by Kendra Riley
"And you and the babe are healthy?" he asked, taking her hands in his.
"Yes. The doctor said all is well," she said, waiting for him to unleash his disappointment in her.
"Then you're right. This child is a blessing. Your mother and I will stand by your side and this child will bring joy to all of our lives," he said as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.
“Yes, of course we will,” her mother said as she rose and embraced her too.
“You're not disappointed in me?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes.
“Well child, I think I speak for your father and I both when I say that we are not thrilled with the way this all happened. We don't know anything about your young man and we both know that being a single mother will make this a hard road for you. Still, you're a strong girl. If you're not afraid, we will not add to your fear,” her mother said, all of her former annoyance and shock erased. As always, she was a pillar of strength.
“Yes, my dear. It also warms my heart to see that your brother has aided you though the early days of this,” her father said, smiling across the room at Samuel with pride in his eyes.
“She is my baby sister. There was no other option but to stand by her and ease her mind as much as I could,” he said, shaking off their father’s praise.
“You're a good man, my son,” their father said sternly, telling Samuel through his tone that he should not deny the best parts of himself.
“Thank you sir,” Samuel responded, looking a little embarrassed by the attention.
“You're welcome. You're both our children and there isn't anything that either of you could do to dampen the love that we have in our hearts for you,” their father answered.
“Can you tell us more about your young man? He must have meant a great deal to you,” her mother said, her expression guarded and her words carefully chosen to keep from hurting her daughter.
“He still does mean a great deal to me. In a different time and place, he would have been my husband and we would have spent our lives together, raising this baby as a family,” she said, her head held high as a single tear fell down her cheek.
“Well, never fear my girl. You have the rest of your family to raise the child with you. No child in all of history will be more loved that your baby,” her mother said, hugging her tighter. Women’s intuition kept her from pressing her daughter further about Jake and Savannah was grateful.
The days and weeks that followed were surprisingly smooth for Savannah. Her parents got to work right away, cleaning out Samuel’s old room to serve as a nursery. It made the most sense, since it was right next to Savannah’s. She kept going to routine doctor’s appointments and was reassured constantly that she and her baby were as healthy as could be.
The only grey cloud hanging over her was the fact that she had not received a letter from Jake in all that time. Still, she continued to write to him in her journal. Each day she poured her heart out, telling him all about the baby growing inside of her. If ever he returned, she wanted him to be able to relive the times that he had missed with her and the child. The journal became the perfect way to ensure that.
After nearly two months without a letter from him, though, she was beginning to doubt that he would ever lay eyes on the pages. Most women would have been convinced that he had grown tired of her; that he had replaced his memories of her with a willing woman that he could hold in his arms each night. She never thought that though, even for a moment. Savannah also couldn't bring herself to believe that something bad had happened to him. She was sure that she would feel that in her very bones.
Still, something had stopped her letters from arriving. One day, her frustration overtook her restraint and she made her way to the small Post Office in town, where she was greeted by Greta, the woman who had served as Postmistress for as long as Savannah could remember.
“Hello Greta,” she said warmly as she approached the counter.
“Well, as I live and breathe, sweetie you look prettier than ever,” the old woman said to her, smiling brightly.
“Thank you. I came to ask you if maybe some letters that I have been looking for came with the wrong address on them or accidentally were given to someone else,” she said, hoping that Greta wouldn't be offended by her inquiry. The woman took a great deal of pride in her job and Savannah didn't want to hurt her. She just wanted to know what was happening to her letters. They were the only link that she and the baby had to Jake and she couldn't lose them, especially now that she so needed her connection to Jake to be strong as she prepared to raise their child on her own.
“I don't know anything about any letters you might be expecting. Those letters that were bothering you're all taken care of though,” the woman said proudly.
“What letters are you talking about?” she asked, confused by Greta’s words.
“Well, Tony came in and said that you were getting some letters that were from someone who was harassing you. He asked me to hold them here instead of sending them on to you. I let him know when they come and he comes to pick them up for the investigation,” she explained, looking at Savannah as though she was worried she had fallen and hit her head, causing her to forget such traumatic things.
“Can you describe the letters?” Savannah asked, trying to keep calm.
“Sure, fancy things. Thick cream colored envelopes; real nice paper,” she said with the kind of admiration only a postmistress could have for an envelope.
“Tony was mistaken. There is no investigation. Those are my letters. Do you have any here now?” she asked, her temper rising.
“No, he just came and picked up the two that came last week this morning. Are you saying Tony lied to me?” she asked, looking shocked.
“Yes, he did. If more come, you will send them on to me. They are not from a stalker and they are not someone harassing me. I need those letters,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.
“Yes, of course child. I'm so sorry,” she said, sympathetically.
“It isn't your fault. I need to go and have a long talk with Tony,” she said, squaring her shoulders and marching out to the street.
