A Bride to Mend His Soul – Extended Epilogue

March 1892

Snow fell outside the window, obscuring the view from the upstairs hallway. Jasper paced to and fro, wearing a hole in the carpet runner. He stopped outside the door to the room that his parents had once shared as a scream cut through the air.

“That’s not good,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not good at all.”

“It’s fine,” his father said. He was sitting in a chair in the doorway to the room Jasper had grown up in. He looked remarkably relaxed. “Louisa, Geraldine, and Dr. Danvers are all in there with her. you barging in is not going to help matters.”

“But she’s screaming,” Jasper replied, torn between his desire to protect his wife and his need to respect her wishes.

Suzannah had been crystal clear about it. He was not needed here. She wasn’t a cow giving birth to a calf, she was a woman and there were some things a husband simply shouldn’t see. Childbirth was one of those things.

Jasper had disagreed strongly, simply because if something went wrong, he wanted to be there. He’d helped many livestock have healthy babies; he could be of use.

The disagreement had ebbed and flowed for most of her confinement until two days previously, she had put her foot down and stipulated he would not enter the room until called. And that was that. Those blue eyes of hers had pinned him to the spot which he now didn’t dare step over.

Another scream which ended in a painful groan filled the air and Jasper’s heart ached. He wanted her to be alright. He wanted the baby to be fine too. Not knowing what was happening was so hard to bear.

Cattle gave birth quickly. It seemed in the blink of an eye in comparison to human births. He’d had time to rush off and fetch the doctor for heaven’s sake. How long could this take? She’d been groaning and screaming with pain for hours, for years, it felt like. She couldn’t keep this up, could she? He almost began to wonder where the baby was coming from. At the rate it was going, it might as well have gestated in New England and caught a train to the ranch. But what kind of silly thought was that? The kind a worried husband’s mind came up with.

“Tell me, father,” Jasper said, turning from the door to commence his pacing again. “When I was born—”

“This is nothing like that,” his father interrupted him.

“Anyway, Suzannah’s from good stock,” Douglas said. He had just appeared at the top of the stairs with tree glasses, some amber liquid sloshing in the bottom of them. “On both sides of the family there have been little problems with having babies. Once they got to this stage, it was almost as though they slid out.”

That conjured up images of the baby sliding on to the floor with no one catching it, which caused Jasper to let out a groan of his own.

Douglas passed him a glass. “Whiskey, to settle the nerves.”

“I shouldn’t,” he said, taking the glass anyway.

“Believe me son, you should,” Robert said, taking a glass himself. His hand shook and Jasper realized he was nervous too.

They all took a sip of whiskey. It burnt Jasper’s throat as it went down.

Just then they heard footsteps on the stairs and Theo’s head popped up. “Has it happened yet?”

“No,” they all said in chorus.

“Oh, good. Thought I’d missed it. It’s really coming down out there,” he said, brushing snowflakes from his sandy hair. “We got the cattle under some shelters for the evening. Brought them up to the house. I think if they go under the trees, they should be fine. Pity you let the herd grow too large for the barn.”

“Funny,” Jasper said. The herd had never fit in the barn.

“And the sheep?” Robert asked.

“All in their pen,” Theo said. He blew on his fingers. “Hey, is there more of that…what are you drinking?”

“Good Irish whiskey,” Douglas said. “There’s a bottle in the kitchen. Help yourself.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Theo said, disappearing down the stairs.

Another shrill scream came from inside the room and Jasper’s hair stood on end.

“She’s dying,” he said, suddenly utterly convinced of it. “She’s dying just like mother did. History has a habit of repeating itself and I’m going to have to raise this child alone. And it’s all my fault.” He was near tears from fear. He loved Suzannah and their child so much, he couldn’t stand the waiting, the not knowing.

Before he knew what was happening, his father was in front of him and he wrapped his arms around Jasper.

“It’s going to be alright,” he said. “My fate isn’t yours. You will have a lovely long life with your wife and child. Just believe that, Jasper, hold on to it with all your might. It’s not your fault. It takes two to make a child. Remember that.”

Jasper closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as another, heartbreaking scream cut through him, slicing him to the bone. She was in so much pain. He wished he could make it all go away.

A click sounded in the still air and the door opened.

Jasper stared in disbelief. Dr. Danvers stood in the doorway, wiping his hands on a towel.

“Congratulations, papa,” he said. “You have a lovely baby daughter.”

Jasper’s jaw dropped open and he stared stupidly into the room past the doctor.

“Well come in and meet her,” he said.

