Guided by a Shared Miracle – Extended Epilogue

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“Moses, come here, it’s almost time to eat.” Summer called to Moses who was playing in the yard. He was growing so quickly, it caught her off guard sometimes. They were about to celebrate his third birthday. It was hard to believe that more than two years had passed since everything happened. 

“Mama,” Moses stretched his round little arms up to her. His golden hair fell over his eyes, tousled in the wind. His big blue eyes were full of happiness that matched his smile. 

“Come here, little one.” Summer scooped him up and kissed his cheek. Even though he resembled a little boy rather than a baby now, she still never tired of holding him and cuddling him. She put him on her hip and headed toward the barn. “Let’s go find your papa. I would bet he is starving. Gramps is waiting in the kitchen and he is impatient.” 

Moses did his best to copy her saying impatient, but the word came out garbled and made Summer laugh. “You are the sweetest little thing.” 

Summer found Terrence in the barn. He was mucking out a stall and looked up as she walked in. 

“What are you two doing in here?” He frowned when he spotted Moses on her hip and rushed over, taking him from her. “You know you shouldn’t carry him with the way things are right now.” He looked pointedly down at her belly. 

Summer laughed. “You are too protective—he isn’t that heavy.” She placed a hand on her large stomach. They were expecting their second child any day now. Moses would finally have a sibling to play with. Well, eventually. She remembered the days when Moses was a baby well. It would be a while until the new baby was big enough to actually run and play with Moses. 

“I know you think he isn’t that heavy, but I always worry about you when you carry him. You could trip and fall and hurt yourself.” Terrence swung Moses around in a little circle. “Mama shouldn’t carry you, should she?”

“Yeah!” Moses shrieked with laughter.

“It’s time to eat.” Summer said, remembering what she had come to tell Terrence in the first place. 

“All right then. I am starved. Is Gramps already in there at the table? I would assume he is since he loves your cooking.” 

Summer shook her head. It was true. Terrence’s father was usually the first one sitting at the table at mealtimes. He had never complained about a single meal she had ever prepared him. He claimed to love everything. Summer had grown very fond of Terrence’s father the more she got to know him. He was always great with Terrence and Moses, and he balanced out their little family with wisdom and jokes and laughter whenever he could. In a way, it was like having her grandmother in her life once more. 

He wasn’t sure what to think of the name ‘gramps’ when they’d started calling him that. Moses had started, and Summer and Terrence followed along. Sometimes Terrence would still call him ‘pa,’ but the name ‘gramps’ stuck. 

Terrence put Moses down and the boy came over to hold her hand. “I’ll walk with you, mama,” he said with a smile. 

Terrence took Moses’s other hand. “I’ll walk with both of you.” 

Summer giggled. Their family was everything she ever wanted, and it was continuing to grow. They made it into the kitchen, where gramps looked a bit impatient. 

“There you all are. The food that Summer worked so hard on is getting cold.” He had a twinkle in his eyes. 

“We’re coming, pa, we’re coming.” Terrence scooped Moses up and put him in his seat and they all sat down to eat. Summer dished up heaping plates of food and passed them around. She looked toward the parlor at the little writing desk that Terrence had set up for her. Once they were done eating, she was going to read Abigail’s latest letter and write one back to her. Terrence had brought the letter that morning from the post office, but Summer hadn’t had a chance to read it quite yet. Summer had left her job at the diner almost three months ago, but it seemed like she was busier than ever. 

She had cooking, cleaning, farm work, and so many little chores to keep up with, the time flew by without her even noticing it had passed. After lunch, she put Moses into his bed for a nap. He still enjoyed a good hour or two of sleep a day. It reminded Summer of when he was a baby and would sleep all the time. Once she had finished picking up after lunch and both Terrence and his father had gone outside to work, she opened the letter at her desk. 

Dearest Summer, 

I hope you, Terrence, and Moses are all well. I met someone almost two months ago. I didn’t want to write about him in case I was imagining things, but I think that there might be a possibility of things getting serious between us. He is very kind and takes time out of his day to come to see me. 

My aunt thinks he is a catch and we should marry right away, but I told her I am not ready to rush into anything. It has taken me a long time to get where I am and be able to recover from everything I lost in Texas. How are you? How is the farm doing? Does Terrence still have time to be the town doctor now that he is taking on so much on the farm and has a second baby coming? 

I do wish I could come and be there when the baby is born. My aunt needs a lot of help in her shop, and I don’t think she could spare me. How does Moses feel about a younger brother or sister? The way you talk about him, I imagine he is very big now. I keep telling my aunt I want to visit, and she says, ‘someday.’ Hopefully that day will come sooner than later. 

