Love Everlasting

by Tracie Peterson

  “I do, as well.” Lenore put her hand to her side. “Although I walked here much too quickly and now have a stitch in my side.”

  “Aunt Selma says there’s nothing that helps a body like apple cider vinegar. Would you like me to get some?”

  “No. I’m sure it will pass.”

  Abrianna took a seat across from Lenore. “I asked Liang to bring tea. That might help to relax you.”

  Lenore nodded. “I am already much better.” She smiled. “So have you been giving more thought to your wedding?”

  “I have. Although there have been many things to interrupt my thoughts.”

  “Such as?”

  Abrianna shook her head. “Where to begin? Well, Aunt Miriam is arranging a greenhouse to be built for the purpose of growing hothouse flowers for my January wedding. My father seems to have a growing interest in Mrs. Snyder, Flora Ledbetter’s aunt. Oh, and Mr. Welby says he will do something drastic if I don’t relent and agree to court him.”

  “Those sound like very interesting complications. We should probably start with Mr. Welby. Did he threaten you?”

  “No. I believe the implication was that he would harm himself. Goodness, but I have no idea why he would act in such a way. I’ve done nothing but rebuff that man. A woman shouldn’t have to say no more than once, should they? Perhaps it’s because of those silly traditions where you aren’t supposed to say yes right away, lest a man think you are wanton. But I simply find that annoying. I have a great deal to tend to in life, and I haven’t got time for such games.”

  “I’m certain with your many interests in life, you can’t be bothered with social edicts. However, I’m certain Mr. Welby will get over his infatuation with you. You mentioned your father being taken with Mrs. Snyder. Do you suppose anything can come of it?”

  “I do hope so. I don’t know my father very well, but he seems rather lonely. Mrs. Snyder also seems lonely, and Flora declares her to be so. I think they might find some comfort in their aging years if they were to marry.”

  “Mrs. Snyder can’t be much older than Kolbein. Hardly her aging years. And your father isn’t that old. He’s not yet ready for a rocking chair.” She smiled. “But you are right. I think they might be perfectly matched. We shall pray about it. By the way, I love your hair. You have fashioned it quite perfectly.”

  Abrianna nodded and touched her hand to her hair to make sure it was all still in order. “Flora did it for me. She has hidden talents.”

  “She seems a very pleasant sort of girl.”

  Shifting to ease back into the chair, Abrianna sighed. “She is. She is very much like me.”

  “Oh, that could be trouble.”

  She saw the smile on Lenore’s face and knew her friend was teasing. “It could be, I suppose. Although I am much older.”

  “Hardly that,” Lenore replied. “I heard your aunt say Miss Ledbetter is eighteen. You are but twenty-one. That’s not so great a span of years.”

  “Perhaps not, but with all my new responsibilities, I feel old.”

  Lenore started to speak but instead gasped and clutched her stomach. “Oh, I think something is wrong. I feel quite overcome.”

  “Is it the baby?”

  She shook her head and got to her feet. “I don’t know. I suppose I should return home.” She stood and pressed her hands to her rounded abdomen.

  “I’ll get my father to drive you.”

  “Maybe you should get Mrs. Madison. I’m not certain I can make it home. I feel . . . oh . . . dear . . .” She sat back down. “Hurry, Abrianna.”

  Abrianna shot from the room, calling for her aunt at the top of her lungs. She knew Aunt Miriam would normally be instructing girls in the kitchen, so that was where she went first. Thankfully, her aunt was there.

  “Good grief, Abrianna, you needn’t shout. You’ve startled everyone with your bellowing.”

  “Aunt Miriam, hurry. Lenore is having pain, and she doesn’t feel good.”

  Her aunt immediately nodded. “Girls, I want you to practice making pie crust. Get to work.” She pulled off her apron and followed Abrianna.

  Lenore was doubled over and crying by the time they reached the parlor. Aunt Miriam assessed the situation and commanded Abrianna to get her father to run for the doctor. She would see Lenore was made comfortable.

