The Mail Order Brides of Last Chance

by Lucille Chisum

  Stewart blinked. “Well, I can’t imagine why it’s taking so long for that to happen, or why it’s so new,” he said. “It makes perfect sense to me.”

  “To me, too,” Aaron replied. “I’ll have to discuss this with Rachel. I’m glad she mentioned it to you.”

  Stewart studied him, wondering why his wife had mentioned it to him rather than to her husband. He almost asked the doctor about that, but something stopped him.

  Aaron looked around the exam room, wondering how the boy wished the conversation to end. Stewart had an expectant look on his face, as if he had something else he wished to talk about, and the doctor decided to ask him about it.

  “Is there something else?” he asked. “That you wish to talk about?”

  Stewart began to blush again, and Aaron knew he’d hit the nail on the head. Something was up with the boy, and he knew that somehow it was important to follow up about this.

  “Well, now that you mention it,” Stewart said, his voice dropping to a whisper. He started to say more, but for some reason he couldn’t.

  Aaron took a deep breath. He thought of all the conversations he’d had in his practice with patients, the ones that involved delving into medical matters that were deeply personal.

  His intuition told him that that was what was happening here—at least in part. But there was more to it than that.

  “If you have something you wish to talk about, Stewart, then you should just say it,” Aaron said. “That is almost always the best and most direct way.”

  Stewart nodded. Aaron’s words seemed to strike a chord in the boy, and he waited. Stewart was a practical young man, the doctor knew, the sort who tended to want to come at life head on.

  “All right then,” the boy said softly. “Turns out . . . turns out that wasn’t the only reason I built the crib.”

  Aaron blinked, slightly surprised, for he’d expected the conversation to go in a different direction. But here they were, back at the crib, and the doctor stared at it, wondering what this was about.

  “Really,” he replied. “And why is that?”

  “Well . . . I actually built it for a different reason,” Stewart said.

  “And what might that be?” Aaron asked, suddenly beginning to understand.

  The boy blushed again, and suddenly he looked down at the floor in embarrassment. “Something I thought might happen,” Stewart said, and then he managed to look up slightly. “If you must know. A kind of a Christmas wish.”

  “Ahh.” Aaron paused, letting all of this sink in.

  He watched Stewart carefully, not wanting to jump the gun by pointing out the obvious to him too quickly. But it really was quite apparent what was happening here.

  “So you and Betsy are trying to start a family,” the doctor said.

  Stewart grimaced, and Aaron got the feeling the boy was holding back a whole range of feelings. Understandable, Aaron thought. I know little about this boy, to be certain, but this definitely is something I’ve seen before.

  “Yes sir,” Stewart said softly, and once again he looked down, as if talking about this was painful for him. And Aaron realized that it probably was.

  “For how long?” Aaron asked. He knew this sounded like a medical question to some extent, but he also knew it would give the boy an opportunity to talk about his feelings in the matter. Which the doctor sensed he had a serious need to do.

  “Well, ever since we been married, to be honest ‘bout it,” Stewart explained. “But we just started gettin’ serious about it lately.”

  The doctor frowned. “Lately? What do you mean?” he asked. “I don’t quite understand.”

  This caused Stewart to blush furiously, and Aaron realized that perhaps he should have taken a different tack. Still, this was where they were in the conversation, so he decided to follow through with it.

  “Well, neither of us knew anything,” Stewart said, his face still crimson. He started to say more, but couldn’t speak.

  Aaron gently placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s that way for all of us, Stewart,” he said. “That’s the thing you must understand.”

  “It is?” He blinked, looking as if the mysteries of the universe had just been revealed to him.

  “Of course,” Aaron replied. “I have worked with very few who knew how things are to be between husband and wife before they came to Last Chance.”

  Stewart shook his head. “I . . . I thought everyone knew,” he said, his voice wracked with shame.

