changed."
Charlie laid back and watched Rebecca as she started to remove her dress. Watching Rebecca emerge from the whalebone and skirts of her clothing to display her slender, elegant body was always a delight for Charlie.
She settled her nightgown over her head and gently climbed into bed with Charlie. "I would like to be close to you, but I do not want to hurt you."
"Rebecca, I have missed you for so long, having you not come over here hurts far more than anything your touch may do to me. I am starting to heal; it is not as bad as it was."
She sighed and placed her head on Charlie's shoulder then gently draped her arm over her waist. "Is this all right?"
Charlie smiled. She was home. "It is perfect, darling. There is just one thing missing."
"Yes?"
Charlie turned her head and gently laid her lips on Rebecca’s forehead. "Just one thing. Your lips."
Chapter 36 - Epilogue
Thursday, June 1, 1865
Culpeper County, Virginia
Thursday, June 1, 1865
Dear Major Swallow,
I write to you as one of my first activities after regaining use of what is left of my hand. I have also written to your brother to extend my personal condolences on the loss of your young cousin, Joshua. His death is mourned and honored. He fell in a good cause, as I believe our ability to keep those supplies captured at Appomattox Station from General Lee’s forces was the most telling action that led to the final surrender.
Indeed, as my last official act as an officer in the United States Army, I am writing to the family of each man who fell that day, for in my opinion, to ride into the face of those howitzers was truly an act of immense courage. I know that Colonel Polk long since prepared the official notifications, but as their commanding officer, I feel an obligation to honor the valiant fallen. We all knew that day just how important it was to keep those supplies from getting through; though I would have taken a different approach from General Custer’s, we had a job to do, we did it, and the result was, as we both know, the cessation of the war in Virginia. I thank God every day for the end of this most painful disruption of our national family. Trooper Raiford fell still holding the flag; Trooper Franklin and then your cousin followed him, so that the Colors of the 13th Pennsylvania never flagged on that day.
I mourn, too, the loss of Captains Hoffstader and Avery and many of their men. Companies B and I took a major blow in that last charge under General Sheridan at Appomattox Courthouse. Thank God that General Grant’s infantry was there to support us, for I believe the Southerners were desperate and would have been truly formidable had we not had that support. Dewees fell, too, that day, successfully rescuing a pocket of his men who had been entrapped by enemy forces. He gave the ultimate gift –– his life for his men’s.