“Where am I now?” Abner asked, looking around.
Catherine looked at him nervously. “You’re in your home, Abner. Our home.”
Abner smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call it that,” he whispered to Catherine. He tried to sit up but winced with pain.
Catherine felt her heart flutter. She wanted nothing more than for Abner to be well again. “Would you like something to eat?”
“Maybe,” Abner replied. “I’m not sure if I can sit up, though.”
Dr. Bennett nodded. “Just be very careful and take everything very slowly. You don’t want to rush it. In a few days, you’ll be as good as new.”
“Okay,” Abner agreed. “Maybe I can sit at the table to try to eat something.”
Catherine shook her head. “Absolutely not. I’ll feed you. You stay put.”
“Looks like you have a good nurse on your hands, Abner,” Dr. Bennett said approvingly. “We should get out of your hair and let you two have a little peace and rest. No more excitement, do you understand, Abner? Doctor’s orders.”
“Yes, sir,” Abner said.
Hope and Katie stood and followed Dr. Bennett to the door. They hugged Catherine goodbye and waited outside. Dr. Bennett took Catherine aside. “Remember, rest and quiet. He may be a little confused for the next few days, and it’s important to keep him calm and well-rested.”
“You think he’ll be all right, Doctor?” Catherine asked anxiously.
Dr. Bennett smiled. “With you by his side, he’ll be better than all right. Just make sure he doesn’t try to do too much. That could extend his recovery.”
“I understand. Thank you, Dr. Bennett.” Catherine waved goodbye as Dr. Bennett exited the house. She closed the door and turned to Abner. “Don’t even think about moving. I’ll be right back with some food for you. You must be starving!”
Abner nodded sleepily. His body ached with pain, but having Catherine fuss over him made him feel better. It reminded him of when he was younger and his parents would take extra special care of him when he was sick. He liked the feeling of being loved and cared for.
Catherine prepared a bowl of soup and a few tiny bites of casserole and brought them over to Abner. “How do you feel?”
“I’m a little sore,” Abner admitted.
“You poor thing,” Catherine clucked. She propped his head up on a pillow and held the bowl of soup up to him. “Do you think you can manage a few bites?”
“Oh, yes,” Abner said happily. His stomach was growling.
Catherine fed him a few spoonfuls of soup, and Abner smiled. “This is delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Catherine felt her heartrate start to get back to normal. “Oh, Abner, you really gave me a scare.”
Abner felt terrible. “I’m so sorry, Catherine. What did I do wrong?”
Catherine looked at him, surprised, but then remembered what Dr. Bennett had said about Abner being confused for a few days. “Oh, nothing, Abner. Just focus on eating something, and then you should probably go back to sleep.”
“Whatever you say, Catherine,” Abner agreed.
Catherine helped Abner take a few more bites, then fluffed the pillows to make Abner more comfortable. She found a cozy blanket in the bedroom and covered him with it, tucking it in around the sides of the sofa. “Get some rest, Abner.”
“Thank you, Cath—” Abner began to say, but he fell asleep in the middle of speaking.
Catherine put the food away. She knew she should eat something, too, but she wasn’t hungry. All she cared about was helping Abner recover. Although the house was clean, she paced around, straightening furniture and dusting all of their belongings. When there was truly nothing else to do, she kissed Abner goodnight and went into the makeshift bedroom. She left the curtains open in case Abner needed anything or called to her during the night.
It took Catherine a long time to fall asleep. She felt guilty for all of the arguments she’d had with Abner over the past few days. In the end, all that mattered was that they had taken a vow of marriage. She resolved to start acting like the wife Abner truly deserved.
In the morning, Catherine woke up to Abner calling for her. She jumped out of bed and raced to his side. “Are you okay?”
“Why am I on the sofa?” Abner asked. “What happened?”
Catherine smiled. “You gave us all quite a fright, Abner. You fell. Do you remember that Dr. Bennett was here?”
