kept one eye on Sarah. “Are your pains close together?”
“Not yet. I think I’ll get dressed and try for a regular day. By tonight, I expect I’ll have other work to do. I have a long while yet, though.” Now that she was sure it was time, Sarah found that her anxiety had passed and she felt calmly excited.
“I’ll fix your breakfast, Hixson.” She said, when he got eggs out of the cooler. “Tomorrow you might be fixing mine.”
Hixson sat at the table with his coffee cup and watched his beloved wife as she slowly made breakfast. From time to time, she would stop and stand still with the color draining from her face. Then it would pass, her color would return and she would continue with what she was doing.
It was his first experience with the early stages of labor. When Momma had Eliza, he was just a boy and had been shooed outdoors to play. Where was Poppa then? He couldn’t recall what Poppa was doing while Momma labored. He did know that his Granny would not permit Poppa in the bedroom while Momma gave birth. What was going to happen with that when Sarah’s time came? Would he be needed in with her? Would she be alright?
Would her gift be passed on? Was it a boy or a girl?
Would she be alright?
Would she be alright?
Hixson loaded the back porch with firewood. He tended to his morning chores in record time, poking his head in to check on Sarah between every task. Around noon, Sarah asked him to fetch Momma.
“Don’t get her in a panic, now. I have a lot of time yet. But you can’t do anything for me right now, and you can’t do anything for yourself for checking on me all the time. Maybe your Momma can keep me company and you’ll feel better?”
When Momma saw Hixson galloping up to the house, she told Poppa, “I had a feeling that something was brewing over there. It’s her first baby, so I imagine I’ll be gone all the day. There’s soup leftover from last night for your supper. You’ll have to heat it up yourself.”
“You don’t really think I’m going to sit over here eating soup while our Sarah is having us a grandbaby, do you? Rosalia, where is your head?” Poppa laughed. “I’ll hitch up the team. You better let Eliza know. She’ll want to go, too.”
Hixson bolted in the door calling for Momma. “It’s time, Momma! Sarah wants you to hurry!”
“Did Sarah say to hurry, or are you saying it?” Momma asked.
“Well. Sarah said she had plenty of time. But she’s been up all night.” Hixson replied.
“If she says she has plenty of time then she does. But I understand how you feel, too, son so I’ll hurry for you.”
In fewer than ten minutes, Poppa had the buggy hitched up, Eliza was ready and Momma had packed up a few things to take, including the leftover soup.
When Sarah saw everyone with Hixson and there so quickly, she was upset. “Hixson, did you tell everyone to hurry? There’s lots of time! You all didn’t need to stop what you were doing!”
Poppa kissed the top of her head and smiled. “I’m here to keep your Hixson calmed down. I remember how I felt when Momma was having him. Our first baby… I was a nervous wreck. If my poppa hadn’t been there to keep me corralled, I might have fainted with nerves.”
“It’s true!” Momma said. “His momma kept me company and his poppa kept him distracted. It’s the only way to take on such business as having babies.”
Poppa grabbed Hixson’s arm and steered him out the door, saying, “Let’s go see what a rotten job you did on your morning chores, son.” And off they went.
Momma and Eliza sat with Sarah, chatting cheerfully but paying attention when Sarah had a contraction. Momma thought that the labor was progressing well and said so. “I think by midnight we’ll find out what’s what around here, daughter.”
At 3 o’clock, Eliza went to tell Emma and Annie that Sarah’s time was at hand. Poppa managed to keep Hixson outdoors until 4 o’clock, and that was the end of that. Hixson strode to the house, Poppa trailing with a grin on his face, and found Sarah pacing the floor, holding on to Momma’s arm for support.
By half past six, the entire family had gathered in Hixson’s house. Emma, Annie and Momma stayed in the bedroom with Sarah, having helped her changed into a nightgown. Eliza was the runner: running for cool water for Sarah or coffee for Momma.
At 2 o’clock in the morning, the men played cards at the kitchen table, and tried to talk of other things. Hixson looked at the cards in his hand, and thought the lamp must be out of oil. It was growing dark in the room. "I’ll get some more lamp oil.” He said.
Poppa laughed, “That’s a terrible excuse, son. Just fold, if you got a bad hand or don’t feel like playing.”
“It’s getting dark in here.”
