“What is your name?” she asked, hoping she’d understand English.
“Marissa.” The name was spoken softly, and Lindsay could hear the woman’s exhaustion in her voice.
“My name is Lindsay. We’re going to take care of you and your baby, okay?”
Marissa nodded, her eyes wide. “Thank you.”
“Barb, I’m just going to let Elliot know where we are, and I’ll be right back,” Than said.
Lindsay heard him say something in Tagalog and the little boy responded. She glanced over to see him take the boy by the hand and lead him from the house. It hurt her heart to think the little guy had been all alone with his laboring mother throughout the storm. He looked to be even younger than Danny.
Dear God, please let this have a happy outcome.
The woman gave a guttural moan, and Lindsay turned back to her. “What’s happening, Barb?”
“She’s bearing down. Her body has decided it’s time to push this baby out.” Barb spoke to the nurse again then said, “Lindsay, can you move in behind her and support her back?”
Feeling completely out of her element, Lindsay did as Barb requested. Moving as quickly as she could without jarring Marissa, she slid behind the woman.
“Marissa, on this contraction I want you to hold the back of your knees and push to the count of ten. Can you do that?” The woman nodded and reached for her knees. “Here we go. Take a deep breath. One. Two.”
Lindsay felt the strain in the woman’s body as she curved forward and pushed. The ten count seemed to take an eternity and when it was over, the woman slumped back against her. The nurse pressed a damp cloth into Lindsay’s hand, and she used it to wipe the woman’s forehead as she rested with her eyes closed.
Before too long though, the woman was reaching again for her legs. With another deep moan, her body tightened, and Barb began to count. Lindsay felt equal measures of helplessness and awe as she watched the woman in front of her struggle to bring her child into the world. She lost count of how many ten counts they’d done—it felt like hundreds—but she was sure that no matter how many it seemed like to her, it felt like way more for Marissa. As another contraction gripped her, Lindsay found herself willing her strength into the young mother.
“You’re doing great, Marissa,” Barb said, her voice gentle and soothing. “I can see the top of the baby’s head. You’re almost there.”
Lindsay was grateful that Marissa understood English. It would be much harder if their words of encouragement meant nothing to her. “You can do it, Marissa.”
She heard Than’s voice outside the house, once again speaking in Tagalog, but he didn’t come back inside. No doubt he was trying to entertain the little boy while his mother labored.
“Here we go,” Barb said, excitement edging her voice. “Push. Push. Push, Marissa!”
There were no more counts now as Barb encouraged Marissa to continue to push. The woman’s body tensed back against her as if trying to escape from the pain, and Marissa gave a low growl. Then it was over. Marissa’s body slumped back against her, all the rigidity suddenly gone.
“It’s a girl, Marissa,” Barb said. “A beautiful girl.”
When a cry suddenly filled the air, Lindsay felt tears slip from her eyes. She pressed her cheek to Marissa’s damp hair. “You did it. You did it.”
Barb lifted the baby and laid her across Marissa’s chest. From her vantage point, Lindsay could see straight into the baby girl’s face. Though scrunched up and swollen, she’d never seen a more beautiful sight in her life. She lifted her hand to gently touch the baby’s head. “She’s beautiful, Marissa.”
There was still more to come, but she was so focused on the baby and the young mother, it slipped past her. Soon Barb told her she could move away so they could help Marissa shift position. They cleaned her up and helped her to get the baby nursing. As the intensity drained away, Lindsay was left feeling weary. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like for Marissa.
Her emotions were on overload. First holding little Maya in her arms and now watching a new baby come into the world. She could hardly take it all in. Pregnancy and childbirth were something she hadn’t given much thought to. Even in her circle of friends—acquaintances—there was no talk of having children. Women like Adrianne and Melanie Thorpe were as focused on their careers as Lindsay was.
As she had been.
Lindsay didn’t think she could go back to her day to day life without giving all of this some thought. As she watched Marissa bend over her new baby, Lindsay realized that she wanted it all. The love, the marriage, the pregnancy and the baby.
She had a sudden image in her head of a little boy with dark hair, dark eyes and a mischievous grin. Lindsay shot a look toward the doorway just as Than reappeared with the little boy’s hand in his.
No.
Than barely qualified as dating material. She was pretty sure marriage and parenthood weren’t in his immediate—or even distant—plans. Her gaze went back to Marissa as her son scrambled up on the bed beside her. He pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek and then the top of his sister’s head. Though the father was currently absent from the scene in front of her, the love was clearly evident as Marissa wrapped her arm around the little boy and pulled him close.
Lindsay swallowed hard as tears pricked her eyes. She wanted a love like Lucas and Brooke had as a couple and the love they shared with Danny as his parents. As the ache in her heart grew, Lindsay crossed her arms and took a deep breath.
She sensed his presence behind her even before she felt the light touch on her back as Than said, “You doing okay?”
Not willing to trust her voice to be free of emotion, Lindsay just nodded and kept her gaze on Marissa and her children. She wanted to lean against him, feel his strength. And she wanted to share this moment with him, but that wasn’t how their relationship worked.
