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“Calm yourself down, Tom. Everythin’ will be just fine. Fetch me some hot water, clean sheets…” Selina continued to give orders.
Michael stood back and watched Selina take charge, calmly and with authority.
Pans clanked on the stove as Tom put water on to heat. When it was hot enough, he took it and everything else Selina asked for into the bedroom where she now had Sadie.
With the bedroom door closed, Michael watched Tom pace, then sit, then stand and pace some more. This went on for more than two hours until a baby’s cry reached their ears.
Tom burst into his bedroom while Michael stood back and listened.
“That’s a mighty fine girl you have there, Tom.”
A loud crash echoed through the small room.
“Tom!” Sadie’s frail voice was soaked in fear.
Michael rushed inside to see what the commotion was all about. Tom lay on the floor next to a broken vase and a toppled table.
Selina knelt by him. “Got any smellin’ salts, Sadie?”
“Yes, on the shelf above the wash basin.”
“Michael, fetch me the salts, please.”
He whirled, found the bottle, and rushed it back to Selina. She waved it under Tom’s nose.
Tom moved his head from side to side and shoved Selina’s hand away. “Get that stinky stuff away from me.”
Michael wanted to step in and tell Tom not to treat his wife like that, and he would have until he reminded himself that the man was reeling from shock. With good reason, too. After nine boys, this was his first girl.
He offered Tom a hand up and shook his hand. “Congratulations, Tom. Can you believe it? You finally got yourself a girl.”
Tom’s face paled and he swayed, but Michael held him up.
Selina stuck the smelling salts under his nose again and Tom bolted alert. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I don’t need any more of that stuff burning my nose hairs and lungs.”
Selina moved it and chuckled. “Ain’t the best smellin’ stuff, is it?”
“That’s for sure.” Then, as if he remembered his wife, Tom dashed over to Sadie and dropped to his knees next to her on their bed. He reached for her hand. “Are you okay, Sadie? You don’t feel dizzy or sick or anything, do you?” Panic rang through every word.
Selina looked up at Michael with a question in her eyes.
He leaned over and whispered. “Tom’s first wife died giving birth to their last son. Tom didn’t want any more children for fear of losing Sadie, too.”
Selina left Michael’s side, walked over to Tom and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Sadie’s gonna be just fine, Tom. She’s as healthy as a horse. Easiest delivery I ever done.”
Tom looked up at her, and hope danced through his eyes. “You mean it?”
“Sure do. Now why don’t you go fix some coffee or somethin’ and let me clean up this mess?”
Tom looked at his wife. Sadie gave a weak nod.
“Thank you, Selina.” After he righted the table, the two men headed toward the door. “That’s some special wife you got there, Michael. I was so afraid when Dan said he couldn’t find Doctor Berg, but Selina handled everything just fine.”
“Including you.” Michael grinned.
“Including me.” Tom smiled. “Can’t believe I fainted.”
“Well, I’d have fainted too if I found out my wife just gave birth to a girl after all those boys.” Michael had hoped someday to have a whole houseful of children. He didn’t know if that would happen now. Unless he and Selina could find common ground, he refused to bring children into a world where neither mother nor father loved the other.
Tom fixed coffee and the two of them had just sat down at the table when Selina came into the room with her arms loaded with soiled sheets and bed clothes, looking more worn out than Michael had ever seen her before. Strands of hair stuck out of her long braid and brown circles hung under her eyes. Michael knew he needed to get her home so she could get some sleep.
Selina stood in front of the wash tub, filling it with soap and hot water from the stove.
“Those need to soak,” he said, standing over her shoulder. “I need to get you home so you can get some rest.”
Selina looked up at him. “I’ll be fine. Ain’t no way I’m leavin’ Sadie to wash these and to fix breakfast for her family. You don’t mind, do ya?”
“Has that ever stopped you before?” He couldn’t hold back the grin.
She smiled, too, although it was weak. “Nope.”
“Listen, I’m going to head home, then. Don’t wear yourself out, okay?”
“I won’t. Thank you for carin’.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. Her eyes bolted open, then her attention swung behind him.
