The next morning, James sat at the head of the table with all of the family but Anna seated for breakfast.

"We need to get the new year as a family started off on the right foot and I believe He's led me to a passage that fits our situation." He picked up his large, brown leather Bible that was beautifully ragged, beautiful because it showed signs of being well-used.

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. To crush under His feet all the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."

"Amen," Ruth said when he closed the Bible.

Just as they were bowing their heads to pray, there was a knock at the door. It was Douglas. He came into the kitchen with Jacob in one arm and Danny clutching tightly to his father's other hand but no Laura.

"The baby's coming," he announced.

"You didn't leave my daughter alone?" James demanded.

"No, sir," Douglas answered. "Your mother's with her. I just needed to get the kids out of the house and I thought Mary and the girls might want to be with her."

"Of course, we want to," Ruth said, already wrapping her mother and hers breakfast to take on the way.

Mary had gone to get their cloaks and was back. She wrapped the cloak around Ruth since her hands weren't free.

"Momma looked sick," Danny said in a small voice.

"She's not sick, sweetheart," Mary assured her grandson. "She's just getting ready to get you a new brother or sister."

Kid got up to follow the women.

"We don't need men underfoot," Mary said before he'd even stood up straight.

Kid pulled Ruth to the side and said in a quiet tone, "You know as well as I do that it's not safe for you to be running off by yourself."

"I'll be fine. Laura doesn't live that far away and he's not going to openly attack in front of my mother and ruin his chances of marrying Anna. Anything he tries is going to be concealed and cowardly."

He looked torn. He didn't really like the idea of being around for a birth, but he didn't like the idea of having Ruth out of his sight either. "Just be on the lookout for trouble," he finally said.

"You know I will," she said, throwing him a kiss in the air because of her full hands.

Ruth noticed that Danny still looked fretted. She carefully bent down and said, "Kiss my cheek and I'll be sure to pass it along to your momma."

He did and she stood back up. "Consider it signed, sealed, and delivered."

Danny suddenly remembered something after they were gone and ran after them and called out from the doorway, "Make sure she gets a boy!"

Ruth laughed and called back, "I'll do my best."

Robert and Clyde had readied the wagon for them. Mary and Ruth took turns driving and eating their breakfasts. They left the dirty dishes in the wagon and hurried inside Laura and Douglas's cabin.

"Where's Anna?" Laura asked when she saw them. Mrs. McKenzie's gnarled hand pushed back her oldest granddaughter's damp blonde hair and then used a cool cloth on her sweaty skin to try and make her as comfortable as possible.

Mary and Ruth looked at each other, wondering if they should save the news for later.

Mary decided by vaguely answering, "She's got some things to take care of, but she can't wait to see the baby."

Laura looked as if she wanted to ask more but a half scream and half moan came from her lips instead as a particularly painful contraction hit.

Ruth flinched. She'd been present for Laura's other births and a handful of other women's births, but labor took on a whole new meaning when it might be your turn next.

Her mother seemed to read her thoughts. "It's not so bad and once your child's in your arms, the memory of the pain fades."

"Don't lie to the child. You remember it too well. God wasn't exaggerating when He told Eve that she would bear children in pain. The twinges are knifelike and sharp; you feel like you're being stretched beyond your ability to be stretched and like your lower half is going to be rent in two, but it is worth it all."

"Thank you, Granny," Ruth said dryly. "I'm really looking forward to it now."

"Excuse me, but I'm trying not to focus on the pain here," Laura said, looking miserable. "Could we save this conversation for later?"

"Sorry, honey," Mary said as she sat down on a stool by her bedside and offered her hand to Laura, which she gratefully took.

The labor went much quicker than her previous two. Ruth stayed out of the way, praying to God to ease her sister's pain. Laura arched as she gave everything she had into one final push.

The healthy cries of an infant filled the room. It never failed to awe Ruth how precious new life was. There was a new soul on the earth, one whose cries had never been heard before this moment and one who was deeply loved by his Maker. And this particular baby shared her blood.

"Another boy," their grandmother reported. She expertly cut the cord, having been midwife over more babies' births than she could recall. She had the water ready to clean the newborn off and she left behind only his pink, wrinkled skin. Then she wrapped him in a waiting blanket and handed the baby to Laura.

"He's perfect," Mary said. "Have you all picked a name out?"

"We're naming him Evan James after Papaw and Daddy."

Fiona smiled, pleased he was being named after her departed husband. "He looks like an Evan."

Mary held him for a little bit and then gave him to Ruth to hold. "You're going to have your hands full surrounded by 3 ornery little boys, not to mention the big one," Ruth said to her sister.

Laura grinned. "I'm certainly outnumbered. That's for sure."

"You can handle them though. You had no trouble bossing us all around as I recall," Ruth added.

Laura snorted. "Like you listened half the time."

"You must have me confused for somebody else," she teased. Then she studied the baby more closely. He had wispy fawn-colored hair and eyes that were dark blue with a rim of moss-colored green. In a few months his eyes would probably change completely to that mossy green and she wouldn't be around to see, which saddened her a little as she was already completely smitten with him. "God picked you a wonderful family to be born into, my sweet little Evan, one that will make sure you grow up knowing Him."

As she passed the warm, tiny bundle back to his mother, her arms ached to have a baby of her own to hold.