399Please respect copyright.PENANACVz7f3O2ET
It was a cold and dark day.399Please respect copyright.PENANAIRfX3MPMRX
Wet. Dreary. Certainly, not a day one would wish to be married on. But for399Please respect copyright.PENANAGlskkX7nO1
them, there wasn’t a more perfect day. And they were being married in the399Please respect copyright.PENANATlu7GCC5LG
church, after all; it wasn’t like they had to worry about being rained on, or399Please respect copyright.PENANAcQLlXgpg1g
their entire wedding being ruined, altogether. Nothing could ruin this day for399Please respect copyright.PENANAqoTUEWa50K
them. Not the weather, not a kink in plans, nothing.399Please respect copyright.PENANAtTDwVl3pVQ
399Please respect copyright.PENANArgDX7898lO
“Do you, Justin Daniels, take399Please respect copyright.PENANADOnxwmF23R
this woman, Mary Smith, to be your wife? To have and to hold, to love and to399Please respect copyright.PENANAdnsYftdMRF
cherish, and to honor and respect her, until death do you part?” The priest, who399Please respect copyright.PENANAkP12RyQdSw
was their good friend, Jacoby, asked with a smile.399Please respect copyright.PENANAuuNkFBTkMP
399Please respect copyright.PENANAkOhSLckYhF
Justin beamed, tears in his eyes,399Please respect copyright.PENANAEOiS8k83uM
as he stared down at Mary, right into her eyes. He didn’t even have to think399Please respect copyright.PENANAzdED5bf8Oh
about it. He gulped down the lump in his throat and nodded. “Yes. Yes, I do.”399Please respect copyright.PENANAuP46dBm70T
399Please respect copyright.PENANAWJGn4NSxIg
Then turning to Mary, Jacoby399Please respect copyright.PENANACylDMKJzRI
directed the words to her. “Do you, Mary Smith, take this man, Justin Daniels,399Please respect copyright.PENANAjDF3OnPuLh
to be your husband? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, and to honor399Please respect copyright.PENANAYgeskz2dRM
and respect him, until death do you part?”399Please respect copyright.PENANA8c0CKvIddX
399Please respect copyright.PENANABogdBo30Gy
She couldn’t help it; her399Please respect copyright.PENANAgPQzPJa8om
tears fell freely down her unblemished face, as she nodded without a second399Please respect copyright.PENANAHyIkHQtXid
thought. “I do.” She said with a strangled voice. Justin smiled at her399Please respect copyright.PENANAqspowmrSG7
confirmation, as if previously afraid that she would change her mind.399Please respect copyright.PENANAZVymOPC1Uf
399Please respect copyright.PENANA0LlQTcnlsK
“Then, without further wait,399Please respect copyright.PENANA2VB8OZCUbK
I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Jocoby announced399Please respect copyright.PENANAys9RLHquTC
with his thick accent weighing heavily throughout the small room.399Please respect copyright.PENANAtHiTry0cLW
399Please respect copyright.PENANAuczMY5Hn0O
Not waiting a second longer,399Please respect copyright.PENANAGOuSwW3bEy
Justin slid his hands over Mary’s slender hips and pulled her near to him.399Please respect copyright.PENANAlkLs70Md1E
Smiles lit their faces as they kissed passionately, but still innocently enough399Please respect copyright.PENANAccvBrthKYN
while in front of a crowd. Cheers rang through the whole room, as they sealed399Please respect copyright.PENANAh2oF2Mv7Rn
their marriage officially, finalizing their union as one.399Please respect copyright.PENANAgHxgyk9wXw
399Please respect copyright.PENANAWh8FkvosBY
After the marriage ceremony,399Please respect copyright.PENANAcaoNUf1XeT
the crowd hauled over to the bar just across town. For hours, they drank, sang,399Please respect copyright.PENANAHMdIfQiy6w
and danced the day away. When it came time for supper, they all gathered399Please respect copyright.PENANAUWGJMjTwb3
around, the finest mugs, filled to the brim with the best whisky, in their399Please respect copyright.PENANAhDQErqUBzW
hands. It was time for the bride and groom toasts. Justin’s best man, Mark399Please respect copyright.PENANADNEJ3jsd7K
Avery, went first.399Please respect copyright.PENANA0PlvaEXRjD
399Please respect copyright.PENANAElWbSc1uOC
“I have known Justin and Mary399Please respect copyright.PENANAtbUrH97dvr
for most of my life. Separately, of course. But I know that there isn’t a399Please respect copyright.PENANA4OhvDeKxQj