Everyone was smiling in the room. Even Suzannah. She lay in the big bed with sweat dripping down her face and plastering her hair to her head, but her eyes were bright and she was smiling. In her arms, she held a little bundle. It was splotchy and an odd, very pink color, but Jasper fell in love with his daughter from the moment he set eyes on her.

“I’d like you to meet Mary,” Suzannah said.

Tears prickled his eyes and Jasper blinked to get them away. “Mary?”

“Yes,” Suzannah said. “In honor of your mother who brought so much life and happiness into the world.”

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. She tasted salty, but it was the best taste he’d ever experienced.

Suddenly, Suzannah tensed. She groaned and pushed herself up on the pillows.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” Jasper asked, confused.

Dr. Danvers shared a glance with Louisa and the older woman hurried to push Jasper out of the room. But he wasn’t going. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

Dr. Danvers stepped into his field of view and for a long time, all he could see was the doctor, peering under a sheet that had been draped over Suzannah.

She was panting and clawing the bed. Geraldine held little Mary, rocking her gently, her face pale.

Suzannah let out a long, agonized groan and suddenly, Dr. Danvers stepped back. He held something in his hands. Another baby. With a tap on its backside the little person began to cry, and Jasper saw that he had not one but two daughters.

“Two,” he said as though needing confirmation. “Two?”

“Yes, Jasper, two,” his mother-in-law said with a huff. “Two lovely little girls.”

The second baby was cleaned and wrapped up much like Mary was and handed to Suzannah. Jasper approached gingerly.

“There aren’t any more in there, are there?” he asked.

Dr. Danvers laughed. “No, the afterbirth just came out. That was it. Two.”

He was busy at the foot of the bed and Jasper made a point of not looking. It was different with livestock. Very different.

“So, what are you going to call number two?” Louisa asked, beaming.

“Hopefully not that,” Suzannah said with a little tired chuckle. She looked so exhausted. But she had color in her cheeks and as Dr. Danvers fussed over her, Jasper felt his fear of losing her diminish a little at a time.

Jasper had no idea what to call the little girl. He’d not given much thought to names, his entire being having been focused on trying to hide his fear of losing his wife and child.

“Well,” Geraldine said looking into the second child’s face. “How about Rose? That was my mother’s name and she was a lovely woman.”

“Rose?” Suzannah said with a smile. “Yes. I like Rose.”

Jasper considered it and regarded his daughter. “Yes. Rose it is.”

Everyone smiled. Geraldine and Louisa placed his daughters carefully in his arms and he stepped out into the hallway to show Douglas and Theo his babies.

The two men were thrilled to meet Mary and Rose. They pronounced them two of the most beautiful little flowers to ever have been born and Douglas declared he was going to the kitchen to celebrate like the Irishman he was. Theo said he’d join him and the two went downstairs.

When Jasper went back into the bedroom, it was to find the place miraculously cleaned up. All the bloody sheets and towels were gone, and Dr. Danvers was pulling the covers up over a sleeping Suzannah.

“How is she?” Jasper asked.

“In good health. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on her, but for now, you take care of your daughters and let your wife sleep a little. She’ll need it. Twins are no joke.”

And with that he left.

The babies were asleep as well and Louisa and Geraldine put them both in the same crib. There was only the one. They hadn’t been expecting two babies.

Jasper took the time to say a prayer of thanks for the safe delivery of his daughters before going to the kitchen to have another whiskey with the men.

***

The sun shone in through the window as Suzannah stirred. She’d been up half the night with Rose, who was suffering from gas. Poor little thing seemed to be swallowing as much air as milk when she fed. Dr. Danvers said it would get better, but Suzannah wasn’t holding her breath for that.

Rolling over in bed, she found she was alone. What time was it?

Ten thirty the clock on the night stand said!

She sat up as though someone had prodded her with a hot cattle brand. Ten thirty! What kind of time was this to wake up?

What about breakfast? And where were the girls? Her eyes stuck on the empty crib next to the bed and her heart thudded nervously. Where were her babies? Were they alright?

Before she had quite come to grips with reality, she shot out of bed. Her muscles protested. Giving birth to two babies had taken a lot out of her and she was stiff, sore, and tired. She held onto the empty crib for a moment, listening for the sound of crying babies.

There was a good bit of noise downstairs. Was Jasper trying to cook with the twins again? She’d caught him the previous morning burning the toast with the twins in baskets on the kitchen table. She’d almost lost her mind over how unsafe that was. What if they rolled and fell?

Pulling on a robe, she hurried downstairs.

The site that met her eyes made her stop worrying and smile. Her family were there. Her mother had Rose, who had a tuft of golden hair on her head now, in her arms. Louisa was rocking Mary, her little bald head covered in a knitted hat.

