Hazelle Hawthorne had been woken by frantic knocking at 3am just three times in her life. The first time, when she was 11 years old and the apartment building where her family lived was burning to the ground.
The second time, it had been accompanied by blue flashing lights through the windows and the news her husband had been killed in a factory explosion.
The third time, she sent a silent prayer to the heavens before even opening her eyes.
On her porch was a young girl. In the dim glow of the porch light Hazelle could see she'd been crying. She looked tired and like she might have dressed in the dark, in a hurry. Above all she looked scared, protectively cradling her very pregnant belly in her arms.
Hazelle was with the girl when she gave birth that night. It hadn't taken her long to realise the girl had been in labour and drive her to hospital. Even so the young girl apologised and explained she had nowhere else to go, over and over.
The girl had birthed two beautiful, healthy, if not slightly small, bundles of joy. A temperamental little boy, easily soothed with a lullaby from his mother and a chubby cheeked, curious little girl. Both with dark heads, clearly inherited from their father and not their golden haired mother. It was too early to tell, since most babies' eyes changed colour, but she hoped they'd have their mother's eyes. It would be a shame to not pass on such a lovely shade of blue.
It had been a relatively short labour, compared to her own at least. The last 9 hours seemed to have gone by in a flash but perhaps that was because Hazelle was kept busy. After all there had been no one else there to hold the girls hand, wipe her brow, rub salve on her chapped lips and give her water when she needed it. She was glad she had made the split second decision to stay. Having told Rory before leaving, to get his brother and sister up for school had she not come home, it seemed like the right thing to do. Her only option was to stay with the girl and see her through this momentous night, she couldn't leave her alone.
It was after each child had been looked over, weighed, washed and fed Hazelle sat in the armchair beside the bed and watched on as the young girl who had been scared and confused on her porch just hours ago, handled both children with such ease. She cooed at them and hummed now and again when one would begin to fuss. Neither infant had taken to breastfeeding but both curled as close to their mothers chest as possible.
Only when Hazelle asked if she needed anything did the girl look up, broken from a trance.
"I can't thank you enough" the girl whispered "I can't ever repay you for all you've done"
"We can start with letting me cuddle one of those little beauties" Hazelle smiled, though they were clearly both exhausted. Hazelle's heart swelled as she scooped up the little boy swaddled in a yellow blanket. He really was stunning, with big eyes, far too aware for a new-born. They were familiar to her, as was his upper lip and the dark curls matted to his head "Have you thought about what you might name them?" Hazelle asked as she swayed
"A little. None of the names I've thought about seem to suit them now that they're here"
"Perhaps a family name?" Hazelle watched the girl dampen and wondered why it was she was alone for an ordeal like this
"All quite old fashioned" the girl played it off easily but Hazelle wasn't fooled
"What about the father?" she asked carefully, sensing it may be a sore subject
"It's Hazelle isn't it? Hazelle Hawthorne?" the girl replies, an odd look on her face "the seamstress? You work out of the laundrette?"
"That's me"
"I wasn't sure what I'd find at your address … but that's where I was told to go, if I ever needed anything" Hazelle narrowed her eyes suspiciously, she'd been wondering this whole time, of course. Why it was her porch the girl had come to "I should never have asked all this of you but I was so terrified and desperate"
"It's alright Hon, everything's alright now isn't it?"
"Mrs. Hawthorne-" the girl trails off, she won't lift her gaze, no matter how long Hazelle watches on, imploring her to. Something in the back of Hazelle's mind tells her this is all very clear if only she'd bother to notice. It tells her she should open her eyes to what's right in front of her, which as it happens, is a baby. A familiar, beautiful little baby
"You're Madge" Hazelle realizes with startling clarity. Gale had spoken of her often, usually without thinking, her name just slipped out
"Yes"
"And these, these children are-?" my grandchildren
"Yes"
"Right, well" despite exhaustion, Hazelle began to pace "does Gale know?"
"No" Madge shakes her head vehemently "he's better off without us" she says firmly, though her expression speaks of heartbreak and longing
"I think that's his choice don't you?" Hazelle snaps
"Is that the life you want for him?" she answers, barely above a whisper "a teenage father, struggling every single day, just to get by?"
"I want him to have the choice"
"No, you don't. I won't force that on him, because we both know what he'd do. Isn't it easier, better for him to not have to make the choice?" Hazelle looks at the new-borns for a long time, the relation seemed so obvious now "he's making a life for himself, he got out of this god awful town and I won't be the one to force him back" she loved him, that much was clear from the way she spoke "he's got everything he needs and I've got everything I need right here" she murmured, her voice wavering
"Have you?" Hazelle asked, forgetting the previous subject. How was a girl who went to a stranger whilst in labour, going to cope with new-born twins by herself?
"There's a home, for girls like me, where I can study. When the twins are ready I can go to work. Where there's a will, there's a way right" Hazelle studied Madge for a moment, having heard the saying so often from her son. After all he'd accomplished she'd begun to trust in the saying
"How old are you Madge?" Hazelle tried not to sound condescending or judgemental and wasn't sure she succeeded but it was a safer topic than 'Gale'
"I'm 17" Madge answered, almost defiantly "I know what you're thinking; foolish girl, getting yourself in to trouble. It wasn't like that. Gale and I, we weren't like that. I loved him and I think he loved me, we weren't drunk or- or just not careful. It was an accident, I didn't even know I should be worried. By the time I found out it was too late, not that I would or could have thought about terminating it"
"Where's your family? Do they know?" Madge's head drops and Hazelle sees her bite her lips to fight back tears
"My mother is in a hospital upstate … she's not well, in her mind. My father threw me out when the bump could no longer be hidden by baggy shirts and no one … no one else knows"
"No one? Haven't your friends noticed?" she shakes her head
"When I couldn't hide it anymore I moved out of town, in to a motel near the interstate. I've been using my college savings to pay for private care under a fake name so there aren't any records. My father, he wanted me to put them up for adoption but I- I just couldn't, so I left. He found out where I was staying somehow, I think the fighting is what brought on labour" Hazelle understood. Her grandparents had tried to forbid her from marrying Hunter Hawthorne, they didn't exactly have money but he definitely didn't and they felt she could do better. Regardless they married, a small ceremony with their friends, her brother and his family and she'd been happy everyday they were married. Her four children were a testament to that "You don't approve? You think my father is right?" the girl queried, noticing Hazelle's perplexed expression
"Quite the opposite" Hazelle answers, leaving a long pause of silence "but you have to tell Gale. If you don't I will"
"He'll drop out of college" Madge grits in response "move back here and work until his back breaks just to keep us fed … and we'll still struggle. This way, at least he gets to live out part of the plan"
"Plan?"
"We were supposed to establish ourselves, you know, go off to separate colleges and focus on our degrees. When we'd graduated and had jobs that could give us a comfortable future, we were going to come back … and get married providing we both still wanted that. But then I found out I was pregnant and I ended things. We were always so sensible, we weren't under the illusion that we'd live happily ever after and I knew, chances are we'd meet other people in college, our lives would take different paths. But then he gave me this promise ring the night before he left and I don't know, things shifted for me" Madge looks down at her hand, resting under her daughters chin and grimaces at the little silver band "We decided we'd visit as often as we could and skype when we couldn't. I went to visit him once, that's when I got pregnant and I never visited again"
"I know my son Madge. He'd never forgive himself if they grew up not knowing who he was. He'd never forgive you for letting them" silent tears stream down Madge's face and Hazelle knows it's because she doesn't want to take anything from Gale "these are my grandchildren Madge, you can't imagine I wouldn't want to be part of their lives now that I know. Gale has to be told. There's no going back now".