Forever And Always

by Christy Smith

  “Come here, Daddy, and meet your beautiful daughters.” Unsure of her health, he came closer. “Are you all right, my love?”

  Trish grinned from ear to ear. “Exhausted, but I think I’ll make it. I guess I’ll have to; someone has to take care of this growing family.”

  John was astonished as he gazed at his daughters. “Honey, I can’t believe this, two babies, and both girls.”

  Chapter 10

  Introductions All ’Round

  As John sat down on the bed, he was in awe. She motioned for him to take one of them. Picking up one of the sweet, warm, sleeping little girls, he felt the wonder of it all overwhelm him.

  Minutes later, Johnny couldn’t wait any longer. “I want to see my mommy!” he cried and took off running toward the cabin. Jasper and Doc caught up with him just as he got inside the house. Hoisting him up into his arms, Jasper looked to Doc for approval to continue.

  With a nod and a smile, Doc said, “A quick visit, son. Mommy’s very tired.”

  Silently, the two men entered the bedroom with the boy, motioning him to silence. On seeing them enter, John acknowledged them to come closer. Jasper set Johnny down next to his parents as the boy’s eyes widened.

  Proudly, John showed his son one of his sisters. The child reached out to touch the baby in his daddy’s arms, filled with curiosity when her fingers moved at the touch. As he came to see his mommy, a look of genuine surprise and confusion came to his small, round face. He drew in a breath when he saw her holding another baby.

  “Two babies?” His confusion grew by leaps and bounds.

  Reaching out for him, she answered, “Yes, honey. You have two baby sisters. Would you like to see this one?” Trish took his hand and let him climb up on the bed next to her.

  “They’re so tiny,” he kept repeating, looking from one to the other and back again.

  Shortly, John laid his daughter down by Trish and took Johnny from the room, with Jasper following them out. After checking on mother and daughters, Doc joined the men outside.

  Johnny was again playing in the yard. Jasper and John were talking together by the porch. When Doc joined them, John voiced his concern over Trish’s weakened condition.

  “Giving birth to twins was more difficult, John. With rest, though, she should recover in time. She did very well.”

  With further reassurances from Doc, John’s concern lessened. Shortly, Jasper and Doc took their leave. Coming in to check on Trish and the babies, he found all three of them fast asleep. Jasper left for Kentucky shortly after the twins’ birth.

  Trish spent the next three days confined to bed, by John’s orders. Although she pretended to be angry, she was quite satisfied to do so. The birth had drained her much more than she had expected it to, and she secretly loved being taken care of by “her men.” Whenever Johnny came in to “take care of things,” her heart burst with pride and delight.

  For nearly two weeks following the birth, Trish was pampered by her men. John took care of everything, even straightening the cabin and preparing all of the meals. They both helped with the girls. Johnny had taken to his duties as big brother and was quite serious indeed. He even tried his best helping Daddy with the laundry. Watching the two of them try to wrestle wet laundry was a sight to behold—John, lifting the sheets out of the basket, with Johnny’s assistance. As the sheets were lifted to the clothesline, Johnny would raise his arms as high as they would go and then jump to get them up there. Once, while the girls were sleeping, Trish watched the merry parade of laundrymen with feelings of pride and thankfulness that she had been so blessed to have such a caring, loving husband and son. She began to smile as she watched, then chuckle. By the time the second sheet was on the line, both of the laundrymen were soaked to the skin. Trish was almost on the floor with laughter.

  John wanted to buy Trish something very special. Checking his funds, his heart sank. I want to buy her a newborn lamb, but can’t afford the high price they are being sold for. I’ll do the next best thing. I’ll get her a kitten.

  He came home, apologies on his lips. “Oh, John, she is darling! Please don’t be upset, I love her. In fact, I am going to name her Baa.”

  Time seemed to crawl one minute and race the next for Trish. Her days were taken up now, it seemed, in a never-ending cycle of feedings. Not that she was complaining, really. The girls were healthy, hungry, and happy; her family was complete. The only real problem arose one cool spring evening.