  “No, no,” the doctor replied, and somehow Aaron managed to resist the temptation to laugh. “It is something we all must learn, in our own way and our own time.”

  The boy frowned. Aaron could tell he didn’t really understand, but he also knew Stewart was doing his best with it. Aaron decided the best thing to do was wait, once again, so he said nothing.

  Finally, Stewart spoke. “That’s why I built the crib, you know,” he said softly.

  The doctor nodded. “Because you thought you were going to have a family.”

  “Yes,” Stewart replied, nodding. “I figured it would have happened by now.”

  Aaron shrugged. “It takes time for some,” he said. “You have to be patient with it.”

  The boy frowned again, and then his eyes widened in alarm. “But what if there’s something wrong with us?” he asked. “What then?”

  The doctor smiled. “Do you still love one another?” he asked.

  Stewart shook his head vigorously. “Of course!” he said, his tone turning fierce. “That hasn’t changed a bit!”

  He glared at Aaron, but the doctor merely smiled. He could tell Stewart had a feisty side, and this gladdened him. The boy was spoiling for a fight or an argument, and it was that passion that would get him through this.

  “Then that’s all you need,” Aaron said softly, and his tone had the intended effect, defusing Stewart’s anger. “The rest will be settled with time and patience.”

  His anger gone, Stewart merely stared at him. Aaron could tell there was still a restlessness about him, things he wanted to know. But he also knew there was no way he could answer any of those questions in the way the boy wanted.

  “So . . . what should we do?” Stewart finally asked.

  Aaron shrugged. “Are things getting better between the two of you?” he asked. “Since the beginning?”

  Finally, the boy smiled slightly. His entire body relaxed; Aaron could literally see the tension drain out of him, as if it was something physical that had a destination elsewhere.

  “Well, sorta,” he said. “Sometimes.”

  Aaron grinned. “Then everything will be just fine, Stewart,” he said.

  Then he looked over at the crib. “Just keep going the way you are,” the doctor added. “And I promise, you’ll need that before long.”

  When Aaron got home, Rachel had already prepared dinner. He smiled at the smell of it as he strode up the walkway to the door; it was one of her stews, and these were a constant source of wonder to him.

  They always smelled slightly different, but each was delicious in a new way. It was as if he’d never eaten before he’d met her, and it was one of many reasons that Aaron considered himself the luckiest man alive.

  She was waiting for him when he entered, and Aaron smiled and gently bussed her on the cheek before taking off his coat and cowboy hat. This was something that was consistent between them, the affection they each found overwhelming as soon as they saw one another.

  “How was your day, husband?” Rachel said once he’d shed his coat and hat.

  “Mostly the usual,” Aaron said matter of factly. “At least until the end of it.”

  She frowned slightly. “After I left, you mean?”

  He nodded, and they sat at the dining room table together. “I will tell you about it in a moment,” Aaron said. “But we should say grace and the blessing first, though.”

  Rachel nodded, knowing he was right. This, too was something they did on a daily basis, praying briefly befo
re dinner, and Aaron was grateful for this brief respite as well.

  He’d lapsed in his praying before coming to Last Chance, and praying on a regular basis was what had saved him once again.

  Aaron said a brief blessing, for he was eager to tell Rachel about the end of his day. She ladled out the stew, and as soon as she did, Aaron was reminded of how much he needed to savor this moment.

  They ate slowly, but the doctor’s patience quickly overwhelmed him.

  “I was approached by Stewart James today,” he said.

  “Once I was gone, you mean,” Rachel repeated.

  “Yes,” Aaron replied, nodding. “It was a most unusual conversation.”

  Rachel nodded, thinking of her own encounter with Betsy. “I can imagine,” she said. “He’s such a quiet boy. I’ve barely been able to get a word out of him that’s not about the work he does around the office.”

  “Which has been a godsend,” Aaron added. “I have no idea what we’d do without him.”