couple better suited for each other, than the one right here. Justin, you’re my399Please respect copyright.PENANAoVzXJgzqFb
best friend, though I know that, to you, I come in second place of Mary. My399Please respect copyright.PENANAZu9TCmqKUA
friend, you chose well. If only there were more women like Mary out there. And399Please respect copyright.PENANAfPOTdlgze5
let me say, you deserve the finest. After Catharine broke your heart, I thought399Please respect copyright.PENANAd0k0AIZDFH
you’d never move on. I’m glad you proved me wrong. To Justin and Mary Daniels!399Please respect copyright.PENANAPgWuhdf16o
May you two live long, and happy together!” He cheered before raising his mug399Please respect copyright.PENANA49FXKadhik
to his lips and taking a long swing, just as everyone else did.399Please respect copyright.PENANAHriOZVgw1L
399Please respect copyright.PENANAcqC1xyBZtd
Mary’s maid of honor, Leah399Please respect copyright.PENANAeVURIcH1NV
Cassidy, went next. “Mary, I have seen you struggle through everything in your399Please respect copyright.PENANApM746dPY7j
life, since the day your mother passed. All the things you went through with399Please respect copyright.PENANAaDgX8vLN4D
your father, they were tough. But, they also made you strong. And I couldn’t be399Please respect copyright.PENANAC5z8QzWosZ
happier to see you as the strong woman you are now. I know that you will work399Please respect copyright.PENANAwryIgBIXpN
hard in your marriage. Justin loves you, I think everyone here can see that.399Please respect copyright.PENANAnRYS6O8i33
What can I say? He has a great taste. To Justin and Mary Daniels! May you know399Please respect copyright.PENANAK33hl22JTY
bright and happy days, and always know how lucky you are!” Once again, everyone399Please respect copyright.PENANAR41Sa0dWmo
took a swig of their whisky.399Please respect copyright.PENANAyRwVETJv8w
399Please respect copyright.PENANAGf9PUrgVRi
After the bride and groom399Please respect copyright.PENANAGRXXnHbhZ3
were toasted, the people went back to dancing, and before to long it was time399Please respect copyright.PENANA21sYm3TV5u
for the first dance of the newly wedded. Against the wishes of his parents,399Please respect copyright.PENANA1hNYdBSGRP
Justin and Mary had decided they wanted a lively reception; so their first song399Please respect copyright.PENANAyNXljdCBF4
was The Old Zip Coon. It was a spry dance, one that kept people moving399Please respect copyright.PENANAn50yn8jnLZ
constantly.399Please respect copyright.PENANA4i44nJ4AdX
399Please respect copyright.PENANA1KSwOL9hiP
Hoots of fun-filled laughter399Please respect copyright.PENANADNtJvWO3bt
filled the air, as the couple swung around with the biggest smiles. Soon, the399Please respect copyright.PENANAEFJT5DeeY9
whole community joined in, and the room was full of women and men bounding399Please respect copyright.PENANAEGPmPxZec6
around the spacious bar. Without a doubt, it would be a time for the small town399Please respect copyright.PENANAupOyqGe229
of Berk to always remember. But, for Justin and Mary, the most memorable part399Please respect copyright.PENANAgJTmFIv9ql
came that night.399Please respect copyright.PENANAVUKhjfrjIz
399Please respect copyright.PENANAqPKvSoHkBq
That was seven years ago,399Please respect copyright.PENANAK6HvS5zDkP
though. All but a faded memory, left in the past.399Please respect copyright.PENANAzjD96liuNi
399Please respect copyright.PENANA8qsiXvKpJN
399Please respect copyright.PENANAoCY15qCgf7
399Please respect copyright.PENANANiMXBf0oxD
Present day399Please respect copyright.PENANAgCKmx15sFA
399Please respect copyright.PENANAPC9fTc07kH
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399Please respect copyright.PENANAsbbCT0DYMh
She was bleak, weary, and399Please respect copyright.PENANAI8yfqJqOWq
couldn’t find it in her heart to smile. She longed for it, yearned for it. all399Please respect copyright.PENANAln8nc7wUD9
she wanted was to look out at them, running around in the sunlit yard. They399Please respect copyright.PENANApAIFvChTs2
were so graceful and beautiful, her two oldest daughters. They had finally399Please respect copyright.PENANAZsJNaehtsX
cheered up, she just wished she could join in their happiness.399Please respect copyright.PENANAEaRBDF2pHp