The letter went on to talk about New York and how things were changing. The city was growing, as it had for the past couple of years, and that meant more business. Summer was very glad to see how much her friend had thrived in the city. She seemed to have a good relationship with her aunt. Her aunt owned a flower shop, and that was where Abigail worked. 

When Summer finished reading the letter, she smiled. She felt as if she had just talked to her friend for a good while. Of course, a letter was not the same as talking to Abigail face-to-face, but they were too far away to do that right now. Summer pulled out a clean sheet of paper and a charcoal pencil. 

My dearest Abigail, 

I am happy to hear about the man you met. If you feel like he is going to be good for you and your life, I wish you the greatest happiness. Moses is growing so much every day and he talks about his coming sibling non-stop. He thinks it will be a little brother, though Terrence is convinced that I am carrying a girl. 

I have no idea what it will be, but we are thankful nonetheless. Terrence says that we may be able to visit in a few years when things get settled better here. He and his father purchased a large parcel of land off the back of my property so we could expand the farm. Even though Terrence and his father work non-stop on the farm, there is always more to do. Terrence is still the town doctor, though he is looking for another new doctor to help him out with the smaller stuff. The town loves him, and I don’t think they would let him get replaced easily. 

The baby is going to be here any day now. I do wish you were here as well. It would be so special to share this time with you. I know that you are doing what is best for you and your life, and I have to be supportive of that. I am glad that you have your aunt and a community there with which to be.

Summer told her more about the new land, the projects that they were doing, and all the things they sold in town and to travelers. She wrote about the cheese and butter she made every day, how Terrence and his father were thinking about purchasing a herd of cattle, and how they sold cows to the butcher. When she was done, she had filled three pages full of words. She pressed her pen to the paper to write a couple more lines. 

I do have to let you go now, lest the papers I fill do not fit in the envelope. I plan to send this letter today, so it should arrive in a week or two. By that time, the baby may already be here. I am both excited and terrified. I remember when Moses was a baby; it was an adventure as much as it was a challenge. I hope to hear from you soon, and you are never far from my thoughts. 

With lots of love, 

Summer. 

Summer folded the letter and put it into a fresh envelope. She took her time printing the address on the front. She and Abigail had exchanged letters fairly consistently every other week since she’d left Texas. Summer kept all of Abigail’s letters in a crate in her room, and it was starting to fill up. Terrence had never complained about the many trips to the post office or the money they spent on postage. 

As summer put the envelope back on her desk, she winced. A sharp pain touched her stomach. She looked down. Everything seemed normal, maybe she had just imagined the pain. Just as the thought finished, a stronger pain gripped her. It felt as if a vice were squeezing her stomach from the inside. She put her hand on her stomach. It was as hard as a rock. She’d noticed that during the past couple of days, her stomach seemed lower. The midwife said that was a sign the baby would be coming soon. 

Moses appeared in the doorway, his eyes sleepy and groggy from his nap. 

“Mama, I woke up,” he said softly with a smile. 

“Moses, son, go outside and find your father. They are behind the house, preparing the new garden. Tell him that mama needs him.” Summer tried to stand. Maybe she should go and find Terrence herself. As she stood, the pain arrived again. She’d felt some smaller pains all that morning. She’d assumed they were nothing since she had felt similar ones before. These, on the other hand, were quite different. She looked at the unsent letter she had just finished writing. Maybe, the baby would be born before she even sent it. 

—*—

Terrence spotted Moses toddling down behind the house from a ways off. It was strange that Moses would come to him without Summer right behind him. Summer didn’t let him outside unless she knew someone was watching him. She was overprotective like that and Terrence understood her worry plenty well. It took a while for Moses to reach him. He looked tired, as if he’d just woken up. 

“Where’s mama?” Terrence asked. 

“Mama says, come help.” Moses smiled up at him, but his words struck a chord of fear in Terrence’s heart. 

He dropped his hoe and turned toward his father. “Watch Moses, I think something is wrong with Summer.” He didn’t wait for his father to respond but instead rushed toward the house. When he stepped inside, he immediately knew what was happening. Summer was standing by her writing desk, clutching her stomach. She looked both surprised and in pain at the same time. 

“I think the baby is coming. We need to get the midwife.” 

Terrence rushed to her side. “Are you going to be all right? Maybe you should go lay down. I am going to get the midwife right now. Though I am a doctor…” 

Summer nodded. “I know, but the midwife should come too.” Summer groaned as another pain grabbed her stomach. Terrence had delivered a couple of babies before. He didn’t want to leave Summer alone. 