  “No doubt,” she agreed. “And this expansion is the most ambitious thing we’ve done by far.”

  Aaron nodded, and then he put down his fork. His appetite was always fierce when he got home, but somehow just a few mouthfuls of Rachel’s stew satisfied him.

  She was always after him to eat more because of how thin and angular Aaron was, and he always just smiled and told her how wonderful her food was.

  It was a running argument of sorts that they both enjoyed, and they looked forward to having different versions of it for as long as it would entertain them. Eventually they knew it would wear thin, but at the moment it was a welcome diversion.

  “Actually, that was in part what Stewart wished to speak to me about,” Aaron said. “The expansion.”

  “Really?” Rachel blinked in surprise.

  She was constantly in touch with Stewart about the plans and how things were going, and she thought she’d covered all the details. Was something amiss?

  “Yes.” Aaron smiled, thinking of the tiny crib and how well built it was. “He said something to me about a change in direction in our treatment.”

  “Oh!” Rachel shook her head, and she blushed.

  She’d been keeping her desire to add special care for children a secret, waiting for the right moment to tell Aaron about it. But evidently her secret had been exposed.

  “I was going to mention that to you,” Rachel said shyly. “I was thinking about waiting until Christmas to tell you, but then this opportunity arrived.”

  He grinned, then reached across and touched her gently on the arm. “I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Aaron replied, remembering the conversations they’d had about it a long time ago, when he’d first arrived in Last Chance.

  Rachel shook her head in chagrin. “It was supposed to be my surprise, you know,” she said. “At some point.”

  Aaron smiled. “I understand,” he said. “A bit ironic that Stewart should turn out to be your revealer.”

  She rolled her eyes. “A bit?” Rachel shook her head once again, this time in amazement. “It’s astounding, is what it is.”

  “Yes,” Aaron replied, nodding. “The entire conversation was very . . . different, in fact.”

  “How so?” Rachel frowned, curious.

  “Well . . . he built a crib,” he said, thinking how strange it was now that he’d spoken aloud about Stewart’s actions.

  “He what?”

  Aaron saw her astonishment, and he tried to think of a way to explain their conversation. This isn’t going to be easy, he thought.

  “He built a crib,” Aaron repeated. “Apparently that was his way of telling me about the expansion.”

  “Really?” She shook her head confused. “That seems like an odd way of going about it.”

  Aaron took a deep breath. “Well, there was more to it than that,” he continued.

  “What do you mean?” Rachel blinked.

  He gave her a bemused smile. “This isn’t exactly easy to explain,” Aaron said. “Nor was it easy for the boy to talk about. From what I could tell, they’re intent on having a family, and nothing is . . . happening.”

  With that, Rachel began to giggle. Slowly, her giggle evolved into full-blown laughter, and without thinking about it Aaron joined her. Before long they were out of breath and unable to stop.

  “Well,” she said when it was finally over. “That felt better.”

  “Indeed,” he said, taking her hand and giving it a small squeeze. They’d nearly finished eating now, and perhaps they would have coffee or tea together before heading upstairs to pray before retiring to bed.

  “So, husband,” Rachel said finally as she looked around to decide whether it was still early enough for them to have coffee or tea, “How did you counsel him?”

  Aaron shrugged. “What could I say?” he said. “It’s not the first time I’ve encountered that sort of thing, after all.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

  “Oh yes,” he said, nodding. “It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen.”

  Suddenly her bemused smile came back. “Stewart seems so . . . chaste to me, if that’s the right word,” she said. “What did you manage to tell him?”

  He shrugged again, less pronounced this time. Then he grinned. “Nothing specific, that’s for sure,” Aaron said. “As you can probably imagine, it was an awkward conversation.”

  Rachel nodded, and then she rolled her eyes. “Indeed.” She paused. “I’m just trying to picture it, in my mind’s eye.”

