Note: This title came on its own before I started writing this story. Titles come and go, I guess. The name Pearl came through a generated name website with the last name/ages of my choice, I'm describing them the way the generator suggested, along with where they live. Hope you all enjoy.

A woman at ninety – three, was together with her family for the weekend. Family time was always her favorite. She is still in good health, hard of hearing, and of course, blind. Her father, Kenneth McCarey was only one hundred and ten years old, but her mother, Ann McCarey had been dead for almost twenty years.

Pearl McCarey was her name. She’d been a widow for eleven and a half years now. Ever since her husband, whose named happened to be Alan, died in a car crash, and that still scared Pearl today. Yes, Pearl had two children. Their names were Richard, fifty – six and Robert, who was sixty. Both of her sons married and are widowers like their grandfather.

She lives in a nursing home since she really can’t do so can her own anymore. Yes, she is in the same nursing home as Kenneth, so they were able to get together whenever they could. Today Richard and Robert were coming by to pick them both up and go out to eat. She and her father and sons all live in Lambert Lake, Connecticut.

It is winter, which is shortly after the new year, and she loved the snow ever since she was a child. Earlier this morning, she was able to receive some help from a few ladies at the nursing home. It’s been a while since her last shampoo, so that’s what she did before Robert and Richard arrive at twelve – thirty.

Richard usually was almost always late while Robert was almost always early. Both of her sons are very thankful that she and her father were still alive today. None of them had children from their wives, so adoption worked best. Yes, Robert is starting to turn gray and Richard still had his brown hair. He inherited Pearl’s brown hair while Robert used to have black hair like their father did, and Robert had her blue eyes.

She did have gray and white hair when her brown hair began to fade, and she chose to dye her hair back to the original coloring. Her father was with her at twelve – fifteen, so it gave both father and daughter time alone until Robert and Richard come and then go to lunch. Like Pearl, Kenneth had hearing aids. Sometime soon he would pass on, so this might be their last time together.

Pearl uses a walker to get places in the nursing home and outside as well. Her father uses a wheelchair. They will discuss on transportation once Richard and Robert get here. Both men love being the story about when they were first born, so it never gets tiring for them, even today they still don’t get tired of it.

Once Pearl’s hair finished blow – drying, it was now twelve. In fifteen minutes she was able to meet Kenneth in the lobby where Robert and Richard would meet them. Today was the weather promised to be a sunny day in the low teens and high thirties. The snow was pretty deep, so yes, you’d have to wear boots.

Both men live in the city, but Robert lived closer to her and Kenneth, so they were still happy when Robert would show up on certain days Richard couldn’t make it. Today Robert was here at the nursing home a bit early than usual.

“Hi, Mom and Grandpa. Has Richard shown up yet?” he asked, looking at both of them.

“Not yet,” Kenneth answered.

“Oh.”

“We’ll talk about who will do the driving when your brother arrives.”

“We always do, Mom. You look nice today.”

Pearl took Robert’s compliment.

“Thank you, Robert.”

Today Pearl was wearing a pair of earrings, wore perfume, along with a long – sleeved plain white and red shirt and old blue jeans, and boots as well.

“You also look nice, Grandpa.”

Kenneth replied, “Thank you.”

Today Kenneth wore a suit with a black and white long – sleeve shirt, black pants and last, but not least, a pair of new boots. She hoped to buy a new pair of boots sometime soon. These she’d worn for several years now hardly fit Pearl anymore, so this is why she wanted to go shopping. For now Pearl was stuck with these for a while longer.

“Mom, is there anything wrong?”

“Of course not, Robert. I’m thinking about shopping for new boots.”

“What’s wrong from what you have now?” Robert asked, remembering Peal loved to shop for shoes in the past, and still does today, even if it means she couldn’t see very well anymore.

Richard showed up when Robert finished that question.

“This is quite a greeting.”

“Hello, Bro,” Robert said.

“I said this because everyone is so quiet, and that included Grandpa and Mom. Is there anything wrong why I received silence?”

“Of course not, Richard. We finished talking about shoes before you showed up.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Are you ready to go?”

“We can discuss who’s driving, and then we’ll all be ready,” Kenneth answered.

“I wouldn’t mind doing it today,” Robert volunteered.

Robert drove a van so it was able to have more room for her walker and Kenneth’s wheelchair. Richard’s car didn’t have room for either a wheelchair or walker.

“Then let’s head out to the parking lot if everybody’s ready,” Richard said.