“Wait here, I am going to tell my father to get the midwife. I can’t leave you alone.” Terrence hurried back outside. His father and Moses were coming back to the house. His father looked worried.

“What’s happening, is the baby coming?”

“It’s coming. Can you get the midwife? Summer wants her to be here too, but I don’t want to leave her alone. I will keep Moses.” 

“Okay. I’ll go as fast as I can.” Terrence watched as his father took off at a run toward the barn. He scooped Moses up and went back inside. Summer had gone back to the bedroom and was sitting on the edge of her bed. She looked as if the pain had subsided, at least for the moment. 

“I have delivered baby’s before, but this is different. I don’t…” Terrence paced the room. He couldn’t describe how worried he was. He had seen a lot of things over the years, including how risky childbirth could be. He didn’t want to see anything happen to Summer. He was hopeful that everything would go well with welcoming the newest member of their family to the world. It was probably a good idea that they had arranged for the town midwife to be there for the birth. He couldn’t look at Summer as objectively as he would one of his own patients who he knew nothing about. 

“Would you help me lay down for a bit?” Summer asked. 

“Mama, are you okay?” Moses asked. 

Summer met Terrence’s eyes above Moses’s head before answering. 

“I’m fine, Moses. Your little brother or sister is going to be here very soon. Why don’t you go to your room and play for now?” Summer encouraged him. Terrence was glad that they’d finished his father’s cabin almost a month ago and he had moved out of Summer’s grandmother’s room. Moses was now sleeping in the extra room, and one day his sibling would sleep there too. 

Terrence helped Summer onto the bed. He helped her take her boots off and pulled a blanket over her.

“I’m going to check outside and see if the midwife is here yet.” Terrence kissed her quickly, then took Moses by the hand and led him from the room. He made sure he was happy in his room with a couple of corn husk wagons and horses before hurrying out front to see if the midwife was there yet. 

Sure enough, his father was riding at a fast pace on the wagon with the midwife beside him. Terrence was surprised and impressed with how fast his father had managed to prepare the wagon and go and retrieve the midwife. His father stopped the wagon and let her out. 

“Where’s Moses?” His father asked. 

“He’s inside. Maybe the two of you could go for a little walk for a while or something.” Terrence knew that giving birth was a long and painful process and didn’t want Moses around to witness it. 

“Sure thing. Don’t worry, this is going to turn out fine.” His father gave him an encouraging smile. Terrence hurried the midwife inside. It was time for them to deliver a baby. 

—*—

“It’s a girl!” The midwife held up a screaming little bundle. 

Summer looked on with a smile on her face. The exhaustion and excruciating pain she’d felt moments before were gone and were replaced with pure joy. Terrence was standing off to one side, looking a bit pale. Summer watched as the midwife bundled the baby up into a clean blanket, then tucked her beside Summer. 

“Come over here and look at your daughter,” Summer prompted Terrence. 

He approached her, a nervous look on his face. He stopped beside the bed and looked down. Summer could tell that the whole ordeal had been rough on Terrence in its own way. She knew that he had delivered babies before, but this one had been different for him. He leaned down and took ahold of their daughter’s fist. 

“I was right, it is a girl. My mother always used to say that if you carried straight out front, then it would be a girl.” Terrence grinned.

“Okay, you were right—or rather, your mother was right.” Summer glanced at him. “Do you think Moses is going to be disappointed?”

“Not at all. He is going to love having a little sister to protect and to tease and to play with.” Terrence chuckled. “Can I hold her?”

“Of course.” Summer helped him pick her up. 

“She’s so tiny. It’s been so long since Moses was this size. I feel like I might drop her.” 

Summer shook her head. “You are her father. You won’t drop her.” 

“She’s beautiful, just like her mother.” Terrence leaned over and kissed Summer’s forehead. Summer watched as he began to rock their new daughter back and forth. 

“So, her name?”

“Analise Maria.” Terrence smiled. They had decided that if they had a girl, they would name her a combination of his mother’s middle name and Summer’s grandmother’s middle name. One middle name from each. 

“It suits her.” Summer couldn’t stop watching the sight unfold in front of her. A short while later, the midwife called Terrence’s father and Moses. The two of them stepped into the room almost sheepish and Moses rushed up to the baby. 

“Sister?” he asked. 

“Yes, you have a sister.” Terrence held the baby closer so Moses could get a good look. Summer knew he would be a good big brother, not only to little Analise but to all of his future siblings. 

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, "Brave Hearts of the Frontier", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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