Jasper was making coffee. There was a huge spread on the kitchen table.

“Oh, now you’ve ruined the surprise,” Geraldine scolded Suzannah. “We were going to fetch you when everyone was here.”

“Who else is coming?” Suzannah asked.

“Just Lenora and Theo and little Dominic,” Louisa said.

“Oh, so family,” Suzannah said taking a seat at the table. “Then I won’t bother to get all dressed up.”

Just then, Douglas came in blowing on his fingers from the cold. “My goodness, it’s fresh out there,” he said. His nose was red. “Morning sleepy head.” He kissed Suzannah’s forehead.

Jasper sat next to her and gave her a cup of coffee. He kissed her lips and Suzannah felt a stirring in her belly. She pushed it down. That sensation at gotten her with child in the first place and she wasn’t interested in ending up like that again any time soon.

After she’d taken a sip of coffee, her mother handed Rose to her and went to do something at the range.

While people moved around her and her daughters gurgling and making happy baby noises, Suzannah felt a deep bliss come over her. She was happy. With her family sitting around her and talking merrily, she couldn’t think of a better way to spend a morning than with them.

Lenora and Theo came in stamping their feet from the cold. Little Dominic was almost lost under the weight of blankets and clothes he was wearing. It was only when Louisa peeled a few layers off him that he came into view.

He was almost a year old and beginning to scoot around on his diapered bottom. Not that Lenora would let him do that in a kitchen, so he had to make do with playing with metal measuring cups on the tabletop. He clanged them and banged them happily.

“Sorry we’re late,” Theo said. “Lenora—”

“Couldn’t find her scarf,” Lenora finished pointedly.

There was something going on there, but Suzannah knew better than to comment. There was always something going on between them, some point they didn’t’ agree on usually. It blew over. It always would.

And with everyone finally in attendance, breakfast was served. Suzannah had developed quite the appetite since having the twins. Feeding three people was hard work and the twins had good appetites too. Dr. Danvers was very happy with them.

She dug into the eggs, bacon, and toast with gusto, leaving the conversation to others. The twins napped in a new crib that her father had made. It rocked from side to side, which was a blessing since Mary couldn’t’ drop off unless she was in motion.

Suzannah pushed them with a foot as she ate.

Suddenly, Lenora shot up from her place at the table. Looking decidedly green, she made a dash for the backdoor and shot outside. All eyes turned to Theo. He shrugged.

“Is she alright?” Louisa asked. “Not coming down with something, is she?”

“Possibly,” Theo said with little conviction. “I don’t know, mother. Ask her when she gets back.”

“Oh honestly!” Suzannah grumbled. She stood up and went to the door. Opening it, she spotted Lenora bent over a bush and retching as though she may never stop. She’d seen her friend like this before and went back inside. She began to make her mint tea.

A little while later, looking pale but fine, Lenora came back inside. Suzannah pushed a mug of the steaming tea to her friend.

“And how far along are you?” Suzannah asked.

Lenora sighed. “Not far enough,” she said. “How did you know?”

Suzannah raised her brows. “Don’t be silly, we know what you’re like in the early stages of pregnancy.”

“Oh my,” Geraldine said with a laugh. “Congratulations.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Louisa demanded.

“Today is about the twins and Suzannah,” Lenora said. “I didn’t want to step on any toes.”

“You’re not,” Jasper said. “Congratulations.”

Everyone drank a toast of coffee or tea to them and there was much hugging and hand shaking before everything settled down again.

Another child. Suzannah smiled to herself.

“What’s so funny?” Jasper asked, as around them the conversation turned to other things.

Suzannah took his hands in hers and shared her smile with him. “I was just thinking how your mother’s wish is coming true.”

He frowned. “What wish?”

“The one for the house and garden to be full of children, family, and laughter,” she said. “I mean look at this scene. We’re all family and we’re growing all the time.”

Jasper nodded. “I hadn’t thought of it. I guess you’re right. Even though she’d not here to see it, it’s still happening.”

He sighed and for a while was silent.

“Do you think she knows?” he asked leaning close to Suzannah.

“Your mother?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Oh yes,” she said. “For certain. And we’ve good things ahead of us Jasper. Lots of good things. I can feel it.”

And she could. The world was full of possibilities and each year brought new ideas and adventures. Life was a journey that never had an end. Even if she never went to another place in her life, Suzannah would always be moving and changing just like the world. It was exciting and daunting, but so long as she had her family with her, there was nothing she wanted more than to go on the journey of life with them.

THE END

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