LIFE WITH ALEX
Chapter 7: A trip to the Park
It was a sunny, brisk, fall day, and Evelyn and Rick both decided a trip to the park with Alex was a great way to spend their Saturday. While Evelyn got things ready, Rick sat on the rug in the parlor playing with their 11 month old son. Right now daddy was busy building him a block tower, while Alex chewed on one of his bears.
“All right Alex what do you thing?” Rick asked, and looked at his son who put the bear down, crawled over to the tower, and toppled it down, then laughed.
“Ahh Alex Daddy worked hard on that tower,” Rick said lightly. That didn’t matter to Alex who scattered the blocks about them, then crawled over to the coffee table and pulled himself up going for a book that was there.
“I don’t think so,” Rick said standing, going over to his son. He lifted Alex into his arms getting loud protest, but books were a big no no.
“Sorry buddy,” Rick said as Alex started to cry when his father wouldn’t put him down. It was then that Evelyn came downstairs with Alex’s satchel.
“What happened?” she asked, as she came over to them, and took her son into her own arms.
“He wanted your book,” Rick informed, as they walked toward the front entry of their large home. Now that mum had him, and was always the case when daddy put his foot down, Alex was calm and happy. At the front entry, Rick got Alex’s red coat, and while Evie held him, he put it on, followed by his warm cap, since it was windy, and a bit chilly. Once Alex was ready, and Rick had on his leather jacket, he took his son tossing him in the air before he could let out a fuss.
“Oh I need to get the picnic basket that Marie packed for us,” Evelyn said and left to do that.
“Are you ready to go have some fun?” Rick asked his little boy. Alex babbled a response, and Rick chuckled. When Evelyn came with the basket of food, Rick took that and gave Alex to her, then they went out to the car to make their trip to the park.
It was crowded at the park, and just off from the small lake there, Evelyn and Rick had spread out a large quilt. While they had their lunch, Alex sat playing with his little toy truck. He hadn’t gotten the idea of having it roll around, and was more interested in chewing on it, as he was with most things because of teething.
“This was a wonderful idea,” Evelyn said as she finished off her salid, and sipped at her tea.
“Yeah, it was good of you to think of it,” Rick commented. Not far from them a younger woman spread out a blanket, and beside of her was a little girl with spiraling red curls, and dark green eyes. She had on a long corduroy dress and stockings, and little black shoes. When she spotted Alex she ran to them.
“Dat a baby,” she said of Alex. Evelyn looked at her smiling.
“Yes this is Alex,” she said. About that time the woman came over.
“I’m sorry,” she said worried that Megan was being a bother.
“Oh don’t worry, she can sit over here with us if she wants,” Evie said standing.
“My name is Evelyn O’Connell, and this is my husband and my son,” she said. The Nanny smiled. Evelyn liking the idea of Alex meeting children close to his own age. Right now however he was into his blocks and didn’t pay the girl any attention.
“Well I’m not sure. I’m her nanny,” the woman said.
“It’s up to you,” Evelyn said as the girl had already made herself at home playing with Alex’s trucks.
“I guess it would be all right. Megan you behave,” the woman said then went over to her blanket and sat down taking out something she began to sew on.
“I like tucks,” she said and made it vroom over to Alex.
“Awek you pay wif tucks,” she said and put one in his lap. He looked at her, and grabbed one of her curls.
“Ouchie,” she said and sat still while Evelyn got his hand away, then lifted him into her lap.
“Alex that was naughty,” Evie told him and he started to cry.
“He not hurted me I trong girl,” she said, then ran over to be with her nanny. Alex continued to cry even with Evelyn rocking him.
“Why don’t we take a walk?” Rick suggested as he stood up. Evelyn handed Alex up to him, then they left their blanket hand in hand walking over by the lake showing Alex the ducks, which he loved.
“See that buddy, they like to swim in the lake almost as much as you like to swim in your bath tub,” he told his son. It was about then that they heard a splash, a big splash, and a scream. Megan’s Nanny ran to the dock, and Rick looked over to see the little girl struggling to stay up.
