Dr. Clark pulled up to his doctor's office that also doubled as a home for him and his wife. His daughter Helen met him at the door and told him all about Melania and how Fred had stepped in and basically saved her life. Dr. Clark figured he would look over her and see how she was doing.
"How is she, Gruber?" He came in and asked George Jr. who was sitting at Melania's bedside.
"She's fine. Fred Lay..." George Jr. began.
"I know! My daughter told me all about it...heard he did a fine job. I just wanted to see how she is now..."
"Well, she's resting now..." George Jr. replied.
"Let me just take a look-see at her wrist, okay..." Dr. Clark smiled and examined her bandaged wrist. He thought things were in order. "Lay did a mighty fine job...Wrist should heal soon...may lose some feeling in the one part of her hand though..."
"She'll be okay, though...Right?"
"She'll be fine..." Dr. Clark said. "I'll check with her in a few days...See how healing's coming along...She can go back home today...but it would be great if someone was with her...to watch over her...You up for the job, Gruber?"
"Yes sir, Dr. Clark..." George Jr. nodded.
Dr. Clark smiled. "I thought you wouldn't mind..." He walked into another room and left George Jr. there, still sitting at her bedside.
"George...You're still here?" Melania mumbled as she opened her eyes and turned her head and saw him still sitting there next to her bed.
"Sure I am...Told you I'd be here...I wouldn't leave you." He whispered. Melania tried to sit up a little.
"Errrmmmmm...my hand." She moaned in pain.
"Here, I'll help ya get comfortable..." George Jr. said, helping her sit upright and put some pillows behind her back. "Hand's still painful..." He stated the obvious.
"Mmmhhhmmm..." Melania laid her head back against the pillow.
"Doc gave a little morphine for the pain. It'll help…..He says you might lose feeling in that right hand of yours...You did a lot of damage, Lana..."
"Yeah...all because of me...Stupid me."
"Lana...stop! I'm sick of you putting yourself down!"
Melania was silent a few minutes...until she spoke again. "You have to admit...it was stupid of me...to try what I did."
"You obviously know you were wrong...now stop putting yourself down!" George Jr. told her. "Doc says you can go home today...I'll take you home. And I'll look after you a few days."
"George, I don't expect you to do that...I can get around! I just can't use my hand!"
"Lana...I want to do this."
Melania was about to protest again...until she stopped and thought a little. She decided to let go of her pride! And she was being selfish...with her depression she was thinking only of herself! How SHE felt...How the world was treating HER! How living HER own life was worthless! How SHE wanted to die! She knew her error...and decided to let him do what he wanted..."I guess I can't say no...Can I?" Melania smiled.
"No, you can't." George Jr. grinned. "You ready to go home?"
"Sure..."
George Jr. let Dr. Clark know that he and Melania were leaving, and so they set out with George's arm around her, walking her home.
"Mary Jane?...Are you home yet?" Melania asked when they had arrived home later that day.
Mary Jane came bounding into the front room. "Got home not too long ago, Ma….You scared me a little when I saw you weren't here…." She said, and looked down and stared at the bandage on her mother's hand. "What happened to your hand, Ma?"
"I don't think your Ma's too up to talking about what happened…and you really don't need to know about it, Squirt…" George Jr. told his 12 year old daughter, and he was slightly stern with her…
"Yes Pa….Sorry that I asked."
Melania looked at her daughter and then at George. "Your father's right, sweetheart….Just don't worry about me, all right? I'll be fine…my hand will heal."
"Okay, Ma."
Melania smiled at her daughter. "Your father is going to be staying with us for a few days…..He wants to make sure that I have someone with me, helping me while my hand and my wrist heals…."
"Really, Pa?" Mary Jane exclaimed excitedly and threw her arms around her father.
"Really, Squirt!" He laughed.
Mary Jane had an arm around her father's waist, and put her other arm around her mother. "This is gonna be so great!" She smiled and looked up at both of them.
