--- 2 Weeks Later ---
--- 10th of December, 1962 ---

2 weeks have elapsed since Judy's birthday and the winter days were looming gradually as the signs of autumn were vaguely petering out, resulting more chilling days as the first snow was already a phenomenon a handful of days ago.

The Christmas holidays were approaching as they were in a matter of 2 weeks only.

Whilst Judy was kipping on the king sized bed in her bedroom, Timothy and Odette were supervising the plants by watering them even when the weather was unbearably cold. Moreover, the afternoon hours verged to die as the evening ones dawning gradually.

Whilst the forner priest was watering the planted plants and flowers in the flower pots, the juvenile singer was thrumming inwardly, melodiously to herself, casting a gawk at Timothy as he grasped in one of his mammoth, milky as vanilla hands the watercan, surveying by the way he was watering them as if they were the most precious or one of a kind plants in the barrens.

"How do we plan to celebrate Christmas, dad?" Odette enquired with humongous inquisitiveness, vomited in her velvety as feather voice.

"Oh! 2 weeks until Christmas and here we go!" Sarcastic, jubilant chuckle tickled the corners of his mouth by ducking, watering the plants as the jet water drenched the forest brown soil. Layer of moistness glinted translucent pigments. "What my instincts tell me, we will celebrate it at home just like how your mother would say."

"How about Kit? Would ya mind he being a part of our Christmas celebration?" The brunette questioned as her lip curled the question as her hazelish-brown orbs blinked frequently at the thought of her boyfriend.

"Of course, I don't mind, Odie! Since you want him to celebrate with us, why not including him part of your Christmas present?" Beaming smile cradled her rosy-coloured, plumpish lips as it reassured Odette her father's direct response.

"It's so kind of ya for allowing me to invite him to celebrate with us since he hasn't got a family with whom to share one more Christmas moment."

"Oh!" The former holy man cried out surprised, biting his bottom lip with his anterior ivory teeth as his heart sunk profoundly as its mist, somber, abysmal ocean of the plaguing death. His smile was wiped off his pale as ghost complexion as distress was sketched upon it. "What happened to his family?"

"Well, what I know about his family is that his parents passed away a couple of years ago, as a result, of brain cancer in the mothah's case, whereas in his father's one was a heart attack at age 50." In the meantime, the former member of the church was beyond mortified even upset after hearing the tragic story behind Kit's deceased parents.

Goosebumps smeared their mossy skins afterwards, responding to the young man's melancholic backstory.

"I'm so sorry for hearing all this. I didn't know that he lost his family at such fragile age."

"It's alright. I'm still asking myself how," Meantime, the young lady's violent, frequent baby kick caught her off guard as she verged to resume her utterance, bowing lightly her head as her both elvish, smooth hands lowered to the bump, resting them on its immense ounce of a fresh life, growing inside her. "Oh! Christ! He overcame this trial." Another vigorous baby kick overwhelmed the young lady as she felt her knees' physical stamina petering out. "Oh shit! I admire his persevering nature."

"That's right, honey!" In the meantime, Timothy left aloof the water can by turning to his daughter, dangling an arm around her shoulder, poising her posture as his other hand was on top of Odette's creamy as satin, petite one, squeezing it by granting her a moral support. "Are you alright, Odie?"

"How do ya think? My water just broke for fuck sake." The brunette bewailed, baring her teeth. "Oh shit! We should go to the hospital as soon as possible." She persisted.

"Isn't a bit early to deliver the baby?"

"I don't care! These contractions are wildly painful. Oooooh!" The young lady was being on her knees, despite her father's aid as her fingers fatherly raked the wool fabric. She clutch tightly shut her eyelids as the soreful, agonizing pain of the contractions. "I'm feeling like I'm dying in slow pain. Is that God how he punishes me?"

Her bewails were sufficiently vociferous as the former woman of the cloth came tp her senses, hearing her daughter's vociferous wails, emanating from the porch. At the moment, she disinclinedly opened her eyelids by rubbing them sluggishly with her frail fists, setting free a mere yawn.

