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Chapter Twenty-nine
When Heaven Sings
"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice
over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing."
~ Zephaniah 3:17 ~
 icky
was proving to be a very fussy baby. To Jake's credit, he tried to let Abby sleep
as long as possible, by being the first to get up and answer Ricky's cries in the
middle of the night. That baby boy did his level best to keep his young parents awake,
and nearly brought Abby to tears on several occasions, herself. Short on sleep, but
not short on love, Jake did all he could to quiet Ricky and comfort Abby.
Both Abby and Jake had thought Ricky's cries were only louder and longer, simply
because everyone wasn't getting enough sleep-- and that would be enough to make anything
seem worse than it actually was. But when Terry observed that what amused the triplets,
only frightened and terrified Ricky, they began to realize that his behavior wasn't
exactly normal. What made this even worse, was the thought that Ricky might have
been influenced by the flashbacks he had heard while in Abby's womb. Jake had suggested
the possibility to Abby, and she had absolutely refused to even consider it for a
moment. After all, Ricky hadn't shown any abnormal signs of distress inside her womb.
In the past, as long as she tried to remain calm during Jake's flashbacks, then Ricky
seemed to do just fine. But that was when he was safe and snug in her womb. The outside
world was altogether a different matter.
This was not a thought Abby liked to entertain, and it pained her to see Jake's downcast
face as he pondered the possibility while their son continued to cry at the top of
his lungs. She knew Jake was struggling with guilt, and prayed to God for help.
In answer to Abby's prayer, help arrived, but not in the manner she had been expecting.
On one especially trying day, Jake had a revelation: if he were Ricky, and the world
continued to frighten him at every turn, what would calm him down? Jake immediately
thought of Abby, and the comfort he often felt whenever they were together. During
those times when he struggled with his past, her continual presence was reassuring
to his senses that he was loved and wanted. Jake wondered if all Ricky needed was
that same feeling of belonging and love that he had experienced since meeting Abby.
Determined to do all that he could for his son, Jake started his days with a baby
sling strapped to his chest, even keeping Ricky with him when he worked at the Johanneses'
house. Safely tucked against Jake, Ricky could hear the large world around him, and
even glimpse strange faces that occasionally peered down at him-- all within the
security of the strong voice that continually kept him safe. When Jake was unable
to hold Ricky, he would pass him to Abby, so that either of the two parents was always
with their son.
From the start, John had been uneasy about this arrangement and had warned that it
might spoil Ricky. One week passed, however, and the newborn began to settle down
in many small ways. Noises didn't startle or frighten him as much, for his mommy
or daddy was always with him. The only times when they were not, was as at night,
when Ricky slept by himself in the crib at the foot of their bed. But, even these
times were improving. As Ricky's confidence continued to grow, his fussiness dramatically
subsided. He was learning that his little world was safe, and that he was loved.
Even the clatter of dishes when Jake set the table at mealtime, wasn't enough to
frighten the boy.
One day, while John was visiting the little yellow house, he went to the bassinet
in the living room to check on his grandson, for the baby had been unusually quiet.
The wisdom of AJ's decision was evident on Ricky's precious face, for when John looked
down at the infant, he found Ricky beaming up at him with one of Jake's contented
smiles. Whatever fear and trepidation Ricky had been experiencing, was completely
gone.
"That is the happiest baby I've ever seen," declared John. He even remarked
that Ricky was now quieter than the triplets, and seemed quite content to let out
small cries to get attention, instead of stirring up enough fuss to bring down the
walls of Jericho, as he often had in the past!
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