A Mother's Love

Angie and Parker ascended the stairs to the house still laughing and joking. They were met at the door by May who signal them to quiet down and whispered, “Peter is asleep. Please try to keep it down a little.” Angie and Parker quickly responded to her requested. Angie gave May a big hug and quietly said, “Momma knows best.” Parker kissed her on the cheek and asked, “How was the little fellow today?” A smile came to May’s face that lit up the room with its brightness. She said, “Not only is he a godsend, but he’s the best baby I’ve ever seen. He didn’t cry or fuss once since you left this morning. He did do something very clever though.

Right after you left I was just watching him lying there in the basket when all of a sudden he grabbed that book in his little hands and started to stare at the cover. He then looked like he was smiling and enjoyed looking at it.

He then just handed it to me and I got the feeling he wanted me to read it to him. I know that sounds a little ridiculous, but it felt right. So I opened the book and started reading it aloud and his tiny smile seemed to get bigger. I read the first chapter and looked down at him and he was fast asleep. So I quietly closed the book and just sat there and watched him sleep. I don’t know how much time passed as I sat there till he woke but it was worth every minute. The only thoughts I can remember thinking was I hope this isn’t just a dream and I wake up.” Both Angie and Parker grabbed May and they embraced in a three way hug for a long moment.

Angie was the first to break away from the hug and quickly wipe away a tear of joy from his eye and said. “Well we got a lot of papers to sign and from the looks of it you may get writer cramps. So let’s get started. He walked over to the table and from under his coat he withdrew a folder and laid it on the table. All three took a seat around the table and Angie opened the folder. The first document was a birth certificate from the city of Naples that was written in Italian for a child named Pietro Pagolli. It was dated February 14th of the present year. The next document down was a letter, also written in Italian. Angie translated and read it aloud.

“It’s addressed to Mother Superior Theresa Marie of the Lady of the Assumption Orphanage in Naples Italy. It reads:

Dear Mother Superior,

I represent a childless couple here in America that would like to adopt a child.

They are both Catholics and will raise the child in the faith. Enclosed with this letter you will find various documents stating good character references and financial disclosures.

If necessary other documentation will be provided upon your request.

They are asking for a newborn male child, but would be happy with whatever offer you can make. The couple names are Parker and May Garrett and I know they will be good loving and providing parent to the child. I would appreciate any and all correspondence of this matter be address to me so that I may handle any unforeseen matters that may arise.

Please feel free to contact me directly by phone I will accept any charges that occur.

Yours truly,

Gaetano Enzo Mucci

Attorney at Law

425 Commonwealth Ave

Boston MA 02215

617-555-0070

The next document in the pile was a response from the Mother Superior on letter head of the orphanage. Angie also translated and read this correspondence. It read:

Dear Mr. Mucci,

I have received your request for a child to be adopted by Mr. & Mrs. Garrett. The documents that you have sent seem to be sufficient to start the process here in Naples. We do have a male newborn his name is Pietro. He was left on the steps of the orphanage on the 14th of February. I have enclosed with this correspondence a photo of the child to you so they may view the child before going forward with the adoption process.

I want to thank you very much for finding loving homes in America for our little angels. As always It has been our pleasure in helping you in these matters. I will call you by phone if there are any matters that need to be address for the adoption. I don’t think there will be any complications in the matter, since you have placed many of our angels in loving homes.

I will contact you when the legal matters and paperwork is complete.

God bless and keep you safe.

A Servant of the Lord

Mother Superior Theresa Marie

Sisters of Charity

Naples, Italy

The next sheet in the pile was instruction from Gaetano on what pages needed to be signed. He had attached small stick on arrows to the locations on the pages that needed signatures or initials. The last instruction on the page was to sign the cashier check for the legal fees drawn from the bank that May and Parker used, and to supply a facial picture of the child. Angie located the cashier check and handed it to May for a signature. May noticed the amount on the check and was startled by the cost. “Parker, this will cost us more than we have in savings. You didn’t take out a loan did you?” she asked. Before Parker could answer Angie spoke up and said, “Don’t worry about the cost May. It was a gift from me. I already explained everything to Parker. He’ll fill you in on the details later. Please signed the damn check and all the other paperwork so I can get it over to Gaetano office. By tomorrow it will all appear on the up and up and any inquiries made will show the child was born out of the country.” May signed the check and handed it to Parker for his signature.

