Sophie's Dilemma (45 page)
‘‘Oh, Mor, I didn’t know . . .’’
‘‘None of us know until we do this.’’ Kaaren wiped her daughter’s face with the cool cloth Ingeborg handed her.
‘‘If you feel like screaming, Sophie, go ahead. Sometimes that helps.’’
‘‘But . . . what . . . about . . . Inga?’’
‘‘Her pa took her out to spend the day with Astrid.’’ Ingeborg wrung the cloth out and handed it back. ‘‘You and the babies are all we’re concerned about now.’’
When it was time for the surgery to open, Dr. Elizabeth went to care for someone else while the two women worked with Sophie, rubbing her back when she could lie on her side for a time, singing softly, praying and praising in song and prayer. Thelma checked on the group occasionally to see if they needed additional help.
Sophie heard them at times, felt their gentle hands soothing her, but about the time she thought she might breathe easily, the pain came again.
The next time Elizabeth checked her, she patted Sophie’s knee.
‘‘We’re making progress. Looks like this one has dark hair like her mother.’’ She raised her voice. ‘‘Sophie, can you hear me?’’
Sophie nodded.
‘‘On this next contraction, I want you to push for all you’re worth and then relax. We’re going to have a baby here pretty soon. All right, let’s go. Push, Sophie, push.’’
Ingeborg clung to Sophie’s hand, Kaaren to the other, and Sophie ‘‘A little dark-haired girl.’’ Elizabeth laid the baby on her mother’s reduced belly. ‘‘Little one, meet your mother.’’
pushed with a cry torn from her. Two more big pushes, and she collapsed against her mother.
Sophie stared at the round little face, eyes all scrunched shut, tiny fists waving in the air. ‘‘Oh, she is . . .’’ She looked to Elizabeth. ‘‘She’s all here, I mean . . .’’
‘‘She looks perfect.’’
Sophie touched the tiny head and stroked down the cheek. The baby turned her head, seeking the touch, perfect lips moving. ‘‘It’s coming again!’’
‘‘You take the baby, Ingeborg, and we’ll get this job over with.’’
But after another stretch of pushing, no baby showed.
‘‘All right, Sophie, you rest a moment here while your mother and I have a bit of a talk.’’
Ingeborg handed the newborn to Thelma, and the three women gathered in the hall. ‘‘Any ideas?’’
‘‘See if the baby is breech?’’ Ingeborg suggested.
‘‘Yes. I thought the second would come right away. On the next contraction, I’ll see what I can find out.’’
After the next contraction, Sophie whimpered, and Elizabeth looked up after her inspection. ‘‘We have an arm rather than a head.’’
‘‘Can you turn it?’’
‘‘We can try.’’
‘‘Wait. Let’s roll her up on her hands and knees. I’ve done that in the past.’’
Between the four of them, with groaning and grunting and gasped instructions, Sophie knelt, braced on either side by her mother and aunt.
‘‘I know this will hurt, dear, but bear with us.’’ Elizabeth felt carefully and, with exquisite care shifted the baby inside.
‘‘Coming.’’ Sophie collapsed on her side, and they helped roll her over. With a loud scream, Sophie pushed again.
‘‘Harder.’’
‘‘I can’t.’’
‘‘Yes you can. Now on the next one, you push with every bit of strength you can find. And you two, pray like you’ve never prayed before. I don’t want to do a cesarean.’’
Sophie panted.
God, please, I can’t do this anymore. Please help me
. When the pain started again, all she wanted to do was quit. This was too much. She couldn’t go any longer. But through the haze she heard a stern demanding voice.
‘‘Push, Sophie, now push!’’
Like choruses, she heard the same from both sides. ‘‘Push, Sophie.
You can. Now p-u-s-h!’’
She pushed and bore down with everything in her. The last thing she heard was ‘‘We have a boy.’’ And darkness claimed her.
s
Ingeborg shook Sophie’s shoulder. ‘‘We have some hungry babies here. They want what only you can give.’’
Sophie blinked in the dim light. ‘‘It is babies? I mean they are both all right?’’