  With a look of terror, Lenore reached out for Abrianna. “Please pray. Pray for my baby. I cannot lose him. It would break my heart.”

  It seemed like it took forever, but the doctor finally arrived. In the meantime, Aunt Miriam sent Abrianna’s father to find Kolbein at his office. Abrianna continued to pray for God’s intercession. How awful to be so happy one minute and completely devastated the next. It was also quite disturbing to even contemplate Lenore losing the baby.

  She paced the hall outside the parlor, where Aunt Miriam had created a makeshift bed for Lenore, using the fainting couch. Lenore was such a tiny person that it made a perfect examination table for the doctor.

  When the door finally opened, the doctor was instructing Aunt Miriam. “I will take her in my buggy and go straightaway to the hospital. I will need help to get her settled in.”

  “I will assist you,” Abrianna offered. “I’m quite strong.”

  The doctor nodded. “We must hurry.”

  “Is it the baby?” Abrianna couldn’t help but ask.

  Shaking his head, the doctor handed his bag to Aunt Miriam. “It’s her appendix, and I’m afraid it may have ruptured. We must get her to the hospital where I can operate. Otherwise we will lose both mother and child.”

  11

  The hospital’s sterile quiet was too much for Abrianna’s nerves. She did her best to comfort Kolbein and to pray, but once Wade appeared to join them, all she could do was chatter on and on.

  “I believe Lenore will be perfectly fine,” Abrianna told Kolbein. “She’s young and strong. She’s one of the strongest women I know, and she’s always been quite healthy. Once, when we were younger, Lenore and I suffered influenza. Lenore overcame it much faster than I did. She just seems to have a healthy constitution.”

  Kolbein’s expression was set in a grim intensity that left Abrianna uncertain he’d heard a single word. Wade reached out to pat her hand, but Abrianna felt little comfort. The doctor had been working on Lenore for nearly an hour. Did surgery always take so long?

  She bowed her head to pray again, pleading with God to spare Lenore and her unborn child. Abrianna couldn’t imagine life without her dear friend. They had found solace in each other for so long now that to have Lenore suddenly taken would completely disorder Abrianna’s world.

  Oh, Lord, I don’t mean to be so selfish in this, but I cannot bear the thought of losing her.

  Time passed in painful slowness until finally a white-clad nurse appeared. “The surgery is complete. The doctor will come to speak with you shortly.”

  Kolbein jumped to his feet. “Is she . . . is my wife all right?”

  The nurse gave him what seemed to be a look of disapproval. “I am not at liberty to speak on the matter. The doctor will be here shortly.” With that, she turned and left them to wait and wonder.

  Kolbein’s jaw clenched, and Abrianna could see he was near to reaching his breaking point. She got to her feet and took hold of his arm. “I’m certain she’s fine, Kolbein. Let’s just wait for the doctor.”

  “It’s just not right. She shouldn’t have to bear this.” Kolbein ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know what I will do if she . . . if she . . .”

  “Look, there’s the doctor now,” Abrianna interrupted. Kolbein pulled away and hurried to the man.

  The doctor’s smile was encouraging. “She’s come through the surgery just fine. The baby, too.”

  Kolbein exhaled, and Abrianna thought he might well collapse to the floor. Instead, he stumbled back to a chair and sat down hard. “I was so afraid.” Abrianna took the chair beside him.

  “You needn’t fear now, son.” The doctor put his hand on Kolbein’
s shoulder. “The appendix hadn’t yet ruptured, so I do not believe it will be a difficult recovery. She will remain here for two weeks, and after that I will release her to go home. She should have only minimal activity for the weeks that follow.”

  “I’ll put her to bed until the baby comes,” Kolbein said. “She won’t have to lift a finger.”

  “Now, now. You needn’t go that far,” the doctor replied with a chuckle. “I believe your wife will fully recover. She’s young and strong.”

  “That’s exactly what I told him.” Abrianna nodded. Still, hearing the doctor speak the same words gave her great comfort. “When can we see her?”

  “Yes.” Kolbein stood again. “When can I see her?”

