An Innocent Soul to Care for – Extended Epilogue

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Andrea paced back and forth at the big train platform. Lilith and her family were going to be there soon, or at least she hoped that was the case. 

“What do you think they will say when they get here? It’s been so long since I’ve seen her.” Andrea turned to Daryl, who was leaning against a nearby post and looking as nonchalant as he usually did. He did not seem at all bothered by the stress that was emanating from her. 

He pushed off of his post and walked over to her. He put his hands on her arms, turning her toward him with a patient smile. 

“Andrea, all of this anxiousness will make the baby anxious too. The train is going to be here soon, and your sister is going to love you. She is going to be so happy to see you again. You’ll see that as soon as she steps off that train, it will feel as if you never said goodbye.” 

Andrea took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn’t want to be stressed, but somehow it came naturally. She’d kept writing Lilith, as was her custom for the last year and a half since she married Daryl. 

She was in love with Daryl as much as she had been the day she married him. She loved the life that they shared. She enjoyed the mornings she woke up beside Daryl, and the long days filled with work, brought to an end when Daryl came home from work at the sheriff’s office. 

“All right, I am going to try and calm down. I just…well, I’m so excited.” Andrea placed her hand on her stomach. “Oh! She kicked!” 

“You mean he?” Daryl chuckled as he pressed his hand beside hers. They had been overjoyed when they found out they were expecting their first child. She had been pregnant for nine months, and according to Daryl’s mother, and her own, she would be a mother to a brand new baby any moment now. It could be any time of the day or night. 

“You know what? I would be happy if it is a boy or a girl. I will have someone to help me around the house if it is a girl. If it is a boy, I will get a sweet little boy who constantly reminds me of the man I adore.” Andrea spoke softly so Daryl would be the only one who heard her on the train platform. It seemed they’d come a bit early to wait for her sister because only now were other people showing up to wait for their loved ones and people they were supposed to pick up from the station. 

Dallas’s train platform had grown immensely, as had most parts of Dallas. The hospital now had a wing for women, though it was small and still needed work. Andrea had asked for a few months off from work now that she was expecting her baby. She wanted to return to what she did at the hospital, but she and Daryl still hadn’t agreed on when she would go back or how often she would work now that she would be busy caring for a child. 

Her arms longed to hold her baby. She remembered Henry and what that felt like to have a tiny little person depending on her for every need. 

“Look, there’s the train!” Daryl pointed toward the puff of dust in the distance, accompanied by grey smoke billowing into the sky. A shrill whistle was heard from the humongous beast of a train. 

Andrea tightened her hands into fists, then released them. She remembered her first time on the train when she’d initially come west. She wondered what Susan thought of the experience. Her niece was almost five, and Andrea was certain she would look very different from the last time she’d seen her. She couldn’t wait to get to know her sister’s family again. 

Daryl put his arm around her shoulders. He’d come to help her welcome her sister because he knew how important it was for her. Even though he had things to attend to at the sheriff’s office, with the new deputies he’d hired, he’d still made the time, and Andrea was most grateful. 

She could barely contain herself as the train pulled to a stop, and the passengers began to file out. At first, she saw no sign of her sister, and then she saw her pushing past the other passengers, rushing down the ramp and onto the platform. 

“Andrea!” she called out before they were close enough to embrace. It didn’t take long to close the distance between them. Andrea wrapped her arms around her sister. This was the closest she had been to her family physically in years. After marrying Daryl, she hadn’t had the time to go back and visit her family. It was such a surreal experience to have Lilith visiting there. 

Lilith pulled back, her eyes bright with excitement. 

“I am so glad we’ve finally arrived. I must say that on parts of that trip, I thought we would never get here.” She gave a half turn and smiled warmly towards Michael, who Andrea had now spotted as well, and a little girl. 

Susan had grown so much that Andrea saw only the slightest resemblance between her and the little child she’d left behind in Chicago the last time she’d seen Susan. Her little brown curls were exactly like her mother’s, and her eyes were the same color too. It was almost as if Lilith had been copied exactly. 

“Susan,” Andrea breathed. “You look so different.” 

Lilith prompted Susan to come closer. “Say hello to your aunt. This is Andrea, remember?”

Susan paused for a moment, and at first, Andrea thought she was about to start crying or refuse to talk to her. Instead, her smile brightened and spread wider across her face. 