  Chapter 11

  Cool Breezes Turn to Terror

  Trish had the window in the cabin cracked open a bit so she could enjoy the cool breeze that had come up. She sat back in the rocker to indulge Mary, who lay in her mother’s lap, hungrily sucking her fists. How good it feels to settle back and relax. As Mary began suckling, Trish brushed back her long, golden hair and inhaled deeply, smiling as the fresh, life-filled breezes embraced her.

  I’m finally regaining my strength. From the far corner of the cabin, in the bedroom, she heard a noise. Trish looked around the cabin, thinking Johnny had come inside without her seeing him. She saw nothing; again, she heard the noise, a rustling sound, and it was growing louder. Suddenly, Elizabeth let out a loud scream.

  Frightened, Patricia gathered up Mary and ran frantically in to see the cradle. Nervously lighting the lamp, she threw back the blankets covering Elizabeth. She lay there blinking her tiny, tear-filled eyes, flailing her chubby arms wildly, crying angrily. Trish examined her and found nothing wrong. As she felt around by Elizabeth’s feet , she ran her hand over a small hard lump in the blankets.

  John ran inside after hearing Elizabeth’s screams all the way out in the yard where he was stacking cedar. “Trish, what’s wrong? Are you and the girls all right?”

  “There’s something wrong with Elizabeth!”

  As he picked her up, something jumped out of the cradle. Examining her he reassured Trish. “She’s fine, just startled, and hungry.” As he comforted his daughter, a small furry head appeared from under the blanket. Looking down, he saw the kitten. “Look, Trish.”

  Rubbing against John’s leg, purring loudly was Baa. “Oh, no! You mean?”

  “Yes!”

  “Baa, what are you doing in here?”

  Relieved, they both sat down on the bed together. As if in silent communication, both girls let out a hungry wail. John occupied one daughter while Trish fed the other. Later, John tucked in Elizabeth, while Trish took Mary and put her babe to breast. When both were content Trish let out a contented sigh. God has blessed us so richly.

  * * *

  Even now, almost three full months after the birth, John was adamant about Trish taking things easy.

  “I feel much better, sweetheart. I need to get back to normal. You don’t want me to get too used to all of this pampering, do you?”

  “Yes. You should be pampered! You just birthed twins, Trish. I don’t want you trying to recover too fast. I love you and I want to keep you. I worry about you.”

  “I’ll be fine, dear,” she replied, kissing him. Leaning into him, she wrapped her arms around him; he replied, embracing her and kissing her strongly.

  “Don’t worry, my love, I’m not about to do too much. I know that you worry—you make me feel special. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me; I’m not about to leave you—now or ever!”

  Upon Trish’s insistence, John returned to work two days later. Early in the morning, he kissed Trish and the children good-bye and returned to the forest to work, axe in hand. The sun shone brightly that morning. He walked for a while, noticing the smells of the forest and letting the warmth of the sun engulf him; he began to whistle.

  Trish was happy too, happy that all was well with the children and her recuperation was going so well. She felt almost fully recovered from the birth, even though it had been a hard one. She smiled as she thought of the surprise the
y all felt after Mary had been born, finding there was yet another to be born, Elizabeth. They knew that Trish was much larger with this pregnancy than the last one, but no one even remotely suspected that she had been carrying twins, not even Doc. Every time Trish looked at the girls, she felt they were a special gift from God. Of course, she felt that way about all her children. But there was still something special about the twins, something just below the surface that she had yet to figure out.

  John had built a fire in the fireplace before he left. She was warming breakfast for Johnny and preparing to put her babes to breast. She turned away from the fire for a moment to change the girls, with Johnny following close behind to “help out.”

  Before she could turn around again, she smelled something, but couldn’t tell just what it was. Johnny began pulling on her skirts. He wants to do a trick for me.

