August 1952

St. Mary's Home for Unwed Mothers

Two months had passed since Rita left St. Mary's Home for Unwed Mothers and returned home to her parents. Izzy wasn't given an opportunity to tell her goodbye. The day that she left the home, Mara stopped them in the hall and let them know. The three girls watched Rita, their faces pressed to the window at the top of the stairs, as she walked slowly to the awaiting car below. Izzy's throat tightened as the top of her dark head disappeared through the passenger door. It shut behind her with finality, leaving Izzy wondering if they would ever cross paths again. Although she'd only known Rita for a short time, there was no denying the sisterhood that had formed between the two of them.

Although the happy memories of her rendezvous with Wes were etched permanently into her mind, ready to grab in her time of need, her days grew darker with Rita's departure. It was bad enough that Izzy had been taken from her family. Now, she was losing the girls she'd come to love, one by one.

Her stomach had grown from a barely noticeable lump to a tight ball that pushed at her ribs, taking her breath away everytime she moved. The baby had sprouted out of nowhere, kicking furiously at her insides, demanding attention. When she laid in bed at night, she could see its limbs trail across her stretched stomach; a fascinating, yet eery sight that stirred up emotions she quickly tried to stuff deep down where they belonged. She was seven months along. Childbirth loomed terrifyingly close. The clock was ticking, leading all of the girls to the fateful day when, they too, would endure labor and birth a baby that they'd never have the opportunity to love.

Gloria was nine months and miserable, her face and legs swollen horribly. The more her body changed, the angrier she became, until she'd become almost unbearable to be around her. Her resolve was fading as fast as her figure. She hadn't tried to escape since her last encounter with Sister Mary Thomas, as if she'd finally resigned to her fate at Saint Mary's Home for Unwed Mothers.

The four of them, Izzy, Gloria, Dottie, and Francine, were climbing the stairs on the way back to the dormitory, when Gloria started to leak. She stopped mid step, frozen, the color draining out of her face as the clear liquid trailed from under her dress, down her legs to the wooden stair. Her green eyes widened as she stared down at the puddle forming below her.

"Oh god," whispered Dottie behind her, eyes locked on the wet stair, hands covering her mouth. "Oh god."

"Gloria, you're water's broken! " Francine exclaimed.

Izzy watched as the liquid pooled onto the stair beneath the shocked girl then trickled down to the one below. An image of Rita standing in the dormitory with blood gathering beneath her dress leapt before her eyes. She fought against the panic spreading through her chest. "We need to get Mara."

"For heaven's sake!" Gloria hissed, turning on them. Despite the anger in her voice, her eyes were bursting with fear. "Stop staring and do something!"

"Come along," said Izzy, grabbing her arm. "You have to get to the infirmary."

Gloria fought her grip, but gave in. They turned and headed back down the stairs, her face blazing red with a combination of embarrassment and irritation.Two chattering girls gave them nervous looks as they passed. Gloria's scowl set them on a fast pace up the stairs.

When they reached the landing, Izzy looked back to see Dottie was still frozen on the stairs. Her blue eyes shone with tears as she gapped down at them, white knuckles gripping the railing. It dawned on her that, like Gloria, the little girl was nine months along. Any day she would be in Gloria's shoes.

"Francine, can you take Dottie back to the room?" she asked the tall girl who was tromping along at her side.

Francine nodded, giving her a knowing look. She made her way back up the stairs and took the little girl's hand. At six foot two, Francine was giant for a woman. Her rough features made many perceive her as callous and rude. Izzy had quickly realized that she was a gentle giant. It was a shame that her looks prevented many from seeing the kind person that she was.

The large grandfather clock in the hall was striking six o'clock. Its echoing chimes filled the empty space.The nuns were busy supervising chores in the dining hall. Izzy and Gloria, who was growing paler by the minute, managed to make it all the way to the infirmary without confronting any of them. By the time Mara opened the door, Gloria was struggling to walk.

"Her water's broken," Izzy said, her voice barely more than a breath.

"It hurts," Gloria whimpered, gripping her stomach, her pride crumbling. "It hurts so bad!"

Mara beckoned the girls in, her eyes trailing over Gloria. She grabbed a folded gown from a shelf and handed it to her. "Change into this if you can manage," she said. "I'll phone the doctor. Then we'll check to see what's happening."