399Please respect copyright.PENANAfQnFQFTFVS
Mary looked behind her, where399Please respect copyright.PENANAbKZbVy5UEH
her youngest was sitting up on the floor with a big smile. So much like her399Please respect copyright.PENANABgETCBEUyA
father, she thought. Sallie was, indeed, the spitting image of her war-bound399Please respect copyright.PENANAL0v1wOZ0M7
father, all but those green s. She had his face, his nose, his hair and399Please respect copyright.PENANA9shrvIDR1H
freckles, everything. The Violet eyes had passed over her though, instead being399Please respect copyright.PENANAOCiSfvmxEJ
given to little Ethel.399Please respect copyright.PENANAwkaSF9iNcZ
399Please respect copyright.PENANAyJgCj8AxIX
Turning completely to keep a399Please respect copyright.PENANAdctBDQFfrn
full eye on her daughter, and make sure she didn’t wander off, she leaned399Please respect copyright.PENANAeFmb2vrR5W
against her chair and sighed. Resting a hand on the swell of her belly, she399Please respect copyright.PENANAybRtIbbwXT
rubbed it gently, lovingly. For the hundredth time since Justin left for war, she399Please respect copyright.PENANAKuVAFOjOc7
felt her heart break again. She didn’t understand how it was possible to399Please respect copyright.PENANADMCGZFFblr
experience heartbreak so many times, in such a short amount of time; all she399Please respect copyright.PENANAwJu0k6FNYw
knew was that she hated it.399Please respect copyright.PENANAPWwPEqzEM6
399Please respect copyright.PENANAIt2xLjdtGk
Not even a month after Justin399Please respect copyright.PENANA3PhAK05yN3
left, she discovered that she was once again with child. She was pregnant, with399Please respect copyright.PENANAQc6t65TH0q
a baby Justin didn’t even know about; a baby she wouldn’t get to tell him about399Please respect copyright.PENANA552C0vCs7f
until he returned. Now, not only would Sallie be estranged from her father, but399Please respect copyright.PENANAGs4JtOTzxW
another baby of theirs wouldn’t know him. He would be a total stranger, in the399Please respect copyright.PENANAs2lgPWuk5c
eyes of his own two children.399Please respect copyright.PENANAnRdAG10vEy
399Please respect copyright.PENANA1AX3XL8dhE
She was currently seven399Please respect copyright.PENANA3iXvbO4CBF
months along, and her belly was already round and swollen. Women of the town399Please respect copyright.PENANAV6uYfYakRA
had talked, first thinking she’d had an affair. But when she vehemently told399Please respect copyright.PENANA8sSpnT0Q8z
them that that was certainly not the case, that she would never do that to399Please respect copyright.PENANAwyjSUiUiKh
Justin and their girls, the women began to take pity on her. She hated it, but399Please respect copyright.PENANAv0W7uOVK7u
had to admit that their bugging petty was a step up from their thinking she was399Please respect copyright.PENANAjhZp3UzbcO
having an affair.399Please respect copyright.PENANAMj4jcGXCWJ
399Please respect copyright.PENANAxpuHHhHgbb
A hiss brushed past her lips,399Please respect copyright.PENANAnjEZMl1alK
as she felt a sharp jab to the side of her stomach. “Easy, little one.” She399Please respect copyright.PENANAvphS5SxxUx
whispered, directing it toward the baby inside her. Lately, she hadn’t been399Please respect copyright.PENANAu7xCTaim7M
feeling right. She was throwing up more, and the baby had been much more active399Please respect copyright.PENANAwJBAqsIeUC
than he/she had in the beginning stages of movement. Almost constantly, she399Please respect copyright.PENANA5J3YEhzxOt
felt the baby turning completely around, which just wasn’t normal. It worried399Please respect copyright.PENANACpaeT3DHQL
her, yet she decided not to go to the town doctor.399Please respect copyright.PENANAR1OqJpzNxo
399Please respect copyright.PENANALiMtUL4YMz
Just then, a whinny could be399Please respect copyright.PENANA8ermkp4Vxx
heard from down the trail. Mary frowned, as no one ever came this far out of399Please respect copyright.PENANAi2mq06f7x6
town. Maybe it was a passerby? Someone looking for direction? She didn’t know;399Please respect copyright.PENANArIDsKSS5uZ
but taking extra precaution, she grabbed the rifle that had always been kept by399Please respect copyright.PENANAThLWBsX1ER
the door, and readied it, in case it was a robber, or someone who would harm399Please respect copyright.PENANA4mWsBDkijo
