In January of 1948, Rebecca was four months pregnant and was making lunch in the kitchen. Cattle Annie often joined her for lunch while Bill was at work and Annie wasn't traveling. She was preparing the ingredients for Cobb Salad when Cattle Annie knocked on the door.
"Rebecca, honey, it's meeee," she hollered in a singsong voice.
"Be right there," Rebecca said as she wiped the knife on her apron and put it down on the cutting board.
"I brought sun tea," Cattle Annie said, holding up the large jar as Rebecca opened the door. Annie was in her usual cowgirl garb and smiling.
"Great," she said. "I'm almost finished preparing lunch. C'mon in the kitchen and we'll chat while I finish up," she said.
"Lead the way, honey," Annie said as they proceeded into the kitchen. When they arrived at the kitchen, Cattle Annie sat her jar of tea on the counter. "Where's your sugar? I'd like to make some sweet tea, honey."
"Over there, in that cabinet," she said, pointing to the cabinet across the room.
Cattle Annie dumped an inordinate amount of sugar into the sun tea jar and began stirring with large spoon she had found in the dish drainer. Rebecca kept cutting up vegetables.
"How's the cattle business, Cattle Annie?" Rebecca asked.
"Doin' fine. Fine. Just sold a bunch at auction this past weekend and made quite a pretty penny for myself," she replied.
"That's good. How's your prize breeding stock doing?"
"Oh. That's another story. My bull is on some sort of sex strike. I may have to retire him. I'll get him checked out by the vet first, though. You'd think with all those ladies to himself, that he'd be champin' at the bit, so to speak."
Rebecca laughed and began serving up the plates. Annie got some ice out of the freezer and filled some glasses and then poured the sweet tea over the ice. Annie took the glasses over to the table and sat down.
"Need any more help, honey?"
"No. I'll be fine," she said, finishing the salads. She took off her apron and laid it on the counter and then brought the salads to the table and sat down.
"What's Bill been up to?"
"Lately, he's been working on expanding his business to offshore drilling."
"Amazin' what they can do these days, isn't it? Technology being what it is," Annie said.
"Yes it is. I'm definitely enjoying the new labor saving devices around the home. I know I have help, but I still like to cook and bake sometimes. Bill tells me I should take it easy now, but I really get stir crazy. You know what I mean?"
"Oh heavens, yes. My middle name is "stir crazy" when I'm not busy," Annie replied.
"Volunteering helps me pass the time. I wish I had been as independent as you in my younger years," she said.
"Everbody's cut from different cloth. It's what makes the world interestin'," Annie replied. "You've got a great home, a great husband, a baby on the way, friends…."
"True. I definitely feel blessed," Rebecca said.
"These salads are great, honey. Thanks for lunch. It will be my treat next time at my house, or we can go out to one of those new restaurants popping up all over downtown Houston. Whatever your pleasure might be."
"Thanks, Cattle Annie. That would be nice," Rebecca said.
"What kind of salad is this?" Annie asked.
"Cobb Salad," Rebecca replied.
"Well, it's delicious," Annie said.
"Thanks," Rebecca replied.
"What kinds of things are you doin' to get ready for the baby?" Annie asked.
"I've gotten some newborn clothes and cloth diapers. We're turning the bedroom next to ours into a nursery," she said.
"I'll have to get you somethin'," she paused and got a mischievous look on her face. "I know what I'll get you…." Annie said.
"What?"
"It's a surprise, honey," Annie replied.
"Oh, okay," Rebecca replied.
"When are we all going to play poker again?"
"How about Friday night? If Bill's not too tired. Might have to be Saturday," she said.
"Either way, it's fine with me," Annie replied.
Rebecca finished eating her salad first and took her plate over to the sink. Annie was still finishing up her salad. Before Rebecca got to the sink, she dropped her plate, shattering it on the ground and was gripping her abdomen and hunched over. Annie dropped her fork and approached her quickly, putting her arm around her shoulders.
"What's wrong, honey?"
"I don't know. It ….hurts," she said in a strained voice. Rebecca stood up and turned to face Annie. Annie looked down in horror she couldn't hide. Rebecca had a large blood stain spreading down her slacks. Rebecca looked at what Annie was looking at.
"O God, not again. I can't lose this baby," Rebecca said through a torrent of tears.
"Honey, let's just go get in my car and get you to a hospital right now. No one is sayin' you're losing a baby, right now," Annie said.
Annie grabbed Rebecca's apron and she helped Rebecca out to her Cadillac convertible.