‘‘As I said, hungry little ones.’’
Kaaren laid one in Sophie’s right arm, and Ingeborg did the same in the left. ‘‘Let’s get you all set, and they will know what to do.’’
Sophie flinched as the first one latched onto a breast and began to suckle. ‘‘Ouch.’’
‘‘It will take some getting used to. Come on, little boy baby. Your sister did it, now you.’’ Ingeborg helped guide the tiny mouth to the nipple, where he latched on like a trouper.
While they nursed, Sophie looked from one to the other. Her dark-haired daughter, fair-haired son. ‘‘Hamre, you be like your pa, and you’ll grow to be a fine man. But what am I going to name you, little girl? Sweet like Grace, full of love like your bestemor. What to name you?’’ She smiled up at her mother. ‘‘Have you ever seen anything so perfect?’’
‘‘They are beautiful.’’ Kaaren leaned closer to her daughter and whispered, ‘‘And they both can hear.’’
‘‘Thank you.’’ Sophie kissed one downy head and then the other. When she straightened up, she stared down the length of her body. ‘‘Look, I can see my feet.’’ She wiggled both feet, rubbing one with the other.
When the two finished nursing, Ingeborg took one baby and Kaaren the other. ‘‘Once these two are settled, I’ll bring you something to eat.’’
‘‘No, I brought her soup and bread.’’ Thelma waited in the doorway. ‘‘You need to eat, to keep your strength up.’’
Sophie fought against the weariness that tugged her back to sleep. ‘‘Later. I’ll eat later.’’
‘‘No.’’ Ingeborg handed Hamre to his grandmother and turned to Thelma. ‘‘You go help Kaaren, and I’ll feed Sophie.’’
Ingeborg took the tray from Thelma and set it on the table by the bed. After putting a couple more pillows behind Sophie, she picked up the bowl of soup and held out a spoonful. ‘‘You need lots of nourishment to feed two hungry babies.’’
‘‘They are so tiny.’’ Sophie swallowed the soup. She didn’t need to keep her eyes open for that.
‘‘Actually they are big for twins. That’s why you were so big.’’ As she talked, Ingeborg kept the spoon moving, then offered the bread with butter and cheese on it. ‘‘You need to drink lots of milk too.’’
‘‘Will I have enough milk to feed two babies?’’
‘‘We’ll find someone else to help if we need to.’’
Sophie flinched as cramps tightened her belly. ‘‘It hurts.’’
‘‘I know. But that’s healthy. Keeps you from bleeding too much. One more bite of bread and I’ll let you go to sleep.’’
‘‘Thank you.’’
‘‘Has Garth been around?’’ Sophie asked the next afternoon when she woke up from a nap. For a change she didn’t feel like she was being dragged up from a dark well.
‘‘He is sitting on the back porch talking with Thorliff.’’ Elizabeth sat down in the chair beside the bed. ‘‘You want to see him?’’
‘‘Has he seen the babies?’’
‘‘Yes, and he was in awe like any normal man.’’ She leaned closer.
‘‘Don’t you tell him I told you, but he had tears running down his face when he watched them sleep.’’
‘‘Did you put them in the same bed?’’
‘‘Yes. Kaaren said that was the way you and Grace were most content.’’ ‘‘We always slept in the same bed.’’
‘‘You want me to send him in?’’
‘‘Do I look terrible?’’
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. ‘‘You look pretty as can be.’’
It was Sophie’s turn to roll her eyes. ‘‘Even Mor couldn’t work that miracle.’’ She raised a hand to check her hair. Her mother had washed and brushed it in the morning but she’d fed the babies and slept again since then.
The sound of little feet improved her mood. ‘‘Inga’s coming.’’
‘‘I know, she’s been in to check on you a couple of times. I can’t believe how much time she spends watching the twins sleep.’’
‘‘Ma?’’
‘‘Come in, Cupcake.’’
Sophie smiled at the nickname and watched Inga climb up into her mother’s lap. She settled herself and reached a hand out to Sophie. ‘‘See babies?’’
‘‘Soon.’’
