Chapter 2 - She saved the babies first
Sarah stared at Grace.
“Asleep?”
Grace nodded.
“She won’t wake up.”
My fingers stopped above the keyboard.
Dr. Miller turned.
“How long have the babies been like this?”
“They stopped crying yesterday.”
The waiting room went silent.
Dr. Miller immediately disappeared through the neonatal doors.
Sarah took Grace gently by the shoulders.
“Where do you live?”
“Home.”
“Is it far?”
Grace looked down at her bleeding feet.
“I walked a long time.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
Then she pointed at the wheelbarrow.
“I put Noah and Emma in there because I couldn’t carry both.”
Seven years old.
She had placed two newborn babies into a wheelbarrow and pushed them along rural roads because there was nobody else.
Sarah’s voice cracked.
“What about your father?”
Grace answered immediately.
“I don’t have one.”
No hesitation.
No sadness.
It sounded rehearsed.
Sarah noticed too.
“Who else lives with you?”
“Just Mommy. Me. Noah. Emma.”
“When did your mommy get sick?”
Grace rubbed her eyes.
“She was tired after the babies came.”
“Were they born at a hospital?”
Grace shook her head.
“Mommy had them at home.”
Something passed between Sarah and me.
“Was anyone helping her?”
“A lady came.”
“What lady?”
Grace shrugged.
“She left.”
“When?”
“Before Mommy went to sleep.”
Sarah’s expression hardened.
“Grace, did your mother tell you what to do?”
The little girl nodded.
“She said if anything bad happened, go to the hospital.”
“And you remembered?”
“I promised.”
Her chin trembled.
“I promised I’d come back for her.”
Then she looked toward the neonatal doors.
“But the babies were getting cold.”
May you like
One tear rolled down her dirty cheek.
“So I saved them first.”