Impulsively, she pulled out her phone and dialed her brother’s number. She didn't even give him time to speak when he answered the phone. She simply said, “If you would like to prevent a murder, officer, you will beat me to Tony’s house. If I get there first, I cannot make any guarantees about what will happen.” With that, she hung up the phone and started down Park Street to the house Tony lived in.
Her brother must have sensed how serious she was, because he pulled up in truck at the exact same moment that she arrived on foot.
“What is going on?” he said, jumping out to intercept her as she charged towards Tony’s porch.
“He had been taking my letters,” she yelled, too angry to keep her voice down.
“What letters?” he asked in confusion.
“The letters from Jake; from my baby’s father. He writes me letters and they stopped coming. I went to ask Greta and she told me that she was told to hold them. He told her they were from some kind of crazed stalker. She had held them and he picks them up. I'm going to kill him,” she shouted, hoping that he heard her.
“Damn,” her brother said, moving out of her way. If Tony was foolish enough to meddle in her life, Sam had no plans of being to one on the receiving end of her wrath. Just then, Tony emerged from the house, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“Bastard,” Savannah yelled, taking both men by surprise with her anger.
“I just got off the phone with Greta,” Tony said, not making direct eye contact with her.
“Where are they?” she demanded, not interested in his explanations.
“You have to understand. I couldn't let him hurt you anymore. Whoever he is, he is keeping you from a life with me; from a life where you could be happy. I saw how excited you were every time one of those damn letters showed up. It didn't take much detective work to figure out what was going on. I thought if I stopped
them, you would come to your senses,” he said unapologetically.
“You crossed a line, Tony,” Sam said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I was just trying to protect your little sister. You should be thanking me,” he said, his anger rising.
“Protect me? You were trying to protect me from the father of my baby?” Savannah snapped, her eyes bright with rage.
“Baby?” Tony asked in disbelief.
“Yes, my baby. Where are my letters? Did you destroy them?” she asked, looking horrified.
“You're having a baby with this man? You would never let me touch you and now you're having a baby with a drifter?” he demanded, looking as though he might become physically ill at the very thought.
“Yes, I love him,” she said unapologetically.
“Take your damn letters. I tried to burn them, but I couldn't. I wanted a little piece of you in my home,” he said as he dropped a bundle of the precious paper, held together with a rubber band, at her feet.
“Did you read them?” she asked, looking like she still might commit murder if he answered her incorrectly.
“No, that would be illegal,” he said, looking horrified.
“So was stealing them,” she said, turning away and jumping in to the front seat of her brother’s car, clutching the letters as though they were more precious than gold.
“And you're OK with this? You're not riding out of town to throw that boy who knocked up your sister in to a shallow grave somewhere?” Tony asked, turning his anger to Samuel.
“She loves him. What good would that do anybody? I told you that you needed to give her space. She will never forgive you for this,” he said, shaking his head as he turned to leave, getting in his car and driving off with his sister. Tony watched them go, still unable to believe what Savannah had just told him. The thought of her having another man’s baby filled him with an anger he had not known himself capable of.
Chapter10
The months of Savannah’s pregnancy went by quickly for her. The anger and judgment that she had suspected might come from her father’s congregation and the rest of the community never materialized. In truth, she was just too well loved in the community for anyone to treat her any differently than they always had.
In fact, it had brought some people closer to her, especially her brother. Where there had once been distance, now there was the strongest bond they had ever shared. He went with her to pick out a crib and was beside her in all of her childbirth classes. Without him, she was sure she might have gotten overwhelmed at some point. With him by her side, though, she had the strength to face anything. His excitement about his role as uncle was heartwarming to her.
The only exception was Tony. He and her brother remained both partners on the police force and friends, though their relationship was strained. Sam had not quite forgiven Tony for using his position on the police force to interfere with his sister’s life. Though Tony refrained from even mentioning Savannah, Samuel knew that his friend was still deeply in love with his sister and deeply hurt at the turns their lives had taken. He also felt some scrutiny from those throughout the town who suspected him of being the father of Savannah’s baby.
Savannah, for her part, didn't mention Tony either. To her, his actions were beyond forgiveness. The only thing that spared him the full extent of her anger was the fact that he had not destroyed the letters from Jake.
She read all of the words her true love had written to her during those weeks of silence. In those pages, he described in beautiful detail all of the places that he had been and reassured her that his love grew ever stronger, no matter how much distance was between them. He spoke of his brothers and his deep love for them.
He painted such a vivid picture of each one that she felt as though she knew them all personally. To her, they felt like family as much as her own parents and brother did. After all, the man she loved cared deeply for them. How could she not love them as he did?