Frances was at her doctor's for that special appointment that Mrs. Clark…and her mother…had told her to make. She didn't think it was needed and thought it was a waste of time…and money.
"So you've been having nosebleeds, I hear?"
"Yes sir…if you remember, I got them in the beginning of my first pregnancy…and towards the end. Same symptom this time around….my mother's worried for me though."
"Well, it could be because the weather's changed so fast…You know from the bitter winter to warmer spring…."
"Yes, I used to get nosebleeds as a child because of the weather."
"Well, that's one of the may be causes of your symptom!" Dr. Clark paused and then began to chuckle a little. "And yet, pregnancy is such an interesting thing! You see, your body's producing more blood for you and for your baby…and that makes the blood vessels in your nose more sensitive and it's easier for them to burst, causing the nosebleeds….It's completely harmless and at most…quite annoying…"
"So do you think that that's my problem?" Frances questioned him.
"Yes….but if it gets worse, just let me know…."
"I will, Dr. Clark…"
"Just a little tip, drink plenty of water to keep yourself all hydrated….and try to make sure your surroundings aren't so dry …It will make a great difference."
"Yes sir…" Frances nodded.
They continued the doctor's visit with checking on the baby and making sure that everything was in order…which it was. Mother and her unborn child were perfectly healthy and there was nothing to worry about after all….
"I assume that my wife and daughter will be seeing you quite soon…Next few days, week's maybe…."
"I sure think so...I sure feel ready to have this baby!" Frances laughed, placing her hands on her lower back… "Been having some back pain…Not bad though."
"I know you'll let them know when you need them….I hope it will be an easy delivery for you…"
"I hope so too." She laughed. "I was a bundle of nerves and all emotional the first time I gave birth! Just ask my mother!...It was quite a disaster, trust me!"
"Well, I'm quite sure this time around will be a little easier…not extremely though, they call it labor after all…."
"It's hard work! That's for sure!" She exclaimed.
"You'll at least be calmer knowing it's not in the middle of a blizzard!" Dr. Clark chuckled. "And I very well know that my wife and daughter will help keep you calm…"
"Thank you, Dr. Clark…." Frances shook the middle-aged man's hand, paid him for the visit, and went on home, just in time to start on supper for her family…. She was at the woodstove when her husband returned home from work.
"Hey 'Frisky'" Fred put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. "Your day go well?"
Frances smirked at him calling her the little nickname…but she couldn't help but smile at it. It was a cute nickname after all. And it matched her personality! That was for sure!
"My day went all right….I went to that little appointment Ma was pushing me to make….." She said, starting to set the table.
"Everything okay?" He asked, a little concerned.
"Fred John….I'm fine…the baby's perfectly fine….There's not a thing to worry about!"
"Sorry, ya just scared me a little…Well, why did your Ma want you to make the appointment again?"
"My nosebleeds…..Doc Clark says it's nothing to worry about….I knew that! But you know how my Ma can be….Pushy….controlling!" She huffed, slamming a small bowl of stew on the table. "I'm sorry I'm a little moody right now….."
"You take time to calm down a little then…..Supper ready?"
Frances looked at him. "You see it on the table….Don't you?" She snapped…and walked into the front room to get Freddy. He walked through the front room and through Frances' sewing/sitting room, and into the kitchen. Frances followed him.
"You gonna eat too?" Fred asked.
"Yes, of course I'm going to eat!" She told him, getting annoyed. "I wanted to make sure Freddy was set….But I can't bend down to pick him up anymore! You're going to have to…." Frances said, sliding into her chair. She was fed up with being pregnant. She was a week or so late and it was getting to her.
"Well, he can sit on Papa's lap then…." Fred grinned and picked up Freddy. He moved Freddy's bowl so it was in front of him and said a prayer so they could eat.
"Make sure his stew is cooled down! I don't want him scorching himself…."
"I did, honey…." Fred said, taking a little bite of his own stew.
"I'm sorry I've been short with you since you've gotten home…."
