Sophie's Dilemma

by Lauraine Snelling

  Would wonders never cease? Sophie thought a bit more. Garth had said if she wanted to have adventures first before she made up her mind to marry him, it was all right with him. Perhaps a trip to New York would be a good way to start. Remembering how she’d felt when he didn’t come back from Minneapolis as soon as he’d said made her wonder. And sigh. So many decisions to make.

  Two weeks later Sophie woke in the middle of the night frantically trying to decide whether to throw up or to scream for the pain knifing into her back. It rolled around to her front as she heaved into the washbasin. When she finished, she wiped her face with a cloth dipped in the water pitcher and returned to the side of her bed, debating if she should ring her bell or just go back to sleep. Lily Mae had spent the night on a cot in the kitchen, hadn’t she?

  She wiped the back of her neck with the cooling cloth and drizzled some of the water down her front. Feeling restless she made her way to the window and let the breeze flow over her. Had one of the babies kicked her wrong, or what had happened? When she turned back to the bed, her stomach roiled again, and she staggered back to the basin. But I’ve nothing left in my stomach, she thought as nothing came up. She’d not felt like eating supper, so hadn’t. Was that the problem? She was hungry? No, hunger wasn’t it. The knife struck her in the back again. She stumbled to the bell and rang it, then opened the door and rang it again. Please, Lily Mae, hear this.

  She leaned against the doorjamb, waiting for the pain to subside as it had before. When it did, she heard feet pounding down the stairs. Garth burst into the hallway.

  ‘‘What is it? What’s wrong?’’

  Never had she been happier to see someone. ‘‘I don’t know, but I need Lily Mae or Mrs. Sam or Dr. Elizabeth.’’

  ‘‘I’ll get her. You sit down, lie down, however you can be most comfortable.’’ He charged across the vestibule and through the dining room. She could hear his shoes thumping on the floor all the way. Panting now, she leaned against the wall.

  When the pain came for the third time, just as Garth got back to her, she knew she’d better see the doctor. Something was terribly wrong.

  ‘‘Go for Dr. Elizabeth.’’

  ‘‘I think we better get you over there.’’

  ‘‘I can’t walk that far.’’

  Garth paused for a moment. ‘‘Can you sit in the chair?’’

  ‘‘I guess so.’’

  ‘‘Fine. I’ll get one of the men and we’ll carry you.’’

  ‘‘But I can’t . . .’’ She might as well have saved her breath. He was now taking the stairs two at a time.

  ‘‘What do I do?’’ Lily Mae asked, her eyes wide in the lamplight she’d brought with her.

  ‘‘Go tell Dr. Elizabeth we are coming over there.’’

  Nightdress flapping about her dark legs, Lily Mae ran out the door.

  The men Garth recruited—four instead of two—must have leaped into their clothes as they came flying down the stairs.

  ‘‘All right, Sophie, skip the chair. You lie down on the bed, and we’ll carry you by the corners of the sheets.’’

  ‘‘I-I can’t.’’ She gripped the doorjamb and let the pain roll over and around her.

  ‘‘Then sit on the edge of the bed and we’ll do the rest.’’ They entered the room, all of them trying to be mannerly and not look directly at her. They loosened the sheets and, as Sophie sat down, bunched them up around her. On the count of three, they lifted. She let her head fall back and tried to relax as they jostled their way through the bedroom door, the hall door, and finally out the front door and down the steps.

  ‘‘All right, in step will make it easier on her. Right foot, left.’’

  Already beginning to puff, they marched up the street and down the block to the doctor’s house, the full moon throwing their shadows ahead of them.

  ‘‘Thank you,’’ Sophie said to all of them as they mounted the ramp to the surgery.

  Thorliff pushed open the door and held it.

  ‘‘In here,’’ Elizabeth called. She stood by a narrow birthing bed.

  ‘‘On the count of three now.’’

  With great care they laid the sheets and their cargo in the center of the bed.

  Sophie grabbed Garth’s hand and dug in as another wave rolled over her. She gritted her teeth, fighting to not moan, and when it passed, she collapsed back against the bed.

  ‘‘Sophie, if we can get you up and walking, this will be easier.’’

  ‘‘Are . . . the . . . babies coming?’’

  ‘‘Looks like it.’’ Elizabeth listened to the heartbeats and palpitated the abdomen. ‘‘Sorry, Mr. Wiste. I forgot you were here. You want to wait outside? Or you could return to your bed. I’m sure this will be long hours from now.’’

  ‘‘Could I be of assistance in helping her walk?’’

  ‘‘We can get Thorliff—’’ ‘‘Would it offend anyone if I stayed to help?’’

  ‘‘Not anyone here. Sophie?’’

  ‘‘Is it going to get worse?’’

  ‘‘Oh yes.’’

  ‘‘Will it make Mrs. Valders shriek?’’

  ‘‘Oh yes.’’

  ‘‘Good, then stay.’’

  With all of them laughing, they got her back up and her feet moving. They staggered up and down the hall, into the kitchen and out onto the back porch, where they sat Sophie on a bench to let her rest for a bit. When the sun burned its way loose from the horizon, her water broke, leaking down her legs and onto the porch floor.

  ‘‘Well, this was as good a location as any for that to take place. Now don’t be embarrassed, Sophie. Things will really begin to happen now.’’

  ‘‘You don’t call all this happening?’’ Sophie leaned into Garth’s side, her hand locked on his wrist.

  ‘‘You are doing wonderfully for a first-time birthing.’’

  ‘‘These two are in a hurry to come into the world.’’ She could feel another contraction coming. ‘‘Here we go again.’’

  ‘‘Okay, let’s walk.’’

  They paced, half carrying and half dragging Sophie for another hour until Elizabeth finally said, ‘‘Let’s get her back to the bed. Now is when you can really be a help, or I’ll ask Lily Mae to come back.’’

  ‘‘You don’t need to ask anyone. I’m here.’’ Kaaren stopped in the hall. ‘‘Why didn’t you send someone for me earlier?’’

  ‘‘For us,’’ Ingeborg said from right behind her.

  ‘‘I knew there was nothing you could do up until now,’’ Sophie said.

  ‘‘We could have been praying.’’

  ‘‘You’re right,’’ Sophie said. ‘‘I’m sorry but glad Thorliff took it upon himself to do what was right. I am really glad you are here. Mr. Wiste, thank you for your help.’’

  ‘‘If you can’t call me Garth by now . . .’’ He squeezed Sophie’s hand. ‘‘I’ll be out on the porch. If you need me, let me know.’’

  Sophie nodded and clamped her hands on the sides of the bed, her teeth gritted so hard her jaw was screaming too.

  ‘‘I’ll get behind her.’’ Kaaren waited while Elizabeth and Ingeborg held Sophie up, then Kaaren took her place, braced against the headboard, and eased her daughter back. ‘‘Now, you push against me, for when you are half sitting, the baby comes more easily.’’

  ‘‘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 fo
r 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.’’