her or her girls.399Please respect copyright.PENANAi4owzF5yHH
399Please respect copyright.PENANAA4CH4pw43s
Waiting by the porch, rifle399Please respect copyright.PENANAMSciLbAinY
readied, she watched as the mounted horse glided toward them. “Girls, come up399Please respect copyright.PENANANJ3h3QWz8O
here, please!” She called to her daughters, and they obeyed without argument.399Please respect copyright.PENANAHENDabcNNF
Watching the horse and rider come closer, she could finally see what the person399Please respect copyright.PENANAVPuTJDekAu
was wearing: blue army jacket, with a blue cap. Gold lined the jacket and cap,399Please respect copyright.PENANA5q37M8QhXX
and the clothes could be seen as clean. The horse was also well groomed, and399Please respect copyright.PENANAbEL31xJN9e
it’s saddle appeared to be fancy.399Please respect copyright.PENANApm5d3NwNx2
399Please respect copyright.PENANA1f0JZ107Xv
She didn’t dare to hope, but399Please respect copyright.PENANAXMDedTOVfj
the closer the rider neared, the more she felt her heart begin to lift. “Justin?”399Please respect copyright.PENANAaku0fECz9O
She choked. Closer and closer. Faster and faster, her heart beat. But it399Please respect copyright.PENANAfd7K7qbT8i
suddenly dropped, when the man came to a stop and unmounted. It fell, hitting399Please respect copyright.PENANAtFfaGN5fom
the dirt ground hard and painfully.399Please respect copyright.PENANAlFDI8J0hFS
399Please respect copyright.PENANAaCJZF4iVzT
It wasn’t Justin.399Please respect copyright.PENANAY61xSxiLhb
399Please respect copyright.PENANARViksEDNZC
The man walked up briskly,399Please respect copyright.PENANAVnYqMuz3EO
taking off his cap as he came up the steps. His gaze drifted down to the two399Please respect copyright.PENANAZSBnc9yaHQ
girls behind her, clinging to her dress. A tone of sympathy edged his eyes as399Please respect copyright.PENANALtdTOCkx2K
he slowly lifted them back up to meet Mary’s. “Ma’am, I’m sergeant Michael,399Please respect copyright.PENANAiMxutxj0Vz
are you Mary Daniels?” He asked softly.399Please respect copyright.PENANAR1F54R2CiG
399Please respect copyright.PENANAt6jlYY89tR
She forced the lump down her399Please respect copyright.PENANAWvs7GY009D
throat and nodded. “That I am. Is-is my husband alright?”399Please respect copyright.PENANAAlYxVPqHGv
399Please respect copyright.PENANAgSL27hWsRs
He ran a shaky hand through399Please respect copyright.PENANAj9DRkqq9qi
his hair and closed his eyes briefly. “Mrs. Daniels, I’m…I’m sorry to inform399Please respect copyright.PENANAFfY7bRTWgJ
you that yesterday, July 2, 1863, at 5 in the afternoon, your husband was399Please respect copyright.PENANAGOviAFqXdC
killed on the field of battle at Gettysburg. I’m so sorry for your loss.” One399Please respect copyright.PENANAkE5VxlaGZR
last look at her and her daughters, then he turned and left.399Please respect copyright.PENANATynFwlLtUs
399Please respect copyright.PENANACymhuktonQ
Shock filled her at first.399Please respect copyright.PENANAVe7yafjkQS
Against her will, a sob ripped through her lips, and she slapped a hand over399Please respect copyright.PENANAfIZ0Q04W6i
her mouth to stifle her cry. Slowly dropping her eyes downward, she looked to399Please respect copyright.PENANAiQE4laa00d
her daughters. They looked scared, confused, and worried.399Please respect copyright.PENANALakCfPqnB5
399Please respect copyright.PENANAfkCcQZy9LO
“Daddy coming home?” Ethel399Please respect copyright.PENANA0Xf6rL6055
asked her softly.399Please respect copyright.PENANASgt8uSyqbd
399Please respect copyright.PENANAPOrYHkfOL6
The tears raged down her face399Please respect copyright.PENANAdLyGnO067x
and she shut her eyes tight for a moment. As best as she could, she knelt down399Please respect copyright.PENANAgdUSXy7kSj
and pulled the girls close to her. “No, Ethel.” She whispered. “Daddy’s not399Please respect copyright.PENANAuPjdQj2tVE
coming home. He’s…he’s with the angels, baby.” She choked, the lump in her throat399Please respect copyright.PENANAv7OJBCtrET
growing by the second. Her daughters were too young for this. The pain of399Please respect copyright.PENANAguOE03DueI
losing a parent was difficult no matter what, but none of her children were399Please respect copyright.PENANApimjdSZmsF
