Change of Heart

by Molly Jebber

  He moved next to Dorothy. She sat at her desk. “Where did Becca go?”

  Dorothy focused on her paperwork. “She went to the general store for coffee. I asked her to fetch it for me. I did not want her here when your mother left. Mrs. Carrington was rude from the minute she came in. I am used to your mother’s arrogant attitude, but Becca is not.”

  “I understand, and I told Mother she is to treat Becca with respect. If she does not, I will distance myself from her. I also told her my news.”

  She cocked her head. “Have you told me this news?”

  He shook his head. “Becca and I are officially courting.”

  Dorothy rose and danced a little jig. “I hoped you would ask her to court you. I am thrilled. Her parents must be sad she will not be returning home to live with them. It is selfish of me, but I am glad she has decided to stay here. I would miss her if she left us.”

  “Yes, her parents are upset she is going to live with Ruth, but they agreed to bend the Amish rules and visit their daughters now and then. They are humble and kind people.”

  “Your mother is not going to show Becca the same kindness her parents showed you anytime soon. It was evident in her behavior today. Your father is a gentleman. He may treat Becca with kindness.”

  “I am hoping my father will be welcoming to Becca when he meets her. He is not near as judgmental as Mother.”

  “I hope you are right.”

  “When they get to know her, they will love her.”

  The door swung open. Becca came into the office and handed Dorothy the coffee. “Here you go, Dorothy.” She dropped her reticule in a drawer. “Matt, did your mamm leave?”

  “Yes, she did. She invited us to supper tonight. She has a friend from out of town joining her. I would like you to go with me.”

  Becca paled. Uncertainty filled her blue eyes. “Maybe you should go alone.”

  “I would appreciate it if you would join me. It will give Mother a chance to get to know you.” Should he go alone? No, he would take her with him. Becca had to interact with his mother sometime. She was the woman he had chosen to be with. His mother needed to understand this.

  She sighed. “What time should I be ready?”

  “I will pick you up at six.”

  Matt and Becca treated patients all day. Five came, and Matt shrugged out of his doctor’s jacket. He hung it on a hook. “You must be exhausted. I hope you are not too tired to join me for supper this evening.”

  She opened the door. “No. I’ll change clothes, splash water on my face, and be ready at six.” She waved to Dorothy and him before leaving.

  He shut the door behind her. She did not want to go to supper with his mother. He could sense her apprehension in her voice. He did not blame her after the way his mother dismissed her today. Becca put others before herself. Another trait he admired about her. Yes, he loved Becca more each day.

  Becca hurried home. She didn’t have much time to get ready before Matt would arrive. Ruth must still be at work. A knock at the door startled her. She answered it. An older man slightly bent over with gray hair and a wrinkled face stood on the porch.

  “My name is Jared White. My neighbors told me you are a midwife and a nurse who works for Dr. Carrington. They told me where you live. My granddaughter, Naomi White, is pregnant. She is in terrible pain and has been vomiting all night. She needs you. Will you help her?”

  “Of course. Let me grab my bag.” She lifted her medical bag she had put together a few weeks ago for just such an occasion. She wrote a note to Matt and taped it to the front door. He would arrive soon to take her to supper. He would have to go without her. She had hoped to win Mrs. Carrington over tonight. She shook her head. It was more important to help Naomi White this evening. She would have other opportunities to meet with Mrs. Carrington. “Let’s go.”

  They climbed in Mr. White’s buggy, and he guided the horses to his house. He didn’t speak on the way there. His hands trembled as he held the reins.

  Her heart raced. He loved his granddaughter. His concern and expression told her so. She hoped his granddaughter and her boppli would be fine when this was all over.

  He stopped in front of a house. “You go on in. I will take care of the horses.”

  Becca stepped out of the buggy. Naomi White’s last name was the same as her grandfather’s. The young woman must not be married. Where was the boppli’s daed? She hoped Miss White wouldn’t have to raise her boppli alone.

  A shrill scream rang out. She opened the door. Miss White lay in a small bedroom drenched in sweat. Blood spread over the white bed sheets beneath her swollen stomach and thin arms and legs.