“Whatever you say, son.”
“Don’t it seem dark to you?”
Poppa looked up at Hixson and became concerned by his son’s expression. “No, son. It ain’t getting dark. Quit worrying and play.” He said gently.
“Sarah!” Hixson ran into the bedroom. It was very dark in the room, only Sarah was in light.
“She’s been asking for you. I keep telling her that this is no place for a man, but I was just about to get you anyway. She seems scared.” Emma whispered as Hixson came to the bedside.
Hixson took Sarah’s hand. In the faintest of whispers, Sarah said, “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s almost time.”
Emma started to protest when Hixson got behind Sarah and wrapped his strong arms around her, but Momma laid her cool hand on Emma’s arm. With an instinct for the power of what was about to happen, she said, “It needs to be this way, Emma.”
Emma kneeled on the foot of the bed, ready for the baby to show. Sarah strained forward, her eyes squeezed tightly closed, and Hixson supported her from behind with his arms wrapped around her. Sarah’s reached back and held Hixson’s arms.
The room grew dark. Eliza took Momma’s hand and Annie stood closer. They saw a glow coming from Sarah and Hixson together, as if lit from inside. Momma looked to Eliza, but couldn’t see her in the profound blackness.
Hixson felt himself getting warmer. He felt his whole being hum and there was power moving through him, to Sarah, and from her to him. Like being caught in an eddy of light and energy, he was helplessly blind to all else.
Only Sarah.
He felt faint and yet somehow stronger than he had ever felt before. As Sarah pushed, a rustling, crackling noise filled the air and the room darkened to a complete absence of light. Golden-yellow light, blurring the vision of the women watching, rose from within Sarah until it enveloped both her and Hixson. It was if all the light in the world fixed on them, leaving all else dark. With a great effort and one last push, Sarah’s baby was in Emma’s hands.
Momma, Annie and Eliza held onto each other, awestruck and anxious.
“It’s a girl!” Emma cried. She looked up at Sarah and felt a great fear. “What’s wrong?!”
The light that was shining around Sarah only a moment before seemed to have evaporated. Even the lamps, which were burning on a high flame, couldn’t penetrate the darkness in the room. Then suddenly, the light rose and the strange noise stirred and the watching women backed away in fear.
Sarah’s eyes were huge and her face was very pale. With force, she told Hixson, “Don’t let go!”
It was Momma who figured it out. “There’s another one coming!” and sure enough, two minutes later there were two wet, squalling babies announcing their healthy arrival into the world.
The strange golden light spread out again, the room looked normal and the watchers wondered.
Poppa and Charlton heard raised voices and felt the mounting tension. Leonidus was praying harder than he’d ever prayed before. They exchanged worried looks all around until Emma came out of the bedroom with a tiny bundle and placed the precious little one in Poppa’s arms.
“A granddaughter.” She whispered.
A moment later, Momma came out and laid the second baby into Poppa’s other arm, saying, “Your second granddaughter, dear.” Tea
rs of happiness were streaming down her face, and seeing them made Poppa’s eyes fill, too.
Those were all the words that any of the women could manage. They were all overwhelmed with the wonder and the miracle of light they had seen.
“Twins! Twin girls! How wonderful!” Leonidus hooted and hugged his dear Emma in relief and joy. Charlton sat silent and smiling, overcome. He hugged Annie when she came out, and held her tight until she finally squirmed to be free. Eliza smiled through her tears while young Caleb held her hand.
Hixson stayed on with Sarah until she was well asleep, exhausted. He lay next to her in their bed, holding her and feeling her sleeping breath against his neck. He couldn’t let go and he couldn’t get the wonder out of his mind. Two daughters. What did the light mean? Who had the gift, now? All of his girls? None of them? What did it all mean?
Now at last he fully understood what gathering the light must be like for Sarah. All the world was dark and the light had shone only on her for those crucial moments. Hixson wondered how she managed it over and over again. He was tired. More than tired, he was used up, and he had felt her strength supporting him when the light took him. Sarah did this alone when she gathered the light. He held her a little closer, gave in to his weariness and closed his eyes.
Momma collected the twins from Poppa and Emma who were holding them, and brought them into the new momma. The older of the two, a girl with dark curling hair, was awake, but her blonde sister was sleeping. Momma laid the sleeping