Chapter Eleven: Stuff Always Happens in the Middle of the Night
(It was several hours ago when Harper was awakened by the first subtle pangs of the labor included in birthing a child. For those past several hours Boromir has been going nuts because he�s been locked out of the room in which his wife is struggling to deliver their child. He keeps banging on the door yelling to be let in and then Faramir calms him down enough to get him to sit down when Harper lets out a pained scream and calls out for him again.)
Faramir: Brother, you really need to stop this! You�re being ridiculous.
Boromir: I can�t help it! I�d be calm if they�d just let me in there! You can hear her, Faramir. She wants me to be in there with her but they�re keeping me out.
Faramir: You don�t belong in there and Harper will be just fine without you. She�s got the midwives and Stevie is in there too. She�ll be fine, brother, just wait and see.
Boromir: I don�t want to wait.
Faramir: Well you must, so sit there quietly and stop trying to break down the door.
Boromir: The next time we have a child we�re having it in Tolfalas and I�ll get to go in and be with her then.
Faramir: Stop pouting. No you won�t, anyway. You�ll still need midwives and they�re always going to be proper ladies who will never let you into the delivery room. Just wait it out.
(Meanwhile, inside the room Harper is having a rather difficult time of things. She�s in pain, the midwives and Stevie just keep telling her to push as though she isn�t already and she wants to see her husband but they won�t let him in. Needless to say she�s rather exasperated.)
Stevie: Come on, we�re almost there.
Harper: (breathing heavily) That�s it. I�m not doing this. Get Boromir in here now.
Stevie: You know we can�t do that.
Harper: You can and you will because I can�t do this without him.
Stevie: Yes you can. Besides, if we let him in you�ll probably kill him or something.
Harper: I have not made a threat towards his life yet, nor will I ever. Let him in, please?
Stevie: I can�t do that. Now come on, I want you to push and then you�ll have your beautiful baby and then your husband can come in.
Harper: What about my sheep?
Stevie: You see? That�s exactly what I�m talking about. This kid thing messes with your brain. You can see Shutty after all this is over�but not with the baby.
(A few hours later and the baby has finally arrived. Harper is exhausted and Boromir is bouncing with joy because he finally got to do into the room to see his wife and baby. So there Harper is laying on the bed with the newborn baby in her arms and Boromir sitting on the bed next to her.)
Boromir: She�s beautiful, Hannah! She�s got your face and everything!
Harper: She has your eyes. What are you going to name her?
Boromir: I get to name her?
Harper: Yeah. I think you should name our daughter. So what�s it going to be, Papa?
Boromir: Well�I think she looks like a Wynna.
Harper: Wynna? Hmm�Wynna� I like it!
Boromir: Then it is settled. She is the little princess Wynna of Tolfalas.
Harper: I�m sorry they wouldn�t let you in. I kept begging them to but they wouldn�t.
Boromir: It�s fine, really it is. I can be with my girls now and that�s all that matters.
Harper: So you aren�t disappointed, then?
Boromir: Over what?
Harper: Well, I figured you�d want a boy. Everyone seems really big on that having an heir stuff.
Boromir: And you thought I wouldn�t be happy with a daughter? Don�t be silly. In all honesty I�ve always wanted a little girl of my own. It�s probably because my father was always nagging me about marrying and having a son. I want you to know that I will always love our children equally.
Harper: That�s reassuring. (smiles) I love you, you big doof.
Boromir: I am not a doof.
Harper: Yes you are. (to Wynna) Your Papa is a doof, yes he is.
Boromir: (frowns) Don�t tell her such things. She�ll grow up thinking I�m some fool.
Harper: Well better for her to know the truth now then have to figure it out later!
Boromir: Oh, that was low. What did I do to deserve that one?
Harper: I don�t know. I�m tired and my mind is all out of whack. You should go to bed and get some sleep.
Boromir: I think I�ll stay here with the two of you tonight. I�ll feel terrible if I leave you alone. Besides, you need your rest.
Harper: But if she cries will you be alright with her?
Boromir: I remember watching my mother care for Faramir when we were both young. I helped him then and I can watch Wynna now. Don�t worry about it. Sleep now. We�re leaving for home in less than a week. You�ll need your strength.
Harper: Okay, put her in the cradle over there. Watch her head.
(Boromir gets up with Wynna and sets her in the cradle gently then laughs when he pick up something small, soft, and squishy. He turns around to show it to Harper who giggles. It�s a little stuffed sheep doll.)
Boromir: Setting her in her parent�s footsteps already?
Harper: Hopefully just the last half with the sheep, not the first half with the going on a whacked out journey to save the world from legions of deformed beasties, crazy old guys, and flaming eyeballs. Besides, your Uncle Imrahil brought it. He thought the baby would like it.
Boromir: That old softie.
Harper: He can�t help it. All his kids are grown up and they�re all married except for Echirion! He was really quite sad at the wedding. He sent off his youngest son and his baby girl to get married! Just you wait and see when she�s old enough and gets married.
Boromir: (looks at the sleeping baby defensively) It�ll never happen. They can�t have her.
Harper: Yep, whatever you say. Come on now, let�s get some sleep. I�ll be very cranky tomorrow if I don�t. You know what happened the last time I was cranky.
Boromir: (twitches) That was two months ago and you decided that trying to shave my head in my sleep would be wonderful payback for something I didn�t do in the first place.
Harper: That�s why you�re lucky you woke up in time. Now shut up and go to sleep.
Boromir: (smirks) Yes, Momma.
Harper: That makes me feel old. Does being called Papa make you feel old?
Boromir: (groans like an old man while laying down on the bed) I am an old man, Hannah.
Harper: Maybe I should call you grandpa, then?
Boromir: I�m not that old. Not yet, and if I have my way I never will be.