  Pale and in obvious pain, the distressed woman reached for Becca. “Something is wrong with my baby. I know it. The pain is unbearable.”

  “Miss White, my name is Becca Yost. Please call me Becca. I’ll do everything I can for you and your boppli.” She pulled out a small blanket, antiseptic, thread, and sterile needles from her supplies.

  Mr. White rushed in. “I will take care of the horse and buggy later. What can I do?”

  Becca liked the woman’s grandfather. Maybe giving him a task would calm him. “Mr. White, will you please fetch me two pots of clean water and several towels?”

  He left the room.

  Miss White winced and held her stomach. “Please, call me Naomi. Becca, I am scared. Please help me.”

  Becca threw one blood-soaked towel after another to the floor. Naomi had lost a lot of blood. Mamm and boppli were in trouble. She must get this boppli out as fast as possible. “I will do my best.” She didn’t like the amount of blood coming from the woman.

  Mr. White hurried into the room and put Becca’s requests on the floor beside her.

  Her heart raced. She opened her mouth to offer comforting words but closed it. Oh no. The infant’s head appeared too big.

  “Naomi, push as hard as you can.”

  “I cannot. It hurts.”

  She positioned herself at the end of the bed. “Please try.”

  The woman cried out in pain and pushed.

  Becca yelped when the boppli and blood gushed onto the bed. She cut and tied off the umbilical cord. The newborn’s body lay limp and blue. The boppli girl’s arms and legs twisted in the wrong direction and her toes were absent.

  Naomi lifted her head and asked in a weak voice, “Is my baby all right? She is not crying.”

  Becca patted the woman’s leg. “You rest and relax.” She turned her back and wiped the infant’s face and blew small puffs of air into the boppli’s tiny mouth. No sound came from the newborn. The cold, tiny, lifeless body didn’t respond to any of her efforts to revive it. She closed her eyes for a moment. Stillborn infants were the most difficult births to witness. Next, it was the mamm’s obvious anguish and pain. She hoped not to experience either. She listened. A familiar voice sounded outside the door. Matt. She heaved a big sigh. He had come at the right time.

  He opened the door and rushed to her. In seconds, he assessed the situation. “Let me try reviving the infant.”

  She passed him the newborn. “I’ve tried everything.” She checked Naomi. The bleeding had stopped. She applied sutures.

  Matt worked with the boppli, but she didn’t respond to his ministrations.

  Naomi sobbed. “Dr. Carrington, please do not let my baby die.”

  Matt’s face turned somber as he cradled the motionless boppli. “I am sorry. Becca and I have done everything we can to save her, but your daughter did not make it. There is nothing more we can do. Would you like to hold her?”

  Naomi wept and held out her arms.

  Becca accepted the dead boppli from him, wrapped her little body in a soft blanket, and then tenderly placed the infant in Naomi’s arms as her own tears dripped onto her cheeks. She smoothed Naomi’s damp matted hair while the bereft young mamm held her dead boppli girl. Her heart broke, witnessing the woman’s pain.

  Matt moved next to Naomi. “I am sorry for your loss. If you need me, p
lease send your grandfather to my office. I will come to you. I will step out now so Becca can help you change.”

  Naomi caressed her boppli’s cheek as tears streamed down her own cheeks.

  Matt left and closed the door behind him.

  Becca cleaned and helped her change into a fresh gown as the new mamm moved the boppli from one arm to the other. Becca offered to hold the boppli while Naomi changed, but she wouldn’t let go of her daughter. Becca couldn’t blame her. What a shock to find out her boppli had died. She couldn’t imagine experiencing Naomi’s pain. “Is there anything else we can do for you?”

  Naomi grabbed Becca’s hand. “Please visit me tomorrow. I don’t have another woman to talk to about my problems. Would you mind coming back here tomorrow evening?”