  “Yes, Johnny, just a minute.” He just kept on pulling; losing patience, she turned. “Johnny, what in the world is going on! I said to wait a minute!” Trish picked up the girls and turned to look at him and saw the terror in his face. Past him, she saw the table and chairs aflame! The red-and-white curtains she had sewn by hand were being consumed. A rush of sheer panic ran through Trish’s being. Instantly, she felt a cold chill. For what seemed like forever, she stood there in a trancelike state, her feet nailed to the floor. All the while, Johnny stood next to her, hands clutched at his face, petrified, tears streaming down his cheeks, a look of unspeakable terror in his eyes.

  Looking down at her son, she saw the last of Mary’s blanket being consumed. She had laid it across her chair when she’d gotten up. In the coolness of the morning, she had decided to bring the chair closer to the fireplace when she fed the girls. The girls had woken up shivering. She had pulled the chair over to sit on top of the rug, directly in front of the fireplace earlier, and now the rug and blanket were gone; the last of the chair was on fire. Oh God, no! This can’t be happening! her mind screamed in fear.

  Finally, Trish pulled herself back to reality. Filled with terror, her mind raced with thoughts of John away in the forest, the children, and the responsibility of getting them all to safety. She shook Johnny to bring him out of his panic. “Johnny, honey, you’re fine. We’re all fine, but we must get out of here. Now, you look at Mommy and listen.”

  It was finally registering; he was sniffling now, looking at her with more tears ready to spill out of those beautiful, brown eyes. “Johnny, do you hear me?”

  “Yes, Mommy, but I’m scared.” He began to wail, fear overwhelming him.

  “I am too, honey, but we must get out of here; it’s up to us. Can we do that?”

  “Yes, Mommy.”

  “All right, then, it’s very important that you do exactly as Mommy tells you. I want you to hold on to Mommy’s skirt and walk very close to me. We’ll walk out of here together.”

  By now, the entire eating area of the cabin was engulfed in flames, which were quickly making their way to the door. If they didn’t get out soon, there would be no chance of escape. Sparks flew everywhere; the heat was intense, the smoke blinding.

  “We can do it, Johnny,” Trish said reassuringly, hoping that he didn’t hear the terror in her voice. Holding the twins tightly, covering their faces with a blanket from the bed, the four of them began their walk of terror through the fiery cabin to the safety awaiting them outside. Johnny didn’t have to be told to hold on to his mother’s skirt; he wasn’t about to let go. Slowly, carefully they walked the thin path to safety.

  When they were all outside, they dashed away from the burning cabin, away from the searing heat. When they were a safe distance away, Trish felt her knees giving way. She knelt on the ground with the twins in her arms and her son at her side. Uncovering the girls, she leaned over to Johnny and kissed him, reassuring him and telling him how proud she was of him.

  “We’re fine now, honey. Daddy will be here soon.” Trying to keep it together, but shaking, Trish continued to comforted her children.

  Not long after he got to the forest, John looked up, back toward the cabin as he always did when he was away from his family. He was thinking of his family and how happy they were, but this time when he looked up, he was frightened by what he saw—smoke.

  He dropped his axe and began running like the wind back toward the cabin, faster and faster. The closer he got to the burning cabin, the louder he could hear the crackling of the flames and feel the fierce heat.

  Out of the forest he came from behind Trish, running at a mad pace. He saw only Trish and Johnny. Racing on toward the inferno, his only thought was saving his baby girls. Trish screamed to him when she saw him, “John, we’re all here!”

  Turning to face her, he saw the girls in her arms. They were hidden from view by her form. Letting out a cry of relief and thankfulness to God, he ran to them.

  Together they stood, watching their home burn to the ground. With Trish holding the girls, and Johnny in his father’s arms, they stood praying to the Lord, thanking Him for their safety.

  All was as well as it could be; the family was together and unharmed. All they had, other than the book of poetry, with its edges singed, was the clothes on their backs and each other; no matter, they were just thankful to be alive.