"It's all right!" Fred smiled. "You just eat your supper….."
"I will….then I'm going to rest in my rocking chair awhile…I may even go lay down…."
"You feeling tired?"
Frances placed her tiny fingers across her forehead and rolled her eyes…."No, Fred!...I just thought I'd lay down for the fun of it! Of course I'm tired!...I'm pregnant…Huge, in case you haven't noticed! My back is killing me…"
"Baby takes a lot of you, eh?"
"Gee!….I didn't know that!…." Frances said sarcastically.
"Still haven't picked any names yet…"
"David!...David John if it's a boy, okay? That fine with you?" She snapped.
"I think that's a wonderful name…." Fred smiled, trying to ignore his wife's current attitude. "Now we need to pick a name for a girl….How about Fran…." Fred began.
"I swear! If you try pulling that Franziska Rose thing on me again, I will make you pay!"
"How about Frances, then?"
"Why do you want to name the baby after me?" She questioned and almost started to weep.
"Because I love you…You're my wife…I think you should be honored! You've named our son after me…why not our daughter after you?"
"You don't even know if we're having a girl, and there's no way to know for sure until I have the baby!...Fine! Middle name! That's it! She can have my name for her middle name…That I will tolerate."
"Rose Frances….hmmm…Naw, I don't think that sounds right…."
"That's the stupidest name I ever heard of!" Frances said, getting up from her seat. "I need time to myself!" She walked off into her sitting room, in tears. "I'm sorry, I just need time alone!"
Little Freddy turned his head upward, and looked at Fred. "It's okay Snickelfritz…..Mama's just not feeling like herself right now…." Fred told his 1 year old, placing a kiss on his forehead.
"I told you never to call him that!" Fred heard her call from the next room…You could hear her sobbing.
Fred and little Freddy quietly finished their supper while Frances tried to calm herself down so she could try to rest.
Frances sat there rocking in her rocking chair, her eyes finally dry, when her husband and 1 year old son came into the room. Fred set him down on the floor, patted his little back and Freddy walked off into the front room to play.
"You all right, honey?" Fred whispered, kneeling down at the side of the rocking chair.
"I'm fine…." She breathed inward, trying to make it so she wouldn't cry again. "I'm sorry I've been so moody and angry and annoyed and…."
"Hey, hey, hey…." Fred said soothingly, placing a firm hand over her petite one. "I know you can't help it…It's those crazy hormones and how you're feeling lately…."
"You're a man! You don't know what it feels like to be pregnant!"
"I know I don't…." He laughed a little. "…..All I can do is to be there for you…And I am…"
"I know you are….and I'm sorry I get short with you sometimes….."
Fred smiled a little. "I could say I don't know how you women do it…Stay so strong with only a breakdown every now and then…but its how God created y'all….He knew you could handle it…."
"No….it's because the serpent tricked Eve, she ate the forbidden fruit….and now that's why we go through hell for nine months!"
"Nice interpretation!" Fred laughed. "But if I remember correctly Adam ate it too…."
"Yes, he did!...Because she gave it to him….and the coward blamed it on her! And then blamed God!"
"He did?"
"Yes…Adam said, "The woman….that thou gavest me!"
"You remember Eve told the Lord,…and I'm paraphrasing, I think," Fred chuckled a little and continued what he was going to say. "Eve told God, "The serpent tricked me and I did eat."
"Yes….and then the serpent lost his legs and then had to slither on the ground so he could get around and Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, and now he have the world we have today…" Frances said.
Fred smiled. "Nice little Bible study going on here."
"Yes, how did we turn this into a Bible study?" She laughed. "What were we talking about?"
"I was saying how you women can handle pregnancy….He created you that way because you knew you could handle it….Do you honestly think a man could?"
Frances started laughing. "That's! That's the funniest thing I think I've ever heard in my whole lifetime!...You'd be screaming your head off!...Oh my gosh, you wouldn't be able to make it!" She continued to laugh uncontrollably.
"Let's hope laughing doesn't induce labor!" Fred said.
