A Newborn to Mend Their Hearts – Extended Epilogue

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September 1892

Sylvie sat back, towels in hand, ready for the new baby’s arrival. The laboring mother crouched on the floor. In front of her, her own mother stood, their arms supporting each other.

“Keep breathing, Naomi,” Sylvie coached. “You’re not far now.”

Naomi glanced her way, her face red and dripping with exertion. She nodded briefly as another pain overtook her. Sylvie watched Naomi’s hands squeeze her mother’s arms as she cried out.

Sylvie leaned forward and saw that the baby’s head had been born. “The head is out, Naomi! The next pain should do it. Small pushes, now.”

The final minutes of the delivery were over quickly. The baby slid into Sylvie’s waiting hands. Joyful cries from the new little one’s mother and grandmother mingled with his wails. There was still work to be done, but Sylvie went through the motions automatically.

Every time she helped a woman give birth, she felt gratitude for Maureen McBride. The midwife had shared her knowledge generously with Sylvie. And she was grateful for Witashnah’s teaching as well. The Crow woman had allowed Sylvie a rare opportunity to learn how births were conducted among the Indians. Having two cultures’ worth of knowledge was incredible. There were births, like this one, in which Maureen’s typical delivery style simply didn’t produce results. Having Witashnah’s additional methods at her disposal meant that Sylvie could try things she wouldn’t have known to try before her months under the Crow woman’s tutelage.

It was some time before Sylvie felt that Naomi and her new arrival were settled. She accepted payment and a bag of potatoes from the grateful father before heading out of the cabin, mounting her horse, and heading home.

From the slant of the sun, she knew that it was late afternoon. She clucked to the horse and snapped the reins, urging him on. She had a long ride home.

After almost an hour’s ride, smoke through the treetops alerted Sylvie that she was, at long last, nearly to the cabin she and Weston shared. Twilight was beginning to fall when she finally came to a stop at the small stable that kept their horses. She knew that Weston would come and unsaddle the horse soon, so she did no more than tie its reins to the hitching post before hefting the sack of potatoes and her medical bag and heading inside.

Light flickered at the windows of the cabin. Sylvie took a moment to breathe in the scent of pine and woodsmoke. She knew that as soon as she opened the door, she’d be too busy telling Weston about her day and giving her attention to their daughter, Melinda. Her mind would be on other things. So, for now, Sylvie paused and allowed herself to wallow in contentment.

Then she climbed the steps to the door and went inside.

“Mama!” shrieked Melinda. “Mama home! Papa, Mama home!” Her chubby legs and arms kicked from her spot in the highchair Weston had built for her.

Sylvie stepped forward and dropped a kiss on her eighteen-month-old’s dark head. Then she leaned over and kissed Weston, this time on the lips. Husband and wife smiled at each other.

“Did all go well?” Weston asked.

Sylvie explained the challenges Naomi had faced and how they’d been overcome as she removed her coat and shoes. She waved her husband away when he stood to fix her plate.

“I’m already up,” she said. “How was Melinda today?”

“Good as gold,” Weston replied proudly. “She came into the woodshop with me for a while this morning. I was able to make significant progress on the chest of drawers the Lawrences ordered. Then Mrs. Zimmerman came and brought Melinda home for her lunch and nap.”

Sylvie slid into her chair at the table and sighed, glad to be off her feet. She spread honey over her biscuit and savored every bite. Somehow, she always forgot to stop and eat when she was working. Now that she was finally home, she found that she was starving.

“I’m sorry we weren’t able to get on the road as we’d planned,” Sylvie apologized when Weston paused his narration of the day’s events.

He shrugged. “We knew that Naomi’s baby might arrive at any moment. I’m glad we were here. Besides, your father will understand. We can leave tomorrow, and it won’t cause much of a delay.”

“You’re right. And Papa knows that plans have to be changed all the time when you’re in medicine. I was so looking forward to seeing Mary, though. I hoped to have some time with her before the party. I haven’t even met her newest little one,” Sylvie sighed.

Weston got to his feet, went for the damp cloth, and wiped the supper from Melinda’s face. “You’ll meet her soon enough. And, if I know you and Mary, the two of you will disappear and have your chat somehow.”

Sylvie nodded, grinning. “Do you think we can leave at first light? We might make it to Eldora before noon that way.”

