"I'll see you soon, Gabriel."
"Not soon enough." Gabriel leaned in and kissed his wife.
Lily fought back tears. Maybe it matters more now because he's my husband, she mused, wiping away a stray tear. Benjamin was busy saying 'good-bye' to his children. He kissed Charlotte good-bye. He knelt in front of Susan.
"Good-bye, Susan...good-bye? One word that's all I want." he said, looking desperate at the child.
Benjamin attempted to hug his daughter, but she backed away. Lily empathized her father-in-law. Slowly, he stood and mounted his horse then began to ride off with Gabriel.
Susan felt tears begin to well in her eyes. She wanted to stop crying but couldn't help it and ran after her father, crying:
"Wait! Don't go, I'll say anything! Please, don't go!"
Benjamin got off his horse quickly and hugged her. Susan sobbed and pleaded for him to stay.
"I promise I'll come back, do you believe me?"
She nodded, sniffling.
"You make me so happy." he said, holding her again.
Lily walked over to Susan and picked her up when Benjamin returned to his horse. Susan clung to Lily and continued crying as he left. Lily's own eyes began to water and she prayed that Susan and the children wouldn't have to go through the pain she and Katarina faced when they were young.
"Don't you worry, little one, he will come back."
¤
¤
In the weeks following her marriage, Lily discovered she was pregnant. News of the battle came slow only a few letters arrived. Lily prayed everyday that Gabriel would be alright. Soon a letter came from him.
'My dearest Lily,
I fear I have come bearing bad news. I was wounded in battle but now am resting. Fortunately, father came to my rescue before I was fatally wounded. The townspeople of Pembroke were massacred in their own church by Colonel Tavington and his men. Sadly, our men were killed in battle as well. We will be moving North soon. Father sends his regards and hopes you are all well. This may sound upsetting that a man has died and I am happy for it. This is the man who killed Thomas - Colonel Tavington. I am aware that his death will not bring Thomas back, nothing will, but somehow I am satisfied. I hope you know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers. I promise I will make you happy and try to fulfill all your wishes for the future. When the war is over, I will build a home for us and any children we will have.
Your loving husband, Gabriel.'
Lily touched her stomach and smiled wistfully before turning in for the evening. She set the letter on her bedside table and fell asleep.
¤
Early one morning, Lily woke to a sharp pain in her swollen belly. Another, sharper one followed. Lily cried out in pain and struggled to get out of bed. Her stomach had expanded so much, it looked as if her baby was going to be ten pounds! Charlotte awoke to Lily's cry and walked over.
"What's the matter, Lily?"
"I think it's time!"
"Alright, don't panic, just relax and we'll get that child out of here in no time."
"Aunt Charlotte, what is wrong with Lily?" inquired William, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Nothing, now just go with your brothers and sisters outside, find Abigail for me as well, please?"
"Yes, Aunt Charlotte."
With questioning looks on their faces, the children left the hut and William retrieved Abigail.
"What seems to be the problem?" asked Abigail.
"Lily is in labor."
"Did you boil water?"
"It's over the fire now."
"We need clean sheets."
"I already have them."
Abigail went over to Lily who was already a nervous wreck. She put a cloth in the cool water beside Lily's bed and wiped her face with it.
"Now don't you worry, Lily, we're going to take good care of you."
Lily nodded and screamed out in pain again.
Charlotte brought the boiling water over to Abigail, who was putting an apron over her clothes. Lily's shrieks became closer together, they knew it would be soon. Abigail had delivered the Martin children and now she would be delivering another. Charlotte sat beside Lily and kept wiping her forehead with the cloth and holding her hand. The petite girl's howls became more animal-like with each contraction.
"I can't do this!" she cried.
"Yes you can! Now push!" demanded Abigail who was perched, ready for the baby.
Her face was as red as a tomato after three pushes. She still wasn't sure if she could handle pushing through the entire body of her child. This isn't a child, she thought, cannon ball! At the moment, Lily wished Gabriel was there, so she could inflict pain upon him for doing this to her.
Another push.
Another scream.
This went on for a few more minutes until she heard a cry from her child.
"A boy! You have a baby boy!" announced Abigail.