After her confrontation with Tony and her visit to the Post Office, the letters began to arrive in her mailbox again regularly. The relief she felt each time she opened the box to see one of his signature envelopes was indescribable. Though her parents were kind enough not to push her for more details about him, she knew that they were not completely oblivious to his continued presence in her life.
It was an odd arrangement, to be sure, but Savannah felt blessed to have what connection she could with Jake, especially after the fear she had felt when they lay together on the floor of the old church together after their first time together.
Lying there, she had been consumed by the fear that he would be taken completely from her life after that night. She had not known if she could handle a life without him. Thankfully, he had found a way he could to stay with her and the baby made her even more grateful for that.
When the house was quiet and she knew that she was truly alone, she would read his letters aloud to the baby. It was during one such moment that her life changed forever. Her mother and father had decided to take a walk and enjoy an unusually lovely early spring evening.
As soon as she was sure that they were gone, she went to her jewelry box and pulled out her letters, then she went to the nursery and settled in to the rocking chair that her father and brother had made for her and the baby.
Gently, she rocked back and forth as she read Jake’s first letter out loud to the baby. She felt the baby gently kick her as she continued to read, forcing her to pause for a moment.
“You like the sound of your Daddy’s words, don’t you? I wish you could hear his voice. It's deep and strong, but clear and comforting all at once. There is no better sound in the world than your Daddy’s voice,” she cooed as she rubbed her stomach, connecting with the child within.
She cleared her throat and began to read again, saying gently “I plan to write often. Should these letter be unwelcome or a burden, please discard them. I hope, though, that you will cherish any link that can continue to exist between us as I do. I feel as though there is a wound upon my soul that can only be healed by your sweet touch. Though I don't know when, I promise you that one day we will meet again. With all my love, Jake.”
It was then that she felt it. She knew, as she read the final words, that the baby was coming. She froze for a moment, allowing the sadness that Jake wouldn't be there to share in the joyous moment wash over her. She pictured his smile and imagined the feeling of his hand wrapped around hers as he told her everything would be alright and wished with all of her might that he was by her side. She needed to be strong though, both for herself and for the baby. With that, Savannah stood and gathered her thoughts.
The first thing that she did was call her brother. He was, after all, the one who had agreed to be her labor coach and he was also the only one who would be able to keep their mother calm during the process. Once she got off the phone with him, she went to her room and gathered her hospital bag.
She had asked Samuel to drive around before he came to pick her up and find their parents so that they knew that the day had finally come. She was in no position to track them down herself, but she knew that her mother would never forgive her if she returned to find an empty house and a note telling her that her first grandchild was on the way.
While she waited for Samuel to arrive with their parents, she simply sat on the old porch swing outside of their front door and thought about all the ways that her life was about to change. When she next walked through the front doors of her home, she would do so with the baby in her arms. For months, the child’s arrival had seemed like something that was so very far away. Now, though, it was finally upon her. She had some nerves about the actual physical delivery of a baby, but she had no doubts or fears about being a mother. Any nerves she had faded as she placed a gentle hand upon her stomach and imagined holding her baby for their very first time. She was so lost in her own thoughts about it that she didn't realize that her brother had arrived.
“You planning to have that baby on the porc
h?” he called out the window of his truck.
“Wouldn’t you have to deliver it then, Mr. Policeman?” she said with a laugh.
“Get out of that truck and help your sister,” their mother chastised, siding with Savannah for the first time in a spat against her brother. She wanted to savor the moment, but a contraction came and the pain forced all humor from her mind.
“Come on, easy now,” Samuel said as he picked up her bag in one hand and supported her gently with the other until the pain passed.
“Thank you,” she said, unsure what she would have done without him.
“Don’t thank me until we get this baby born,” he chuckled as he got her settled in his passenger seat and closed the door behind her.
“We are right behind you,” her father called as he stepped in to the house to grab his car keys.
Savannah waved as the pulled out. Silently, she went through a checklist in her head of everything that she had planned to do before the baby arrived. There wasn't anything left that she could think of to do. It was just up to God and Mother Nature now, she thought, as she prepared to bring the baby in to the world.
The labor itself was long, but she didn't suffer a great deal of pain. With her family by her side, nothing seemed too great an obstacle to overcome. It was nearly 3 o’clock in the morning before her beautiful son was born.
Never once did her parents or her brother leave her side. As they all sat there, staring at the little miracle that had just joined their family. Savannah couldn't remember a time when she had felt more connected to them.
“My baby is a mother,” her own mother said with tears in her eyes.
“Yes she is, my dear,” her father said as he wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
“I cannot believe he is really here,” Savannah said, in awe of the perfect child she held in her arms.
“He is handsome, just like his uncle,” Samuel said with a grin.
“Yes he is,” she agreed, too tired to tease him.
“Should we leave you alone to get your rest?” he asked, looking suddenly very concerned.