“Elliot’s gone to get the jeepney. Given that Marissa is on her own here, he thinks she’ll be better off up at the center. She can stay at the orphanage since they are equipped to handle babies there.”
This time she did look at him. “I think that’s a great idea.”
Than nodded. “One of the workers with Elliot knows the family. The husband went to Manila last week to deliver something and apparently didn’t get back before the typhoon.”
“Why would he leave her so close to her due date? Didn’t he think she might have the baby while he was away?” Lindsay could hear the indignation in her voice even though she spoke softly, but she really didn’t understand.
“It’s the way their life is. This job would bring in money for the family. If he passed it up, they might not have had money for food or rent. He can’t turn down jobs to stay at his wife’s side. And the typhoon complicated the situation. No doubt it delayed his returned and isolated her from those who might have helped her. But she’s okay. The baby is okay. That’s all that matters now.”
“Is that what you’d do?” Lindsay asked, pulling her arms closer to her chest. She sensed his gaze on her.
“What I’d do?”
“If your wife was nearing her due date and you got a job that took you away from home. Would you leave her?” Lindsay didn’t look at him…couldn’t look at him.
“Completely different world, Lindsay. I have vacation pay. I can take time off without losing my income. I have people who could cover for me. But to answer your question, no, I wouldn’t leave her. But you know, even back home there would be guys who would have to take jobs away from home and their wives, even if they were ready to deliver. People do what they have to do to survive. You and I are fortunate to live and work in places where we won’t face choices like that.”
This trip had opened Lindsay’s eyes to the truth of Than’s statement. The privileged life she lived was so far removed from what she saw here it seemed to be on a different planet. She stared at the sight before her, trying hard to commit this moment—these feelings—to memory. When she was tempted to grumble or whine
about something in her life, she wanted to remember this. She had nothing to complain about. Absolutely nothing.
~*~*~
Than could feel the emotions rolling off Lindsay as she stood watching the young woman and her children. The stoic expression she’d had earlier was gone now. He wondered if she was aware that regardless of how tightly she tried to keep a rein on them, there were times her emotions still spilled over. The experience she’d just gone through was likely something she’d never encountered before. And for some reason, Than wished she’d share what she was feeling with him.
To watch a baby come into the world—even if it wasn’t hers—had to be an amazing experience. Though he’d been outside with the little guy, he’d heard everything that had gone on as the young woman had labored to give birth to her second child. He felt a little chagrined by the fact that he hadn’t been interested in hanging around the hospital to wait for the births of his own nieces and nephew, but it had seemed important to stay for this one. And not just to help the little boy. He’d wanted to be there to share that experience with Lindsay.
Only she wasn’t interested in sharing it with him. Sooner or later he’d learn not to look for that from her. But for some reason, he kept hoping.
Before he could say anything more to Lindsay, Elliot came into the house. After greeting the woman, he spoke to her in Tagalog and explained that they were going to take her back to the mission until her husband returned.
“Salamat po.”
Than could hear the relief in the woman’s voice as she thanked Elliot. And as he watched Barb gather up the supplies she’d used for her care of the woman, he realized that just like people had said that he was an answer to prayer on this trip, so was she. He knew her background and though it appeared nothing had gone amiss with the delivery, if anything had, she would have been the best one to care for the woman in their current circumstances.
Over the next few minutes, they all worked together to get Marissa and her children loaded into the vehicle. Because the trip would be uncomfortable for Marissa to make so soon after childbirth, they brought the thin mattress from her bed and laid it on the floor between the two bench seats in the back of the vehicle.
They helped Marissa lie down on the mattress and then Barb settled the baby in the crook of her arm. The two male team members crowded up front with Elliot while the Filipino guys hung off the back. Barb and the nurse sat on one side while Lindsay sat with him and the little boy on the other. Than was thankful that they’d taken the time to clear the road of the larger branches, but the ride back up the hill was still jarring.
With the little boy between them, he could see Lindsay working hard once again to stay in one place on the seat. The ride was made in relative quiet. Than didn’t miss the fact that Lindsay’s gaze stayed on the woman and baby in front of her. Not so long ago, if someone had said that Lindsay Hamilton would have been interested in babies, he would have laughed. And something told him that she would have as well. It wasn’t that she didn’t like children. In fact, he knew the opposite was true because she absolutely adored her nephew, but he was ten years old and able to communicate with her.
The thing with babies was different though. Babies tended to put thoughts into women’s head in a way that older children didn’t. He’d been around a few women who had commented about the ticking of their biological clocks. Than had always made sure to steer clear of those women. They hadn’t even gotten one date out of him if he had any advanced warning of where their heads were at when it came to babies.
Strangely enough, even though he could now see those same thoughts gaining ground with Lindsay, Than still wanted that second date. And more.
~*~*~
Lindsay leaned her head against the back of the rocking chair as she cradled the baby she’d help deliver. They’d been at the mission center for a few days now as they waited for word on Marissa’s husband. The little girl still had no name, but her own mother and the other workers in the orphanage had taken to calling her Girlie. Apparently the delay in naming wasn’t that unusual. Nor was it unusual for a nickname like that to stick even after they were given a proper name apparently. She figured that explained the men she’d met named Boy.
