AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is there somewhere we can unload the animals?” Max asked. “They’re going to need food and water.”
“Ah.” Jonah scratched the back of his neck. “Rachel, we should contact whoever’s out at the farm. It wasn’t actually a farm until recently,” he told Max. “There are a couple, but they’re too far from town for safety so we’re improvising. We’ve got a couple of cows, a couple of horses, a nanny goat, and some chickens. We’ve got a feedstore, but we’re going to need more feed with what you’ve brought in. We’ve got some hay going. I can’t tell you much about that. I’m no farmer.”
“We’ve got two with us.”
“Better and better. Aaron!” Jonah signaled a man across the street. “Can you get a couple of people to help lead the trailers to the farm, get them set up?” He bent to pet the dog who came over to sniff at him. “Good-looking dog.”
“Best dog ever. He’s Joe. I’m Eddie. I can lend a hand with the animals,” he told Max. “I saw you on TV, too,” he said to Arlys. “Got yourself some good-looking rug rats,” he added with an easy grin as he looked at the babies. “We got a handful of our own on the wagon train.”
“Let’s get some of these vehicles into the lot. Pass the word down the line, will you, Poe?”
“Sure thing.”
“Once you do, we’ve got a sign-up system. We’re trying to keep track of people. Names, ages, skills.” Jonah gestured. “Katie’s in charge of that. I think she could use some help with this many.”
“I’ve got it,” Katie said. “How far along are you?” she asked Lana.
“About four and a half months. Are they … triplets?”
“They’re all mine.”
Lana let out a shaky breath, rubbed her bump. “Wow.” Looked at Max. “Wow.”
He put an arm around her shoulders, kissed her temple. “Let’s get the cars out of the road.”
“You do that. I’m fine here. I can … sign us in. Max.” She patted a hand on his heart when he hesitated. “Trust goes both ways. We’ve had trouble along the way,” she said.
“We all have. Any medicals with you?” Rachel asked.
“A retired nurse—he’s great. Go ahead.” Lana gave Max a nudge. “A nursing student, and she’s coming along. A vet. A firefighter and two cops with emergency training. No doctors, but—”
“Rachel’s a doctor,” Katie put in. “And Jonah’s a paramedic.”
“A doctor.” Now Lana pressed a hand to her belly, looked at Rachel with eyes full of relief. “Max.”
He stroked a hand down her back. “I’ll be right back. She’d feel better if a doctor examined her and the baby.”
“That’s what we’ll do. Lana, you said?”
“Lana Bingham.” Lana held out a hand to Rachel as she walked up. “I’m twenty-eight. I’m a chef—was a chef. I—”
Surprised, she jerked when Duncan reached for her. Babbling, he wiggled in his mother’s arms, straining toward Lana.
“I know next to nothing about having a baby or what to do after I have one.” With obvious nerves, she took Duncan.
He laid a hand on her heart, and those nerves dropped away. She felt his light as cleanly as she felt the light inside her.
She found herself staring back into deep infant blue eyes, but with green edging in the sunlight.
“He’s special—I mean, he’s beautiful.” She continued to look at him as she spoke. “If you don’t want Uncannys in New Hope, it’s best if you tell us now.”
Duncan curled his hand around her finger, and light shimmered.
“He’s special,” Katie said calmly. “So’s his sister, Antonia. So is Jonah, and many others in the community.”
Tears swam into Lana’s eyes as she lowered her cheek to Duncan’s head. “Sorry. Hormones—that’s what Ray, our nurse, tells me.”
“Katie, why don’t you write down Lana’s information. A professional chef?” Rachel asked.
“Yeah, and believe me, I know a lot more about fileting a Chilean sea bass than pregnancy, childbirth, or being a mother.”
“A lot of parents start off that way. I’m a terrible cook. We can barter the OB-GYN services for cooking lessons. And besides being a chef?”
“Witch.”
“And you’re with Max?” Katie, behind her table, wrote out her information in such an easy, practical way, Lana smiled.
“Yes. He’s the father, and my husband. Max Fallon. He’s thirty-one. I can tell you without exaggeration, he can do whatever has to be done. He’s kept all this together, all these people. He’s a writer, but—”
“Max Fallon.” Katie looked up. “It didn’t click. My husband loved his books. I know we have some in our library.”
“You have a library?” Lana asked, and her eyes swam again.
“We have a library, a community garden, a day care, and medical facilities. Does Max also have other abilities?”
“Witch.”
“Would you like Max to be with you for the exam?” Rachel asked her.
“Yes, please.”
“Send him in, Katie. I’m going to take Lana inside, get her comfortable.”
Jonah took Duncan, watched Lana go in with Rachel. “They’re healthy.” He set Duncan on the blanket. “I couldn’t not see. Healthy and strong. The baby … there’s something bright. I don’t know how to describe it. Something … more.” He cut himself off as Max strode up.
“They just went in. I’ll show you.”
Lana changed into an exam gown while Rachel explained that they’d scavenged supplies and equipment from hospitals and clinics en route.
“We still need more, but at the time we didn’t have room to take more. And some of what we have we can’t use until we get power up again. Fingers crossed there. Come on in, Max. First, you estimate four and a half months, so eighteen weeks?”
“She was conceived on January second. That’s certain.”
“Date of your last period?”
“I honestly don’t know, but I know the conception date.”
“All right.” Rachel walked to a calendar on the wall, flipped back, counted. “Eighteen weeks, three days. That puts your due date at … best estimate going forty weeks from conception, at September twenty-fifth.”
“But, nine months would be early September.”
Rachel let the calendar flip back down, smiled. “It’s actually ten months’ gestation. Forty weeks.”
“Then why do they say nine? See,” she said to Max. “I know nothing.”
“You know now.”
Rachel gestured toward the scale. “Do you know your weight pre-pregnancy?”
“A hundred and sixteen. Oh God, I have to get on there, don’t I?” Resigned, Lana stepped on the scale, but closed her eyes.
“Height, five feet, six and a quarter inches. Weight one-twenty-six.”
“Ten pounds?” Lana’s eyes popped open. “Ten?”
“Is excellent for your stage of pregnancy. With your height and build, a twenty-five- to thirty-five-pound weight gain would be very good. But everyone’s different, so don’t stress about it.”
“Did you say thirty-five pounds? I thought Ray was exaggerating.”
“Why don’t you sit up on the table—don’t cross your legs. We’ll get your blood pressure. How are you sleeping?”
“It depends. I have dreams.”
“We haven’t always been able to stop or find the best shelter at night,” Max added.
“Mmm. Blood pressure’s good.” Rachel noted it down. “Morning sickness?”
“I never had any. A little light-headed now and again, and I’m hungry all the damn time.”
“Allergies, medical conditions, medications?”
“No, nothing.”
“Is this your first pregnancy?”
“Yes.”
Rachel asked questions, Lana answered. Max wandered the room.
“Have you felt any movement?”
“I think—I felt … When we saw the sign? The one that says New Hope? She moved. It felt amazing really.”