  The doctor stepped back and glanced down the hall as if to ascertain the answer. “I will allow just you to look in on her for a moment. She’s sleeping and won’t know you’re there,” the doctor told Kolbein. “You may visit her tomorrow. I would suggest you go home and get a good night’s sleep. You look quite exhausted.”

  Kolbein nodded. “I am.” He looked to Wade and Abrianna. “But I’ll be all right. You two go on home and let the others know that she and the baby have come through without harm. After I leave here, I’ll go let her folks know. I couldn’t see alarming them until we knew one way or another, what with her father’s weak heart.”

  “That was wise.” Abrianna shifted in a restless manner. “Lenore’s mother can be such a fuss. She would have made you quite nervous.”

  Wade looked at his watch. “It’s nearly six. You could come back to the house and have supper first. I’m sure Mrs. Madison would want you to know you were welcome.”

  “Absolutely.” Abrianna reached out to touch his hand. “You do need to eat to keep up your strength. Lenore would never forgive me if I failed to care for you in her absence.”

  “That’s all right. Lenore’s mother and father usually sit down to eat at six-thirty. I will impose upon them.”

  Abrianna could see that all he wanted was to see Lenore. “You should go ahead, then. Wade and I need to get back before everyone begins to fret and think the worst.”

  The doctor led the way, Kolbein close on his heels. They disappeared around a corner, and Abrianna rose and took hold of Wade’s arm. “I’ve never been so afraid. What a relief to have it done with.”

  Wade smiled down at her. “You held up very well. I’m sure it was a comfort to Kolbein that you were here.” He started with her toward the door. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when Lenore took sick.”

  “It was a terrible thing to watch. There was nothing I could do. I felt so helpless. I hope never to see anyone in that much pain again.”

  Outside, the evening air was cool and damp. It had rained while they’d been inside, and the streetlamp’s glow was reflected in the puddles that dotted the road. Wade directed Abrianna to the carriage and helped her up to the driver’s seat.

  “No sense you sitting back there by yourself.” He climbed up and sat down beside her. “Besides, this is much cozier. I like the feel of you beside me.”

  “Do you worry about me dying?”

  A puzzled look came over Wade’s face. “Why? Do you have something planned?”

  “Of course not. What a foolish question.”

  He grinned. “I thought the same of yours. I don’t worry about death at all. Although I would hate to lose you . . . even to the Lord.”

  Abrianna frowned. “I never thought about it before, but now it vexes me. I don’t want to imagine life without you. As I sat there thinking about how awful it would be if Lenore died, I couldn’t even bring myself to consider losing you.”

  “Well, that’s good, because I intend to be around for a long, long time.”

  “Be serious, Wade. Death is something that none of us can avoid.”

  He sobered. “I know that. But if you expect me to get all morose about it, think again. I know that God commands my life and my death. I know, too, that one day we who believe in Jesus and have confessed our sins to Him will be with Him. Death doesn’t scare me.”

  “My death doesn’t scare me, either.” Abrianna looked away. “But yours terrifies me.”

  Wade pulled the carriage to the side of the road and stopped. “Abrianna, don’t let this day cause you to worry. If something happens to either of us, we know God will provide us with His comfort and hope. Life is fragile, but our eternity is sure.”

  “I know that, but I can’t imagine a world without you in it.” She looked up and momentarily lost herself in his intense gaze. “You’ve always been here for me. I’ve come to count on seeing you each day. If you were gone, I don’t know how I would manage to go on.”

  “Stop it now. You know better than to let your thoughts get wrapped around ifs. I’m not planning to die anytime soon.”

  “So you wouldn’t be sad if I died?”

  “Of course I’d be sad. It would be devastating. But worse still is if I give my thoughts over to that idea, I’d waste the time we do have. Don’t you see? We can live in the dread of what might come and make ourselves so miserable that life isn’t worth living. Or, we can rest in the Lord and cherish the days we have and make them worthwhile.”

