While Coster was busy in town Nicole walked up to the door of the doctor’s office. Nervous and scared as she was Nicole put that all in the back of her mind for the good of her son. She knocked on the door and waited for a few minutes until someone answered the door, cradling Nico close to her chest from the cold winter’s air. After those few moments of waiting the door slowly opened by a middle-aged woman with salt and pepper hair, brown skin and a blue and white dress.

“Good afternoon, are you here to see the doctor?” she politely asked with a smile upon her face.

“Yes, is he in?” Nicole asked while trying to conceal Nico’s face from her eyes.

“No, not yet but your welcome to come in from this bitter cold and wait. He should be back from town soon.” she replied opening the door wider while stepping away so that Nicole could enter. Nicole quickly entered as it was cold outside too cold for a baby.

Once inside Nicole removed her shawl from her head and said “Thank you. My name is Nicole Gage and I just moved into the house down in the valley last night with my husband Coster Gage. The previous owner was by a family called Scully.”

“Yes, I heard that they were leaving. I just didn’t think they left yet. Sorry I’m the doctor’s wife Elizabeth. Who’s the young one in your arms?” Elizabeth smiled while trying to see Nico.

“It’s a long story. One that you might not believe me as I know how townspeople stay together. It is the truth, it’s up to you to believe my words or not.” Nicole said quite straightforward and honestly, yet still not revealing her son as she sat down.

“Though I live here and married to the doctor I have no loyalties to the people. They haven’t done me and my children any good. They treat me and my family like we don’t belong here, yet they need my husband. So, whatever you have to say I will believe you because unlike the others here, I don’t see why you have the need to lie since you’ve only just arrive. I can say the same for my husband.” Elizabeth said quite defensively for she felt insulted. And to think that Nicole insinuated that she was loyal to the townspeople.

“Apologizes. It’s just been an awful day so far today we’ve been met with such disbelieving looks.” Nicole apologized while readjusting Nico who was beginning to stir.

“It’s alright, your new here so let it pass.” Elizabeth nodded her head trying to reassure Nicole “Just start at the beginning.”

“We came upon the homestead looking for work and lodging but instead we found it abandoned apart from the cows and chickens. A deed for the land was tacked to the door. Both my husband and I were ecstatic to have a place to call our own and settle down. However, when I got to the door I could hear a faint crying, my husband barged into the house. What he found astonished both of us.” Nicole stopped to take a breath.

“What was it?” Elizabeth inquired quite curiously.

Nicole looked down at Nico removed part of the blanket covering his face, smiled and said “A baby boy.” turning Nico so she could see.

“Oh, my lord, they left him behind! How could they do that to their own baby. Why did they only take their girl child? Wait a moment that couldn’t be their son he was much larger.” Elizabeth sigh with relief, though she begun to have some doubts.

“Why do you say that? We found him alone, wet, hungry and cold. Whose child could he be then?” Nicole said unwrapping Nico so that Elizabeth could see him.

“He’s beautiful. May I hold him?” Nicole hesitantly handed Nico over to her. As she rocked him in the rocking chair Elizabeth smiled as it had been over twenty years since she last held a baby. “He’s smaller than regular newborns but he’s just as beautiful. I don’t know if this is the Scully’s baby as I know they had twins three weeks ago. There is a way to check as their twins were both born with a birthmark on their rib cage. But it will be best to wait for my husband, because if he is theirs and they abandoned him we will have to file charges with the sheriff.” 

Just as Elizabeth finished speaking her husband walked in the door.

“Well, who’s this little man?” he smiled kneeling down in front of the rocking chair still dressed in his winter coat and covered in a light dusting of snow.

“He’s, my son.” Nicole told him quite proudly and forthright.

“Alright, I mean no offense mamm my name is John and I’m the doctor here.” John stood up introducing himself. “Why don’t you come into the back room. I will check the both of you out.” John said as he walked away to the back room. Elizabeth handed Nico back to Nicole escorting her to the back room where the doctor was setting up.

“Okay, I have to ask is he yours? And please don’t take and offense. I need to know in order to help him.” he asked her politely while taking Nico from her.

“Not by blood, someone left him behind in our new home. The homestead used to belong to the Scully’s family. They left their deed to whoever founded it and when we got inside. My husband found him alone and hungry. We saved him. When they left him to die.” Nicole said quite defensively.