even through their first decade of life. Her oldest was barely seven.399Please respect copyright.PENANAekr9olTeI6
399Please respect copyright.PENANANlpLLa1n3k
The small girl had tears in her399Please respect copyright.PENANAt3S3s3hSFt
eyes, and her lip quivered. “Daddy left us forever?” She whimpered.399Please respect copyright.PENANAEqCRcLST8D
399Please respect copyright.PENANAPhq8e8sokp
Mary hated to think of it399Please respect copyright.PENANACZOiBQ7Tf1
that way, but what other way was there to explain to her daughters? Unable to399Please respect copyright.PENANAqDnVymF5dB
say anything, she nodded and pulled her daughters into the safety of her arms.399Please respect copyright.PENANAHZ5WHTjRBl
“He loved you girls. So very much. You and your sister were everything to him.399Please respect copyright.PENANAAbltc4WCxJ
And if he were here, right now, he would tell you how much he loves you.”399Please respect copyright.PENANAbGbJ7R5qam
399Please respect copyright.PENANA8jwofDAFpM
Her heart ached so much399Please respect copyright.PENANAem2RbJqArw
though. Sallie wasn’t even a year old, and the father she would never remember399Please respect copyright.PENANAgeEZaEBhMw
was gone. The baby growing inside her would never even meet his/her father. He399Please respect copyright.PENANAggzD0U9f8a
hadn’t even known about her pregnancy. Now he would never know. He would never399Please respect copyright.PENANA5aS3vNI5hA
know his youngest daughter. He would never know his unborn child. He would399Please respect copyright.PENANA4VrysFCO8p
never walk his daughters down the aisle on their wedding days. He’d miss out on399Please respect copyright.PENANAuzzHmjsd2N
his grandchildren being born and growing up. All of that, he would never have a399Please respect copyright.PENANAt2WWI40AGE
chance to do or see.399Please respect copyright.PENANAL8jUYJZvHY
399Please respect copyright.PENANAXsEQuUqV1x
399Please respect copyright.PENANA04iJWtXbzZ
399Please respect copyright.PENANAn2GSi01Se4
……399Please respect copyright.PENANAJBsXcEKNlM
399Please respect copyright.PENANAPnMm0iR5gd
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For several days, the Daniels399Please respect copyright.PENANAWaKgG1vZpy
girls were all in a state of melancholy. Townspeople had stopped by a few399Please respect copyright.PENANAqgQ9mkCugE
times, both to give their condolences, and to offer Mary anything she needed:399Please respect copyright.PENANAzR9K2rXWap
help with the girls, food for the next few days, someone to talk to, anything.399Please respect copyright.PENANAqbD4ieKBH2
The young widow refused though. She didn’t wish for charity, and she thought it399Please respect copyright.PENANA4kGAOKzQFO
best that she be the one to care for the girls, especially through such a time399Please respect copyright.PENANAa2e7sYNPj4
as the news of their father’s death.399Please respect copyright.PENANAKGOFOLVL2x
399Please respect copyright.PENANAfu1ZBnYDlz
Ida and Ethel, while still399Please respect copyright.PENANAdes0qSyX3z
not fully comprehending that their father was gone forever, seemed to399Please respect copyright.PENANAE7QzXuaQH0
understand that something really bad had happened to him. Mary hated seeing it399Please respect copyright.PENANAk09JakkWdp
on her daughters; she’d gone through the same thing when she was not much older399Please respect copyright.PENANAdTTvz5zQc6
than Ida. She knew it wasn’t fair, on anybody.399Please respect copyright.PENANAfMmmOBBb0w
399Please respect copyright.PENANAZWzn9tnXiA
It was barely a week after399Please respect copyright.PENANA1w9RSHBxsw
receiving the news, when Mary felt a hard kick to her lower abdomen. At first,399Please respect copyright.PENANAHlcc2s10sx
she didn’t take it to mean anything, just the baby putting up a fuss; but when399Please respect copyright.PENANANjvQ7YwI9d
the kicks increased in severity, she became slightly worried.399Please respect copyright.PENANAAL60nHmRUP
399Please respect copyright.PENANAXkOKx5XWMl
Just as she was getting up to399Please respect copyright.PENANACkbFgQIFAA
make something for the girls to eat, she felt something wet between her legs.399Please respect copyright.PENANACSLPWV4HhI