  Becca smoothed the sorrowful woman’s matted dark brown hair. “I will be here at six.” Becca cleaned up her mess and discarded the bloody rags in a flour sack. She stepped out of the room then handed it to Mr. White to throw away. She gathered her other things and stood by Matt’s side.

  Matt shook his hand. “Please let me know if you need anything.”

  “I appreciate you both coming here today and helping us. Thank you both.”

  Becca left with Matt and climbed in his buggy. “Thank you for coming. My heart goes out to Naomi. Do you know her well?”

  “Naomi White is sixteen. When she was fourteen, her parents died in a house fire in Canton, Ohio. She came here to live with her grandparents right after her parents’ deaths.” He clucked at the horse and drew a breath. “A year ago, Naomi’s grandfather hired a carpenter, Samuel Keller, to help him build an addition to his house. Naomi fell in love with the young workman and got pregnant. When she told Samuel about the baby, he left town.”

  Becca’s mouth opened. “My heart aches for her. She is mourning the loss of the man she loves and her boppli.”

  “At least she has her grandfather. He is sixty-two and in good health. He is a fine man.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “What happened to the grandmother?”

  “She died of a heart attack six months ago. She was a kind woman. I am sure Mr. White and Naomi miss her.”

  “I’ll include them in my prayers tonight before bed.” She glanced at Matt. He had come to her rescue again. She found comfort having him by her side in such a sad situation. He had shown compassion and had not passed judgment on the unwed mamm. She admired him for that.

  They approached the Massillon Restaurant.

  She yawned and stretched her arms. “I hope you told your mamm and her friend why we weren’t able to join them for dinner.”

  Matt stopped in front of the livery. “When I found your note, I did stop by the Massillon Restaurant and told Mother why we would not be joining them. She understood. My father is a surgeon. She is used to patients’ needs taking priority over dinners and parties.” He steered his horse toward the livery. “Mother and her friend would have headed home by now. I am going to take you to dine there anyway before I take you home.”

  “I’m starving. It sounds good to me.”

  He stopped and handed the reins to the liveryman, and they walked to the restaurant.

  “You haven’t told me much about your parents. Tell me more about them.”

  The waitress delivered their food and a basket of warm bread.

  Matt lathered butter on a slice of bread. “My father and I are close. In spite of being a busy surgeon, he found time to take me fishing and target shooting. I asked a lot of questions concerning his work as I grew older, and he answered each one in a way I could understand. His patience in explaining why he had to do different types of surgeries for his patients generated an interest in me to become a doctor.”

  “Are you close to your mamm?”

  Matt wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I love my mother. She bought me the finest clothes, read me stories before bed, and took me to dinner in town at least twice a week. She taught me proper manners from the time I was a child. She is too caught up in what she considers appropriate dress and behavior, though. Acceptance in high society is of primary importance to her. She is prejudiced against people who do not live up to her social standards. We have argued about this subject many times.”

  Ruth had also told her Mrs. Carrington looked down on people not up to her social standards. When she met her, Mrs. Carrington lived up to what she had heard about her. It explained her cold attitude toward her. Ruth was right. Mrs. Carrington might be a problem. She certainly didn’t fit into Mrs. Carrington’s social circle. “She didn’t appear to approve of me as your nurse.”

  He sighed. “I have not visited my parents for a few weeks. It is unusual for me not to do so. She was upset with me and in a bad mood. Do not take it personally.” He covered her hand with his. “I told her you were more than my nurse. I told her we are courting.”

  Becca stopped chewing. She stared at Matt for a moment then swallowed. “What did she say?”

  Matt shrugged and glanced away. “She was stunned. She does not understand Amish culture. She will be fine once she gets to know you. I will arrange a time for you and me to have dinner with my parents sometime soon.”

  Umm. She doubted Mrs. Carrington had anything nice to say regarding her after the way she treated her when they first met. She hoped the woman would like her when they had a chance to finally sit and chat. With what she had been told about Mrs. Carrington so far, she doubted it.