  When the fire was out, all that was left of the cabin was the rock fireplace. Trish couldn’t answer John when he asked how she had gotten herself and the children out of the fire. She couldn’t remember, no matter how hard she tried. All she knew was that they had gotten out.

  Thankfully, the barn had been far enough away from the flames that it hadn’t been harmed. The family took up residence there. “When my body is no more, my soul will still be yours,” John whispered, hugging his wife. “All I could think of was getting to you.” he said shaking visibly. They sat together in the hay for a long while, holding each other, each comforting the other.

  It would be a long time before Trish would recall how she and the children had gotten out of the fire. For months afterward, she relived the fire in horrible nightmares, waking drenched with sweat, shaking, screaming, crying hysterically.

  In her dreams, she kept seeing the girls’ blanket on fire. She would see herself trying to put it out and being unable to—unable to save her babies. The terror and helplessness she’d experienced during fire and couldn’t let show for Johnny’s sake was embedded in her soul. She saw the cabin engulfed in flames. She saw too, all that was left after the fire—the rock fireplace, charred and black from the heat of the fire, an everlasting reminder that it really happened. She saw herself, standing among the ruins, weary and alone. In her nightmares, things turned out quite differently than they had in reality; she was totally alone, her entire family taken from her.

  John was also held helpless by her nightmares; he knew they must be about the fire, but she refused to talk about them, not now. He comforted her the best he could, holding her and stroking her hair.

  Chapter 12

  Rebuilding

  Word of the fire spread quickly and within two days friends, neighbors and others that didn’t even have a connection to the family from many Parishes turned out to help them rebuild, all carrying with them necessities for the family and children along with a bounty of foodstuffs for everyone.

  “God’s arms protected us from harm yesterday and now look at all of this!” John said as people and provisions just kept coming.

  “Praise the Lord!” Patricia exclaimed at the sight. “John, how will we ever be able to return this much generosity? God is truly smiling on us today!”

  A large piece of canvas was staked in the yard so the women could have shade while they prepared food for everyone and there were so many children!

  Day after day they came cheerfully to help out, each day renewing the foodstuffs. Children’s laughter was heard in the yard again.

  “Lord, we are humbled to our core by Your graci
ousness. We are so thankful Father.”

  Groups of the men cut down trees while others rolled them a safe distance away to shape them into the size and number needed to rebuild. The new home was completed a week after the work began. It stood not far from the original one, within sight of the old fireplace. The new home was much bigger than the first. John and Patricia would finally be able to have a room all to themselves.

  Thursday evening, after bedding the children, they sat close and spoke quietly and intimately. Even with all of the friends and neighbors also putting in hard labor and long hours, they too were both physically and mentally exhausted from their own hard work on the house raising.

  Friday morning, Klaus watched his daughter as she bent over to pick up rocks to help complete the new rock fireplace. He couldn’t believe the love that he witnessed between John and Patricia and the love and caring they both showed for their children. Witnessing John and Patricia together made him wish that he could feel and do for Margaret as John did for Patricia, but it was not in him to do so. He carried that ache was constantly in his heart.

  John ran to Patricia’s aid when she lifted a rock that was too heavy and strained her back. Klaus stopped before he reached her because he knew it wasn’t his place anymore; it was John’s.

  John picked her up, brought her over to a tree and set her down to care for her. Johnny ran over to them, crying because his mommy was hurt. After comforting him, Patricia let Klaus and Margaret interest him in something else.

  Soon, the painstaking work of completing the fireplace was finished, completed exactly the way Patricia wanted it, with the hearth extended outward an extra foot. She was positive that a spark from the old fireplace caused the blaze. She insisted that the new fireplace be made bigger.

  There had also been a crew working on temporary furniture for the home. When the work was finished, late afternoon of the day Trish hurt her back, John took her into their new home and put her down on their new bed. He brought the twins in to lie near her. Johnny sat down on the bed and watched attentively as Daddy attended to Mommy.