Shutting her eyes, not wanting to admit to herself what she already knew was399Please respect copyright.PENANAAfKxxDV6VY
happening, she looked to the ground under her feet. There it was; that small399Please respect copyright.PENANAzjFkpGByrj
puddle that could only mean one thing: she was in labor.399Please respect copyright.PENANAN1Vwi414OC
399Please respect copyright.PENANAPcHYs7w5ag
It’s to early, she said in399Please respect copyright.PENANAJATOaR8Uh9
her mind. The same thing had happened with her baby boy a few years ago. She’d399Please respect copyright.PENANAa9dmY2hKLf
gone into early labor, and he only lasted a few minutes after birth. The first399Please respect copyright.PENANAn1RJP0NSqq
thing since her father’s death, and it broke her. Losing her child, the child399Please respect copyright.PENANAXGwZpqh8r0
she had carried for six months, the child she felt moving inside her, was the399Please respect copyright.PENANAwEB07vr8JY
hardest thing. She couldn’t go through it again, especially after the399Please respect copyright.PENANAmWAyUUXMyl
heartbreak of losing her beloved husband.399Please respect copyright.PENANADYsEc5aD7j
399Please respect copyright.PENANAgXl3kwLcuZ
Braving through her fear for399Please respect copyright.PENANAnk1YGeZqcA
the moment, she looked to Ida, holding her stomach tightly. “Idie, I need to to399Please respect copyright.PENANA2Anv1UApjp
ride Bobbie into town and tell auntie Leah that your baby brother or sister is399Please respect copyright.PENANAWyqYs3loVh
coming.” She said in a steady, but still fearful voice.399Please respect copyright.PENANAuibdAp3x5m
399Please respect copyright.PENANApQZMUjnuVx
The seven year old wasted no399Please respect copyright.PENANAQdDpm7klLG
time in jumping up from the floor, racing to pull on her coat, and running out399Please respect copyright.PENANAZGAiFLqWW1
the door. She was thankful to know that her father’s horse was already saddled399Please respect copyright.PENANAcZzijv01N9
up and ready to go. Climbing up, she gripped the reins in shaking hands and399Please respect copyright.PENANAJSqMeMP0Qo
gave them a snap.399Please respect copyright.PENANAeCeRMXItAI
399Please respect copyright.PENANAKQgTJncRNa
Only half an hour later, she399Please respect copyright.PENANATWlKuxfPFF
returned with Leah riding behind her. They slid off their horses, and Leah immediately399Please respect copyright.PENANApNGYTpnXo3
made a beeline for the house. “Mary!” She called in a panic.399Please respect copyright.PENANAQWZMhMwAAG
399Please respect copyright.PENANAl1NGeb4O77
“Back here, Lee!” Mary called399Please respect copyright.PENANAxeYOA4DHha
back to her best friend. When Leah stood beside her, she took a deep breath and399Please respect copyright.PENANA0Li5qXjGYJ
leaned back slightly. “I’m sorry. I know you have to take care of the boys-“399Please respect copyright.PENANAzGos601BFx
399Please respect copyright.PENANARFhlN6pEos
“Mary, Ivan and Timothy are399Please respect copyright.PENANA1t4BvAeiw4
fine. Mark is watching them. What matters is that you’re in labor. Now, listen,399Please respect copyright.PENANAXF1VrYwPgz
since you’ve gone into early labor, you know what we have to do.” Leah stroked399Please respect copyright.PENANAf4EVy69kYc
her friend’s hair sympathetically and dabbed her already sweaty forehead.399Please respect copyright.PENANABGkeNG0DzL
“Let’s get you in bed, and I’ll do what I can to bring your little one into the399Please respect copyright.PENANAde5N47FrjG
world.” She guided her over to the bed and helped her lay down.399Please respect copyright.PENANAROmUCwQvkD
399Please respect copyright.PENANASqCARpZRcC
Hours passed by, and the only399Please respect copyright.PENANArjQpqonFHw
thing that seemed to change was the pitch in Mary’s screams. They varied from399Please respect copyright.PENANAxuH4T2cwfy
loud, to quiet, to high pitched, and real low. The three girls, Ida, Ethel, and399Please respect copyright.PENANADxNiX2AWIE
Sallie, all sat in the corner. They worried for their dear mother, as they399Please respect copyright.PENANAcasO2K5KzO
didn’t understand what was going on, but they stayed silent and kept patient.399Please respect copyright.PENANAkGfOvqyART
399Please respect copyright.PENANARw2Q5R06Wj
It was well into the night,399Please respect copyright.PENANAABdRRnLhq8