“Hold Alex,” he said, and ran to the end of it, and jumped in just as she went under. He pulled her up and over to the side, and she coughed up a lot of water starting to scream and cry.
“Megan Robertson you never do that to me again,” the nanny yelled pulling her out of the water and into her arms. Evelyn came with an extra blanket and gave it to the woman and the sobbing child, then brought the big blanket for Rick.
“I’m terribly sorry she wonders sometimes,” the nanny said, then walked off.
“Remind me not to get a nanny for Alex,” she said, and they decided to call it a day from the park, making sure that the woman and little girl were truly all right before they left.
A few days passed, and Rick was reading to Alex who was drinking a bottle of milk as he went to sleep when Marie came in.
“A man is here to see you, Mr. Richardson.” Right away Rick recognized the name, and stood with Alex still drinking his bottle, and went to the front of the house. The man was a little shorter than Rick, and had on a suit, and next to him was his little girl.
“Will you come in?” Rick asked.
“I don’t really have time to do so. I found out from my nanny about the accident at the park, and knew your name from the post articles of you and your wifes contribution to the museum, as well as her work there. I called and asked her if it was all right if I came to thank you in person so thats how I knew how to find you,” he explained.
“I’m a widower. My daughter is all that I have in this world, and that Nanny has been fired for her lack of care for my daughter. I live not a five minute walk from your house, and any time you want your son to come stay with my other nanny, Catherine who has worked for me since Megan was born, then please bring him by,” he said.
“Thank you,” Rick replied not sure about leaving Alex with anyone accept he Evelyn or Jonathan.
“I should be going. I’m Paul Richardson,” he said, and the two shook hands then he left.
“Well Alex I think maybe you found yourself a friend,” Rick said as he headed upstairs to put his son down for a nap.
When Evelyn arrived home that evening Alex was washed and ready for bed, sitting on Rick’s lap at the Piano allowing his father to help him play chopsticks. She smelled and put her bags down and walked behind them leaning in and nuzzling the back of Rick’s neck.
“Hmm you do that and I might just have to take you upstairs and make love to you,” Rick said.
“That doesn’t sound too bad. I’m sorry I missed dinner,” she said as Rick stood.
“We missed you. Did you even eat?” he asked as he let Alex go to her, since he was already reaching for her to hold him.
“Not yet,” she admitted.
“Well why don’t you get him down, and I’ll bring up a tray for you.”
“That sounds good to me,” she said, and after a kiss took her baby up to his room.
“You know what Alex,” she said as she settled with him in his rocking chair. He smiled at her and reached up patting her cheek as she undid her blouse for him to nurse.
“We are lucky that we found a man like your daddy,” she said settling down, and starting a gently rocking motion.
“Now tell your mummy what you and daddy did today,” she said. He kept his hand at her mouth and grinned as she nibbled his little fingers.
“Did you get to see Megan?” she asked as he pulled his hand back down and rubbed her shirt starting to get tired.
“Megan’s mummy was my friend once, and her daddy too.” Alex responded by pulling away and ahhed at her.
“She did. Well I think you two need to get to know one another,” Evelyn said and Alex cooed a little more then went back to nursing. Eventually he finished and was still awake so Evelyn lifted him to her shoulder making sure his bink was in place then started to sing to him. He lifted his head trying to look at her fighting sleep, but finally the battle was lost and he did go to sleep. After tucking him into bed she went to the master bedroom and found Rick there with dinner.
“Paul stopped by today,” he said as she stripped out of her work cloths, and pulled on a soft silk robe.
“Good. I actually grew up with his wife, and she was just starting to date him when Jonathan and I moved to Egypt,” Evie said.
“He told me that she died when Megan was born.” Knowing how death frightened his wife, Rick walked over to her and settled beside her. She leaned against him and took a deep breath.
“I just worry sometimes about me dying or you dying, and how we would cope.” she said.
“Evelyn you can’t let that worry you. We just have to make the best of the time we have here and now, and not worry about what may or may not happen,” he said. As always he made her feel better, and after she finished dinner, they shared in a very intimate dessert.
The End