As she rocked, Lindsay breathed a sigh of relief. This was her favorite, most relaxing time of the day. Each morning they’d been up in time to eat breakfast by seven and then they headed down the hill. She’d discovered that even though they helped anyone who needed it, Elliot had been specifically looking for members of their church. They had helped remove fallen tree branches, fix roofs and windows and any other damage that had been done by the storm. She, Barb and the nurse had tended to any injuries they came across. Though they hadn’t run into any more laboring women, there had been plenty of heartbreaking stories of families who’d suffered damage or injury during the storm.
But from everything they’d heard so far, this town had been fortunate. The town on the coast, where the typhoon had made landfall, had been struck with a storm surge that hadn’t just destroyed property but had taken lives. Lindsay had had a hard enough time with the emotions that had come with the devastation she’d seen that had just been caused by the wind and rain. She couldn’t imagine how much worse it was when combined with a sudden storm surge.
Most afternoons after they’d had some lunch, they’d tackled some of the projects on the center and then Lindsay would escape for a bit to hold the babies in the orphanage. It was definitely the highlight of her day. Than was usually there as well. He seemed as taken with little Benjie as she was with Maya and Girlie.
Her gaze went to where he sat on the floor, his back against the cement brick wall, legs stretched out, holding the little boy’s hands as Benjie attempted to stand on his own. Lindsay figured this was probably one of the more bizarre assignments he’d ever had. But at least it didn’t involve getting shot at, so that was probably a good thing.
Knowing that he was doing a lot more than what would normally have been expected of him on a job, Lindsay had tried not to make any waves herself. She didn’t argue with him when he gave her direction. In fact, she’d tried to keep their conversation to the bare minimum.
The rush of emotions she’d had during the storm had not gone away. It scared her to feel what she did for someone like Than. He’d stayed true to their wager, but realistically, he’d had it easy. The atmosphere didn’t lend itself to flirtatious conversation, plus there just weren’t a lot of women around to flirt with. The true test would be when they got back on familiar ground. But by then, their bet would be over.
Would he go back to his old ways? Lindsay wasn’t sure she could take the chance of finding out. He was attentive and courteous when they were together, but that was his job. It wouldn’t have reflected well on BlackThorpe if he’d been anything but. For all she knew, this trip had opened his eyes to the “real” her, and he wasn’t interested in that second date anymore.
Lindsay sighed and gazed down at the baby in her arms. Too many confusing thoughts and emotions. She liked everything to fall into place perfectly. She didn’t like having to try to figure out subtleties or vague innuendos. There had been times over the past few days when she’d felt like she didn’t know who she really was any more. These days, Lindsay felt words like “vulnerable” and “emotional” were more accurate than the words that had been used in the past to describe her. Words like “reserved”, “cold”, “aloof.” Her self from just a year ago would have scoffed at the way she was now.
The truth was…these parts of her weren’t really new. At least not to her. She didn’t know why her emotional reactions were so much more visible than they usually were. Was it just the circumstances? Finding herself more vulnerable than she’d ever been before in her life? If that was the case, could she get her defenses back in place once she was back on familiar ground? Would she want that?
The sound of a man’s yell jerked Lindsay from her thoughts before she could formulate any answers to her questions. Her grip on the b
aby tightened as she tried to make out what he was saying. She glanced at Than and saw him get to his feet and hand Benjie to one of the workers, concern on his face. Marissa, however, was smiling as she pushed herself up from the rocking chair she’d been sitting in.
“Rissa? Mahal?”
The door of the orphanage opened, and a man burst in. His gaze swept the room and then landed on Marissa as she moved toward him. Lindsay’s heart clenched as she watched the man gather Marissa into his arms and hold her close.
Lindsay couldn’t understand what they were saying, but she didn’t need to. The love they had for each other was evident in the way he took her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips. He moved back and murmured something to her before kissing her again. When that kiss ended, Marissa pointed to Lindsay.
The man’s gaze met Lindsay’s for a moment, and she could see the wealth of emotion within him. He took Marissa’s hand and headed toward where Lindsay sat. As they neared, Lindsay held Girlie out. With gentle movements, the man took the baby and cradled her to his chest. The little boy had joined them and was hugging his dad around the hips.
As she watched the small family, Lindsay felt her chest tighten. She had all the money she could ever want, but this…she didn’t have anything close to this. As she recalled her anger toward this man who had left his wife for work, Lindsay knew she’d been oh, so very wrong. He hadn’t gone for the sake of the money, he had gone to do what he could to provide for this family he loved. There was no doubt that he loved and cherished his wife and children.
Elliot had followed the man into the house and now spoke with him and Marissa. The ache in Lindsay’s chest was making it difficult to take a deep breath. Tears threatened to spill over, but she refused to let them. This young woman who had a home that was small and without any luxury had something that counted for so much more.
Guarding Her Heart: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 1) Page 16