and there was still nothing to be gained from the long hours of labor that Mary399Please respect copyright.PENANAUzQHcdA2Z2
had endured. She’d been in labor for twelve hours already, and while Leah399Please respect copyright.PENANAatKrAeNOhy
wasn’t expecting her to have delivered by then, she was at least expecting her399Please respect copyright.PENANAb701uqARZ1
to be dilating; Mary wasn’t even so much as dilating. There was no doubt in the399Please respect copyright.PENANAfzeKHYptkV
fellow mother’s mind, this was going to be a long birthing process.399Please respect copyright.PENANAvi4J0Co76r
399Please respect copyright.PENANAclonko1Mxr
And so it was. Two days of399Please respect copyright.PENANAPiaAa8iK9I
labor, and still nothing to show for it. Mark eventually had to bring his and399Please respect copyright.PENANAi4jN0TNsZB
Leah’s two sons out so that she could help them bathe, as he had no idea how to399Please respect copyright.PENANA8LlLhINeZV
do it. Throughout the whole two days though, Mary still showed no signs of399Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6GLU7vKWL
actually giving birth.399Please respect copyright.PENANAWfDk9TVbqV
399Please respect copyright.PENANAMdkvLmHGjL
And then the third day came.399Please respect copyright.PENANAe1eqFnxYWP
399Please respect copyright.PENANAj9jPDvW0NY
It hit them all, like a399Please respect copyright.PENANAHHnP6iDyKA
tornado. It came with piercing screams, and obvious signs that Mary had finally399Please respect copyright.PENANAL3zfx1KZe4
started crowning. For when Leah looked under the blanket that was sprawled over399Please respect copyright.PENANA2OXOoaC5OX
Mary, she could clearly see a head full of black hair. And at that sight, she399Please respect copyright.PENANAHCK5A5U9KL
gave a joyous cry and told Mary that it was time. She shoved everyone else out399Please respect copyright.PENANAq2M5Gx0n1B
in the meantime, asking Fabian to watch the children.399Please respect copyright.PENANAx9LLhNq4Ai
399Please respect copyright.PENANAJNGju5P4yJ
That night was long and hard.399Please respect copyright.PENANAjoHlpiNsnQ
And in the end, silence filled the small Daniels’ residence. It was so quiet,399Please respect copyright.PENANA6Cv0LErVyH
you could have heard a pin drop. But suddenly, tiny wails came from the room399Please respect copyright.PENANAm6PeovIYAi
Mary was in. Newborn wails. Leah came in to the family room with a bright smile399Please respect copyright.PENANAmf4IkOYEjq
upon her face. “The baby is good and healthy, though a bit small.” Taking399Please respect copyright.PENANAoRwOSX7de6
Sallie from her husband, she looked to Ida and Ethel. “Your mother is waiting399Please respect copyright.PENANAmovxCD1h4a
for you. Go on, I’ll be there in a minute.” She told them softly. She watched399Please respect copyright.PENANAmUrar6sNrI
them leave before turning back to Mark, who looked worried.399Please respect copyright.PENANApAyC7jSwBc
399Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZyoMJRByv
“So?” He said nervously.399Please respect copyright.PENANAdCDLKlBCDY
399Please respect copyright.PENANAcW8KyN7QXi
Her smile, still, didn’t399Please respect copyright.PENANAs4X1JC3ffW
fade. “Healthy baby girl.” Her gaze fell then, though, and she looked morose.399Please respect copyright.PENANAGxcRoRmESj
“Mary…didn’t want to hold her at first. She-she looks like…like him.” She399Please respect copyright.PENANAbO1Oy1GdyP
whispered.399Please respect copyright.PENANAajBkew8CXU
399Please respect copyright.PENANAe66kAUm6dv
Mark sighed and shook his399Please respect copyright.PENANAE2hKzVr3PJ
head. “Those poor girls. And poor Mary, having to deal with four daughters, all399Please respect copyright.PENANAuN2ag2Ofsg
on her own. This shouldn’t be happening.” He hesitated briefly before stating,399Please respect copyright.PENANA74SwPpQQrX
“What is she going to do?” A careful edge to his voice.399Please respect copyright.PENANA1VluyGR1Z7
399Please respect copyright.PENANAD9DfsFYqbx
She chewed on her lip. “I399Please respect copyright.PENANAFjiYflWHoz
think she’s going to go to work. How else is she going to care for the girls?399Please respect copyright.PENANArQ4Z8TTFbc
Still, you’re right; this shouldn’t be happening.”399Please respect copyright.PENANANKzx5nLYHZ
399Please respect copyright.PENANAUa3ix0nySY
