Love An Eagle

“So, you finally decided to return to work?” Peggy asked when Cara and Wamblee walked in on Monday morning.

Wamblee grinned at his friend. “I did. I’m much better now, thanks for asking.”

Peggy rolled her eyes at him. “I already knew that. I was there, remember?”

“So, exactly what did you have anyway?” Dr. Greg asked, from where he stood leaning against the hallway wall.

“I think we’d all like to know the answer to that,” Dr. Gretchen added. “You went down really fast like.”

Wamblee shrugged. They were all human, so he’d have to play it off. “Not sure, but I’ll tell you, I hope I never get it again. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re okay now,” Ramona added.

Wamblee gave her a smile. “Thanks Ramona.”

“So…I understand congratulations are in order?” Dr. Greg said with a smirk.

Wamblee frowned. “Peggy, have you been running your mouth again? We haven’t even told…”

“No, I have not been running my mouth,” Peggy said with a laugh. “I think this is just Dr. Greg’s way of getting you to tell so he won’t have to keep secrets anymore.”

Wamblee looked down at his winyan (woman) and she smiled at him.

“It’s alright, none of them will tell dad and we won’t tell him he wasn’t told first,” Cara said.

Wamblee then looked at the hall full of his co-workers and said, “Cara is pregnant.”

Ramona squealed and gave Cara a hug.

“Oh, I am so happy for the two of you. I…wait…” she stepped back with a frown. “What about your dad Wamblee?”

Wamblee sighed. “They know. Dad helped me with my…illness, and things are good now. There will be an official ceremony to tell everyone of mine and Cara’s marriage and our impending parenthood.”

Ramona smiled as she said, “I’m glad. A child should not be without their parents no matter their age.”

“Well, I’m just glad I don’t have to keep Cara’s secret anymore,” Dr. Greg said with a smirk.

Cara groaned and buried her head in Wamblee’s chest. “You will never let me forget that day, will you?”

“Nope,” Dr. Greg agreed. “It was puzzling, yet funny and something I may even tell your children just to embarrass you.”

“What did she do exactly?” Peggy asked.

Dr. Greg snorted, trying not to laugh as he began. “I had gone to my office to do a bit of paperwork when she came sneaking in. She then proceeded to turn up the volume on my radio I had softly playing in the background. Then she stood, practically on top of me, and whispered in my ear. She asked if I could do a pregnancy test for her, but not to tell anyone.

“I of course, told her I could, but asked why she hadn’t had Lee do it. She said it needed to be our secret because with Lee so sick she didn’t want to put pressure on him if she wasn’t.

“So, I told her I needed to go get the things I would need to do it and she begged me to make sure no one saw, still whispering mind you! So, I went, making sure not to be seen,” he said as he chuckled, “and got the things I needed for the blood test and took it. I then told her she was indeed pregnant. That’s when she told me to destroy the evidence and to tell no one,” he concluded.

Cara huffed. “I did not tell you to destroy the evidence. All I said was I wanted to be the one to tell and to not say anything, especially to Peggy because she had a big mouth.”

“Hey!” Peggy yelled.

Wamblee rolled his eyes. “She’s right. You can’t keep anything to yourself.”

“What I want to know is, why did she turn the radio up, and why did she insist on whispering. It’s not like anyone could hear us talking in my office, even if they’d known she was in there,” Dr. Greg said.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Ramona said. “Peggy is nosy and would have been listening at the door if she figured out where Cara had gone.”

“Hey!” Peggy yelled again. Then she huffed. “Okay, so it’s true.”

Everyone laughed.

Dr. Gretchen looked at her wrist watch and gave a sigh. “Time to open for business.”

So, with one more round of congratulations, everyone got to work.

“So, what are we doing today?” Wamblee asked as he watched Cara make breakfast. He’d been slowly teaching her to cook a few things and she seemed to enjoy cooking breakfast the best.

“Well, I thought we would go see dad and Monica. We need to tell them about the baby before someone else lets it slip,” Cara said, looking over her shoulder at him.

“Mm…yes, that might be a good idea,” he agreed.

Turning off the stove after taking up the eggs, she faced him. “There seems to be something on your mind, want to share?”

Wamblee turned and after pulling a jug of orange juice from the refrigerator he poured them both a glass. “I’ve just been thinking about something.”

“Tell me,” she said as she put their plates on the table and sat down.