Lily beamed and laid back, catching her breath desperately. Charlotte smiled and wiped away the sweat from Lily's forehead.
"I am so proud of you, Lily."
"Thank you- AHHHHHH!"
They jumped.
"What is it?!" Charlotte asked, growing worried.
"Another pain...like before!"
"Ohh...I think I know what is going on, Lily." said Abigail, setting the baby boy in the wicker basket beside her.
"What, what is it?!"
"You have twins, the other is still in there."
"Oh my Lord..."
"Now don't worry you are familiar with it now."
After almost the same amount of screaming and blinding pain, Lily gave birth to her daughter. Abigail cleaned the child, tied off the cord, and set her in Lily's arms. Her son sat in her other arm and they both began to cry for food. Charlotte aided Abigail with the clean-up and quietly left the room so Lily could nurse her children.
"Why was Lily crying? Did she have her baby?" questioned Margaret.
"Yes she did, two babies." said Charlotte, washing her hands.
"Two?!" wailed the children.
"Yes, two. A boy and a girl. She is nursing them right now but you can go see them soon." stated Abigail.
The children patiently waited outside the hut to see their niece and nephew. They began to think of names for the babies while they were delayed.
"I think she should name the boy after Father." said Samuel.
"And the girl after Mother, that is a clever idea, Samuel!" Margaret chimed in.
Charlotte walked out quietly, "You may see them now. But be quiet, Lily is tired."
All five children tip-toed into the makeshift home and over to their sister-in-law. Lily smiled softly.
"Would you like to hold them, Margaret and Nathan?"
"How come they get to, Lily?" asked Susan.
"Because I do not want you dropping them, your arms aren't strong enough to hold them yet." she answered softly.
Margaret and Nathan held the children carefully to them. The babies both had calmed down and were ready to sleep. The boy had Benjamin's blue eyes and Gabriel's blonde hair. The girl had her mother's coloring: dark eyes and hair.
"What did you name them, Lily?"
"The boy is Thomas Benjamin and the girl is Katarina Elizabeth."
The children smiled.
"Now leave them be, children, they all need their rest."
"Not soon enough." Gabriel leaned in and kissed his wife.
Lily fought back tears. Maybe it matters more now because he's my husband, she mused, wiping away a stray tear. Benjamin was busy saying 'good-bye' to his children. He kissed Charlotte good-bye. He knelt in front of Susan.
"Good-bye, Susan...good-bye? One word that's all I want." he said, looking desperate at the child.
Benjamin attempted to hug his daughter, but she backed away. Lily empathized her father-in-law. Slowly, he stood and mounted his horse then began to ride off with Gabriel.
Susan felt tears begin to well in her eyes. She wanted to stop crying but couldn't help it and ran after her father, crying:
"Wait! Don't go, I'll say anything! Please, don't go!"
Benjamin got off his horse quickly and hugged her. Susan sobbed and pleaded for him to stay.
"I promise I'll come back, do you believe me?"
She nodded, sniffling.
"You make me so happy." he said, holding her again.
Lily walked over to Susan and picked her up when Benjamin returned to his horse. Susan clung to Lily and continued crying as he left. Lily's own eyes began to water and she prayed that Susan and the children wouldn't have to go through the pain she and Katarina faced when they were young.
"Don't you worry, little one, he will come back."
¤
¤
In the weeks following her marriage, Lily discovered she was pregnant. News of the battle came slow only a few letters arrived. Lily prayed everyday that Gabriel would be alright. Soon a letter came from him.
'My dearest Lily,
I fear I have come bearing bad news. I was wounded in battle but now am resting. Fortunately, father came to my rescue before I was fatally wounded. The townspeople of Pembroke were massacred in their own church by Colonel Tavington and his men. Sadly, our men were killed in battle as well. We will be moving North soon. Father sends his regards and hopes you are all well. This may sound upsetting that a man has died and I am happy for it. This is the man who killed Thomas - Colonel Tavington. I am aware that his death will not bring Thomas back, nothing will, but somehow I am satisfied. I hope you know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers. I promise I will make you happy and try to fulfill all your wishes for the future. When the war is over, I will build a home for us and any children we will have.
