Seasons of Love Part Two

 by Emma A.

Andrea Blake groaned. She rubbed her swollen belly. For once the baby was still. Why did Cory have to go to town on the day I needed him?

Jimmy Blake, with his head high, marched into the kitchen, soldier style, with his siblings trooping after him. 

Andi stifled a giggle. Her oldest son could be so funny at times. Then another pain ripped across her stomach, also ripping away her smile.

She grasped the edge of the table and breathed in slowly, measuring each one.

Lottie ran to her mother’s side. “Are you okay? Is it… the baby?”

Andi sat all of her children down at the table. “In these next couple of days I’m going to need all of you to help. This baby is coming and your father is in town. No, Jimmy I wouldn’t think of sending you to town in this rain. You’d catch a cold.”

Jimmy folded his arms across his chest and sulked. Andi gave her son a look that said plainly, snap out of it. Jimmy straightened in his chair. Andi gasped as a contraction gripped her.

Lottie and Izzy clung to each other, eyes squeezed shut.

When the contraction passed Andi told her children, “I’m going to lie down. Stay upstairs in your rooms and don’t come out unless I call for you.”

Baby Anne began to cry. Anne was not a baby any longer. She was now a year and a half old babbling about everything.

Andi handed Anne to Lottie and instructed, “If she cries, give her apple slices.”

Andi hurried to her bed just as the third contraction took over. Two hours later and Cory still had not arrived. Andi was getting desperate. The baby was coming and nobody was here for her.

As Andi was beginning to push her child into the world the door flung open and Cory and Evelyn, Mitch’s nurse wife, rushed into the room. Evelyn was there to catch the baby and cut the cord. She washed the infant and handed it back to the proud Mama.

Cory looked over Andi’s head and mouthed, “Thank you.”

Evelyn smiled. She said quietly, “I’m going to tell the children that you are okay and to tell them about their new little sister!”

Andi looked up at Cory. “We have a girl!”

Cory kissed his wife. “Five girls and three boys.”

Andi stroked her daughter’s cheek. “What shall we name her? I can’t think of anything that would fit our sweet girl.”

He grinned. “You always name the children so why should I interfere?”

Andi shook her head. “This is going to be different. You are going to name this baby.”

Cory held out his arms for his baby girl. “This pregnancy took a lot of faith didn’t it?”

She nodded. “Yes. There were times when I wasn't sure she was still with us.”

“Then her name should be Faith Blake. I’ll let you choose the middle name.”

“I was thinking that since the jewel of the month is a diamond don’t you think that would be a unique middle name?”

“Faith Diamond Blake it is.” Cory kissed the baby then handed her over to the mother. Baby Faith opened her eyes for a brief moment. She gave a squeak then sighed before letting out a full-blown cry.

Andi laughed. “She’s hungry.”

Cory grinned. “While you feed her I’ll get the kids ready to meet their new baby sister.”

Soon the children were filing into the room in awe. Cory gave them a few minutes then he asked, “Does anyone want to know who you’re meeting?”

A chorus of ‘Yes!’ rang out. Cory chuckled then answered softly, “This is your sister Faith Diamond Blake.”

Andi wiped away the happy tears trailing down her cheeks. The awe and wonder of her children over their new sibling touched her. She treasured this moment in her heart.

Hudson reached out a tentative finger. Faith reached out and grabbed it, cooing the whole time. Hudson grinned and asked, “Mama, when can I pway ball with her?”

“In a few months, my darling.” Andi looked up at Cory who put an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

Both parents were overcome with emotion at the tenderness of this hour.

       *Nineteen years later*

 Andrea Blake smiled tenderly at her youngest daughter. It was Faith’s wedding day and Andi was helping the bride with her dress. Faith looked up with her pretty blue eyes and admired her elegant bridal dress.

After Andi had finished arranging her daughter’s dress, hair and flowers she exclaimed quietly, “I’m so proud of you. You’ve made it through some of life's hardest challenges and you will be blessed because of your willingness to serve our Lord.” Andi choked, then continued with tears trickling down her cheeks, “I’ve watched you grow from a little baby, to a toddler, a young tennager and now a bride. But you’ll always be my little girl. My sweet daughter, I’m always here for you even in the toughest of times. I love you so much!”

Mother and daughter embraced and then Cory came into the room. A few wrinkles stood out and some gray hair but otherwise he was still a very handsome man about to give away his youngest girl to Jenny Grant’s son William Harrison.

Andrea Blake went down the aisle on her husband’s arm and, after seating her, Cory went back for the bride.

Andi wiped the tears from her eyes as Faith Diamond Blake came through the wooden doors, radiant and beautiful. Her creamy silk dress barely swished as she went past her mother.