Izzy pressed herself into the corner of the room, her mouth bone dry as she waited for Gloria to change behind the curtain. Clasping and unclasping her hands, she listened as Mara talked to the doctor on the other side of the wall. The wail of a newborn came from the nursery, only a few feet down the hall.

Within moments, Mara appeared again and slipped behind the curtain. Izzy watched their shadows move together as the nurse helped Gloria lay on the bed. She came out, closing the curtain behind her. Her eyes settled on Izzy, then on the door. She sighed, looking at her hands. "You'd better be getting back to your room now."

Izzy wavered, eying the curtain. Mara's hand settled on her on the shoulder, her eyes holding a reassuring look. "Everything will be alright," she said. "Don't you worry about Gloria. Everything is going just as it should."

Izzy forced herself to swallow, the lump in her throat refusing to move. "Will you let me know when it's over?" Her voice cracked. "Let me know she's okay?"

"I will," Mara promised.

Her legs suddenly feeling light underneath her, Izzy turned towards the door. Dread gripped her entire body despite Mara's reassuring words.

She slammed straight into Sister Mary Thomas. Solid as a brick wall, the nun scowled on the other side of the doorway.

"Mara." The nun's eyes shot past Izzy to the nurse, her thick brows lowering. "What is going on here?"

"Gloria's water has broken," Mara explained. "I've called the doctor, he should be here in a few minutes. Izzy brought her down here as soon as it happened."

The nun's eyes narrowed on Izzy. "And what is this girl still doing here? She's not allowed in this room unless she's in labor."

Mara raised an eyebrow as she slipped on a pair of gloves. "She was just leaving."

The nun cast Izzy a sharp look that demanded she to leave immediately. Izzy squeezed past her, retreating to the hallway. As soon as she was out, Sister Mary Thomas forced the door shut behind her.

"You know." Mara's voice was muffled through the door, but the hint of irritation it held halted Izzy mid step as she turned to leave. "It wouldn't hurt to let these girls have some support during their labor. It's an incredibly scary experience for them."

"As it should be," Sister Mary Thomas's low voice spat. "Sins have consequences. Our Lord has set rules for us to follow for our own good. A sinner should not expect to lead an easy life."

"All of us are sinners in one way or another," Mara said in a low voice. "Many of these girls have made bad choices, I understand that. But, they're paying for them every single day. My goodness! They've been separated from their families and the only life they've ever known! They go through childbirth scared and alone, all the while knowing that at the end, they'll have to give up the baby."

"If you aren't able to handle this assignment, you'd be wise to find another," Sister Mary Thomas said.

Silience. Izzy wavered, tiptoeing away from the door.

"Not all of these girls are here because they've have made bad choices," Mara said flatly behind the door.

"What are you talking about?" the nun snapped.

Izzy held her breath, leaning in towards the door. Mara's voice was laced with anger. "You know what I'm talking about," she said.

"Nonsense," said the nun. "The girl is a liar."

"She was scared to death of the doctor," Mara said, her voice strained. "And when he did exam her, he found scarring."

"Enough!" snapped Sister Mary Thomas. "Your vulgar words have no place here. I won't stand for this kind of talk."

Izzy jumped back from the door, fearing she'd come storming out at any moment. But, despite the fear of being discovered, she couldn't pull herself away.

"When I became a nurse, I took an oath," Mara pressed on, a shake in her voice. "An oath to care for and protect my patients. I can't let that little girl go back home. She's told me it was her father. She must have some other family she can return to. It's bad enough she has to go through all of this—."

"Shut your mouth!" the nun interrupted, causing Izzy to catch her breath behind the door. "All of your silly books and lessons have made you think you know everything! You know nothing about these girls! You're young and naive, falling for all of their manipulation and lies. If you'd been here as long as I have, you'd see through all their deceitfulness! From now on, you will stick to your assigned duties and keep your mouth shut, or I will have you discharged!"

There was a long pause and Izzy wished she could see what was happening behind the door.

"You know he did it, don't you?" Mara finally said. "You'd rather turn a blind eye and send her back, than face the wrath of a rich family?"

Footsteps caught Izzy's ears from around the corner. She straightened. It must be the doctor. She sprinted down the hall in the opposite direction, disappearing around the corner.

