resting and
reading. But one day in November Kiera poked her head in and said,
“We finally got the top done! Come see?”
I hauled myself out of bed and down the
hall.
“The pattern’s called Double Wedding Ring,”
she told me. “You can help us set up this frame and get it
attached.”
But I couldn’t I just got in their way. In
the end I simply sat and watched, amazed at the beauty of the
interlocking ring pattern and at the expert way they sewed the
backing to the aprons, then pinned and rolled the batting and
top.
The next afternoon the quilting group
arrived. I’d planned to take a nap, but Kiera dragged me along to
join them. “Some of you have already met my friend Lucienne,” she
said. “She’s here on doctor’s orders for complete rest during her
pregnancy. And I might as well tell you I’m going to be adopting
her baby in June.”
I couldn’t believe she’d said that. But I
guess she knew she’d have to tell them something, sometime, and
wanted to do it before the inevitable gossip got out of hand. I
heard a couple of gasps, then someone said, “Oh, that’s so nice for
you Kiera. You’ve waited so long.” And someone else said, “My son
and his wife just adopted a baby, the dearest little thing. We’re
all so delighted.”
Phoebe just kept stitching, her eyes on her
work, her needle seesawing in and out of the quilt, fast and
furious.
The women all introduced themselves then. Flo
and Dottie from the Loaves & Fishes café I’d already met. Then
there was Alma who worked at the post office and whose daughter
Gail the quilt was for, Leah who had her new baby with her, Holly
the midwife, who looked like she’d just stepped out of the 1960s,
and Sadie from The Silver Needle fabric shop. I pushed my chair in
between Kiera and Holly.
“Going to Dr. MacLaren, are you?” Flo asked.
“He’s such a lovely man, Phoebe’s Angus, known him all his life.
You couldn’t find a better doctor dear, and with Holly too, you’re
in good hands.” I had the feeling Kiera hadn’t told them anything
they hadn’t already heard. Most likely the details of my pregnancy
were public knowledge too.
“Dr. MacLaren and Holly delivered Blair,”
Leah said, “and they were just terrific, everything went so well.”
She turned and plucked her fussing baby from a car seat on the
floor behind her. “Hungry again, little piggy-pie?” She kissed him
and lifted her sweatshirt to let him nurse. I couldn’t help
staring. They both looked so contented, so complete. Breastfeeding
was something I wouldn’t be doing, and at that moment I felt like
it would break my heart.
“By the way Sadie,” Leah said with a dreamy
smile, “Do you think Heather could babysit Friday night?”
“Don’t know. She’s got a new boyfriend.”
Sadie snipped her thread and unreeled a spool for more. “Say Alma,
I saw your Gail and her man over to the mall in the city. Quite a
handsome guy she’s landed.”
“Isn’t he though?” Alma smoothed the fabric
under her fingers but didn’t stop stitching. “But I worry so much
about them. He’s a fisherman, you know, and with the way things are
going, what future do they have?”
“Well, they’re going to love this quilt,”
Kiera said. “Country rose and forest green is such a pretty
combination. How’re the wedding plans coming?”
“Oh, I’ve got the cake made, and I’ve started
on the bridesmaids’ bouquets. Gail wants all silk flowers, so the
girls can keep them.”
“Hey,” I said. “How can you all sew and talk
at the same time?” I glanced around the group. “I mean you’re
hardly even watching what you’re doing, but your stitches are
perfect.”
Dottie burst out laughing. “Just years and
years of practice,” she said, “and a real big mouth.”
“Can’t keep her quiet, no way, no how,” Flo
said, “me neither.”
Kiera threaded a needle, then knotted the
thread by rolling it nimbly around a finger. “Lucienne, why don’t I
teach you to
reading. But one day in November Kiera poked her head in and said,
“We finally got the top done! Come see?”
I hauled myself out of bed and down the
hall.
“The pattern’s called Double Wedding Ring,”
she told me. “You can help us set up this frame and get it
attached.”
But I couldn’t I just got in their way. In
the end I simply sat and watched, amazed at the beauty of the
interlocking ring pattern and at the expert way they sewed the
backing to the aprons, then pinned and rolled the batting and
top.
The next afternoon the quilting group
arrived. I’d planned to take a nap, but Kiera dragged me along to
join them. “Some of you have already met my friend Lucienne,” she
said. “She’s here on doctor’s orders for complete rest during her
pregnancy. And I might as well tell you I’m going to be adopting
her baby in June.”
I couldn’t believe she’d said that. But I
guess she knew she’d have to tell them something, sometime, and
wanted to do it before the inevitable gossip got out of hand. I
heard a couple of gasps, then someone said, “Oh, that’s so nice for
you Kiera. You’ve waited so long.” And someone else said, “My son
and his wife just adopted a baby, the dearest little thing. We’re
all so delighted.”
Phoebe just kept stitching, her eyes on her
work, her needle seesawing in and out of the quilt, fast and
furious.
The women all introduced themselves then. Flo
and Dottie from the Loaves & Fishes café I’d already met. Then
there was Alma who worked at the post office and whose daughter
Gail the quilt was for, Leah who had her new baby with her, Holly
the midwife, who looked like she’d just stepped out of the 1960s,
and Sadie from The Silver Needle fabric shop. I pushed my chair in
between Kiera and Holly.
“Going to Dr. MacLaren, are you?” Flo asked.
“He’s such a lovely man, Phoebe’s Angus, known him all his life.
You couldn’t find a better doctor dear, and with Holly too, you’re
in good hands.” I had the feeling Kiera hadn’t told them anything
they hadn’t already heard. Most likely the details of my pregnancy
were public knowledge too.
“Dr. MacLaren and Holly delivered Blair,”
Leah said, “and they were just terrific, everything went so well.”
She turned and plucked her fussing baby from a car seat on the
floor behind her. “Hungry again, little piggy-pie?” She kissed him
and lifted her sweatshirt to let him nurse. I couldn’t help
staring. They both looked so contented, so complete. Breastfeeding
was something I wouldn’t be doing, and at that moment I felt like
it would break my heart.
“By the way Sadie,” Leah said with a dreamy
smile, “Do you think Heather could babysit Friday night?”
“Don’t know. She’s got a new boyfriend.”
Sadie snipped her thread and unreeled a spool for more. “Say Alma,
I saw your Gail and her man over to the mall in the city. Quite a
handsome guy she’s landed.”
“Isn’t he though?” Alma smoothed the fabric
under her fingers but didn’t stop stitching. “But I worry so much
about them. He’s a fisherman, you know, and with the way things are
going, what future do they have?”
“Well, they’re going to love this quilt,”
Kiera said. “Country rose and forest green is such a pretty
combination. How’re the wedding plans coming?”
“Oh, I’ve got the cake made, and I’ve started
on the bridesmaids’ bouquets. Gail wants all silk flowers, so the
girls can keep them.”
“Hey,” I said. “How can you all sew and talk
at the same time?” I glanced around the group. “I mean you’re
hardly even watching what you’re doing, but your stitches are
perfect.”
Dottie burst out laughing. “Just years and
years of practice,” she said, “and a real big mouth.”
“Can’t keep her quiet, no way, no how,” Flo
said, “me neither.”
Kiera threaded a needle, then knotted the
thread by rolling it nimbly around a finger. “Lucienne, why don’t I
teach you to
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