"I sure hope it would!...I wouldn't mind having this baby now!" Frances said, still laughing her head off. "Why are my babies always late?"
"Guess that's just how your body is…And speaking of your body, that and God is the judge of when you're going to have our baby…"
"Oh, I know….I'm gonna go lay down for a little nap, all right honey?"
"All right….Have a good one then!" Fred smiled and helped her stand to her feet.
"I sure hope I do…The baby….my goodness it's a little troublemaker! Whenever I want to sleep, it's up, kicking the fire out of me!"
"She's probably saying, "Get up, Mama! I want to play!"
"Probably does…This one's way more active than Freddy ever was!" She laughed, placing her hands on her belly.
"Bet she's just like her Ma….Frisky and feisty…" He smiled, placing a hand over hers and then moved it so he could feel the baby kicking…."I was right! She's a feisty one!" Fred chuckled.
"Well, I'm going to lie down and see if the other feisty one will calm down a little." Frances laughed, heading into the room Fred set up for her downstairs. "And honey?" She said, stopping at the door.
"Yeah?" Fred grinned, hooking his thumbs in his trouser pockets.
"You'll never stop calling the baby a girl, will you?" She smiled.
"I guess not." He chuckled. "I just have a feeling…."
"I do too…Well; we'll find out pretty soon, I'm sure." Frances said, turning to go into the room.
Fred smiled….but then stopped and thought. "Wait a minute….Honey!" He said, rushing over to her.
"What Fred?"
"Are…Are you trying to tell me,….what I think you're trying to tell me?"
"Calm down, Fred….I just said soon….I didn't mean right now!" Frances laughed.
"The next few days, then…."
"That's what I'm thinking…..I can feel it."
"How much pain are you in?"
"Not a lot…I'm going to lie down now…."
"You yell for me if you need me…."
"Honey, calm down! I'm just going lay down for a little rest….I didn't say I was going into labor tonight!" Frances said, laughing at him a little.
"Well, you never know…."
"I promise you I'll tell you if anything happens…." She smiled, and walked into the room.
She stifled a little laugh again and sat eased herself down on the bed. "Well Baby, let's see if you can calm down a little so Mama can rest, huh?" Frances said, placing a hand on her belly. She lay down on her left side and got as comfortable as she could….and after quite a while, she got to rest. A few hours later, Fred came into the room…
"I put Freddy to bed….How was your rest?"
"Fine….I didn't sleep…Just lay here for a bit."
"Can I…uh….lay here with you?" Fred raised his eyebrows a few times.
Frances chuckled a little. "Yes you may, Mr. Lay…" She moved over a little so he could lay next to her, and she soon felt an arm around her and kisses on her neck…"Mmmmm….Oh Fred!...Fred John….stop it! You're getting me excited!" She exclaimed and he started to unbutton her blouse. "Fred!"
"What's wrong with that? I do a good job at it…Don't I?"
Frances laughed…"Yes….Oh, you do! Don't worry about that…You do…."
"Then what's wrong, huh?" He asked as her blouse was unbuttoned and he was kissing her neck and collarbone and started moving lower.
"Believe me, I want you, but I don't think I have time right now…." She said, buttoning her blouse up again.
"Why not?" He kissed her lips and rubbed his cheek against hers.
"Fred….I think I may need to go to my mother's tonight….Why she wants her grandchildren born in her home, I'll never know, but I figure it will make her happy….besides, I just want to get this over with!"
Fred stared at her and didn't say a word.
Frances gave him a kiss on the lips. "Looks like you were right, earlier."
"I'll get your nightgown and a change of clothes….what else?" He said, grabbing things from the drawer for her….
"Nothing I can think of….we do need to find someone to look after Freddy for tonight and the next few days, unless you will…"
"Oh no, I want to be with you for this one….I'm not missing this baby's birth! I want to be there for you…."
"Honey, you can't do that….the most you can do is sit in the next room and wait….Men aren't allowed, even Dr. Clark isn't…."