Francine was sitting on the bed with Dottie when Izzy returned. She seemed relieved to see her. "She's been going into fits," the tall girl said, pushing her glasses up on her nose. "Shaking like crazy. I can't seem to calm her down. I've tried nearly everything."

"Dottie," Izzy said. The girl's eyes were wide with terror. "Dottie, it's alright, Gloria's fine. She's down in the infirmary with Mara."

She sat on the bed on the other side of Francine and reached to touch Dottie's arm. The little girl snatched it from her reach and cradled herself, rocking back and forth. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She struggled to take a breath. "I don't want it to happen," she choked out.

"Want what to happen?" asked Francine.

"She doesn't want to have the baby," answered Izzy. Her heart twisted. Scrambling for something to say, she avoided looking at the wide eyed girl in front of her, feeling useless.

Both girls sat helplessly on either side of Dottie, their silence seeming to thicken the tension in the room. There were no good words to say. Izzy couldn't think of anything that would put Dottie's mind at ease. The baby had to come, there was no denying it. And she couldn't even be there to hold the little girl's hand. Anger pulsed through her at that thought. She recalled Mara's words to Sister Mary Thomas. They shouldn't go through it alone, especially not Dottie.

"I'll be there with you when it happens," she blurted out. Immediately, she regretted her words. She couldn't make that promise to Dottie. The nuns would never allow it. Judging by the words exchanged between Mara and Sister Mary Thomas, Mara might not even be able to stay much longer, much less help them.

Dottie's eyes brightened a bit at her words, which made Izzy's stomach turn in guilt. "Could you be there with me, the whole time?" she asked.

"I," Izzy looked from Dottie to Francine, who was studying her with a worried look. Dottie's eyes willed her to say yes.

Was it that bad if she lied to keep the girl from going insane? At least she could set her mind at ease until the time came. "Yes, I'll be there," she said, the words leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

"I'm so scared." Dottie sniffed, drawing in a shaky breath. Her small hands trembled as she smoothed the wrinkles of her dress. "It hurts so bad already. Like it's pushing down, trying to get out. It's like there's a monster inside of me, crawling around."

"It will all be over soon," Izzy said. "Then, you'll go back..." She stopped herself, biting her lip. Darn it all.

Dottie's face fell. "It could happen again," she whispered.

"It won't," said Izzy, with no conviction whatsoever.

"Have you told your mother?" Francine asked.

"She doesn't believe me," said Dottie. "I told her once. She slapped me and told me it was a horrible thing to say. She said I was only trying to bring attention to myself." Her voice faltered again at the last words, and a new batch of tears welled in her eyes.

Izzy wondered what her mother would say if it was happening to her. She realized she wasn't convinced that her mother would believe her either. The fear of their family's soiled reputation might likely make her want to disbelieve, even if she knew.

"Have you gone to the police?" asked Francine, always looking for solutions, whether they were realistic or not.

"No," said Dottie. "My father knows all of the police. He's told me so. He invites them over sometimes."

"Perhaps you could live with an aunt or something?"

"He'd never let me go," Dottie said. "Mother convinced him to let me go here. He wanted to take me out of school and keep me at home. She said it would be better if I went away, they could say I'd gotten ill and I'd return when I was better." A tear zigzaged down her cheek.

"Some of us have been dealt a bad hand," Francine said. "Helen Keller for example. Blind and dumb, can you imagine? But look at all of the things she did."

Izzy gave her an irritated look. "This is hardly the same, Francine."

"No, it's not same," said Francine. "But the point is, you have to play the hand you've been dealt. Unfortunately you can't turn it in for a new one. All of the greatest characters in books go through hard times to become extraordinary. I believe we'll all be extraordinary women one day. Dottie, you will be the most extraordinary of us all."

Although a lot of what Francine had to say was from her plethora of books, her words seemed to hit the mark, setting the little girl at ease. She closed her eyes. "I just hope that if my water breaks, that it breaks while I'm alone. I'm afraid that if it breaks in front of the other girls they'll think I've peed."  

Thanks to all of you who have hung in there with this story. Sorry the update took so long. Please vote if you're enjoying it! Support from readers is what gives me the motivation to keep writing!