"Now, honey. Just wad up this apron between your legs and close 'em tight," she said.
"Oh, Annie….It…..hurts…," Rebecca pleaded.
"I know, honey. Don't worry about anything right now. I'm gettin' you to a doctor," Annie reassured.
Cattle Annie pulled up to the Methodist Hospital in downtown Houston. Rebecca was admitted almost immediately and was whisked out of Cattle Annie's sight. Annie asked for a phone book at the nurse's station and use of a phone, and dialed the Houston Oil office.
"Houston Oil. How may I help you?" the receptionist asked.
"Listen, honey. I need to talk to Bill right now," she replied.
"Who may I ask is calling?" the receptionist replied.
"Cattle Annie."
"He's busy right now. Can I take a message?" she replied.
"It's an emergency. I need to talk to him," Annie said with increased urgency in her voice.
"Ma'am, he's busy. What sort of emergency is this?" she asked.
"It's about his wife, and if you don't get him on the phone, I'm going to drive down there in two shakes of a lamb's tail and box the hell out of your ears," Annie replied.
The receptionist was miffed. "One moment please…," she said as she put Annie on hold. Annie tapped her foot anxiously with one hand on her hip.
"This is Bill, Cattle Annie. What's going on with Rebecca?"
"Bill, she's at the Methodist Hospital. She had some pain in her stomach and started bleeding. You better get down here right away."
"I'll be right there," he said, and hung up. He dialed Wade's house.
"Susan, Rebecca's in the hospital," Bill said.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I don't know yet, but it might be the baby," he said.
"Oh no! Which hospital?"
"The Methodist Hospital," he replied.
"I'll tell Wade, but in the meantime, you get to the hospital and I'll meet you there," she said.
"Okay," he said, and hung up and left the building lightning fast.
Back at the hospital, Cattle Annie was beside Rebecca's bed. Rebecca was lying on her side facing away from Annie and crying quietly to herself. Annie had her hand on her shoulder.
"Now, honey, you and Bill can try again," she said.
Rebecca just kept crying while Annie stroked her back. Annie decided to remain quiet and wait for Rebecca to speak.
A few minutes later, Rebecca turned to face Annie.
"I don't understand, Annie. What am I doing wrong? I feel like God is punishing me," she said.
"Oh, honey. It's neither. You didn't do anything or not do anything to make this happen. And that's not God's style," she replied in a tender voice.
"It sure feels like it," Rebecca said.
"I'm sure it does. But it just wasn't meant to be this time," Annie said.
"When will it be 'meant to be?'" she replied with a flash of anger in her eyes.
"No way of knowin'," Rebecca. "Life's determined generally in how you look at things. You could think that you did somethin' wrong or that God or the Devil is out to get you. Or, you could have faith that what happened happened because maybe carryin' this baby to term would have harmed you, or heaven forbid, that once you had this baby, there may have been somethin' horribly wrong with him," she said.
"Him?" Rebecca said as she rolled over and began crying again.
Bill rushed through the hospital room door. Cattle Annie stood up and grabbed his arm and marched him out into the hallway.
"Bill, your wife lost your baby. There's no other way to soften this blow. I want you to get in there and treat her real tender," Annie said.
Bill, crestfallen, said, "Thanks for bringing her to the hospital, Cattle Annie."
"You're welcome. I'll leave you two alone now," she said as she walked away.
Bill entered the room again, and sat on the bed next to Rebecca who was still crying. She rolled over and they hugged and cried together. A few minutes later, there was a quiet knock on the door and Susan peeked her head in.
"Rebecca?"
"C'mon over, Susan," Bill said as he gestured with his hand.
Susan went to the opposite side of the bed and pulled up a chair so the two were flanking Rebecca. Susan took her hand.
"I'm so sorry, Rebecca," she said.
Rebecca said with tearing, bloodshot eyes, "Thank you, Susan."
"If there's anything that I can do, I'm here for you," she said.
Bill replied, "Thank you, Susan. Did you get a hold of Wade?"
"No. I tried but he must not be near a phone. I'll have to tell him tonight," she said.
"Okay," Bill replied, continuing to hug Rebecca.
Over the next few weeks, Rebecca recuperated at home. She had become quite depressed after the second miscarriage and Cattle Annie and Susan took turns keeping her company during the day except when Cattle Annie had to travel for business. Sometimes both women were over taking care of her and getting her mind off things by playing card games. Bill remained as supportive as he could and dealt with his grief in his own way.