The rest of the paperwork took about thirty minutes to sign. When the last document was signed Angie placed all the signed documents back in the folder and closed it. He then said, “The only thing left to do is take a picture of the child to complete the needed paperwork.” May got up to go and get her digital camera but before she got two steps from the chair she was sitting in Angie stopped her and said. “I have a camera here that you can use.” From out of his jacket pocket he pulled out a disposable film camera. Looking at the camera May realized that all the wording on it was in Italian. Angie saw the wonder in her face and said, “Gaetano covers all the bases. If someone was to try and trace who produced the film for the negative, it would be found to be an Italian product out of Rome. The camera itself was purchased in the city of Naples. He’s a very careful man with details. That’s why he’s so good at what he does. The photo paper that it will be developed onto will also have been produced in Italy. For all practical purpose the picture will appear to have been produced in Italy, making it impossible to prove that the child was never there. Now let’s take that picture.

With May leading they all quietly started up the stairs to the second floor of the house. At the top of the stairs May stopped and held her pointing finger up to her mouth. Both Angie and Parker knew that meant to be very, very quiet. When they entered the bedroom they saw the child fast asleep. May had emptied out one of her dresser drawers and lined it with some padding to make a make shift crib. They quietly walked over to the side of the room where the dresser was located and stood side by side just looking down at the child. Angie raise the camera up to his eye to frame the picture in the view finder. Just as he snapped the picture Peter opened his eyes and smiled. It was as if he knew that Angie was going to take the picture and posed for it with his best smile. Angie took two more picture of Peter then pocketed the camera in his jacket again. “May I hold him now that he’s awake?” asked Angie. May gave a nod of her head and Angie gently lifted the child for his make shift crib.

As soon as the child was safe and snug in Angie’s a feeling of joy came over him. All the regrets that Angie had felt about never having the time for a family dissipated into nothing. His whole spirit was filled with a feeling of love and hope. Tears started to fill in his eyes and run down his cheeks. He had never in his life felt these feelings so strongly. Sure he had known woman he had felt a love for and thought of even marrying them, but this feeling of love went well beyond those feelings. He felt somehow attached with this love to something greater than the love of a woman. It was the love a family shares, that brings them together in both good and bad times. A kind of love that could transcend the human condition, and make a person feel alive and glad to be part of the love. Angie held the child and just stared at him still crying tears of joy. The child reached up him hand and touched the tears on Angie’s face and smiled.

Inside Angie’s mind he saw the images that Parker had told him about. He also saw the woman Parker described and the bearded man. He too felt the danger that the child would suffer, but he also felt the great need to protect the child from harm. He did not feel that his mind was under control of an outside source, the feelings were almost instinctive. He was brought back to reality by the voices of May and Parker. The images in his mind faded away and into his view the face of the child looking up at him came into view. He handed the child to May and turned to Parker and said,”We need to talk.” Parker nodded his head and motioned to Angie to step out into the hall.

“There is more to this child than meets the eye Parker.” said Angie in a low whisper. Parker looked at Angie and said, “No need to whisper old friend. May and I both know that there could be unforeseen dangers in the future because we keep the child, but we are both willing to face it together no matter what come from it.” Angie nodded and said, “I know what you mean. I saw the images in my mind that you described. I saw the woman and the bearded man. I also felt a great need to protect the child from him. I also felt a love so great it is beyond words.” Parker put his hand on Angie shoulder and said, “Looks like the child picked you as family too, welcome to the family old friend. When Peter begins to talk can he call you Papa? Angie smiled and laughingly said, “He can but if you call me Papa I’ll still break your face. Capisce?” They both laughed and headed back into the bedroom.

May had laid Peter in the center of the bed and was reading to him some more of the story of Peter Pan. The child looked at May with those big blue eyes and a smile on his face. He seemed to be listening to every word she spoke and understood it. Angie and Parker just thought that the child like to hear Mays voice, unbeknownst to them there was much more to it.