“We’re ready,” Pearl told Richard.

“Then let’s go. Is anyone up to fast food?” Richard asked.

Even though fast food isn’t healthy, Pearl and her family would go to different fast food places about every two to three months. The last time they did it, they often agreed on the same place. Last time they paid a visit to Dairy Queen.

Everyone agreed to Richard’s suggestion.

“I came up with this idea because I have a busy day.”

He has a job as a town clerk, so most of the time he is busy, and that was understandable.

Once they arrived at Robert’s van, Richard said, “Mom, will you tell us again about the day we were born?”

“I’d be happy to, Richard. Whose story should I share?”

“Mine,” Robert said once all of the doors were closed.

“Okay.”

Today everyone agreed to visit Pizza Hut. They didn’t mind the twenty – minute drive. This should take Pearl enough time to tell about Robert’s arrival in the hospital. Then she’d share Richard’s story on the way back home.

“Here’s your story, Robert.”

“You may begin, Mom.”

“All right. Robert, since you’re a July baby, I’ll tell you again about your day.”

“We’re listening,” Richard said once the van drove out of the parking lot.

“It was a hot Monday night,” Pearl began.

Flashback:

Exactly before ten o’clock on July thirteenth, Pearl and her husband have been in the hospital ever since the crack of dawn. Pearl was feeling a lot of pain, and the ambulance was able to pick her up before six – twenty. Every time she kept having pain, the baby wasn’t coming out of the womb just yet.

Once the paramedics arrived, Alan told her, “Pearl, I shall see you a little after seven. Do you think you can wait until then?”

“I think so,” Pearl answered painfully.

“Okay. Call me once the baby is here.”

“I will. When the baby comes out, we will decide on a name for our son.”

That’s when the paramedics drove away.

“Why don’t you try pushing, Mrs. McCarey?” one of the paramedics asked.

“I’ll try my best,” was her painful answer.

During this entire trip to the hospital, Pearl began to push. She kept pushing once the ambulance arrived to the hospital. She still didn’t have the baby come out, no matter how hard Pearl pushed. She began to lose hope.

“I don’t think he’s ready to come out yet,” Pearl said once the paramedics brought her in the hospital.

“Maybe the baby doesn’t wanted to come into this world any time yet, Mrs. McCarey. The baby could even come out later this morning, late afternoon, or perhaps late during the night.”

“I guess you could be right.”

“The doctor should be with you shortly, Mrs. McCarey. Congratulate your husband from us.”

“I will.”

As promised, Alan arrived right at seven.

“Has our son arrived yet?”

“No the paramedics seem to think somehow our son might come in later today, and I am somehow beginning to think they could be right.”

“None of us can predict what time that child of ours will arrive. You look tired.”

“I know. I tried pushing as hard as I could, but there was no luck. If I feel pain later, we’ll try again.”

“Good idea. Here comes the doctor now.”

That’s when the doctor walked in, slamming the door behind him.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. McCarey. How was your night?”

“It went well, but we didn’t sleep much because we’re too excited to have our son,” Alan replied.

Pearl began to feel pain once more, so she couldn’t find any words to say anything.

“What I was told, Mr. McCarey, your wife seemed to fail on pushing your child out on the way here.”

“I’m sure that’s normal.”

“It is. That could tell you he wasn’t yet ready to come into this world. Maybe now he could decide if he’s ready.”

Pearl pushed even harder now than she did on the way here to the hospital. Once again, the baby didn’t come out.

“That’s what happened on the way here,” Pearl told her husband and the doctor.

“Don’t talk now, Mrs. McCarey. That baby is more important to us at the moment. You can talk after he’s into this world.”

“The doctor’s right, Pearl. No matter how much longer we’ll have to wait, I’ll stay with you all day.”

“That’s a good idea, Mr. McCarey. If the baby decides to come later, have a nurse page me.”

“We’ll do that, Doctor.”

That’s when the doctor left.

Alan walked closer to his wife’s bed so he could hold Pearl’s hand, reassuring her everything would be all right.

“What if that son of ours decided not to come out? What if he died?”

“Pearl, that won’t happen. Please don’t start having negative thoughts.”

“I think I already am, Alan. I came into this same world as our son is. I came out almost on time.”

“Birth comes on its own, I guess.”

Pearl didn’t say anything immediately. Before noon, Pearl and Alan saw the same doctor who was with them earlier that morning.