Abner closed his eyes and tried to remember. “I think I do. And you . . . you fed me soup!”
“That’s right!” Catherine was glad he remembered the previous night. Surely that was a good sign. “But the doctor said you’d be a little confused for a few days. He said if you rest and take it easy, you’ll be back to normal in no time.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Abner replied. “I’m sure lucky to have you by my side.”
Catherine squeezed Abner’s hand. “Always.”
Abner had never seen Catherine act so loving before, and he quite enjoyed it.
“Would you like some breakfast?” Catherine asked.
Abner nodded eagerly.
Catherine went to the cupboards, and Abner heard Catherine open the ice box and the sounds of jars being opened and closed. A little while later, Catherine brought two bowls over and handed one to Abner.
Abner sniffed it cautiously. It didn’t look like anything Catherine had ever made him before. “What is this?”
“It’s musgo,” Catherine said brightly.
Abner felt like kissing her, but it was too painful to move. Even the simple act of lifting the spoon from the bowl to his mouth hurt him. “Thank you,” he said gratefully.
“You’re welcome.” To his surprise, Catherine began to eat the musgo eagerly.
He tasted a few more bites. “This is better than when I’ve made it.”
Catherine shrugged. “I may have slipped in a few extra ingredients.”
Abner rested his eyes. “You’re so wonderful.”
Catherine put her hand on his arm. “Abner, listen to me. You need to take it nice and easy, all right? I don’t want another scare. I’m not going to allow you to go back to work until you’re fully recovered.”
Abner sighed pleasantly. “I understand.”
If it meant Catherine was taking such good care of him, Abner didn’t mind a long recovery. In fact, he could get used to it.
Chapter 10
Catherine walked carefully, carrying a plate of pasta over to the sofa. “Careful, it’s hot.” Abner smiled meekly up at her. Catherine tried to smile, but she was worried. It had been two weeks since Abner’s fall, and his recovery was slower than anyone had anticipated. Dr. Bennett was on his way to check up on him.
Tom had visited a few times and assured them that he would wait as long as it took for Abner to recover. Tom felt horrible about the accident, even though it hadn’t been his fault and no one was to blame. He wanted to make sure Abner was fully healed when he returned to work.
Catherine felt lucky that Abner had such an understanding employer. When she had worked at the factory, if girls had been injured or sick, they would lose their jobs immediately. None of the factory managers were as compassionate as the McClains. She was also grateful that practically the whole town had helped out. Each morning, a different neighbor or friend would arrive with a hot meal or something to brighten their day.
Katie Cavett had picked fresh flowers the day before, and Catherine had set them in a glass next to Abner so he’d have something cheery to look at as soon as he woke up each morning. Ruby Darcy had brought ice cream from the local shop. Edna Petunia had visited several times and left a growing pile of peppermint sticks on the table near the sofa. No one had touched them, but Catherine knew it was the thought that counted.
Still, Catherine felt concerned that Abner hadn’t progressed. Each evening, she asked Abner how he was feeling and if he felt ready to try new things. But he was still sleeping on the sofa and taking his meals there. Catherin
e had tried to get him to walk around the small home, but even that seemed too big of a chore for him. He’d needed her help just to get to the outhouse and back.
Abner waited for the pasta to cool off, then tried a few bites. “This is delicious.” Nearly every dish Catherine made was fantastic, but pasta with meatballs was quickly becoming one of his favorites. He wondered if he should try to walk around the room. He knew Catherine wanted him to, but he felt scared. Part of him was worried that his body wasn’t ready and that he would collapse. But a bigger part of him worried that if he was fully recovered, Catherine wouldn’t be as kind and loving to him.
He knew he should talk to Catherine about it, but he wasn’t sure how to bring it up. And in the meantime, Catherine was taking such good care of him. He thought he had better play it safe and keep resting.
A little while later, Dr. Bennett arrived. Catherine washed dishes while Dr. Bennett examined every inch of Abner. When he was finished, he asked Catherine if they could speak outside.