  Abrianna felt her mind clear. “You are, of course, right.” She felt a small peace settle over her heart. “I suppose it’s silly to let such thoughts get out of control. Seeing Lenore so near death and how hard it was on Kolbein, I suppose I couldn’t help myself.”

  Wade smiled. “Life is temporary. Everybody is going to die. You. Me. Them. That’s why we have to do what we can to be good to each other and live a life pleasing to God.”

  “Time is very fleeting.” She heard the words echo in her head and without thought spoke again. “I’m going to use some of my inheritance to build a food house and shelter.” She looked at him. “If you approve. And if you don’t . . . well . . . I may do it anyway.”

  He laughed and slapped the reins on the horse’s back. “Now wouldn’t that be a surprise.”

  “Surely you can’t think to disapprove. You said it was my money to do with as I pleased.”

  “And I meant it. I also think it’s a wonderful idea. It will help a great many people.”

  “Will you help me?”

  He laughed. “Don’t I always?”

  “I know you have the church to consider now, as well as rebuilding your shop and finding us a place to live. Oh, Wade, I just want very much to help people, and I know you feel the same way.” The urgency of the day’s events stirred her unlike anything had in weeks. “I just know that this is of the Lord, and I have to do it.”

  “Then of course I will help, and we will see it through. Do you have any thought as to where you would like to build this food house?”

  “No, but I plan to see a property seller about it. If you have time to go with me, that would be wonderful. Otherwise, I’ll see if my father can accompany me. I know you wouldn’t be happy to have me doing it on my own. I might have asked Kolbein to look for a place, but he will be very busy with Lenore, and I don’t want to take him from her side.”

  “I doubt you could. I won’t be able to get away very soon, but I think your father would be a good one to have at your side. Just don’t sign anything until you can consult me or Kolbein. There are a lot of folks out there doing what they can to make money on our tragedy. Some folks even claim to have property for sale when they don’t. Practice caution this one time. All right?”

  She looked at him in surprise. “I always practice caution.”

  “Like when you crawled down the coal chute to rescue those Chinese girls? Or what about that night you decided to confront the would-be murderer of those men at the Madison Building?”

  “I was cautious both times.”

  Wade gave a hearty laugh and shook his head. Abrianna had no idea why it amused him so much. She always practiced great caution in whatever she did. Maybe it wasn’t the same kind of attention someone else would give, but it was still great caution for her.

>   “Abrianna, you are a corker.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “And you, sir, are quite daffy.”

  Two nights later Wade related the conversation to Abrianna’s father and Flora’s Aunt Eloise as he and Abrianna shared supper with them at a newly opened restaurant. Although set in a tent, the food was quite good and the company even better.

  “She does know it’s a sin to lie?” Abrianna’s father asked.

  Abrianna folded her hands across her chest. “I did not lie. Perhaps my definition of caution is different from yours. However, I gave deep thought to my actions on each of those occasions.”

  “She’s right.” Wade looked at her for a moment. She always seemed to bring out the orneriness in him. “On the night she confronted the man in the alleyway, she had a boning knife strapped to her calf.”

  Her father nearly choked on the sip he’d just taken. Eloise Snyder looked at him with concern, but the older man quickly regained his composure. “A knife? And just what did you think you’d do with that?” He looked to his daughter and shook his head. “You’re hardly big enough to stand up to a boy, how would you have managed with a killer?”

  “That was my question.” Wade looked at her with a raised brow. “I’d even showed her prior to that just how easy it was to take that knife away, but apparently that didn’t concern her.”

  “I’ll have you know that I also had a fireplace poker. Besides that, I had the Good Lord watching over me.” Abrianna didn’t appear at all amused.

  “That must surely be a tiresome job,” her father said. “Good thing for you that Wade doesn’t scare easy.”

  Eloise put her hand atop Abrianna’s. “Don’t let them trouble you, my dear. Men always make themselves feel better when they can cast aspersions on someone else’s weakness.”

  Abrianna looked grateful for Eloise’s support. Wade smiled and took hold of Abrianna’s free hand. He drew it to his lips and kissed her palm. “Forgive me for teasing you. I couldn’t quite help myself.”