“What’s her name?”399Please respect copyright.PENANAQP1QajWjBw
399Please respect copyright.PENANANjWHkwl6JT
Leah smiled again, having399Please respect copyright.PENANAYvzhVgt2LZ
known the name Mary had picked. There was no doubt in her mind, it was a lovely399Please respect copyright.PENANAgS3zfgaYwM
name. “Margaret. Margaret Hope Daniels. Justin loved the name, and Mary thought399Please respect copyright.PENANApDiztaR3u5
that it was perfectly suited.399Please respect copyright.PENANA9BDFMyTNkT
399Please respect copyright.PENANAA8kAJWEhJ6
Mark knew, all to well, how399Please respect copyright.PENANAgqBGBBF10a
his friend had loved the name. They had discussed the topic a few months before399Please respect copyright.PENANA7eSXKnOBsz
he left; he said that if he ever had another daughter, he wanted her name to be399Please respect copyright.PENANAcoqcdIvdmg
Margaret Hope Daniels.399Please respect copyright.PENANAalKN18YPYr
399Please respect copyright.PENANAq2lYmqXp2O
He wrapped and arm around his399Please respect copyright.PENANAHFKlm37dZZ
wife as they started for Mary’s room, Sallie in Leah’s free arm. When they399Please respect copyright.PENANAoRRdAsZITI
arrived at the entrance, Mark couldn’t help but smile at the sweet scene. The399Please respect copyright.PENANApMaBJNzt4m
girls were on either side of Mary, on the bed, and were completely mesmerized399Please respect copyright.PENANAnoiDowHKtV
by their new baby sister. Even from such a distance, Mark could definitely see399Please respect copyright.PENANAEU11iikpya
how baby Margaret resembled her late father. Her tiny face was a mold of his,399Please respect copyright.PENANArBYuNPKaVJ
and the small tufts of black hair were as dark and soft-looking as her399Please respect copyright.PENANAfHlz6VHT4T
father’s. He could only imagine how much more she would grow to look like her399Please respect copyright.PENANAZC4eBfdvlm
father; it was a painful thought.399Please respect copyright.PENANAnWodnbU9DH
399Please respect copyright.PENANAfsQGPYk40j
Mary’s head snapped up to her399Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0sNWDUuzz
friends, and she smiled wide. “Come and meet the new Daniels.” She beckoned to399Please respect copyright.PENANA5SXFE2WUyv
them gently, yet eagerly.399Please respect copyright.PENANATAbDnImRDS
399Please respect copyright.PENANAsOWjmAljmy
They came in and stood beside399Please respect copyright.PENANA2n1v8E38i6
her, admiring the beautiful baby that was nestled within her arms. They smiled399Please respect copyright.PENANAw2FGRBUrQM
at each other, and then back at her. “She’s beautiful, Mary.” Mark said softly.399Please respect copyright.PENANAIBMPZ51lTw
399Please respect copyright.PENANAi09mUs3U2o
The exhausted mother managed399Please respect copyright.PENANAeNrN7Buxkj
a laugh as she nodded. “She gets it from her father.” Looking back down at her399Please respect copyright.PENANAIyh80e9CG1
newborn, she brought the girl up slightly and kissed her small, pink forehead.399Please respect copyright.PENANArGyQeCqIKk
“I love you, my sweet girl. Daddy would have loved you too. But remember, little399Please respect copyright.PENANAdSrd2gtl94
one, he’s always with you.” Looking around at all of them, tears embraced her399Please respect copyright.PENANAXoTpIKPk5S
eyes and caressed her cheeks. She tried licking them away, but to no use. “He’s399Please respect copyright.PENANAeuDkuFZf9n
with all of us.” She whimpered.399Please respect copyright.PENANAfdolzrNSgg
399Please respect copyright.PENANAYkJuSQ5XIB
The Avery’s embraced her and399Please respect copyright.PENANAPLgcnO8Usf
the girls, and the Avery boys were quick to join in, always loving hugs. They399Please respect copyright.PENANA40nu0yCtIE
knew this was not a typical hug, but they could feel the love than ran through,399Please respect copyright.PENANAH17bbIcpIR
just as much as the heartache. The one thing they could all feel though, was399Please respect copyright.PENANAxIvfGhKuZh
how it uplifted them. They were stronger together. The past months had been399Please respect copyright.PENANAhIM6pY8VxX
hard, but they were sure now that they could get through this hard time. Mary399Please respect copyright.PENANA8xcpDMsbFo
and her daughters would make it. They would all make it; together.