One Long Night Ch 7
Six year old Faith sat on Little Joe's lap watching her father pace the floor. She didn't like it and she looked towards the top of the stairs. Joe and her father and repeatedly told her that her mother would be okay that Dr. Martin was taking good care of her mother, but if that was true, then why did they look so nervous?
"Why is your tummy getting big mama?" her question to her mother from months ago rang in her ears.
Joan, who had sitting on the couch mending some clothes had smiled and answered, "All babies make their mama's stomach large, including you." She'd winked at Faith. Naturally, that had made Faith laugh. Only she wasn't laughing now.
"Joe!" Joan had leaned over and grabbed the table as she'd stood up a few hours before. Faith's half brother had jumped to his feet, he'd been eating lunch with them, helped his stepmother upstairs, taken Faith to her father outside and rode like the wind to fetch the doctor. It had frightened Faith quite badly, probably would have scared her worse than it did, except for the fact that Ben or Joe made sure she was with one of them at all times.
When she heard her mother cry out for the hundredth time, Faith wrapped her arms around Joe's neck and looked at her father. "You sure he ain't hurtin' mama?" she demanded, her eyes showed her doubt.
Ben stopped pacing and looked with compassion upon his daughter. He smiled at her and held out his arms. Instantly, she flew into his arms. She rested her head upon his shoulder as Ben carried her around to the front of the couch and sat down. She felt so safe in her father's arms; she told herself she wasn't ever going to leave them. Okay, so she actually knew that couldn't be; only she wanted it to be.
"I promise," Ben told her as he kissed the top of Faith's head. "It's simply time for that baby brother or sister to join our family, is all."
Faith had Joe laughing hard, and her father smiling wide, when she said, "I have enough brothers. I need a sister. If it's a boy, let's trade him in for a girl."
"I…I don't think i…it works that way!" Joe managed to say as he did his best to quit laughing.
"Why not?" Faith looked from her brother to her father.
Ben tapped her nose with his finger and chuckled, "It just doesn't. Besides, whatever comes, boy or girl, is exactly what we need." As he said the words Ben smiled at the memory of Joan telling him she was once more with child. It was something that they had thought, due to some problems she'd had over the past few years, would not happen again.
The rest of the time, Ben held Faith and prayed everything would be all right. By the end of that very long night, everyone was to be shocked to find themselves with double blessings for Joan had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The passing years would prove their family was now complete.
*Any other short shots, if there are any, will not be in chronilogical order as I'm not going past the age of six with Faith Cartwright.