Though they intended to leave early the next morning, they were delayed when Melinda woke in a foul mood. Sylvie had a suspicion that her daughter was teething and made sure to pack a wet cloth for the little girl to chew on. Melinda managed to require two changes of clothing before they were able to get on the road. But finally, the Brand family was rolling away from their little cabin.

Melinda was fussy for the first hour before dropping off to sleep. Sylvie laid the child on a pallet of blankets they always set between their feet when they made this drive.

“Goodness,” Sylvie said as she straightened, rolling her neck to work out the cramped muscles. “I thought she’d never fall asleep.”

Weston promptly transferred the reins to one hand and took Sylvie’s hand in his other one. She slid closer so that their shoulders were touching and smiled at her husband.

“I love you,” Sylvie said.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Weston replied, a note of teasing in his voice. “I’m fairly partial to you, too.”

Picking up his tone, Sylvie quipped, “I’m glad to hear it. Otherwise, you’d be rather disappointed by my news.”

“Your news?” her husband asked, turning to look at her. There was a twinkle in his eye that told Sylvie Weston had guessed what she was about to say. “Are we expecting a new baby?”

“We are indeed, Mr. Brand. Sometime in early summer, if I had to guess.”

Weston kissed her, beaming. “I’m delighted to hear that, Mrs. Brand. Are you feeling unwell yet?”

Sylvie had experienced her fair share of baby sickness with Melinda. “Some,” she admitted, waggling her head back and forth. “It hasn’t been too bad yet. But I have a few other symptoms that have helped me know that we are, indeed, about to be a family of four.”

“Your father will be glad to know that you’re adding to the family tree. Now that Elijah and Lena have the twins, I was feeling like we were falling a bit behind.”

“Don’t forget your parents,” Sylvie pointed out. “They’re sure to be just as happy to have another grandchild. Though, I hope they don’t feel that they have to travel out again. I know how busy the summer months are for Dominic on the farm.”

The pair spoke of their plans for this child and debated whether to tell anyone back in Eldora about the new baby. Now that the Brands were settled almost forty miles away up in the Beartooth Mountains, they were only able to return home to Eldora once or twice a year. It hadn’t taken long for Sylvie’s skills to become indispensable to the people nearby. They were able to send letters back and forth without too much difficulty, but it would be so special to share their news in person. Still, it was early, and Sylvie knew quite well that there was still a chance for a miscarriage.

After several hours, the landscape became familiar. Sylvie spotted the first recognizable landmarks and her heart leapt. She was coming home. There was something so very nice about the idea. Melinda was sitting on her lap and Sylvie enjoyed telling her daughter who lived in each cabin or down each lane, despite knowing full well that the little girl would not understand much of it.

Finally, they pulled to a stop at Dr. Morrow’s cabin. Sylvie beamed as her eyes drank in every detail. The small differences were obvious to her, and she relished each one.

“Sylvie! Weston! Welcome home,” called the doctor as he stepped out of the dispensary and onto the covered porch.

“Grampa!” cried Melinda.

No sooner did Weston set the brake than Sylvie hopped down and embraced her father. He swung Melinda down from the
wagon and she squealed with delight.

“Again! Do it again!” the little girl begged.

Dr. Morrow complied before leading his guests up the stairs to the cabin. “Maureen is doing her rounds. The Garcias are expecting another baby any day now.”

“Is this their fourth?” queried Sylvie, always interested in the local medical news.

“It is, indeed. Maureen says that they hardly need her now. They’ve enough experience with birthing that they know what to do. But they still want her there, of course.”

They ate a light lunch and then Dr. Morrow asked to check on Melinda’s new tooth. Sure enough, the white tips of a new molar were just poking through her gums. He was interested in the paste Sylvie made to rub on Melinda’s gums and asked her to write down the instructions for him.

Sylvie blinked at her father in surprise. “You want me to give you instructions on how to make this?” she repeated, wondering if she’d heard wrong.

Dr. Morrow looked down at his hands for a long minute before he said, “Sylvie, there’s something I want to show you. Weston, can I steal her away?”

“Of course,” Weston replied immediately. “I’ll get Melinda down for her nap.”