Catherine walked outside with Dr. Bennett, her heart beating rapidly. Was something terribly wrong?
Dr. Bennett frowned. “As far as I can tell, there’s nothing wrong with Abner. I’m not sure why he still is feeling so weak. All of the measurements I took are normal. I thought he’d be fully recovered by now.”
“I thought that, too,” Catherine replied. “What should we do?”
“I’m not sure. This is unusual,” Dr. Bennett admitted. “I didn’t think we should push Abner before, but maybe he needs a little nudge.”
“What do you mean?” Catherine asked.
“A reminder of his normal life. What he’s missing by staying in the house. Maybe he needs a goal to work for,” Dr. Bennett explained.
Catherine had an idea, but it wasn’t polite to mention to Dr. Bennett. “I think I understand.”
Dr. Bennett looked relieved. “Catherine, you’re a wonderful caretaker for Abner. I know he’s not progressing as quickly as we’d like, but he’s very lucky to have you.”
“Thank you,” Catherine replied. “I just want my husband to be well.”
“I want that, too,” Dr. Bennett agreed. “I think I’ll leave now and give you some privacy again. But please send for me if you need anything else. Physically, Abner seems like he’s fully healed. He probably just needs to build some confidence so he believes he’s better.”
Catherine nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Bennett. I hope we’ll see you at church this Sunday.”
Dr. Bennett was surprised by Catherine’s positivity. “I hope so, too. Good night.”
Dr. Bennett left, and Catherine went back inside. She knew exactly what she wanted to talk to Abner about, but it might be tricky to find the right words.
“You know, Abner,” Catherine began, “Dr. Bennett said something that worried me a little.”
Abner sat up on the sofa, alarmed. He was relieved to find that the action didn’t hurt him anymore. “What was that?”
“He talked about how you aren’t back to normal yet,” Catherine said, hanging her head. “And that made me realize . . .”
“Realize what?” Abner didn’t understand what Catherine was trying to say.
“Until you’re well again, there are certain things we can't do. And I wish we could do them,” Catherine explained.
Abner scratched his head. Was Catherine saying what he thought she was saying? “Certain things . . . like what?”
Catherine sighed. She still felt uncomfortable talking about it, but she was just going to have to get over it. “Like sharing a bed,” she said softly. “It’s too bad you still feel unwell.”
Abner’s heart beat even faster. He wanted that more than anything. But he was scared. What if he couldn’t even walk around the room? How could he perform his husbandly duties?
Catherine sighed. “It’s all right, though. We’ll wait as long as it takes you to recover. It just made me a little sad, that’s all.” Catherine stood up and returned to washing dishes. She hoped that what she had said might make Abner a little more motivated toward his recovery.
Abner gulped. He was scared of trying to stand up, but he knew he owed it to Catherine to try. He took a few deep breaths. “Catherine?”
Catherine turned around. “Yes?”
“I think I’m ready to try to walk around a little. Just a little,” he added hastily. “I don’t want to hurt myself again.”
Catherine rushed to his side. “Of course, Abner. We’ll take it slow.” Catherine bent down and helped Abner wrap his arms around her shoulders. Feeling his body so close to hers sent that tingling sensation through her body again. She remembered how it had felt kissing him. Although that evening felt like it was in the distant past, it had been two weeks since their passionate kiss. Since then, Catherine and Abner had hugged and even given each other light kisses, but there had been nothing more. Catherine longed to feel his touch again, but she knew she needed to be patient.
Slowly, Catherine and Abner stood. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” Abner replied. He took a few shaky steps and was pleased to find that they were comfortable. After a few steps, he felt tired again. “I think I need a break.”
Catherine gingerly helped Abner back to the sofa. “That was wonderful, Abner!”
Abner frowned. “I grew tired so quickly.”
“That’s all right. You’ll build up your endurance bit by bit,” Catherine reassured him. “I’m so proud of you.”
Abner smiled up at her. “Thank you.”