"I want to be there for you….besides…your brothers were there when you had Freddy!"
"They didn't have a choice! And I wish they hadn't have been there in the first place! They didn't help any!"
"Well, who can watch Freddy?" Fred asked. "I tell you Frances, I'm gonna be there for you!"
"Well, thank you honey…" She chuckled. "Maybe Melania can watch him now that her hand is a little better….She won't need to do much of anything tonight, since he'll be sleeping."
"Well, let's get over there and ask!...Why are we just sitting here talking our mouths off?…"
"Honey, we don't need to rush…." Frances started to say.
"The sooner we get you to your parents' place the better off we are, so let's go!" He said, grabbing a sleeping Freddy, and they went outside and out to the buckboard…."I'll drop you off and then I'll stop by Melania's place and ask if she can watch him…"
"All right, honey…" She placed a hand on his knee and squeezed it a little.
"Are you in a lot of pain?" He asked.
"I'm in some….I'll be fine though…"
"Gosh, I'm so proud of you!"
"Fred, I'm starting to get annoyed with you!" Frances told him.
"Sorry…"
They stopped in front of her parent's place and Fred helped her down as carefully as he could.
"I love you…" Fred said, kissing her.
"I love you too…Now go." She laughed. Frances watched him drive off. She felt a contraction and breathed deeply, standing there awhile…..and then she knocked on the front door. Her brother John opened it.
"Hey Frances….C'mon in."
"I need Ma, John….." Was all she could say….and he KNEW what she meant! He practically ran into their parents' room and got his mother.
"John, go get Mrs. Clark and her daughter…one of them, anyway….."
"Yeah, Ma…" He said, running out the front door.
Frances and her mother went into a bedroom that used to be Joe's and Frances slipped into her nightgown and started taking out her bun.
"Yes, you do that Frances, I had my hair up when I was having little Katie…that was the most uncomfortable thing…." Franziska began.
"Yes mother, I know!..." She snapped at her.
"Frances…."
"I'm sorry, Ma….I know, I'm cranky….I'm in pain."
"Yes, I know how it feels…."
"You just don't need to do step-by-step instructions for little things like letting down my hair! I'm an adult! Not a child!...I'll be 20 next month!"
"Frances, this isn't getting off to a good start, you need to stay calm!"
Frances took a few deep breaths…."I'm trying to Ma…its hard when you're in pain…"
"Yes, I know….Let me rub your back. It'll help."
"Okay…" Frances said, and kneeled down at the side of the bed like she was going to say her prayers and her mother rubbed her back.
Fred was holding little Freddy in his arms, who was still sleeping away, and Fred furiously began to knock on Melania's front door and George Jr. opened it.
"George! Melania's here, right?"
"Yes, of course, I'm here…it's my home!" Melania laughed, who was standing behind George Jr.
"Sorry, my mind's elsewhere….I was wondering if you could watch Freddy for tonight. Frances is having the baby….she's at her parent's place now..." He said quickly. "It isn't too much trouble is it?"
"No…no…no, not at all!" Melania exclaimed. "George and I can look after him….can't we?" She smiled at George Jr.
"Uh…okay…" George Jr. choked out. He wasn't so sure! He wasn't that good with little children.
"Thanks so much guys! We'll make it up to you!" He said.
"No need…" Melania smiled. "Now, you've got to get going!"
"I know!" Fred said quickly and almost shoved little Freddy into George Jr.'s arms, and Fred was out of there as fast as you could blink an eye!
"Uh, Lana….Can you get him? You're a woman! You're better with little ones!"
"George! You're doing fine with him! Besides, he's fast asleep!...But if you're so unsure of yourself, I guess I'll take the little sweetheart…." Melania smiled, and took the 1 year old from his arms and sat down in the rocking chair with him. "Glad I'm finally getting some of the use of my hand back, or I probably wouldn't be able to do this very well! Thanks for working with me these past few weeks, George." Melania smiled at him.
