Two days had passed and Sylvia knew that she couldn’t keep her secret to herself for very much longer, so she went out to the barn where her best friend was reading the latest medical journal in the hay loft and asked if they could talk when Sadie was free. The young woman took her grey reading glasses off and put them in its case before looking down at Sylvia. The poor woman had looked like she had just had an unfortunate encounter with a ghost as Sadie chuckled softly at her expression before slowly climbing down the steep ladder and joining Sylvia on the ground. A few minutes later Sylvia finally sat down on the hay barrel after much prompting from Sadie as she took her best friend’s hands in her own before saying “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen and I wanted to tell you sooner, but I couldn’t find the right words to tell you, especially with everything you’ve gone through. I didn’t want to add to your pain, but you need to know.” Sadie pats her knee as Sylvia tries not to cry as she whispers “I’m pregnant. Phillip is the father and I don’t know what I’m going to do. All I know is I’m terrified right now.” The young woman looked at Sylvia’s for the first time since her return with new eyes and saw the tiny bump that was plain to see now that it was no longer hidden under a corset. The shocked look was quickly replaced with one of compassion as Sadie said “ Syl, I think that you should tell him, but I understand why you wouldn’t want to. I’m so glad that you told me, but please don’t think that you ever have to hide anything from me. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. This baby is a blessing and I’m so excited to be able to help in any way that I can. You are going to be a fantastic mother and I am so very proud of you. Oh, my goodness I’m going to be an aunt!” Sylvia breathes a sigh of relief that she wasn’t aware that she was holding as they hug each other before returning to the house for the evening.
Later that night after Paul came in from the fields, Sadie lays down next to her husband and curls into him as she says “ I still can’t believe that Sylvia is pregnant. I’m happy for her.” Paul kissed her forehead while he held her as she drifted off to sleep, for he knew all too well what she was thinking before sleep overcame her: no matter how happy she was for her childhood friend, Sadie had a part of her tucked away that she didn’t let show often. She was sad and angry that Noah and their other babies would never grow up. A big part of her longed for the chance to be a mother again.
It was now September 20th, 1915 and the weather was definitely getting cooler, but not too cold yet. It has been five months since Sylvia moved back to Maine, a whole eight months since she last saw Phillip and three months since she wrote to her former fiancé about the baby. Little did Sylvia know that Phillip was no longer in Colorado and would never be able to learn about his child. School had been let out for the day and it wasn’t a moment too soon as the young teacher had a prenatal appointment, so she walked over to the clinic that Sadie purchased to expand her medical practice three months ago. Sylvia was now eight months pregnant and looked forward to the day that she would finally meet her child. Once at the clinic the bell above the door let out a chime to signal that Sylvia had indeed arrived for her appointment as Lucy, the Carson’s cocker spaniel ran upstairs to the newly furnished operating theater from her usual spot by the fireplace to alert Sadie that
Two days later Sadie and Paul’s world is shattered once more as Julian’s birth mother comes from England after receiving the letter about her ex husband’s death and fights for custody in court. The judge unfortunately rules in favor of his birth mother and with a heavy heart Julian is ripped from Sadie’s arms. The judge watches the little boy cling for dear life to Sadie, but the middle aged man is powerless to help the little boy and the couple since by law if the child isn’t in any danger then he has to go back to his mother, no matter how little she knows him.
Shortly after the court hearing, Sylvia is on the porch when she spots Sadie running to the barn with Paul going after his wife. Sylvia sighs sadly before putting her knitting down and going to the barn to help her friends that is if they will let her. The scene in the barn breaks her heart as Sadie, who never lets her guard down unless with Paul is openly sobbing and clinging to her husband’s chest. Paul tries so hard to be strong and keep it together for Sadie, but Sylvia can see the unshed tears in the young man’s light blue eyes. Lucy puts her head on her master’s lap and whimpers while Sylvia debates on whether to stay or leave in order to give the couple some privacy. The young woman turns to leave a moment later, but instead of leaving she goes over to Sadie enveloping her into a hug whilst silently wishing that she can take her best friend's pain away somehow. Sadie’s cries slowly cease before she looks at Sylvia and Paul as she says “ This is cruel, we had Julian fo
Later that evening after the Carson’s have gone to bed and the house is quiet, Sylvia got under the covers of her queen sized bed before opening her journal to write her plan. As the young woman started to write her left hand went to her stomach just like every other night before tonight, but instead of being happy about the impending arrival, Sylvia’s heart was heavy for the first time in ten months as her child moved within her. Sylvia continued to write as she thought silently. How would she be able to help her best friend? Would she even allow her to help?