Your loving husband, Gabriel.'
Lily touched her stomach and smiled wistfully before turning in for the evening. She set the letter on her bedside table and fell asleep.
¤
Early one morning, Lily woke to a sharp pain in her swollen belly. Another, sharper one followed. Lily cried out in pain and struggled to get out of bed. Her stomach had expanded so much, it looked as if her baby was going to be ten pounds! Charlotte awoke to Lily's cry and walked over.
"What's the matter, Lily?"
"I think it's time!"
"Alright, don't panic, just relax and we'll get that child out of here in no time."
"Aunt Charlotte, what is wrong with Lily?" inquired William, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Nothing, now just go with your brothers and sisters outside, find Abigail for me as well, please?"
"Yes, Aunt Charlotte."
With questioning looks on their faces, the children left the hut and William retrieved Abigail.
"What seems to be the problem?" asked Abigail.
"Lily is in labor."
"Did you boil water?"
"It's over the fire now."
"We need clean sheets."
"I already have them."
Abigail went over to Lily who was already a nervous wreck. She put a cloth in the cool water beside Lily's bed and wiped her face with it.
"Now don't you worry, Lily, we're going to take good care of you."
Lily nodded and screamed out in pain again.
Charlotte brought the boiling water over to Abigail, who was putting an apron over her clothes. Lily's shrieks became closer together, they knew it would be soon. Abigail had delivered the Martin children and now she would be delivering another. Charlotte sat beside Lily and kept wiping her forehead with the cloth and holding her hand. The petite girl's howls became more animal-like with each contraction.
"I can't do this!" she cried.
"Yes you can! Now push!" demanded Abigail who was perched, ready for the baby.
Her face was as red as a tomato after three pushes. She still wasn't sure if she could handle pushing through the entire body of her child. This isn't a child, she thought, cannon ball! At the moment, Lily wished Gabriel was there, so she could inflict pain upon him for doing this to her.
Another push.
Another scream.
This went on for a few more minutes until she heard a cry from her child.
"A boy! You have a baby boy!" announced Abigail.
Lily beamed and laid back, catching her breath desperately. Charlotte smiled and wiped away the sweat from Lily's forehead.
"I am so proud of you, Lily."
"Thank you- AHHHHHH!"
They jumped.
"What is it?!" Charlotte asked, growing worried.
"Another pain...like before!"
"Ohh...I think I know what is going on, Lily." said Abigail, setting the baby boy in the wicker basket beside her.
"What, what is it?!"
"You have twins, the other is still in there."
"Oh my Lord..."
"Now don't worry you are familiar with it now."
After almost the same amount of screaming and blinding pain, Lily gave birth to her daughter. Abigail cleaned the child, tied off the cord, and set her in Lily's arms. Her son sat in her other arm and they both began to cry for food. Charlotte aided Abigail with the clean-up and quietly left the room so Lily could nurse her children.
"Why was Lily crying? Did she have her baby?" questioned Margaret.
"Yes she did, two babies." said Charlotte, washing her hands.
"Two?!" wailed the children.
"Yes, two. A boy and a girl. She is nursing them right now but you can go see them soon." stated Abigail.
The children patiently waited outside the hut to see their niece and nephew. They began to think of names for the babies while they were delayed.
"I think she should name the boy after Father." said Samuel.
"And the girl after Mother, that is a clever idea, Samuel!" Margaret chimed in.
Charlotte walked out quietly, "You may see them now. But be quiet, Lily is tired."
All five children tip-toed into the makeshift home and over to their sister-in-law. Lily smiled softly.
"Would you like to hold them, Margaret and Nathan?"
"How come they get to, Lily?" asked Susan.
"Because I do not want you dropping them, your arms aren't strong enough to hold them yet." she answered softly.
Margaret and Nathan held the children carefully to them. The babies both had calmed down and were ready to sleep. The boy had Benjamin's blue eyes and Gabriel's blonde hair. The girl had her mother's coloring: dark eyes and hair.
"What did you name them, Lily?"
"The boy is Thomas Benjamin and the girl is Katarina Elizabeth."
The children smiled.
"Now leave them be, children, they all need their rest."