“Hi!” she said brightly, not seeming bothered at all that she was meeting Andrea essentially as a stranger. Andrea’s heart filled with warmth. Daryl was right. It felt as if she’d been this way with Lilith for years, and all of the time they’d been apart seemed to melt away. 

“We should get going.” Andrea motioned toward the wagon which they had waiting nearby. “I can’t wait to show you the house.” Andrea was still somewhat in awe of the house she shared with Daryl. His parents had provided a large piece of land and then paid for the home they built on it, stating that it was a wedding gift. When they found out that Andrea was expecting a child, they insisted on adding another couple of rooms. Andrea was baffled by their generosity and told them so every time she saw them. She had no idea how to properly thank them other than spending time in their lives. 

“I can’t believe I’m here. You’ve told me so much about this place, and now I get to see it for myself.” 

Andrea nodded, then stopped. “Goodness, I forgot that you haven’t formally met Daryl. She laughed as she introduced Daryl. He and Michael glanced as if they were used to being forgotten while their wives were busy catching up, chatting, and having a good time. Andrea climbed carefully into the wagon. 

She made sure to try and turn and talk with Lilith. It felt as if this visit would go all too soon, and then she would bid Lilith goodbye on the train to Chicago. She was already dreading that day. 

“So, tell me, have you heard anything about Henry? He must be two years old about now, isn’t he? We all remember your adventure with him last year. I know you won’t believe me, but you’ve become our dinner table talk whenever I visit ma and pa.” Lilith pulled Susan onto her lap as they began toward home. 

“I did see him. The Westwoods came to visit Dallas just a few months ago. They came to the house for a meal, and it was wonderful to see how much Henry’s grown and what a lovely young boy he is growing up to be. I have to say, I still love that baby. I bonded with him, spending so much time with him.” 

Lilith hugged Susan closer. “I can imagine you did, but soon, you’ll have your own little one to hug.” 

Andrea nodded in agreement. She told herself that every day. Her arms had felt empty since the day she’d given Henry back to his parents, and she was ready for them to be full again. 

—*—

Daryl pinned up the last of the new wanted posters. He always kept a close eye on everyone who came in. Even though it seemed unlikely that he would come face to face with any of the criminals that made it on the wanted posters, he never knew, so he tried to keep track of them when he could. 

Frank came into the sheriff’s office. He looked exhausted, something that didn’t surprise Daryl. He’d been training the two newest deputies while Cade and Vance took care of their normal duties. With Dallas growing bigger daily, they needed more help to keep the peace. Daryl was relieved to have two more men to help him with that. 

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Frank said, a grin lighting up his face. “I thought you would be home with Andrea. Isn’t your baby about to be born at any moment?”

Daryl chuckled. “According to my mother, it doesn’t quite happen that way. She says it can take all day for a baby to be born, and I should save myself the pain of sitting around and waiting for it to happen. Even so, I’m about to head home. I just saw these, and I thought I’d put them up. Did you ever get news on Larson and Kent?” Daryl had been waiting to hear if there had been any change in the status of the two criminals that had kidnapped not only a tiny baby but himself and Andrea. He was not one to keep an eye on all the arrests he made, but it was personal in the case of Larson and Kent. 

“I did. I’m glad you are still here so I can tell you the news. I am sure you guessed that Larson isn’t getting out anytime soon, but apparently, they are considering giving Kent an early release because of his behavior and the good word you put in for him.”

“Really? I am glad to hear that on both accounts.” 

“You are? Don’t you want to have Kent spend the rest of his time locked up? He hasn’t even been in two years.” Frank looked upset for him, and Daryl didn’t blame him. From the outside, he was certain it seemed ridiculous to not want the man who had helped kidnap him to spend as much time in jail as possible. He still remembered how Kent had tried to help, but he didn’t have the strength to go against the bonds he imagined with Larson. Larson had essentially ruined Kent’s life like he’d tried to do to the Westwoods. 

“I know it is complicated, but I am happy they’ve given him a chance. I have to get to the house. Do you have everything under control?”

“You know I do.” Frank chuckled. “If you have a son, consider naming him Frank, after your best friend.” 

“Will do.” Daryl enjoyed the sense of humor Fran worked with. It made working just a little lighter and made the days pass faster. 

He didn’t know if he would have a baby today or in a few weeks, but whenever it was, he was ready. 