A month had passed since Julian had left with his birth mother to England and Sylvia’s due date was fast approaching, with only three weeks to go until the baby was here. It was now 2pm and the October heat was starting to cool down and the weather was now bearable as Sylvia walked up the hill by the homestead where Sadie and Paul were sitting on the lush grass. Sadie smiled as Paul helped her friend to a nearby log to rest before Sylvia said “ you both have been wonderful since I arrived here including helping with building my house right next to yours amongst other things. I have known you both for over twenty years and I have watched you two go through things that no couple should ever have to go through. Sadie, I know how much you want to raise a child and I have something that I wanted to ask you both. I’ve made up my mind a while ago after giving this a lot of thought and all I need now is an answer. “ Paul grasps his wife’s hand as he motions for Sadie to go on. Sylvi
Sooner than expected the Carson’s leave on a trip to the nearby town to get more supplies for the clinic as well as a few goats for the farm. The next night, Sylvia is at her new home after moving in two days prior and is sitting in the rocking chair that Paul just finished carving for her. She is lost in her book when her child moves within her before giving a sharp kick to her abdomen. Sylvia rubs her stomach lovingly right before a pain overtakes the young woman causing her to groan. She lets her grip loose from the armrest a few minutes later as she says “okay, baby, please not now. Let’s wait until your parents get back from their trip before you make your entrance.” A second contraction hits twenty minutes later as Sylvia fills the tub with hot water. She is about to get in the full tub as her water breaks. Sylvia grips the sides of the tub as the contractions get closer together. Her knees begin to shake as she realizes that it's time. Soon, Sylvia breathed deeply as
As soon as everything was cleaned up and both mother and baby were warm as well as dressed, Sylvia sat down in the rocking chair once more. The baby was soon brought to its mother’s breast as she took in every single detail of her newborn daughter: her little nose was the spitting image of Phillip’s along with her blue eyes, but her lips as well as her curly red hair was all from her mother. Sylvia watched as her daughter who she named Elizabeth Louisa latched onto her mother’s breast for her first meal. The only sounds that could be heard in the home where that of Elizabeth eating and Sylvia humming a lullaby that her mother, Penelope used to sing to her when she was little. Oh, how she missed her mother.
A week later, Sadie crosses her ankles as she rocks back and forth in the worn rocking chair in her bedroom while looking beside her at Paul’s matching rocking chair. The older woman glances around the room and stops at the bed; her husband’s favorite blue suit is sitting on the bed along with her floor length low cut black dress and black three inch solid black close toed heels. The clothes stare back at her, almost haunting her as Sadie gets up and goes over to the bed. A moment later Sadie lets the black sheer robe fall from her naked body as she begins to get dressed. Several minutes later Sadie looks at her reflection in the long mirror on the back of the dressing room door, she shivers at the sight; the once young woman is replaced with an older one with wrinkled cheeks and hands; a new widow is staring back at Sadie and she hates it as she falls to her knees and cries out in anguish. Outside the door, Sylvia’s heart breaks at the
A little while later, Sadie makes her way to her husband's room after telling Sylvia and Elizabeth about Paul.Sadie steps into the small hospital room and is instantly filled with fear, anger, sadness and regret as she looks at her husband's frail body in the bed. The sounds of the machines aren't a comfort for she will never hear her husband's voice again or feel his strong arms around her waist. Six hours later after Sylvia and the others say thier goodbyes, Sadie crawls into her husband's bed and curls her body around him as she prays for a miracle. The machines are turned off one by one as Sadie clings to Paul and cries. The older woman's body shakes as she hears her husband's chest rise and fall for the last time. After thirty five years of wonderful years together Sadie has lost her husband, her first love and first friend.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth and Sylvia go with the other two doctors to see thier husbands after Sadie gently tells them to leave. Dr. Ellison turns her attention to Sadie as she says " Mrs. Carson, I'm so sorry, but when the man attacked your husband, Paul fell and hit his head. The man shot him before he fell from what I learned from Nathan. The man has been arrested and the police said his name was Dakota Hessler. Does that name sound familiar to you?" Sadie wrings her hands as she says " they served in the war together. Dakota's son Antonio was in thier squad and was killed in action. Paul tried to save him, but couldn't. I never thought that Dakota would find him." Dr. Ellison puts a comforting hand on Sadie's before she says " Paul doesn't have any brain activity left. I've done the test six times. I'm so very sorry. The machines are breathing for him. You may see him and stay as long as you want to. He's in room 201 when you're ready. I wish I could have helped your
An hour later, Sylvia and Sadie wake up just as three doctors come in. A yong woman with blue eyes and black hair goes over to Elizabeth, her white coat reads Dr. Ellison, an older woman with green eyes and blonde hair goes over to Sylvia and finally an old gentleman with white hair and kind blue eyes comes over to Sadie. The three women link arms as the doctors come to the realization that the Sadie, Elizabeth and Sylvia were staying with each other. Dr. Ellison watches the group in front of her as she says "There was an accident while a someone was hunting. Nathan has a few cuts and bruises as well as a broken rib from trying to help Paul after the hunter attacked him,but he will recover. Phillip helped the two men and was injured by a stray bullet, but it doesn't look like there will be any lasting damage." The two women share a look of relief before Sadie asks "what about Paul? How's my husband?"