Sitting down, he picked up his fork. “I haven’t felt my eagle as strongly as I use too. Sometimes he would make it known how he wanted to be free. I know he’s there, but…”

“Maybe it’s just taking him longer to bounce back from what happened,” Cara suggested.

Wamblee looked up at her, a worried frown on his face.

“Maybe, but I don’t like the feeling all the same,” he told her.

“You’re worried that you may never “be” him again, aren’t you?” She said with an understanding look.

Wamblee nodded. She understood him so well.

“I say, give it some time. Stop stressing over it and give him time to heal. He almost died Wamblee, that isn’t something you come back from easily,” she told him softly as she took his hand.

Wamblee leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

Cara grinned. “I can never hear it to much. Now, eat so we can go tell my dad and Monica the good news!”

Wamblee chuckled at her excitement. Her face was flushed with it and her eyes sparkled. He loved his winyan so much and was so grateful the Wakan Tanka had blessed him with her.

Cara knocked on her dad’s door as Wamblee looked around. The neighborhood was a quiet one, though he’d seen one neighbor out working on the engine of his car and playing music loud.

He turned when he heard the door open.

“Cara! Oh, I’m so happy to see you and I know your dad will be too. Come in, come in, you too Lee! You don’t mind if I call you Lee, do you?” Monica asked with a big smile on her face.

“No, Lee is fine,” he murmured in reply. You couldn’t help but like the bubbly woman. She almost radiated happiness and he could see what had drawn Cara’s father to her. She would have been a bright light in his world after the sadness of losing his wife.

“Doug, honey! The kids are here!” Monica hollered as she led the way to the sitting room.

Wamblee turned to Cara, eyebrow raised in question. “Kids?”

Cara laughed. “She probably doesn’t even know how much older than me you are. You know though, I do remember just a few days ago your mom and dad calling you their “little” golden eagle.”

Wamblee huffed. “You’ll never let me forget that will you?”

Cara smiled and kissed his cheek before saying, “No, because I think its sweet, but more than that, those two words showed how much your dad really does care.”

Then she took his hand and led him into the sitting room where her dad and Monica waited.

Mr. Lundy smiled as they entered the room.

Cara walked over and gave him a hug, and Wamblee shook his hand before they took a seat.

“It’s good to see the two of you, glad to see you up and around Wamblee. I understand you’ve been sick,” Mr. Lundy said.

“I was, and it was bad,” Wamblee agreed, “and please, call me Lee.”

Mr. Lundy nodded as he leaned back in his seat and put an arm around Monica. “So, what brings the two of you by unexpectedly? I thought the plan was dinner next week? Not that I’m complaining mind you, I love seeing my daughter.”

Wamblee looked down at Cara and saw her face turn a bit red and she started to play with the hem of her shirt. Finally, she cleared her throat and looked up. “Well, dad, Monica, I wanted to tell the two of you something. I’m pregnant.”

Wamblee looked at Mr. Lundy then to see his reaction.

Mr. Lundy’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Cara.

Monica on the other hand, squealed and jumped from her seat. She came over and dropping to her knees, she pulled Cara into a hug. “Oh, Cara! I am so excited for you! I wasn’t expecting this so early in your marriage, but I’m still happy for you! We have so many things we need to do to get ready for the baby…or babies, and trust me, nine months will go by faster…”

“Monica! Slow down,” Cara said with a laugh. “I know, and I want you to help me, but maybe you should go to dad right now. I think he’s gone into shock!”

Monica turned to look at her husband and laughed. Getting up she sat back down next to him and tapped his cheek gently. “Hey, Doug breathe.”

Mr. Lundy turned his head and looked at Monica. He whispered, “My baby is having a baby.”

She gave him a smile. “She is and from the look on her and Lee’s face, I think they’re both very happy about it.”

Mr. Lundy looked back over at Wamblee and Cara. “Were you trying?”

Cara shook her head. “No, but we are happy about it.”

“That we are, and we want the two of you to be a big part in the baby’s life,” Wamblee told them.

Mr. Lundy smiled then. “Okay. Well, if you’re happy, then so am I.”

Monica sighed happily as she said, “I can hardly wait…”

“Ugh! Wamblee, I’m getting to be as big as a house,” Cara grumbled as she tried to fasten her skirt. “And there is no way this skirt is going to fit.”