—*—

Daryl paced back and forth on the porch. He wasn’t alone. In fact, he was far from it. His father, Michael, Frank, and even little Susan were with him. Susan had fallen asleep after the first three hours of waiting. They’d been out there for almost eight hours.

When Andrea started to have pains, he thought he was about to meet his child any minute. Instead, just as his mother said, it was not instant. He continued to pace. 

“Do you think this is normal?” Daryl asked his father. He had no idea what it was like to have a baby. For some reason, it was a lot harder than he thought it would be. He could only imagine what sort of horrible things Andrea was going through. 

“It is perfectly normal. I was waiting for your mother for almost a day and a half with you. It happens like this every time. They say it’s easy for the fathers to wait, but it’s not. It’s a special sort of torture.” His father ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Daryl knew his parents were as excited for this grandchild as anyone was. 

“You’d think it was my child, the number of nerves I have. I suppose it is carrying me back.” Michael shook his head. He was typically a quiet man, which was why he and Daryl got along quite well. He and Lilith had been staying with them for almost three weeks and were going to be there another couple of months before returning home. To Daryl’s surprise, they’d started talking about potentially moving out to the west permanently. He could tell that Andrea hoped this would happen. 

The front door burst open, and his mother stood there looking ecstatic and proud.

“Is Andrea…” Daryl was overtaken with emotion. He could see the happiness on his mother’s face. Things had gone well, and whatever the next thing she was about to say would change his life forever. 

“She’s perfectly all right. You have a son. Why don’t you come in and meet him? Andrea insists that she is ready for visitors, despite my better recommendations. He is a darling, my first grandchild.” His mother was practically glowing.

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief and hurried into the home, rushing toward the room he shared with Andrea. He heard the thin crying of a baby. His baby. He stepped through the door, and his gaze locked first with Andrea. 

She was holding a little, squirming bundle in her arms. 

“Daryl! Look at this, you have a baby boy.” Andrea had tears in her eyes, but he knew they were happy teas. She was being overcome with emotions just like he was in this moment. 

Daryl walked over to the bed, trying to take in every detail as he did. This day felt so different, so perfect, and so fulfilling. When he and Andrea decided to have children, they were both worried about certain aspects of raising children. 

She looked up at him with eyes full of love. 

“We did it. We are parents.” She held out the bundle toward him, and Daryl saw his son’s face for the first time. It was perfect. Little eyes looked up at him, searching for something to focus on. Ten little fingers reached toward his face as if they were looking for someone to hold. 

Daryl picked him up, suddenly feeling as if he were too large. This little thing felt so tiny, so fragile. He stroked the baby’s cheek. It was so soft, so perfectly darling. 

“What should we name him?” He couldn’t take his eyes off of the baby. He was like Henry in some ways but so different in others. One of the ways that he was different was the way Daryl felt about him. He felt this overwhelming wave of love and desire to protect and keep him near for the rest of his life. 

“I wanted to leave it up to you, but I was thinking…Weston.” Andrea’s voice was soft, reverent. She knew how much his brother meant to him, and the fact she had already chosen something so close to his heart just showed how perfect they were for one another. 

“Weston, it’s perfect.” Daryl stared down at the little person who was now the new part of his life. “My brother…he would have been honored. Do you mind if my parents come in?” 

“Of course not. Everyone can come to meet him.” Andrea looked as if she were as proud as he felt. 

His mother shook her head and scolded him. “I suppose if Andrea is sure, but only for a moment. Then she needs her rest. I insist.” 

“All right, ma, bring them in.” 

A moment later, his father came into the room, along with Michael, carrying Susan. All of them, including his mother and Lilith, came as close as they could to get a good look at the baby. This was a moment that they would all remember forever. It was a moment they were all together, welcoming the newest family member. 

“Weston,” his mother reached out and touched little Weston’s hand. “He looks like him, a little bit.” 

“He does, doesn’t he?” Daryl chuckled. “I don’t think that anything would have made Weston happier.” 

“No, nothing would have.” His father’s voice was gruff and full of emotion. Daryl knew that the decision of the name was similarly affecting them all. They were overwhelmed with happiness and a feeling of love. This was family, and he knew now that he never would have reached half of this happiness if he had gone on with his first decision of staying alone. His family made him stronger. It gave him something to protect. He would never forget that responsibility, and he would always do his best to make God proud and do well by Weston. Both his brother Weston, and his son, little Weston. 

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