Before Cory released her to her groom, Faith looked over her shoulder and smiled at her mother. Andi gave a watery smile in return. Oh how she would miss her baby!

After the emotional ceremony, Andi rushed to greet the new Mrs. Harrison. Faith kissed her mother’s cheek and whispered, “Thank you for all that you’ve done in my life.”

Andi tried to speak past the lump in her throat but all she could do was squeak, “I loved doing it.”

After the reception Coy and Andi headed home.

In her empty home, Andi sighed and realized that now all her children were married, some with children of their own. Jimmy had married a belle from down south, LeeAnne Turner, and they had James, Darling and Clarissa.

Lottie had married Jack Goodwin’s son, Mark. The couple had triplets; Piper, Willow and Rome and lived in town next door to Aunt Melinda and Uncle Peter.

Izzy had gotten herself hitched to Alexander, a circus acrobat from France. She was currently pregnant with her first child.

Sweet young Rose had gone through many hardships in her life. Her husband deserted her and she was left with five children. Her fifth child had died recently and Rose was living with her aunt Katherine who had gone through some of the same things and was mentoring her.

     Bryant had signed up to the military and while over in Austria had found himself a beautiful bride, Emmeline. They had recently had their first baby, named Richard after Bryant's father.

Hudson and his wife, Caroline, had moved down to Mexico to be missionaries to the tribes living down there. Their two girls, Florence and Maddie now spoke Spanish even faster than Andi.

Andi’s eyes filled with tears as she thought about her second youngest daughter and all of her trials.

Anne and her husband had been on their anniversary trip down in Hawaii when she had fallen from her balcony at their hotel. Thankfully she only fell down two floors but it hurt her more than her husband thought. Ezra took her to the doctor who pronounced that she had broken her back and would now be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of her life. He also told the couple that she would never have children because of this.

And now Faith was married and soon would have more children to add to the family.

Andi suddenly had the urge to run outside and run like a young girl again. She grabbed her hat and dashed out the door.

After she had run quite aways from the house, Andi threw herself down beside a tree. She put her head in her hands and wept.

Oh Lord! I’m going to go home to an empty home without the voices of my children. How can I do it? I love my children and to be so far separated from them?! Jesus! Give me strength. I need my children back

Suddenly, Andi whipped her head up at the merry whistling of a young woman. She was coming towards Andi, a merry smile on her lips.

Andi brushed her tears away. She stood up and smoothed her skirt. The young lady laughed and called out, “Mother! It’s me, Rose!”

Andi gave a cry of joy and raced down the hill to her daughter.

Holding her at arm's length, Andi questioned, “Weren't you supposed to go back to San Francisco after the wedding? What are you doing here?”

“Oh! You didn’t know?” A teasing smile played on Rose’s girlish lips. “Papa is going to build the children and I a house right here on Remembrance Lane. Actually, our houses will be connected by a porch.”

Andi clapped a hand over her mouth and tears gushed from her eyes. God had answered her prayer so quickly!

Rose looped an arm around her mother’s waist as they strolled back to the house. She leaned towards her and whispered, “I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Andi looked at her and with a twinkling in her eye announced, “Rose Blake Elliot! You’re going to ask me that?”

Rose shrugged. “It never hurts to ask.”

                                                     *A year later*

Andi looked over at Cory, her loving husband. “All of our children have decided to come and live on Remembrance Lane. And right before my birthday. I’m so happy!”

Cory turned around and laughed. “Your mother, brothers, sisters and friends have come to help them move in. Darlin’, I think we’d better get to work.”

Andi laughed when he swatted at her and danced out of his reach.

Pretty soon the family was moved in and ready to lay down in their beds.

The next morning, Andi rose and walked across to Rose’s house. She opened the bedroom door and sat next to her sleeping daughter. Brushing a hand lightly across her hair Andi wondered whether Rose’s husband would ever come home to his wife. Little did she know how soon that would be.

Over lunch, Andi and her children were sitting around the table sharing their favorite memories of their childhood.

A knock sounded at the door and Rose stood to answer it. Those at the table heard an exclamation of surprise. Andi gasped when Tyler, Rose’s husband, walked around the corner with Rose clinging to him!

Rose was sobbing and laughing at the same time. Ty was kissing her all over and telling her about his recent conversion to Christ.

Andi jumped from her chair and yelled, “Cory! Ty’s home!”

Cory skidded around the corner and pounded his son- in-law's back.

Ty again told the family that he had found Christ while in prison.

Andi gave him a bowl of rattlesnake stew and exclaimed, “Ty. Are you… well…here to stay?”

Ty laughed long and hard. “Yes. Until I die.”

Everyone burst into cheers.

Later that evening Andi took a long walk by herself and whispered to the setting sun, “God is so good! So good.”