Wamblee came in from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel and Cara couldn’t help but wish he’d lose it!

Even though she was getting quite big, he still made her feel beautiful and made love to her almost daily. On their few off days, they just snuggled because it was a day she was just too tired for anything else.

“Tomorrow is Saturday, so we can go shopping for clothes. Do you have anything that will still fit? If not, you could stay home today, and I’ll have Ramona do your job for you,” Wamblee offered as he pulled her in for a hug. “I can’t believe how time has passed. In another couple of months our little eaglet will be here.”

Wamblee gently rubbed her belly and the baby kicked. He grinned. “Such an active little boy, aren’t you?”

“He is, and becoming more so as time goes on,” she agreed. “Speaking of him being a boy, have you thought anymore about names?”

Wamblee shook his head. “No. You need to understand though Cara. We traditionally do things differently. A name is given after the birth and sometimes not until the child is a few weeks old. Then later another name is given that is better suited for the child.”

She sighed as she watched him slowly dress. “I know. I guess I’m just impatient. I want to have something to call him when I speak to him.”

Wamblee turned, holding out a dress he’d found in the closet to her.

She took it and realized it was flared to the point it might actually still fit her. So, she began to put it on and was pleased when it did fit. Turning she grinned at Wamblee. “Thank you, mihigna ki (my husband)!”

“You are very welcome, mitháwichu ki, (my wife)” he said. “Now, as far as something to call him right now, you could just call him chinkshi which means son.”

Cara rubbed her belly and, tried out the word, said softly, “Chinkshi.”

Wamblee stepped behind her and putting his arms around her he kissed the top of her head. Then, rubbing her belly he also said softly, “My chinkshi.”

“I suppose it will do for now,” she told him, looking up.

He kissed her softly before stepping away. “If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late.”

Cara nodded her agreement and began hunting down her slip-on shoes to wear as Wamblee put on his socks and shoes.

Cara and Wamblee began working on the baby’s room that weekend.

Wamblee had already painted it a soft yellow and Cara had put up cute curtains with fuzzy yellow ducks. She’d told Wamblee if she could have found eagles she would have gotten that and he’d rolled his eyes at her.

“Not like putting up duck curtains will jinx our eaglet into becoming a duck,” he had teased.

Cara had laughed. “True.”

His mom, along with his unci had brought a beautiful quilt for the baby along with some clothes and diapers.

His dad had sent a small cradle that had been handcrafted by him when Mrs. Claw had been expecting Wamblee. It was made of oak and had an eagle in flight drawn at the head of it.

Cara had stared at it for a long time, thinking about baby Wamblee being rocked in the cradle by his mom. It had brought tears to her eyes, it was so beautiful.

Wamblee stared off into the back yard as he began to feel his eagle stir inside him. He pushed his mind to connect with that of the eagle spirit and smiled when he felt the connection strengthen. It had been two months; two long months and he had been really worried because his eagle had still been gone.

Now feeling the eagle spirit in him, ready to fly, he quickly stripped and felt his transformation take place. As soon as it did, he took to the skies.

Cara woke up to find herself alone in bed and rolled over to call out, “Wamblee?”

Not receiving an answer, she crawled from the bed and after putting on a gown, she went to hunt her husband down. After searching the whole house, she paused in the middle of the kitchen and frowned.

“Where could that man be?” Movement out the window caught her attention and she smiled as she went running out the back door. She shouted excitedly, “Handsome!”

Her handsome golden eagle came and perched on the porch rail and she began to stroke his soft wings.

“I am so happy to see you, I’ve missed you so much,” she murmured, leaning in to gently kiss his head. “I know Wamblee has missed you too. I thought there for a while you weren’t coming back, but here you are,” she said with a sigh. Then continued, “I know you probably already know, but Wamblee and I are having a baby. I don’t know if it will be an eagle or not though.”

She stopped and bit her lip as the eagle began to chirp and rub his head on her belly.

“According to his mom though, because I’m human our babies will be too. I’m really hoping she’s wrong because I really want to give you and Wamblee a little eaglet to teach all things eagle too,” she whispered, feeling emotional. Then she laughed as he watched her, his eyes unblinking. “Sorry, being stupid here, blame it on the hormones. Anyway, I’m really glad to have you back.”

Little did she know it would be three days before Wamblee was able to return to his human form.