Nelda
tells me you have a good heart. I make the world better today by forgiving you
and helping to end your self-torture.”
He stared at the floor. “You offer
the gift of forgiveness, but I have nothing to give you.”
“You’ve given me your honesty, your
apology, and your discretion in this matter. It would please me not to speak of
it again. I ask you to forgive yourself, so that your mind might be at peace. You’ve
helped to begin an easing for me. Now I know the truth about what happened that
long ago night.”
Hawkins wiped his eyes with the
back of his hand. “You were hurt.” He looked down at her skirt. “That’s been on
my conscience. Are you all right?”
Hannah lifted her skirt slightly
to show a small portion of her scarring. “It isn’t much,” she lied.
“It doesn’t hurt?” His face was
drawn.
“There is no physical pain.” She
dropped her skirt. “I am not limited in my work.”
He swallowed and kept his eyes on
the floor. “You must believe this: My heart isn’t stone cold. It cries with
yours.”
“I know. Mr. Hawkins, I understand
the hardest person to forgive is yourself, but you must, so you can be your
best as a husband and father.”
“Doctor Hannah, you, I -- ”
“Don’t let it eat at your soul,”
she whispered. Hannah stood and smoothed her hair back from her temples. She
had to save effort for the task ahead with Nelda Rose. “Now, Mr. Hawkins, my
friend, your child is about to arrive. I need your help. Will you assist?”
“Tell me what to do. Doctor
Hannah. I am ever grateful.”
* * *
Two hours later, John Hawkins
experienced joy he couldn’t recall. Doctor Hannah lifted a baby girl into his
eager arms as Nelda’s laughter washed over him like a cleansing spring shower.
“She’s beautiful,” Nelda gushed.
“Oh, yes,” Hannah assured as she
wiped her own eyes. “She’s strong. I’ve never heard one yell with such gusto.” Hannah
shouted over the baby’s wails.
John tenderly positioned the baby
in Nelda Rose’s arms as Hannah slipped from the room to give the couple
privacy. John stroked Nelda’s hair and kissed her face. “Thank you for my
daughter.”
Nelda’s voice broke. “John, this
time it feels different. We’re going to be a family. Doctor Hannah Sutton came
to bring us this angel.”
He gazed into Nelda’s resolute
eyes. “I believe she did.”
John Hawkins heard voices outside
in the hall, and he rose and opened the door. Doctor Rutherford was speaking
with Hannah, who was excitedly telling him about how well the birthing had
gone, how strong Nelda and the baby were, and how happy she was for this
outcome. Emotion rose in John upon overhearing Hannah’s eager words, and he
stepped out into the hallway.
“Congratulations, Hawkins!”
Rutherford extended a hand for a hearty shake. “I wish I’d been here, but a
cowpuncher out at Mineral Creek was thrown from his mount at the same time we
got word about Nelda. It appears Doctor Hannah had things well in hand.”
“Yes,” John swallowed and pumped
Rutherford’s hand. He noted Hannah’s open delight as she basked in the Doc’s
praise. It was clear she admired the man, perhaps she was sweet on him. Yes,
she was, John decided.
By John Hawkins’ reckoning, Doctor
Hannah had saved his life, and she deserved the most he could muster for
her. So, in that moment, John
decided to work toward such an end: He’d promote Hannah in town, and he’d
encourage Rutherford to marry her. Rutherford had lured her out here, and now
it was his duty to provide this fine woman with security and some measure of
happiness. Hawkins decided he would go as far as necessary, even to shaming Doc
Rutherford into taking Hannah to the altar.
Rutherford shook John from his
reverie. “Have you named the baby?”
The new father puffed up like a
proud rooster.
tells me you have a good heart. I make the world better today by forgiving you
and helping to end your self-torture.”
He stared at the floor. “You offer
the gift of forgiveness, but I have nothing to give you.”
“You’ve given me your honesty, your
apology, and your discretion in this matter. It would please me not to speak of
it again. I ask you to forgive yourself, so that your mind might be at peace. You’ve
helped to begin an easing for me. Now I know the truth about what happened that
long ago night.”
Hawkins wiped his eyes with the
back of his hand. “You were hurt.” He looked down at her skirt. “That’s been on
my conscience. Are you all right?”
Hannah lifted her skirt slightly
to show a small portion of her scarring. “It isn’t much,” she lied.
“It doesn’t hurt?” His face was
drawn.
“There is no physical pain.” She
dropped her skirt. “I am not limited in my work.”
He swallowed and kept his eyes on
the floor. “You must believe this: My heart isn’t stone cold. It cries with
yours.”
“I know. Mr. Hawkins, I understand
the hardest person to forgive is yourself, but you must, so you can be your
best as a husband and father.”
“Doctor Hannah, you, I -- ”
“Don’t let it eat at your soul,”
she whispered. Hannah stood and smoothed her hair back from her temples. She
had to save effort for the task ahead with Nelda Rose. “Now, Mr. Hawkins, my
friend, your child is about to arrive. I need your help. Will you assist?”
“Tell me what to do. Doctor
Hannah. I am ever grateful.”
* * *
Two hours later, John Hawkins
experienced joy he couldn’t recall. Doctor Hannah lifted a baby girl into his
eager arms as Nelda’s laughter washed over him like a cleansing spring shower.
“She’s beautiful,” Nelda gushed.
“Oh, yes,” Hannah assured as she
wiped her own eyes. “She’s strong. I’ve never heard one yell with such gusto.” Hannah
shouted over the baby’s wails.
John tenderly positioned the baby
in Nelda Rose’s arms as Hannah slipped from the room to give the couple
privacy. John stroked Nelda’s hair and kissed her face. “Thank you for my
daughter.”
Nelda’s voice broke. “John, this
time it feels different. We’re going to be a family. Doctor Hannah Sutton came
to bring us this angel.”
He gazed into Nelda’s resolute
eyes. “I believe she did.”
John Hawkins heard voices outside
in the hall, and he rose and opened the door. Doctor Rutherford was speaking
with Hannah, who was excitedly telling him about how well the birthing had
gone, how strong Nelda and the baby were, and how happy she was for this
outcome. Emotion rose in John upon overhearing Hannah’s eager words, and he
stepped out into the hallway.
“Congratulations, Hawkins!”
Rutherford extended a hand for a hearty shake. “I wish I’d been here, but a
cowpuncher out at Mineral Creek was thrown from his mount at the same time we
got word about Nelda. It appears Doctor Hannah had things well in hand.”
“Yes,” John swallowed and pumped
Rutherford’s hand. He noted Hannah’s open delight as she basked in the Doc’s
praise. It was clear she admired the man, perhaps she was sweet on him. Yes,
she was, John decided.
By John Hawkins’ reckoning, Doctor
Hannah had saved his life, and she deserved the most he could muster for
her. So, in that moment, John
decided to work toward such an end: He’d promote Hannah in town, and he’d
encourage Rutherford to marry her. Rutherford had lured her out here, and now
it was his duty to provide this fine woman with security and some measure of
happiness. Hawkins decided he would go as far as necessary, even to shaming Doc
Rutherford into taking Hannah to the altar.
Rutherford shook John from his
reverie. “Have you named the baby?”
The new father puffed up like a
proud rooster.
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