“How are you doing, Mr. and Mrs. McCarey?” he asked.

“We’re doing just fine, Doc. Pearl, do you want to have another try and have our son think about coming into this world?”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt, Alan.”

“I go home around five – fifteen, and I’d like to be here when that baby is ready to come out of that womb, Mrs. McCarey. I know I can’t promise anything.”

Pearl and Alan both understood what their doctor had just said. And there was not a sign of a complaining and arguing on that one.

So Pearl gave it another shot. Even pushing this second time, Pearl was starting to feel sleepy while trying to push their child out. This second time, they were able to have the baby.

“Isn’t he adorable, Alan?” Pearl asked in a tired voice.

“Of course. Any ideas for a name?”

“Would you like Paul?”

“Nah. Not for this one,” Alan answered.

A name came into his mind.

“How about Scott?”

“He doesn’t look like a Scott, either, Alan. How about Jeremy?”

“He doesn’t look like one, either. How about Howard?”

“None of these seem to fit his personality, Alan. Here’s another name. How does Robert sound?”

“He does look like a Robert to me also,” he agreed.

“Then that is his name. Welcome to the world, Robert.”

“Why don’t we name him Robert Alan?”

“Perfect. At least he will have to be known now as Robert Alan McCarey,” Pearl agreed.

“Then we found what we agreed on.”

“We sure did.”

End Flashback

Pearl was interrupted by Kenneth. Even though he is hard of hearing like his daughter, he corrected Pearl by saying, “Robert was born at noon, not ten at night.”

“Thank you for the correction, Dad.”

“I like how you said about me coming to this world at lunchtime and not late at night, Mom. Then what else happened?”

Both sons already know this answer, but Robert somehow asked the question anyway.

“You and I were able to come home three days later. Our family gathered around us and made a big deal about you. Four years later, your brother was born,” Pearl answered.

“Family stories like this are my favorites,” Richard replied once Robert found a parking spot in front of Pizza Hut.

“Do you ant to tell my story later since we’ll be ordering? On the way back to the nursing home you can tell mine again?” Richard asked.

“That sounds best, Richard.”

That’s when everyone walked in. For a while, Pearl didn’t share Robert’s story anytime soon, but that would wait on the way home as everybody agreed.

2: Chapter 2

Note: This is going to be a two chapter story. Since Pearl had two children, it made sense to me that this would be a short story, but the children had their own story in each chapter. Hope you all like it.

The next day afternoon, Robert and Richard arrived at the nursing home. Kenneth had to pay a visit to the eye doctor, so Richard and Robert were able to spend time with Pearl.

“Mom?”

“Yes, Richard?”

“The other day you told us about Robert’s coming into this world. Now it’s time you tell us my story.”

“All right, Richard. Here’s your story.”

Both brothers stayed quiet during the story Pearl was going to share.

Flashback:

It was dark that Saturday evening. Pearl and Alan were having Pearl’s parents come over, which worked out just fine. Kenneth and Ann were going to watch Robert because Pearl and Alan were going to pay a visit to the hospital. This time Alan was going to do the driving. He didn’t seem to think it was that necessary to have an ambulance come and take her in.

He and Pearl were in no mood to listen to the radio. Pearl wasn’t interested in entertainment. She looked more focused on their new child.

“How are you doing, Pearl?”

It was only a fifteen to twenty minute drive from their house to the hospital.

“I’m doing okay, Alan. Do you want to name our son now or wait until later?”

“Wait until the baby is born.”

“Makes sense to me. When he is born, we give my mother and father a telephone call and they can bring Robert with them to meet his new brother.”

“I know, Pearl. You didn’t need to say that.”

“Well, it’s a bit late for that,” Pearl told her husband.

They were able to find a parking spot.

“Let me help you out of the car and then we can contact the doctor.”

Pearl didn’t respond, so she let him do the heavy work. After Alan helped Pearl take off her seatbelt, he locked the car and both of them said not a word on their way inside the hospital. The receptionist saw Pearl and Alan come to her desk.

“May I help you?” she asked.

“Actually there is something you can do. My wife and I are expecting another child. Would you mind contacting the doctor?”

“I’ll let him know you’re here.”

She did the contact for them. After the receptionist finished contacting the McCareys’ doctor, she said, “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. McCarey. How many children do you have?”

“Just one. This is going to be our second child. And after that, we don’t plan to have anymore children.”

“Have you thought of a name?”

