169 - Saints Stay

*I built it for my family, I want them to still love the house when I’m gone. – Becks*

After leaving Becks at the hospital, Molly, his other pretties and oldest daughter went back to the large house on the farm that Becks had built for her family. The drive back in the van was silent and tense. No one spoke, or even knew what to say.

Michaela drove back to the farm as Molly sat in the second row between Tammy and Yvonne. Alicia sat in the third row holding Priscilla with silent tears flowing down both of their cheeks. She turned onto the road leading into the farm and passed the stone and iron fences that lined not only the houses, but the main roads.

The year before Mia and Celt got married, he paid for her dream fence to be put up. The other women of the Lowery family loved the fence, and they quickly encircled the different properties. The gates to each of the driveways, and one cul-de-sac, had the Lowery crest on them. The traditional crest was modified to have a motorcycle helmet instead of the knight’s helmet above an attacking falcon.

Slowing for the next turn, she turned onto the road that the compound was on. Michaela remembered the first time that she had come out here. It had been at Tammy’s insistence, but she had been welcomed with a tight hug from Becks.

There was no doubt that Becks was the heart and soul of the family. What would they do without her? The gate rolled open as she waited in the driveway, she looked in the mirror and at her husband. He held two of his pretties close to his sides as tears fell unchecked.

Silently, they made their way into the big house that was eerily quiet. He stood in the open area as the women moved towards Becks’ kitchen. The kitchen is designed to cook for a small army, or a large family. Everywhere he looked there were memories of his beloved Becks.

Nearly twenty years of meals being cooked in that kitchen.

Birthday cakes and parties.

Christmas Eve celebrations.

On the top of the cabinet in the large kitchen sat a little wooden oven with a breadbasket on either side of it. There were now twenty rolls in those baskets. Yvonne had insisted on getting one for Priscilla even when she assured her Momma Von that it was not needed. There were three for the babies they had lost. One for the next baby to be born and fifteen for all the other littles.

The baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs that were built into the house.

Her shorthand and made-up words on the grocery list and menu that the whole family now used. Sammies and sammiches for sandwiches. Pig belly and butt for bacon and ham. Chix pot brr for chicken potato burrito.

Knitted blankets and toys. Both the ones that she had made and the ones that the little pretties made under her guidance.

Pictures everywhere. Motorcycle rallies. Weekend trips. Backyard picnics. Class trips. Parties at the any one of the clubhouses.

He walked up the stairs, leaving the pretties and Priscilla in the big kitchen, and headed for the main bedroom. He paused outside the door and looked over at the nursery door and walked over to it. Reaching out he touched the palm print for Angel.

His gaze then went to the one for Yvonne’s baby and the one that Tammy had lost last year. They had braced themselves to lose the baby and she was prepared to have a DNC procedure. It was a surprise when Dr. Blake said that she would not perform it.

“This is what we refer to as a single birth twin. You did lose a baby, but you still have one.”

Tammy had been restricted to bed rest for the rest of the first trimester. She still had a lot of restrictions, and she abided by them. The thought of losing the second baby was enough to keep her off her feet.

Molly turned the knob and opened the door. The hospital bed and equipment that Becks had used was gone. It had all been moved to the former bed and breakfast that they had been staying at. The nursery was ready for the next baby that was due at the end of January.

It had changed over the years, but certain things remained the same. There were seventeen pictures of babies in Molly’s cut. Black and white pictures of each of the pretties wearing his cut with their large bellies on display.

The walls were currently a soft green with a rug filled with pastel cartoon animals on the off-white tiled floors. Custom furniture from Sticks’ workshop filled the room.

Shelves and cubbies held diapers and supplies, not only for their younger littles, but for his brother and cousins. They were all labeled with the baby or toddler name. Becks always made sure that they were stocked for anyone who needed them.

They were still stocked, and he could only assume that it was Yvonne that was now doing it.

Walking into the room, he approached the custom crib that Sticks had made for Priscilla. The first crib that he had made for Angel was still in the room at the Shack. Both had held every baby born to the family. His brother’s children. The children of all of his cousins. All sixteen of his littles. Soon to be seventeen.

He would not have any of them if it were not for his Becks.

If it were not for his Becks, the whole family would not exist.

Becks.

His Becks.

Momma Becks.

He fell to his knees, his hands clinging to the bars and his head hung between his arms. Silently, Molly pleaded with whatever deity would listen. He begged for Becks to live. Offered himself to take her place. Promised whatever the universe wanted.

Molly had never been a religious man. But today, he prayed. He prayed harder than any man had ever prayed before.

He begged and pleaded. Tried to compromise. Offered sacrifices. Promised to change. Promised to do better.

But he knew that nothing he offered would change what was going to happen. Modern science could not save her.

His large body shook and trembled with his sobs. The sound that was ripped from his chest was inhuman as his heart and soul shattered.

A small hand touched his shoulder, and he shifted to sit on the floor. He pulled the small form into his lap and buried his face in Priscilla’s hair.

Father and daughter sat in the nursery, surrounded by pictures of their family, holding each other and crying. No words were needed.

Another hand touched his back and then Tammy kissed his head as she settled on the floor behind them. Yvonne, Alicia and Michaela sat on the floor, wrapping their arms around Molly, Priscilla and each other.

No one was sure how long they sat there before heavy footsteps made their way across the floor and joined them. Patch sat down and embraced the grieving family. Shortly after, the other Lowery’s joined them.

Dino sat with his back to the crib, rubbing Priscilla’s back. Chance, Werewolf, Sticks and Bear encircled them. Deuce sat down and helped his twin sister, Alana, to join them. Gremlin and Rocky sat with Mia between them.

Jaye was the last to join them, and after squeezing her way to her oldest son, she kissed his forehead and forced him to look at her.

“Saint stay.” She whispered. “Lowerys never leave.”