“I wasn’t passing judgement. It’s just something that I have to ask. You said that he was hungry when you found him.” he asked which Nicole nodded. “Okay, let me check him out then go from there. I will tell you first off that he is malnourished, under weight and is running a fever. Now I want to check for a mark because then I will know. When I checked the Scully twins a week ago both had a birth mark on their rib cage. However, I was never told about a third baby.” John said while examining Nico. Once he removed Nico’s clothes and raised his right arm sure enough there was a mark on his ribs. “Lizzy.” John said in awe and disgust.

“Oh, my lord. I can’t believe it. I thought they were good people. This is a sin against God.” Elizabeth said as in shock once she saw the birth mark holding her chest.

“I apologized Miss, but your right the Scully’s did leave him behind, I guess there was three born that night. Why didn’t they tell me? They probably didn’t even look after him or give him a name. I can assume that this is why they left. They didn’t deserve to give him their name.” John said in anger at the Scully’s who he thought were friends.

“We gave him a name.” Nicole replied which caused them both to look at her. “His name is Nico Samuel Gage, and he is my son no matter the color of his skin.”

John smiled at Elizabeth and Nicole. “We won’t notify the sheriff if you swear to care for him like your own. I won’t lie it will be difficult, but you can do it just like we did. He’s going to take time to get better. I think that he will be a strong man one day. He just needs some love, mother’s love. Are you ready to give it him?” he explained to her while trying to warn her about the difficulties they will face.

“He’s mine no matter what comes. I couldn’t have children of my own so this is my chance to have one, Nico is all I could have every hoped - wished for. He needs a mother’s love, and I have plenty to give him. I don’t really care about the hardships that we will surely face. Coster and I are strong, and we will deal with everything and everyone that would want to harm our son or try to destroy our family.” Nicole stated quite strongly.

“Okay. I just need to make some notes about him for my records and it is also a good way to keep track of his development.” John said while opening a ledger. He began to write and as he wrote the notes down, he spoke them out loud.

Name: Nico Samuel Gage

Eyes: Green

Hair: not ready yet

Weight: five lbs.

Length: twenty-one inches

Born: December 25 in the year of our lord 1797

Father:

Mother:

“What names should I put down?” he asked stopping abruptly.

“Nicole Matumaini Gage and Coster Nguvu Gage.” she said quite proudly.

“Sounds fitting for this little boy. Welcome to the world Nico Samuel Gage.” John said while putting Nico’s clothes back on. “Do you have everything for him such as clothes, toys and bedding?” he asked while picking up and holding Nico.

“No, not really just a few things that were left behind as well as some items from a neighbor who was willing to help us. My husband also went into town to buy things in hopes to make it feel like a home for the three of us.” Nicole smiled at John trying to hide her unreadiness.

“You can have our son’s baby to toddler clothes just to get you started along with his blankets and toys. He no longer needs them now that he’s all grown up and long since moved away. All their doing is collecting dust and besides this little guy needs them now. I will give you them and some advice - This town is not the best for people like us so try your best to walk carefully around them, especially when he gets older. Medically the best thing to do is to let his body fight the fever and for you to get his weight up over the next few months. That way he can grow properly and have a good life.” John explained while holding Nico. “You do realize that one day when he gets older people will ask you many questions about your family. You will have to come up with something convincing to hide the truth because not all will believe your words. You also will have to tell him the truth one day as well, Nico will need to know before he finds out the hard way. I’m not saying this to be discouraging but you need to hear this so when the day comes you will be ready.”

Nicole sensing that he was right and generous with both his words and the giving of his sons belonging, she smiled through all the new fears that she now had for her son “Thank you for everything, Doctor Walsh and Mrs. Walsh. Don’t worry I will heed your advice and thank you for being so kind to us and understanding to us because not many would, nor could they believe the word of two freed people. It means a lot to us that there are good people around here.”

“The way I see it we all come north for a fresh start and a new life. In order to do this we need someone to trust in us and give us steady legs to stand on. What you are about to do is something I might never have been able to do - to raise another woman’s child. What you are doing is more than this as you are also giving him a life. Something Nico may never have had if you had never found him.” Elizabeth spoke bluntly but with a heart full of gold as John handed Nico back to Nicole.

“I hope that we can do right by him and give him all that he needs.” Nicole replied slightly doubting herself and Coster.

“Let us stop with all of this sorrow, have some tea and get some milk into this little man’s stomach.” Elizabeth suggested trying to change the subject to a much more positive one. Just as Nicole was about to speak when Elizabeth saw that in her eyes, she was going to turn down her offer. “Before you say no, Nico needs food now so you will sit there drink your tea while he has his milk.”

“Okay.” Nicole said stunned by Elizabeth’s tone.