"Odette!" The blonde exclaimed by getting from the king-sized bed sluggishly, limping up to the creaky, askew opened door as she hopped up in comfy, fuzzy slippers by walking away from the bedroom and descend the stairs, accelerating her pace. "My girl!" Her flimsy as glass heart was enveloped in immense concern and contagious misery, intoxicating the corrupted cells.

--- *** ---
--- A half an hour later ---

A half an hour after agonizing, gruesome contractions, Odette was conveyed in the nearest hospital in the Vermont's outskirts.

Little did she know why the love child's contractions and the labouring process should begin from now instead slightly later especially during the Christmas holidays.

Drove of snowflakes tumbled down outside as the chilly climate assaulted the countryside, whilst the snowy, pale as vanilla blanket sheeted the ground and the stark tree branches, adorning them with snow.

The anxious parents of the girl were beyond mesmerized by the contractions especially before the Christmas holidays which would be her favorite Christmas present.

Even more the young man, Kit was informed about his girlfriend's labour as he drove his cab to the hospital's parking lot, parking his vehicle and zinging inside the grand building within a few minutes by tellong the recipient about her name as they told him promptly where's Odette transmitted.

The love child was being encircled by her parents and 2 doctors, supervising her recent condition as she unconsciously laid on the patient bed by wearing nothing else than her lesen patient pale blue gown with round neckline and ruffled short sleeves as its hem dropped down to her round knees.

"Christ, it damn hurts!" Odette cried out in pain, panting jadedly as her anterior teeth nibbled on the silken skin of her naturally rosy-coloured lip, curling at her complaint.  Sundry contractions have already assaulted and tormented her by draining her physical stamina to push as Jude and Timothy seated on the both sides of the patient bed, opting to alleviate her with their support and presence.

"How is she doing?" Judy pawed her swelteringly hot temple with the back of her petite, soothing hand as if she tested her hody temperature with a single touch.

"She's alright, ma'am!" The female doctor replied gravely by glimpsing at the ultrasound's monitor as the unborn child was more than determined stiff-neckedly to flee her mother's barrier bump which shielded it for straight 9 months without further effects that are harmful for the fresh life. "Whenver she's ready for pushing, she should tell us right away!"

"Do ya think I can do this?" The young woman inquired self-conscious as she rubbed sheepishly with her fingertips the nape of her neck. 

"Of course, you can do it, sweetheart! I promise you you're going to succeed as much as your mother, when she was giving birth to you." The former Monsignor attempted to alleviate his daughter, embolding her as he extended his hand to knead featherly, gently Odette's back, in order to diminish the immense pressure with its ginormous ounce, cementing her agitated heart. 

"Oh! I think I'm," In the meanwhile, the young salesman on the gas station opened without a warning the patient's room, drawing momentarily the horde of adults' attention. Stoic, nonetheless radiant smile danced across her lips once she noted the imminent visitor in the room. "Kit! Yar back!"

"Hello!" He greeted warmly the doctors, bobbing his head, thereafter turning to his girlfriend as the married couple accompanied her. "Hi Odette! I missed you so much, darling!"

"Hey Kit!"

"I've been expecting ya. You're so quick!"

"I can't miss the show anyway as I'm here to help and encourage you along with yar parents." The young man riposted, strolling up to the patient bed.

"Hi Kit! It's a surprise yar right on time." Judy squeezed her daughter's hand as Kit seated alongside the older man, whilst the female doctor was on the edge of the bed, maneuvering the juvenile patient to inform her if she's ready for the harrowing pushes. 

"Not exactly! But I tried my best to be there in no time." Benevolent smile pinched his lips.

"Are ya ready, miss?" Meanwhile, the male doctor asked, arching an eyebrow as he was responsible for observing the monitoring ultrasound of the unborn child, seating on the chair and glancing at the recent patient.

"I'm more than ready for this."