"You're welcome, Lana." He smiled. "I was glad to help you…."
A few hours had past and Fred was sitting at the kitchen table at his in-law's place, with his father-in-law and his brother-in-law, John. He could hear his wife cry and scream every now and again….He put his head down as he couldn't do a thing about it! Fred was extremely worried for her and got up and started pacing the parlor floor.
"Boy, she'll be fine…." George Sr. told him.
"I'm just scared for her George. It's taking a long time….she should be done by now, shouldn't she? Don't you think….I mean, a lot of women these days don't…."
"She'll be fine, boy! I just told you that!….Frances will make it! You don't need to be alarmed….she's a strong young woman and her body can handle this!" George Sr. said in his gruff manner. "Now sit yourself down before you walk a hole in the floor!"
Frances lay there on the bed, breathing heavily for a while….she faced another contraction and tears came out of her eyes from the pain. They grew a little closer together. She lay her head back down on the pillow after it stopped, sweat soaking her neck and her wavy auburn hair. She laid there, her chest heaving and her heart pounding….and screamed as another sharp contraction came.
"It's all right….You're doing great, girl!" A young woman was at the side of the bed, and reached out to Frances. She reached up and held the woman's hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Frances mustered up the strength to squeeze the other woman's hand.
"Thank you….I guess." Frances breathed out. "I can't believe how long this is taking! My water hasn't even broken yet!"
"It takes a while sometimes….Don't you worry, it will honey…" Her mother told her.
"There have been times where a baby is born without the water breaking at all…but that's very rare. Barely ever happens….I've never had it happen before." The midwife said.
Frances lay there through another contraction. She gritted her teeth through the pain, and barely let out a whimper.
"How's the pain?" The young woman asked.
"Unbearable Helen!...It's horrible! I know there's nothing to do about it….." She breathed out as a contraction had ended. She felt the bed get wet. Frances looked out the window and saw it was pouring down rain. Though through the pain she was in, she smiled a little. "Well,….April showers, bring May flowers, right?...Roof must be leaking…the bed's wet."
Franziska looked up at the ceiling and sure enough, there was a little hole in the roof, but where the roof was leaking was at the very end of the bed….She started to chuckle. "Honey, I don't think that's just the leaky roof!….Did your water break?"
"A little, I think….I'm not so sure…I wasn't really paying attention!" She laughed. "Oh, I feel it now! A little trickle…."
"All right…How are you with the pain, you doing okay?" Franziska asked, squeezing her daughter's hand.
"I'll live!...Oh, I will live!" Frances exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Take your mind off of it….Tell me what Freddy's been up to lately…." Helen said.
"He said "Papa" the other day….it's all he says now!" Frances smiled. Then she felt another strong contraction. She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes tight….and gripped the blanket and screamed.
"It's all right, girl….You're doing wonderful….I don't think it'll be much longer!"
"I think I just felt the baby line up into place….I never felt that before…." She breathed.
"See! Not much longer….How are your contractions?"
Frances breathed again and her eyes shut as she endured another contraction….She let out a breath as it had ended and rested a few seconds…."They're spreading out a little….I think."
"My, you're really close…..Almost done!" Helen smiled.
Frances smiled a little. Helen was being so encouraging!...Frances leaned her head back and screamed again as she felt a painful contraction…."Oh God!" And she felt herself start to bear down… "The harder part comes next…" She said breathlessly. Frances rested awhile until she felt herself starting to push.
"First one was great, Frances!"
Frances smiled a little and rested her head on the pillow for a while. She started to push again, squeezing her mother's hand and grinding her nails with her other hand into the blanket. She laid her head back on the pillow and rested again.
"You're doing wonderful, honey….You're doing absolutely wonderful!" Franziska exclaimed. "You're so strong! I'm so proud of you!"
"A few more pushes and we'll get to meet this little one….C'mon Frances, you're doing well…" Helen said. "Another push! C'mon!"