“You should rest up. We’ll try again later, or tomorrow,” Catherine instructed.
“Yes, ma’am,” Abner agreed.
Catherine tucked him back into his blanket and went back to finish doing the dishes. Although it had been a long journey, she had hope that soon, her husband would be back to his normal, easygoing self. She could hardly wait.
The following evening, Abner felt well enough to eat dinner at the table with Catherine. They ate a tuna casserole quietly.
“This is very good. Thank you,” Abner told Catherine.
“It was simple,” Catherine said. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want to eat since you’ve been feeling a bit better.”
“I’m happy with anything you cook for me, you know that,” Abner grinned. He would never complain about Catherine’s cooking, because he had no intention of going back to his bachelor ways. Plus, her cooking was phenomenal.
“How does your head feel?” Catherine inquired.
“It doesn’t hurt at all anymore,” Abner explained. “The first few days after the fall, it hurt pretty badly. But now it doesn’t give me any trouble.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Catherine replied. “Maybe tomorrow we could go for a walk outside.”
“I think I’d like that,” Abner agreed. He took a deep breath and took her hand in his. “I could have never gotten through this without you, Catherine.”
To Abner’s surprise, Catherine burst into tears. Bewildered, he handed her the handkerchief he always kept in his pocket. Catherine took it gratefully and sobbed into it.
“What’s wrong?” Abner asked. “Oh, no! Am I using the wrong fork again?”
Just as suddenly as she had started crying, Catherine began to laugh. Abner was so confused that he joined her in laughter. “No, that’s not it, Abner! Not at all!”
Abner was flummoxed. “Then what is it? Have I done something wrong?”
“No, Abner! You’ve done nothing wrong!” Catherine assured him. “I just feel awful about how I acted when I first arrived. I behaved horribly.”
“That’s not true,” Abner said. “You were a bit demanding, but—”
“Abner, I cared about things that were unimportant. I’ve realized that I don’t want to worry about those types of things anymore,” Catherine told him. “They don’t matter. All that really matters is that we’re together.”
Abner felt a sense of relief wash over him. Everything Catherine was saying was exactly how he felt about her, to
o. “All that matters is that we’re together,” Abner repeated. His lips twitched mischievously. “So does that mean you don’t care if I eat ice cream with a fork? Or a meatloaf with a spoon?”
Catherine giggled. “Abner, you’re awful!”
“Just teasing you, my dear,” Abner said.
“It certainly seems like you’re feeling better,” Catherine replied. “Maybe you’ll have more energy for other activities, too.”
“I have a few ideas in mind,” Abner said with a twinkle in his eyes.
“So do I,” Catherine said, and they both burst into laughter again.
Epilogue
Edna Petunia couldn’t believe her eyes. Abner Phelps walked into the church proudly, good as new. In fact, he seemed even more handsome and confident than the last time she had seen him in church. That new wife had clearly been a blessing for him.
Everyone swarmed around Abner, excited to see him out of the house. They were glad that he had made a full recovery.
“Are you ready to come back to work, too?” Tom teased.
“I sure am, Tom,” Abner replied. “I want to set a good example for my family.” He looked at Catherine, and they shared a private smile. They had had a long talk the night before about starting a family, and he couldn’t wait until there were little ones running around their house. Of course, he had realized that he’d have to add on to it to make room for them, but that would all come with time.
“Just one rule, Abner,” Tom said.
“What’s that?” Abner asked.
“Next time you’re up on a ladder, we’re not letting you be partnered with Felix! You’re too good of friends, and it’s too distracting,” Tom decreed, giving Felix a pointed look.
Felix sighed. “I still feel bad about it, like it was partially my fault that you fell.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Felix. These things happen. The important thing is I’m back to normal,” Abner replied.
“And thank you for the delicious pie your mother sent,” Catherine added. “Thank you all, really!” She turned around, looking at the group that had gathered around them. They were so lucky to have such a supportive community.
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