Elizabeth stood, holding her daughter on one hip. ‘‘We’ll go see the babies and send Garth to see you. He’s been the paragon of patience, sitting here watching you sleep.’’
‘‘He was?’’
‘‘I’d hate to have tried to pry him out of here. Might have taken three men and a boy to do that. When he’s not in here, he’s often been in the nursery.’’
Sophie waved bye-bye to Inga and stared out the window. She could hear his steps coming down the hall. Garth had figured out a way to get her here to Elizabeth’s and had helped her walk the halls for those hours. He’d sat here watching out for her and the babies too. She glanced up to see him waiting in the doorway.
‘‘Come in.’’ She patted the side of the bed—not the narrow birthing bed but a regular, comfortable bed. ‘‘Sit down.’’
‘‘Are you sure?’’
‘‘Of course. Elizabeth told me what you’ve been doing.’’
‘‘Just wanted to be here if you needed me.’’
‘‘I didn’t know how much I needed you, depended on you.’’ She studied his dear face. Whatever gave her the idea she would want to go off traveling and leave him behind? Or the babies? What kind of a ninny was she? She guessed it took a lot to make her see clearly.
‘‘Remember when you said you loved me, and I—’’ ‘‘How could I forget? That was one of the hardest moments of my life.’’
‘‘I know my answer now.’’ She watched his Adam’s apple bobble as he swallowed. Laying her hand atop of his, she smiled into his eyes. He turned his hand over and clasped hers, leaning slightly forward. His gaze never left hers. ‘‘I love you, Garth Wiste, and if you want to marry a woman with two little babies . . .’’
‘‘I do. I most certainly do.’’ He cupped her cheeks with both hands, gently, as if she were the most exquisite china and might break, and brushed her lips with his. His sigh warmed her lips even more. ‘‘I don’t want to wait forever.’’ He kissed her again, this time with all the love and longing that had been on hold. At last he breathed against her lips. ‘‘Two babies was a real surprise.’’
Sophie rested her forehead against his, the kiss leaving her gulping for air. ‘‘I forgot to tell you. I’m sorry. I meant to.’’
He chuckled softly. ‘‘Four children. I love you, Sophie, more each day. We could get married as soon as the house is finished.’’
Sophie straightened and looked into his eyes again. ‘‘Ah, Garth, one other thing.’’
‘‘What?’’ His brow furrowed. ‘‘Is there a problem?’’
‘‘Well, I think you have to ask my father first. Isn’t that proper?’’
He blinked, then rolled his eyes. ‘‘I’ll go do that right now.’’
‘‘Could you kiss me again before you leave?’’
‘‘With pleasure.’’ And he did.
Sophie lay back against the pillows. This time there was no rush. Garth would be right here with her all the way. And what was one month or two? Maybe she should bribe the men building the house to hurry up. Besides, if they married before her year of mourning was over, Mrs. Valders was going to have a tantrum. In spite of her giggle, she heard a baby whimpering. Was it Hamre or . . .
Lord, I need a name for
my baby girl. Such joy you have given me
. Joy. Of course! Joy is a wonderful name. And Garth, you will be the first to know.
T
HE MORE BOOKS I WRITE, the more people I get to know and the more stories and bits and pieces come my way. Thanks to Chelley, Kathleen, and Marcy for reading and commenting. New eyes are always helpful. RaeLynn contributes through her research of the period and the area. I have a cadre of prayers who help more than any of us know. Thank you.
I am always grateful for all the people at Bethany House Publishers who work so hard to bring books to life and get them out to readers. What a great family you are.
Thanks also to my personal team: Agent Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency, you are wonderful; Cecile, my assistant without whom I’d be lost; Round Robin friends who help keep me on track; husband, Wayne, who puts up with all the craziness of the writing life; Chewy, resident basset hound who makes me laugh; and Bidley, cockatiel of advanced years who announces visitors and Dad coming home, a watch-bird, if you will.
Thanks to all my readers who make it possible for me to continue to do what I love. You are the greatest. Most of all, thanks to my heavenly Father for all of life.
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