Sylvie followed her father out the front door and around to the dispensary. Inside, he went to one of the shelves. Sylvie was surprised when he removed a tiny gold key on a chain from his pocket and unlocked a drawer.

“I had this lock put in some time back,” Dr. Morrow explained matter-of-factly. “I’ve some valuable instruments and such that I prefer to keep locked up. And I also wanted to keep this safe for you.”

He drew out a thick, leatherbound book whose green cover was worn. He held it out to Sylvie who took it with dawning understanding.

“Is this…” Sylvie stopped, hardly daring to believe it. Whispering, she asked, “Is it Mama’s journal?”

Dr. Morrow nodded tiredly. “I wanted to keep it safe for you until you were ready. I know it might have been a help to you years ago, but I also knew that you would get the same information from Kohana and Witashnah and I just wasn’t ready to part with it before now. I hope you can forgive me.”

Sylvie hugged the journal to her chest. “There’s nothing to forgive, Papa. I’m not angry with you.”

“You would have had a right to be angry. Sylvie, after your mother died, I had a hard time seeing her herbal remedies and her mortar and pestle. I know that you thought that I didn’t value her natural healing, but that wasn’t the case at all. For many years, these things simply reminded me of her. And I missed your mother terribly.”

Sylvie bit her lower lip, tears filling her eyes at her father’s confession. He’d been so quiet, almost withdrawn, after losing his wife. There had been times when Sylvie had wondered if he still loved his children or if they were too much of a burden to bear. But hearing that he’d simply been grieving soothed that old worry.

“Thank you for explaining,” she said, her voice choked with tears.

Dr. Morrow returned a watery smile. “You remind me of her. I don’t tell you that nearly enough, Sylvie. Your quick mind and ability to understand the natural world are exactly like hers. And you inherited your compassion and courage from her, too. I’m so proud of the wife and mother that you have become, Sylvie. But I’m also proud that you chose to serve the world as a healer. It’s not always an easy road and it requires sacrifices. I’m proud that Elijah has chosen to serve in law enforcement as well. You’ve both become such wonderful adults.”

He gathered Sylvie into his arms, and she squeezed him close. The feel of his familiar coat pressed to her cheek and the smell of his tobacco brought to mind a hundred memories of being hugged by him throughout her lifetime.

Dr. Morrow’s words followed her all day. She thought of them at odd times at the party at the Bentons’. She stood taller, filled with the knowledge that she carried her mother’s legacy on and that her father was proud of the choices she’d made. From time to time, her eyes met Weston’s, and she found herself tearing up, knowing that her father approved of her marriage and the decisions that had led her here.

And later, when she and Mary did, indeed, make their way to a quiet spot in the orchard that they’d visited as girls, she told her friend what her father had said.

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me at all,” Mary Avery replied, sassily. She looked down at the baby she was nursing. “Of course, you’re a wonderful healer. There was never any question of that.”

Sylvie laughed. “Can you believe that we are both married and mothers, too?”

“Sometimes it feels like Thomas, and I have been married forever instead of just these three years,” Mary replied. “And sometimes it feels like we were saying our vows only yesterday.”

“I know what you mean. Those days when I doubted that Weston and I could ever have a future seem so far away. But then I find myself remembering that Red McCall was only hanged just over a year ago.” Sylvie shook her head in disbelief. “If I went back and spoke to the girl I was then, I never would have believed that I would be so happy now.”

“All our dreams have come true,” agreed Mary. “Whatever will we do next?”

Sylvie’s hand strayed almost unconsciously to her abdomen, and she smiled softly as she said, “We make new dreams, of course.”

And later, when she lay in her husband’s arms in her childhood bedroom, Sylvie couldn’t stop sighing happily. There were plenty of trials ahead. She was a healer, after all. But right now, in this moment, she remembered all the nights she’d laid in this bed, wondering what her future held. She’d dreamed dreams for herself, and they’d come true.

Weston turned in his sleep, pulling her closer. Sylvie looked at his face in the moonlight. Some of the dreams that had come true were ones she hadn’t dared hope for.

His eyes fluttered open and he asked her sleepily, “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Sylvie replied. “Not a single thing.”

Sylvie pushed up on her elbow and planted a kiss on her husband’s lips, which he was quite pleased to return.

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, "Brave Hearts of the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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