  Aaron chuckled. “Well, there certainly wasn’t anything graphic about it, that much I’m sure of,” he said. “I merely told him to have faith in their love, and I dropped some hints in that direction.”

  She gave him a sly smile. “I would love to ask what sort of hints,” she replied. “But I won’t.”

  He gave her an eye roll. “Good,” Aaron said, his voice laced with irony. “But I did have a couple of other thoughts about the matter.”

  Rachel saw the earnestness of his expression, so she nodded. This is what I love about him, she thought. How thoughtful Aaron is, and how much he’s always trying to help people. I’m very fortunate.

  This time she was the one who reached over and took his hand. “And what might those be, husband?” she asked.

  Aaron took a deep breath. “That perhaps we should give them a bit more time off,” he began. “To enhance their chances of success in this . . . endeavor.”

  Rachel began to giggle again, but this time she made herself stop. “That’s actually a very good idea,” she replied. “Although we will be hard-pressed to do without them.”

  He smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “We got by before without them,” Aaron replied. “So we will do it again.” Then he paused. “After all, we do want them to be happy.”

  She nodded. “Yes. And nothing would make them happier than success with this, I’m sure.”

  “I agree,” Aaron said, and then he remembered something else. “And there’s one other thought I had about this.”

  “Tell me,” she said, giving him a small smile. Rachel adored Aaron for his thoroughness, and she knew quite well it was one of his most fundamental qualities.

  “I was thinking it might be a good idea to talk to the mayor about this,” he said.

  Rachel shook her head, slightly confused. “How so?” she asked.

  Aaron smiled. “Well, you know how our mayor is,” he said, thinking about Owen Standard. “He has a knack for coming up with just the right occasion, or just the right words, to make people feel more comfortable.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, this would certainly be a challenge for him,” Rachel replied.

  He nodded. “If anyone can do it, it will be our mayor,” Aaron said. “I will go see him the morning.”

  When he arrived at the mayor’s office, Owen Standard was hunched over his desk as usual. Aaron rapped softly on the door, hoping the mayor wasn’t too deeply immersed in his work.

&nbs
p; “Excuse me, Mister Mayor?” he asked softly as he knocked.

  For a moment Aaron thought Owen might be startled by his knock, but then he remembered the nature of the mayor’s work. Owen’s day was a constant series of interruptions, most of them quite welcome

  And this one in particular, as it turned out.

  “Aaron!” Owen exclaimed as he turned his head to see who it was. He stood up immediately, managing to bump his knee on the desk as soon as he did. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you!”

  Aaron nodded, trying to remember the last time. He was often so buried in his healing that he had little or no idea of what was going on in the world around him. I really shouldn’t let that happen as much as I do, Aaron thought.

  “It has been far too long,” he agreed, and the mayor approached Aaron for his usual hearty handshake. “So what can I do for you on this fine morning?”

  Aaron smiled, thinking of the perfect weather he’d encountered on the way over. There really was nothing like late fall in Colorado—the crispness of the air, the brightness of the sun and the ability to see for miles. What a blessed place.

  “Well, it’s not for me, exactly,” Aaron said, hesitant to use the mayor’s first name. He knew the mayor preferred informality, but it was always a struggle for Aaron given that their conversations were so intermittent.

  The mayor ushered him over toward his desk and motioned for Aaron to sit in the chair next to his.

  “What do you mean?” he asked as he did.

  The doctor smiled. “It’s . . . what you’d call an unusual situation,” he began.

  Owen returned his smile with a grin. “Well, we certainly have plenty of those here in Last Chance,” he said. “So I’m sure we can manage to come up with something to handle it.”

  He paused. “So what’s it about?”

  Aaron took a deep breath, trying to think of the right words to describe what he needed. “You are familiar with the young man who’s been helping out around my office,” he began. “With building and such.”

  “Of course,” Owen replied with a nod. “You mean Stewart James.”

  “Yes,” Aaron said, nodding. “He’s been a wonderful addition.”