“We’re going to do that when the baby arrives,” Pearl answered.

“I hope you will be good parents to these kids, Mr. and Mrs. McCarey. What’s your first child’s name?”

“Robert,” Alan answered.

“I like the letter r,” the receptionist said when the doctor headed closer.

“So do I,” Pearl agreed.

“Congratulations again,” she told Alan and Pearl.

“Thank you,” Alan said.

“Let’s find you a room, Mrs. McCarey.”

Pearl was able to walk some more, which Alan thought was a good thing. The doctor was able to find a room for them on the first floor. They followed the doctor to room 147.

“I will be right back in a few minutes,” he told them.

“How are you feeling, Pearl?”

“Fine for now, Alan. I hope he comes back in less than a few minutes.”

Alan hugged her when she finished saying that. When Alan’s gentle hug ended, the doctor came back.

“Are you ready?” he asked them.

“Yes, we are, Doc,” Alan said.

Alan could tell Pearl was thinking about it on their way here to the hospital.

“Do you and Mr. McCarey want anymore children after this one?”

“We think two is enough. We don’t want to mess around with adoption, so we’re happy with what we have,” he answered.

“That’s fine. Mrs. McCarey, you may start pushing now,” the doctor told Pearl.

She did what he told her.

“Don’t talk for a while, Pearl. I’ll let you focus on our child.”

Alan told his wife and the doctor he was going to use the restroom and call her parents to let them know he and Pearl made it safely.

“Take your time, Mr. McCarey.”

“I will.”

Alan closed the door so the doctor wouldn’t have to mess around with that. He was here to bring their son into this world. The bathrooms were closest to the room he and Pearl were in right now. Since the bathroom was nearby, it made sense to do that first.

While Alan was no longer in sight, the doctor said, “I’ll send one of my nurses so they could help me when your son is here.”

Pearl didn’t bother speaking or nodding her head. She’d been through pregnancy before with Robert, so this was a lot of work, which is true. When Robert was born and she and Robert were home that one Thursday afternoon. Pearl was still a lot tired when Alan bought her and the baby home.

She and Alan agreed this child’s name was going to be Richard. That was Alan’s grandfather’s name, so the name fit.

Both Alan and Kenneth were at her house when Alan drove in with Richard and Pearl. She was in no mood to talk with her mother and father since she felt too tired to say anything. After Ann bought pearl to one of the couches, she said, “Pearl, are you feeling all right?”

Pearl didn’t answer her. Kenneth could see why Pearl didn’t feel like talking.

“Would you like me to take Richard with us, honey? You look really tired.”

“Yes, you can take him with you, Dad. I’m going to fall asleep anytime soon.”

“We’ll leave you alone, Pearl. Richard is adorable,” Ann said once Pearl closed her eyes.

Alan rejoined Pearl and her family.

“Would you like to give Richard to me, Kenneth?”

“Sure you can have him. What do you plan to do while Pearl is resting?” Ann asked as her husband handed Alan the baby.

“Robert wants to play with his new brother. I’m going to do the supervising.”

“Where did Robert go, Kenneth?” Ann asked.

She asked that question since Pearl fell asleep.

“In the playroom.”

Alan heard what Kenneth just said. At least Robert was nearby. Robert watched Alan and Richard get closer to him.

“Isn’t Mommy coming?”

“Not this time, Robert. She’s tired, but you will get to see her later,” Alan answered.

“Okay.”

Alan put Richard in the playpen and let his children play for a while.

Pearl didn’t wake up until two – thirty that afternoon. She felt refreshed, but was able to join the rest of her family. She found Alan looking at her.

“Pearl, how are you feeling?”

“Better than I did thirty minutes ago. Where is everybody?”

“Your mother and father took the kids out for a walk.”

“At least it would give Richard a chance to meet some of the neighbors.”

“That’s for sure. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Not now, Alan. Thank you for the offer.”

“No problem.”

End Flashback

“Mom, thank you for sharing these stories with us. Do you still like the letter for the name with r this year?”

“Of course I do, Robert. Your grandmother liked the letter for a middle name.”

“Oh. At least you got the names you wanted, so that is awesome,” Richard said.

“Thank you, Richard. I’ll be happy to tell these stories again at another time.”

“We shall look forward to it. You’re a great mother.”

“Thank you, Richard. Both of you are good children.”

What she just said was true. After Pearl finished saying that, she told herself it was a good family she and Alan had together. At least that would be credit.