Jane
She was in the kitchen making coffee when Florie, still in her robe, entered and Lydia, in sweatpants and a down vest, came in from outside.
Her daughters sat down at the table, their faces stern.
Lydia said, “Mom, we want to talk to you.”
Florie spoke up. “Mom, we’ve been talking. Are you sure about having another baby? I mean, really, you’re old, even though you look young—”
Lydia cut in. “So very young.”
Florie continued. “And you’re very active. But being pregnant is hard on the female body and taking care of an infant at your age would be stressful in many ways.”
Lydia added, “We know that you probably wish you had grandchildren because so many of your friends do.”
“Betsy’s little girl!” Florie gushed. “She was so adorable!”
Lydia flashed her sister a look. “We promise we will have children, just not right away.”
“And you do so many important things for the island,” Florie concluded.
Jane smiled. Leaning over, she kissed the top of each daughter’s head.
As she settled in a chair across from them, she said, “You are so sweet to think of me. And I know I’m older than average to be pregnant, but it’s not that unusual these days.
Many women have successful careers and decide later in life that they want children, too.
And I am healthy. I do take good care of myself. ”
“But when the baby comes…” Florie wrinkled her forehead, trying to think how to express herself.
“When the baby comes,” Jane said, a wicked glint in her eye, “I’ll be able to afford a doula and diaper service and all kinds of help because we won’t be paying tuition anymore.
” She took a sip of coffee, gathering her thoughts.
“You girls—and Lucas—are on your way. Brick Three and I are so proud of you. But we know you’ll have your own lives, you’ll be forging your own traditions. ”
“Why does this make me feel sad?” Florie asked.
“Change can do that. But I want you to know that this baby is healthy and I am healthy. And yes, he was a surprise. But all three of you were surprises.” Jane laughed.
“I remember when I discovered I was pregnant, Brick Three and I both said, how did this happen? And we loved all our surprise babies. We still do.”
Lydia stood up. “So it’s all good?”
“It’s all good,” Jane said.
“Well, I’ve got to go. I have something else I need to do.” Lydia pulled her puffy gloves from the pockets of her down vest. “See you later.” She pulled on her bobble hat and went out the back door.
“I guess I’ll go back to bed,” Florie said. She felt slightly snubbed by her sister leaving so abruptly. Then she remembered who was in her bed. “See you later.” She smiled and headed back upstairs.
“Good talk,” Jane announced to the empty room.
She poured herself another cup of coffee.
Should she call Betsy? It was going to be fun telling her friends her news.
She was grateful the girls had given her their little speech.
It would prepare her for the reaction from other people—Brick Jr. being the most important one.
Brick Three’s father had been an old crank, growling like a wounded lion when she and Brick Three announced that Jane was pregnant and they were getting married and not finishing college.
But it helped a lot that Brick Three started working at the company right away.
And ultimately it had been Brick Jr.’s idea to bring four-year-old Lydia to the office.
And then, Jane remembered, her husband had been holding little newborn Lydia, all pink and rose, wrapped in a soft striped blanket, her eyes so alert, wondering what she was seeing, and making tiny mewing sounds as if she were a kitten.
Jane had recited George MacDonald’s sweet poem.
Where did you come from, baby dear?
Out of the everywhere into the here.
Where did you get those eyes so blue?
Out of the sky as I came through.
Brick Three’s parents had walked into the hospital room. Evangeline held the baby and cried so hard she had to give the infant to Brick Jr. to hold.
Brick Jr. had gazed down at baby Lydia.
“Hello,” Brick Jr. said, his voice suddenly hoarse. “Welcome to the planet.” He quickly handed the baby to Jane and left the room.
Evangeline said, “He’s going to the men’s room. He’ll probably stand in a stall while he forces himself to turn back into stone.”
Oh, Jane thought, a new baby was always a miracle, always such a message from the universe that really, all we have to do is to love.
Now she was crying, which was ridiculous. She took her coffee into the living room and saw their beautiful Christmas tree and sat down on the sofa and cried some more. She remembered her mother telling Jane when Jane was upset, “What you need now is a good cry.”
Stroll guests often left small presents under the tree for the Parsons family. Jane noticed a box of Aunt Leah’s cranberry chocolates. Just the thing to cheer her up, she decided, and cranberries were so healthy.