For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
As she’d said, Marlene had kept her word and had not breathed a word of Grace’s secret. Grace's mother was delighted to hear that she was going to spend a great deal of the day with Adam. Everyone except Marlene thought this was to be Grace’s first day doing chores for Adam in payment for the buggy repairs. Grace had been sick that morning as soon as she woke up, but was certain that no one had heard.
Right on a quarter to eleven, Grace heard the clip-clopping of horse’s hooves and knew it was Adam. It was an hour-long trip to his Aunt Sarah’s house.
“Ready to go, then?” Adam asked when Grace approached his buggy.
As she climbed up next to him, she said, “My body is ready, but I don't think my head is ready to find anything out.”
On the way, Grace was thankful that Adam kept talking about topics other than the reason she was going to his aunt’s house. Even though the pregnancy test was supposed to be highly accurate, if the midwife said she was having a baby, then she’d know without a doubt that she was.
When they arrived, Adam walked ahead of her and knocked on the door. While he waited for the door to be answered, he turned around and smiled at Grace who was walking toward him. “Don't be nervous. I'll wait out here on the porch.”
Grace smiled at him and nodded. It was easy for him to say not to be nervous.
Aunt Sarah came to the door. “Come in, Grace.” She looked at Adam. “You coming in too?”
“I’ll wait on the porch.”
“You can fix yourself something while you wait. You know where the kitchen is.” She left Adam outside and walked further into the house with Grace. “I heard you’d come back to the community, Grace. Everyone’s so happy that you’re back. I was very sorry to hear about your husband dying.”
“Denke. It was a car accident.”
Sarah nodded. “I heard about it. It must have come as a horrible shock.”
“It was. And now I think I might be pregnant. I did a test from the pharmacy and it was positive, but I don’t know if those things can be trusted or not.”
“They're usually accurate unless the test came into contact with some kind of chemical.”
The midwife had Grace lie down and did an initial examination by pressing on Grace’s abdomen. Sarah laughed. “Well I don't think there's much doubt about it, Grace, you’re a good five months along.”
“No! I can't be.”
“And why is that?”
“Five months! That's nearly half way through isn't it?” Grace sat up.
“Jah, more than halfway.”
Grace touched her belly. “I’m not that big.”
“Many women in their first pregnancies hardly show at all, and with you being so thin it's not unusual for you to be barely showing.”
“I thought I’d put on weight because of the different food I’ve been eating. It’s quite unbelievable. I didn’t have any signs.”
“Adam said you’ve been sick.”
“I have been. Not every day, though.”
“Morning sickness is not really just morning sickness – it’s common to get it at other times of the day. It usually disappears as your pregnancy progresses, but not always.”
“I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe it's real. This wasn’t planned. We were taking precautions.”
“The only precaution that is one hundred percent reliable is abstinence.”
“Well, I know that now. She looked down at her belly. “You said I was halfway?”
Sarah nodded. “Come and see me again in one month’s time. Or before that, if you have any questions.”
“And would you be able to deliver my baby?”
“I’d be happy to. Do you want to have the birth at home or at a birthing center?”
“I’d prefer to have my baby at home. Mamm had all hers at home.”
“It's statistically safer than having your baby in the hospital, but it’s something you have to feel comfortable about. I'll send you for an ultrasound in a few more weeks, and if everything looks normal, there’ll be no reason why you can't have your baby at home. As long as that's still what you want to do.”
Grace stood up.
“You can have a think about it let me know later. I think Adam’s waiting for you on the porch. I’d invite you both in and spend some time with you, but I’ve got an appointment in town.”
“Sarah, what are the payment arrangements for you being the midwife?”
“We'll talk about that later. You can pay after the birth. And don't worry; it won’t be a fortune. I don't do all that much work anymore. Not now that Norma Jeter has moved to the community. She’s younger and seems to relate more to the younger women. Anyway, working less suits me just fine.”
“Denke, Sarah. I'm pleased that you're going to be my midwife. I know you, and I don't know Norma.” After Sarah said goodbye, Grace made her way out the door to find Adam still on the porch. He jumped to his feet as soon as she came out the door.
She smiled when she saw the interest on his face. She nodded.
He said, “Grace, that's wunderbaar news.” He was so excited that he touched her gently on her arm, and then leaned over to kiss her softly on her cheek.
“Sarah said that I’m five months along.”
“Five months? Then you've not got long to go.”
“That's right, which means I can't really delay telling everyone much longer.”
On the way home, Grace wanted to make sure that she made things right with Adam. “Adam, I want to pay off my debt to you.”
He waved a hand in the air to dismiss what she said. “Don't be ridiculous.”
“I'm not being ridiculous. I’ll come and do chores for you every day and cook meals for you.”
“Nee. I don't want you to do anything of the kind.”
