November 20

Startled in the middle of the night by a dream, she promptly sat up and it was then she remembered where it was. Sneaking out of bed, her slippered feet padded down the stairs. After quickly lighting a lamp, she ferociously scanned the assorted books on the shelf. Oh, it had to be here, somewhere. Finally, there it was! She removed a book of prose and poetry and flipped through the pages until the brittle newspaper clipping slipped out and fell to the floor. A year prior, she had stumbled across the outrageous article, and had stowed it away in an unlikely place for a time when she might need it. And that time was now.

Not one more sleepless, wondering night. Not one more confused day. She needed her answers, and she needed them yesterday. Even her trip to Doc Carson's did not provide answers she was seeking. Heeding his advice to just "wait it out" was for the birds! This illness or whatever it was, was downright embarrassing and was not going away despite all her best efforts. Thank goodness, her eventful day at Yost's Mercantile had faded, not to be remembered by most. It had taken her the good part of the week to recover from that utter humiliation. Lately, it had taken her best efforts to make it through the day. Most mornings she could hardly roll out of bed. Her eyes seemed glued shut and her body weak.

Oddly, the person closest to her hadn't noticed a change in his dear wife's energy or vitality. Oh, believe her, she'd done her best to conceal it from him, but he was up to something. She just knew it. He was spending long hours at the mill, which wasn't horribly unusual, but the fact was that more often than not, he was coming home with mud soaked trousers and boots. When she asked him about it, time and time again, he'd give her a pat answer. "Oh just a jaunt through my land" or "lending a hand to the men on the crew" he'd explain. But she knew better. In this first year of married life, she'd only seen his clothes truly soiled a handful of times. Strange. But her inquisitive visit to his office hadn't gone much better. He was plain secretive. She'd arrived with a picnic lunch during his break, and instead of offering her a seat, he had quickly shuffled his papers into a pile he hastily stored away in his leather messenger bag, and explained that he had "simply too much to do" and was skipping lunch. Of all the nerve! But she didn't let that deter her mission. Instead, she hinted around, asking him about his latest project, a topic he'd usually be generous to share with her. But this time, he quickly changed the subject, kissed her, and soon sent her on her way. Yes, his behavior was odd. But hers was too. Oh he'd made her promise to tell him if any physical symptoms continued after that curious fainting spell, but instead of confiding in him, she found herself rushing to the outhouse before she was sick, or sneaking extra snacks under her pillow at bedtime, or curling up for a catnap to rest her weary eyes before he'd arrive home for dinner. Oh yes sir, two could truly play the game of secrets, yes they could. But honestly, she didn't want to. Oh, she was much too tired to get to the bottom of his secret-for it was taking all her energy just to hold onto her own. At least she was beginning to truly suspect she had a secret to hold onto.

She snatched the article up off the floor, placed it on the table, and leaned over to read it, her eyes hungry.

Is Motherhood in Your Near Future?

Are you suspecting you may be pregnant? Look no further than this. This exclusive quiz was designed to help every suspected mother to determine if she is truly expecting a baby or not.

Rosemary grasped a nearby pencil. Well, here goes nothing. Six questions waited on the paper, waited to either welcome her into the new world of motherhood or send her back into her normal world. What result was she hoping for? With all her heart she wanted to give Lee his dream of having their own family, but for that to happen, her whole world would be turned upside down. Completely and utterly upside down. She wasn't sure she was ready for that. Her hand shook.

Question 1: Last monthly flow? More than 4-5 weeks ago? Check.

Question 2: Weight gain? Rosemary's pencil wavered at this question. It wasn't evident to anyone but her, but the waist on her favorite overcoat was getting a bit difficult to button. And she'd even gone to all the trouble of staying away from all the sweet concoctions at the social functions. So okay, perhaps, she should count that one as a positive, but honestly, who couldn't this time of year? She left it blank.

Question 3: Have you experienced more emotional turmoil as of late? Of course not. She was as steady as she'd ever been. There had been no turmoil — well, except for that dreadful argument with Lee two mornings ago. But that couldn't count, could it? She was being perfectly reasonable. He had left his dirty socks on the floor, wasn't he to blame? Okay, so perhaps when she retaliated by serving him cold diluted coffee, she over reacted a bit. Was there a way to do a partial check? She left it blank.

Question 4: Have you felt more fatigued than usual? Well, here was one she couldn't get around. What had happened to her? She used to be as energetic as a twelve year old, buzzing here and there, and nothing, absolutely nothing in this town would get done without her. Now, just her walk to Dottie's Dress Shop left her wanting for a nap. How had she previously found the energy to prepare dinner? Simply walking to Abigail's to pick up supper was more than she could handle. Okay, so that was a big fat check.

Question 5: Do you have bosom tenderness? Rosemary winced. Yes, there was something more sensitive than usual going on here. Check.

Question 6: Has your stomach often felt upset and nauseous? Well, the whole town knew the answer to this one. And it hadn't ended. Each morning she found herself nibbling on a little cracker before getting out of bed or else she'd be hugging the bedpan in no time.

Laying the pencil down, her eyes roamed to the end of the article.

Results: if you received 5-6 positive results, more than likely you are expecting a baby! Expect to feel movement around 16-20 weeks. This is also when it is advised for you to visit the doctor. Enjoy your new journey into motherhood.

If you received 4 out of 6 positive results, you have a possibility of pregnancy. Watch for increase in the symptoms listed above. Retake quiz in 4-6 weeks.

She stopped reading, a rivet of confusion washing over her. With her four positive results, it still could go either way. Why was it so hard to get a definite yes or no? Land sakes, this being stuck in limbo was torturous! This article confirmed something all right, just not what she had in mind. It confirmed she must continue to "wait it out". Well, she'd just have to carry on with life as it was until she saw an increase of symptoms. Her stomach tingled. A warm putrid feeling rose up in her throat. She shot out of the chair and stumbled to the wash basin just in time.