So he gathered his family in his arms and gently turned them towards their cabin, the others falling in around them. His aunt, Linda, and Deb bustled ahead to make hot chocolate from a powdered mix for them, and they spent the rest of the day in the Smith cabin quietly adjusting to a new reality.
Lewis just wanted to go home and lose himself in reloading work as an escape, but the rational part of him realized that could quickly become an unhealthy obsession if he let it. He was responsible for his family now, which meant he had to be the steady one. So he sat with everyone speaking quietly of his dad’s life, forcing himself to stay present.
The future looked bleak at the moment, but although it didn’t seem like it at the moment he knew it would get better.
Sam had insisted on attending the funeral. In response Matt had insisted on bringing a chair for her to rest on.
Even so, the walk and sitting in the cold and wind had taken a lot out of her, and she was half drowsing on their bed with the blankets pulled up around her head and over her face so only her mouth was visible.
After tucking her in and making sure she was comfortable Matt had gotten out the inventory of the town’s stores. He was seated at the end of the bed going over it with a pen, making notes. Once he finished he planned to head out to the storehouse and check the inventory against the actual stores to make sure everything was there.
Catherine had warned him that things would probably be missing. Theft was inevitable, even with defenders on guard 24/7. In fact, she’d even hinted at the possibility that the defenders themselves might sneak items, hoping not to be caught. As long as the thefts remained infrequent, only a few small items here and there, it was probably best to address it with a stern warning but not make too big an issue of it. For one thing it would be nearly impossible to catch the culprit, and the trouble it created wouldn’t do anyone any good.
Of course, if it was a major problem it would require a major response. Matt really, really hoped that wouldn’t be the case. He’d have to get Trev involved for something like that, and his friend had enough on his plate at the moment. Not to mention that even for major thefts finding the culprit would be hard, and the town couldn’t afford to lose anything.
Who knew, though. Aspen Hill was an upstanding place and the defenders had all risked their lives to protect it. Maybe they’d be above petty theft, and vigilant in their duty from outside thieves. It couldn’t hurt to expect the best from his people, even as he prepared for the worst.
Sam abruptly sucked in a sharp breath and sat upright, blanket sliding off her head as she hunched slightly around her abdomen. “Ah!” she gasped.
Matt turned, immediately attentive. “A contraction?”
His wife nodded, although most of her focus was on her pain and her breathing. Matt was concerned, but not immediately alarmed since Sam had experienced false labor contractions four times in the last week.
Still, she was almost to her due date and any of these could actually be the real deal. “Should I get Dr. Maggy?”
Sam grimaced. “She’s going to stop answering the door for us,” she said. “Maybe wait a bit and see if these settle down?”
Matt nodded doubtfully. They’d had the OB/GYN come for two false alarms already, ones that really seemed like they were the precursor to labor. Sam was embarrassed about wasting the doctor’s time, even though everyone assured her it was perfectly fine to be careful, and that was part of Dr. Maggy’s job.
By this point Mona, April, and Terry had come over to see if Sam needed anything. “The closer we get to the due date, the more we want to err on the side of caution,” Terry advised.
Sam shifted in obvious discomfort. “Well maybe,” she admitted hesitantly. “I just don’t want to keep bother-oh!”
There was a new expression on her face, less pain and more… surprise? “What is it?” Matt asked worriedly.
His wife flushed in embarrassment. “I think, um, my water just broke.” She gave them all a look, half fearful and half excited. “That means it’s time, right?”
Matt’s heart began pounding in his chest at the announcement. “I’ll get Dr. Maggy,” he blurted, bolting for his coat and boots. His mom and sister also burst into motion, gathering clean towels and getting water heating on the stove. Terry was already kneeling beside the bed, taking Sam’s vitals and talking her through breathing and relaxation techniques.
During all this Matt’s dad had ushered Paul and Aaron to an out of the way corner, where the boys were staring at the flurry of activity with wide eyes. “Is Aunt Sam hurt?” Paul asked fearfully.
His older brother gave him the look of complete exasperation unique to children. “No, dumby, she’s having the baby!”
“But we’re all supposed to be excited about that!” Paul protested. “Why does she look scared and like it hurts?”
Matt was grateful when his mom took a break from her preparations to swoop in and handle the children. “That’s right, she’s getting ready to have your cousin,” she said briskly. “But it’s very hard work and we need to give her some space. Ed?”
His dad jolted into action. “Right. Get your warm clothes on, kids! We’re going to visit Aunt Alice and Uncle Rick.”
Aaron whooped in excitement and rushed to grab his coat, hat, and gloves. Paul, however, paused long enough to look up at Matt. “But when I come back my cousin will be here, right?”
The old familiar fear surged, but Matt forcefully pushed it down and smiled at his nephew. “That’s right. And if you’re very quiet and gentle and Aunt Sam isn’t too tired, you might get to take a peek at him or her before bedtime.”
That seemed to satisfy the three year old and he ran off to get his warm clothes, which was a relief. Paul was proving pretty smart for his age, and had a habit of asking awkward questions. Like the one he asked his grandpa as Ed ushered the two boys out the door, about why the baby wasn’t a boy or girl until they were born, and what they were before that.
The door shut behind the three, blessedly cutting off the inrush of frigid air, to the sound of Matt’s dad patiently doing his best to explain that the baby was a boy or girl right from the start. They just didn’t know what it would be until it was born, unless they had special medical equipment to see inside the mom’s tummy.
Matt was out the door close behind the boys, although he immediately broke off in a different direction to the cabin where Dr. Maggy lived with the Clarkson family. The older woman immediately bustled to get her warm clothes and medical equipment when Matt explained the situation, asking for clarification even as she let him lead her out the door at a brisk walk.
When he stepped back inside the house with the OB/GYN close behind, the partition that covered his and Sam’s room was in place to block the view. From beyond it he could hear muted female voices speaking encouragingly.
Dr. Maggy immediately called a greeting and let them know she was coming in, disappearing behind the screen. Matt wanted to follow and see how his wife was doing, but he was a bit foggy on protocol for the father during labor. He supposed it was up to his wife, and he’d wait until she asked for him.
April and Terry came out. “It’s a bit cramped in there for so many people,” his sister explained quietly. “Anyway we want to go make sure it’s not an imposition on the Watsons to watch the boys.”
Matt nodded. Normally they would’ve taken Aaron and Paul to Linda or Mary to watch, and in fact they’d made tentative plans to do just that when Sam went into labor. But with the loss the family had just suffered that would definitely be an imposition, and anyway the boys were fond of the Watsons as well.