  She pushed Mrs. Carrington out of her mind and listened to Matt talk about the patients they had treated in the last two days. They finished their meal, and he delivered her to Ruth’s house. He kissed her good-bye, and her heart raced. Her life had changed for the better. The decision to leave her Amish life overwhelmed her at first, but after spending time with Ruth and meeting Matt, she had no doubt she had done the right thing. Yes, she looked forward to her future in Massillon.

  Matt went home and guided his horse into the barn. His mother’s buggy was inside. What was she doing here?

  His mother was in the sitting room, sipping tea. “It is time you came home. Where have you been?”

  “I had no idea you would be here. I told you Becca and I went to help a young woman birth her baby. It took longer than I expected. The baby died. We stayed to comfort the family as much as we could. After we were finished, I escorted Becca to the Massillon Restaurant for supper before I dropped her off at Ruth’s.” He placed his bag on the floor and sat. “Did you enjoy your evening?”

  “I am sorry the young woman suffered such a horrible loss.” She placed her teacup on the small table beside her. “To answer your question, supper was disappointing since you did not join Beatrice and me, but I understand you were busy. I dropped her off at my house and then came here. I need to get back to her. I stopped by to tell you Beatrice has agreed to stay over another day and night. I expect you to join us for supper tomorrow at six at the Massillon Restaurant.”

  Matt rubbed his chin. “I am not interested in dining with you and Beatrice alone. Becca has promised to visit the young woman who lost her baby tomorrow night. She won’t be able to join us.”

  Mrs. Carrington’s face reddened. “You are being rude. Beatrice and her parents are friends of mine and your father’s. I expect you to dine with us. Do not be late.”

  He opened his mouth to protest. She hurried to leave and shut the door behind her before he could say anything. He groaned. His mother was the pushiest woman he had ever met. To keep the peace, he would go and be nice since the Bloomingdales were friends of his parents. He wished Becca could join them, but it would not be fair to ask her to change her plans for him. Naomi White needed her. Maybe it was for the best. He did not know Beatrice. She might be as brash as his mother.

  Chapter Five

  Becca couldn’t sleep. Heavy raindrops pelted the roof and ground outside. Thunder boomed, and then lightning bolts lit up the dark night. She shuddered and tightened her grip on the mug. The candle on the kitchen table flickered and offered little light
in the dim room. Matt’s words about his mamm flooded her mind. She tossed and turned.

  Mrs. Carrington was like no other woman she had ever come across. The woman’s stern tone set her teeth on edge. She had to stop fretting about what Mrs. Carrington thought of her and pray for guidance on what to say when they met again.

  The next morning, she climbed out of bed and dressed. Becca headed to the kitchen and told Ruth she had met Naomi White. She recounted the story of delivering the young woman’s boppli. She explained the infant’s daed had left town upon learning Naomi was carrying his child. “I’m going to her house tonight to listen to her woes.”

  Ruth pressed a palm to her heart. “What a tragic story. She is young to have suffered such pain in her life already.”

  Becca and Ruth finished their coffee and left for work. When Becca entered the office, she put her reticule in a drawer and lifted her white nurse’s apron Ruth had made for her. She told Dorothy about meeting Naomi White.

  Dorothy patted Becca’s shoulder. “It is nice of you to spend time with her.”

  Becca kissed Dorothy on the cheek and picked up a biscuit before following Matt to the exam room.

  Matt draped a stethoscope around his neck. “Good morning. I have news. Mother was at my house last night when I got home. Her friend is staying another day, and Mother insists I join them for supper. I wish you could join us too. I dread going without you.”

  Becca placed a clean sheet on the exam table. Why would Miss Bloomingdale stay over another day to meet Matt? She didn’t want to sound jealous, but she wanted to know more about this woman. “If I hadn’t promised to meet with Naomi tonight, I would join you. What do you know about your mamm’s friend?”

  “I will miss you, but Naomi needs you. I am glad you are going to comfort her. Beatrice Bloomingdale is a young woman from Canton, Ohio. Her father is a surgeon, and my parents and hers have become friends. Our fathers met at a surgeons’ research meeting in Canton a couple of months ago. If Mother is playing matchmaker, you have nothing to worry about.”