Frances pushed and couldn't help but cry out again. "Dear God, help me!" She screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"One more strong one and the baby's head will be seen….There we go! C'mon, push! Push, push, push!.…You're doing great, Frances!" Helen said, as Frances pushed and screamed again and started shaking a little. "Sorry, I'm so vocal….I can't help it!"
"You're like your mother….When I was in labor with Joe; all you could hear was my screaming!" Franziska laughed…."Don't worry about it….just focus, Frances. Try and push again!"
Frances did exactly that, until Helen said the baby's head was crowning. Frances rested until she started to push again, and the baby's head and soon its shoulders were both out.
"One more strong push and you'll be done! Can you believe it?" Helen exclaimed.
"No!...It's taken so long!" Frances exclaimed, out of breath and lay there awhile and rested. She found just enough strength to push once more and her baby was delivered. She heard a strong loud cry.
"This one sure makes its presence known! And gender!" Helen laughed. "It's a girl!"
"Freddy was a little sneak….and this one's flashing us!" Franziska exclaimed and started to laugh. "My isn't she a loose woman!"
"Mother!" Frances laughed. She felt the placenta work its way out, which felt slightly uncomfortable. Franziska took the job of cutting it, and Helen Clark Spencer took the little baby and cleaned her off, swaddled her with a blanket and brought her back to her mother.
"Congratulations, Mama! What a beautiful baby girl…." Helen smiled and slipped the baby into her friend's arms. "She's precious!"
"I can't believe I have a daughter…." Frances smiled and tears came out of her eyes. All she could do was smile down at her new baby girl. "I have a little girl!"
"Would you do it again?" Her mother asked.
"If the Lord allows….believe me, this is worth it." She answered, wiping tears from her brown eyes.
"How about I go get your husband so he can see his new daughter?" Franziska smiled.
Frances smiled and nodded, still gazing at her baby girl. She later looked up and turned her head, as she saw the door open and her husband and her father and older brother all walked in.
"Fred…." Frances smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. "Honey, you were right this time!" She laughed. "It's a girl!...A girl!...We have a daughter…." Frances smiled at him as he kneeled down beside the bed. "Look at her…Oh, just look at her, Fred…." She beamed.
"She's beautiful…like her mother." He smiled, and kissed her.
"Here, I'm sure you want to hold her!" Frances said, carefully passing the tiny new baby off to her husband.
"Did you give her a name?...Rose Frances was the only one we thought of for a girl, wasn't it?" Fred smiled.
"Actually honey, as pretty as that sounds…which it is, don't think different….but I was wondering if her first name could be Helen instead…." Frances beamed up at her best friend. "Is that all right with you?"
"I would be honored….." Helen smiled.
Frances reached her hand and gripped her friend's hand. "I couldn't have done it without you! You were so encouraging and you kept me pretty calm! I'm amazed!" She laughed.
"Myself as well!" Franziska laughed. Everyone started laughing, and it soon died down.
"Helen Frances Lay….now that just sounds right!" Fred grinned, gazing down at his daughter.
Dr. Clark, Helen's father, showed up to weigh the baby. "Time and date of birth, please Helen…." He said to his daughter.
"10:32 A.M., April 30th 1888!" She rattled it off to her father.
"Assisted by Helen Clark Spencer…." He smiled at his daughter…."And I'd say the birth weight is…right at….9 lbs.…..and now for how long she is….Oh….20, 21 inches….Yes, 21 inches long. Congratulations!" He exclaimed as he was writing the information down on paper to make it official.
A/N: Helen Frances Lay was my great grandmother. She was born April 30th, 1914. (Changed the year in the story!) I can finally say to my Mom and my Aunt, (who's also named Helen, after her) "She's here!" lol. They both kept asking me, "Did she have Helen yet?...Did Frances have Helen yet?"
Helen was in fact named after her mother's best friend, Helen Clark Spencer….IDK know how or why she came around to naming her daughter after her, except that they were in fact, best friends…. but anyway she did, so I used my imagination!