Two hours later in the waiting room, Sadie prays for healing and news soon while Elizabeth wraps her arms around her mothers as Sylvia fights the urge to throw up. The three women wait for what seems like an eternity as others clear out after learning about their loved ones. A few minutes later, Elizabeth goes to grab coffee while Sylvia curls up against Sadie on the grey couch by the only window in the waiting room. Sadie smiles softly as she moves her hand to her dear friend's stomach where her unborn child rests comfortably, a baby that only the women have known about for the last ten weeks, before moving to lay against Sylvia. Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth comes back from the cafeteria with the freshly made coffee and stops in her tracks as she watches her two mothers sleeping peacefully next to each other, Sadie sleepily playing with Sylvia's greying hair while Sylvia snores softly. Elizabeth chuckles softly at the sight of the two women with thier hands on Sylvia's stomach.
Elizabeth breaths deeply before saying "ma, I'm pregnant. I think about ten to twelve weeks given the fact that I'm starting to show and the morning sickness is starting to cease.Nathan is so excited, but I'm a little scared. This will be our first baby together. " Sylvia nods, but before she can say anything Sadie comes in with four month old Daniel and says the news that neither wanted to hear "there's been an accident in the woods, Patricia ran here to inform us. I don't know who's hurt. We need to get to the hospital. Patricia offered to watch the children. "
Six months later, Sylvia comes into the house after a long day in the classroom and goes to her bedroom before sitting at the desk to write. Soon, the house is filled with laughter as Norah Rose brings her kitten to over to her adoptive grandmother in the living room while her mother is upstairs after a hectic day. Meanwhile, Elizabeth sighs as she paces the floor before going to knock on Sylvia's door. The young woman waits for permission to enter before going to sit next to her birth mother at her desk. Sylvia smiles softly before her daughter asks "Ma, may I talk to you?" The older woman nods as she turns her attention to Elizabeth and puts her free hand over her daughter's.
Phillip moved over to be close to Elizabeth as he said " You can call us whatever you would like to. We don't except anything, but I would like to get to know you if that is okay with you. I didn't find out about you until you were twenty. Sylvia wrote letters, but they never were transferred to my new post in Texas. We reconnected by chance one day in the market and vowed to never lose each other again. If I had known about you sooner I would have been the best father that I could be. I would have loved a chance to raise you. " Elizabeth stands up before going over to Phillip and hugging him after planting a kiss on Sylvia's cheek as the young woman whispers the words that they both were hoping to hear " I love you, mama and papa. "
Phillip takes his new bride's hand as she says " Lizzie, honey I will answer the questions the next I know how. As you already know from our conversation earlier, I was an unmarried woman with an unplanned pregnancy which was deeply frowned upon on society back then. I had two marks against me; one was being an unmarried catholic and the other was that I was carrying a child that was half black. Once I found out, I left Colorado to go to Maine after writing to Sadie. If anyone found out about the pregnancy, your father's reputation would be tarnished and I would be out of a job. I couldn't have that not with a child on the way. I also couldn't stay in Colorado, not with Phillip choosing his career over me and I couldn't ask him to leave his parish behind, so I left. The pregnancy progressed smoothly and I soon got a job teaching for settlers. I knew shortly before you were born that I wanted Sadie and Paul to raise you. They had just lost a child and had