A quarter an hour has passed after a several pushes proceed as the baby's head popped up from her slit. The more support she got from her family and boyfriend, easier was the labour. 

Clammy layer of perspiration defecated the dryness of her forehead's soft skin as Kit and Jude squeezed firmly, grasping the future mother's petite, soft hands, whereas Timothy massaged faintly his daughter's shoulder whenever she was taking a break from the pushes, encouraging her to not give up. 

"A few more pushes, Miss Martin Howard!" The doctor pushed up the gown's hem to Odette's knees, giving her a better access to the slit and the infant's head. 

The brunette pushed up a handful of times bloody-mindedly, restlessly until the last thing which sourced its sound, levitating in the room's background was actually a baby blubber.

"Waaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Meantime, handful of rejoicing, crystal tears rolled down the young mother's cheeks as soon as her sensitive, wee ears heard the baby's anthem. The first baby cry of her newborn child. She softly sobbed to herself as her parents and boyfriend congratulated her.

"Congratulations, my darling! I knew right away ya are that strong." Judy pecked a doting kiss on her daughter's well-defined, mildly tear-stained cheek.

"It's a girl, ma'am!" One of the doctors cautioned joyously, approaching the brunette, subsequently handing her the newborn girl.

"Aww, look at ya yar sweet little angel!" Odette swinged into her protective arms her newborn daughter as the little girl has inherited her mother's straight, chestnut hair, followed by her button nose, her petite ears, naturally rosy-coloured, perfectly shaped lips and naturally punctured elegant, dark eyebrows. At the moment, the infant's blubber subdued as soon as it nestled into her mother's arms. "Hi, sweetie! I'm yar mothar! And those are my parents and my boyfriend Kit!" She introduced her small family by gesturing them.

"She's so gorgeous, honey! I'm so proud of you for having her." The middle-aged man evoked contently, shifting his mammoth, smooth hand to take the nameless infant's small hand as the adults' eyes were darted to the youngest family member in the Howards' as they couldn't help but smile. All of a sudden, the unnamed child opened her huge orbs as the sapphiric-brown orbs were fixed on her surroundings especially her mother, getting more comfortable with their presences as her instincts immediately messaged her inwardly they were her family and they mean no harm at all. "Oh hi, sweetheart! You're as beautiful as your mother."

"For sure! I can't disagree this little treasure is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen along with the prettiest girl, who has ever existed and gave a birth to this precious." The younger man stroked gently his girlfriend's slightly disheveled lion mane of silken chestnut tresses as his fingers raked the straight strands, twirling between them in his long, adroit fingers, admiring its crispy softness. 

"She's really alook like ya, sweetie!" The licentious former jazz nightclub singer clarified, caressing her daughter's cheek as their hearts molted at the sight of the nameless girl. "She has yar hair," In the meantime, the elder woman's hand lowered to her granddaughter's sparse dark hair, gingerly caressing it with her slim fingers, admiring its softness, surveying it with her honey brown pools which glistened vibrant tinges, tinting its flame, blazing inside her orbs. "Yar eyebrows and somewhat eyes." She traced with an index finger the gap of the pair of eyebrows. "Yar ears and button, cute nose." She lightly, mischievously pinched her granddaughter's nose as she mellowly giggled at the touch. 

"How do ya plan to name her, my one of a kind?" Kit pursued for Odette's lips by capturing them in brief, nevertheless, sultry kiss as their faces approached, sealing them with a short-lasting, passionate kiss.

"Charlotte Marion!" The love child declared smugly as she admired her daughter's celestial beauty, oozing of her, stroking Charlotte's sparse dark hair, capping her soft as velveteen head. 

"Aww, Charlotte Marion! What a stunning name for this sweet little ray of sunshine!" The middle-aged lady whispered in honeyed voice, pecking an affectionate kiss on Charlotte Marion's temple, afterwards brushing the kissed spot with a handful of fingertips. "It suits her perfectly since she's such a princess!"

"Our princess!"

To be continued...