She bit the inside of her lip, and then said, “I was the one who wrecked your buggy so I should be the one to pay for it.” She didn't like having to say those words but that's what he thought had happened, and until Marlene confessed, Grace would have to do the right thing in Adam's eyes.
Adam glanced over at her. “We've always been good friends, Grace, you and I; a broken buggy is not going to change that.”
“I insist on paying off my debt. Besides, my vadder told me I should, and I'm not going to go against what he said.”
Adam shrugged. “If you insist. You don't have to look far inside the house to find things to do.”
Grace giggled. “That bad, is it?”
“It is. In fact, it’s worse.” Adam glanced over at her and smiled. “You can make a start tomorrow if you like. I’ll leave the door unlocked when I leave for work.”
“Okay, that'll be good.” Grace was pleased that Adam hadn’t asked her how she felt about having a baby, because she was still tying to sort out her feelings. She was amazed and scared all at the same time, plus a little pleased.
“Your parents will be happy.”
“They certainly will be. I think this makes their tenth kinskind.”
“That many already?”
Grace nodded. “This little one will have plenty of children to play with.”
When Adam pulled up the buggy in front of Grace’s house, she asked, “Will you come in?”
He shook his head. “I have to go to work. I can't have too much time off.”
Grace climbed down from the buggy. Before he drove off, she called out, “I'll be there tomorrow.”
He waved a hand in the air to acknowledge that he'd heard what she’d said.
As soon as Grace stepped onto the porch, the door flung open and she was faced with Marlene. “Well?”
Grace didn't feel right telling Marlene before she told the rest of the family. She figured her mother and father should be the first to know, but it was hours until her father got home.
“I can't say anything right now.”
Marlene’s button-like nose screwed up. “What do you mean?”
“I'll say something when everybody's together tonight,” Grace responded.
Marlene wouldn’t move out of the doorway. “That means you are, otherwise you wouldn’t have anything to tell everyone.”
“Please, Marlene. Will you let me pass?”
“Not until you tell me whether you are, or you aren't.”
“Don’t you remember that conversation we had?” She’d told Marlene that if she found out she was expecting, she wouldn’t let Marlene know first, and Marlene had agreed.
“About?”
Without saying anything further, Grace raced around to the back door feeling very pleased with herself, but before she got there, Marlene flung the door open and stood in the doorway. She smirked with her arms folded.
Grace also folded her arms. “Can't you give me some privacy and respect?”
Marlene's arms fell down by her side as her jaw dropped open. “What do you mean?”
“I said that I just don't want to talk about it right now until everybody's together.”
Marlene put one hand on her hip. “So you are? And you don't want to tell me first?”
“Would you tell me first?”
Tears came to Marlene's eyes and then she turned and ran into the house.
Grace stepped inside feeling dreadful. She hadn’t meant to upset Marlene, but she didn’t want Marlene to know before her parents. Why couldn’t she understand that?
As soon as Grace went into the kitchen, her mother said, “What have you done to upset Marlene now?”
“I didn't mean to upset her. Seems everything I do upsets someone.”
“Go upstairs and make sure she's all right. Bring her back down so she can help put up all this jam.”
Grace looked at the sea of empty bottles that covered their large kitchen table before she trudged up the stairs. The midwife knew, Adam knew, so was it so bad to let her sister-in-law in on the secret? Grace knocked quietly on Marlene's door. Marlene opened the door while wiping tears from her eyes.
“Can I come in?” Grace asked.
Marlene opened the door wider.
Both girls sat on the bed. Grace said, “I'm having a boppli.”
Marlene flung her arms around here. “Grace, I'm so happy for you.” Tears streamed down Marlene's face. She wiped her face with the end of her apron. “Did you tell me before you told anyone else?”
Grace nodded. “Only Sarah, the midwife, knows, and Adam because he had to take me there.”
“Adam drove you to Sarah's house?”
“Sarah is Adam’s aunt.”
“That's right, she is.”
“I'm going to tell everyone at dinner tonight.”
“Can I tell Matthew when he comes home?”
“Nee. It’s my news to tell; you can't tell anybody.”
“Are you excited, Grace?”
“I don't know what I am.” She looked at Marlene's face and immediately added, “I'm sure I’ll be excited when I get used to the idea.” She didn't want to appear too excited, nor did she want Marlene to think she didn't appreciate the gift God had given her. “Now come downstairs with me, Marlene. Wipe those tears away because you're going to be an aunt in four months.”
“Four months? That’s so soon. How come you’ve only found out about it now?”
“Because I'm stupid. I missed all the signs, thinking they were due to stress, and different food, and things like that. Anyway, let's go.”
Marlene and Grace walked downstairs arm-in-arm. Grace was pleased that she’d shared her news with Marlene. Maybe Marlene had felt shut out and all she needed was to feel like part of the family. Grace hoped so.