my
legs. “What am I looking for, Maude?”
“Is it still attached to me?”
“No, it’s just lying there by itself.”
I couldn’t help crying. “Then I guess you might
as well go bury it. We can’t keep it here. It’ll never be
any good again.”
James nodded, picked up the mass, and wrapped
it in one of the cloths. He carried it outside.
I kept nursing the baby, switching it to the other
side after a few minutes the way I’d seen Helen do
with Faith. She was her father’s child, with blond fuzz
on her head just the way Faith had when she was born.
My heart swelled inside me. I hadn’t known it was
possible to love a thing so much.
When James returned, I was lying there sound
asleep with my baby sleeping on top of my stomach.
He told me the next day that the two of us made the
most beautiful picture he’d ever seen. He would have
liked to have a lot of children, but this one would be
enough.
We were still sound asleep in the late morning
when the screen door banged open and James’s mother
came in. “Where’s my grandbaby?” she said so loud
we both jumped.
I opened my eyes and smiled. I was full of pride
for the beautiful baby I’d made. “Right here, isn’t she
beautiful?”
Mom Connor picked up the child, unwrapped
her, and examined her from head to foot.
“A little girl. She’s perfect, just perfect. Look at
that blond hair, just like her daddy. She looks exactly
like he did when he came, only not as big. He was a
whelp for sure. Did you have a hard time, Maude?
How long did it take you?”
“It started easy in the middle of the afternoon and
didn’t get real bad until around two this morning, but
she came quick after that, around four.”
James sat up. “I’d get up, but Mom hasn’t seen
me in my underpants in years.” He just sat there, a big
grin on his face.
“Get up boy, get that fire stirred up. We don’t
want Maude and this baby to freeze to death.”
He got his pants off the floor where he’d dropped
them and stepped into them, then pulled on his shirt
and went to stoke the fire.
Mrs. Connor rocked the baby in her left arm. She
reached over and smoothed my hair with her right
hand. “The first one’s always the hardest, Maude. The
next one will come real fast. You’ve got a good body
for it.”
I shook my head and started crying. James put
his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, mom,
there won’t be any more babies.”
“Why? It couldn’t have been that bad. Your
daddy said the doctor got here in time. Did he say there
wouldn’t be another?”
“No, he didn’t say that.”
“Then what makes you think you won’t want
more?”
I wiped the tears off my face with the blanket.
“Because I lost my womb.”
“What? What do you mean, you lost your
womb?”
“The doctor left right after she came and James
had to wash her off. My womb came out and we
couldn’t get it to go back. James had to bury it out
back.”
Mrs. Connor took a minute to figure out what
had happened. “Maude, you were there when Helen
had her babies. Did you see the whole thing?”
“No, they gave me the babies to clean up as soon
as they came out. I took them to the kitchen to wash
them.”
“Well, no wonder. What came out of you after
the baby was a natural thing. It’s called afterbirth. You
still have your womb. You’re going to be just fine. You
can have as many babies as you want.”
“Really?” Then Mom Connor and I began to
giggle. James stared at us. I took my mother-in-law’s
hand. “You mean, it was supposed to come out like
that?”
“Of course, that happens with every baby. You
wait until I see that doctor. I’ll give him what-for for
leaving here without finishing the job.” We laughed
louder.
“What in the world are you two laughing about?”
James asked. “That isn’t funny. We thought Maude
was dying.”
I shook my head, unable to stop giggling. “We
kept trying to put it back.” I was so relieved, so happy
to know that someday I could still give James the
legs. “What am I looking for, Maude?”
“Is it still attached to me?”
“No, it’s just lying there by itself.”
I couldn’t help crying. “Then I guess you might
as well go bury it. We can’t keep it here. It’ll never be
any good again.”
James nodded, picked up the mass, and wrapped
it in one of the cloths. He carried it outside.
I kept nursing the baby, switching it to the other
side after a few minutes the way I’d seen Helen do
with Faith. She was her father’s child, with blond fuzz
on her head just the way Faith had when she was born.
My heart swelled inside me. I hadn’t known it was
possible to love a thing so much.
When James returned, I was lying there sound
asleep with my baby sleeping on top of my stomach.
He told me the next day that the two of us made the
most beautiful picture he’d ever seen. He would have
liked to have a lot of children, but this one would be
enough.
We were still sound asleep in the late morning
when the screen door banged open and James’s mother
came in. “Where’s my grandbaby?” she said so loud
we both jumped.
I opened my eyes and smiled. I was full of pride
for the beautiful baby I’d made. “Right here, isn’t she
beautiful?”
Mom Connor picked up the child, unwrapped
her, and examined her from head to foot.
“A little girl. She’s perfect, just perfect. Look at
that blond hair, just like her daddy. She looks exactly
like he did when he came, only not as big. He was a
whelp for sure. Did you have a hard time, Maude?
How long did it take you?”
“It started easy in the middle of the afternoon and
didn’t get real bad until around two this morning, but
she came quick after that, around four.”
James sat up. “I’d get up, but Mom hasn’t seen
me in my underpants in years.” He just sat there, a big
grin on his face.
“Get up boy, get that fire stirred up. We don’t
want Maude and this baby to freeze to death.”
He got his pants off the floor where he’d dropped
them and stepped into them, then pulled on his shirt
and went to stoke the fire.
Mrs. Connor rocked the baby in her left arm. She
reached over and smoothed my hair with her right
hand. “The first one’s always the hardest, Maude. The
next one will come real fast. You’ve got a good body
for it.”
I shook my head and started crying. James put
his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, mom,
there won’t be any more babies.”
“Why? It couldn’t have been that bad. Your
daddy said the doctor got here in time. Did he say there
wouldn’t be another?”
“No, he didn’t say that.”
“Then what makes you think you won’t want
more?”
I wiped the tears off my face with the blanket.
“Because I lost my womb.”
“What? What do you mean, you lost your
womb?”
“The doctor left right after she came and James
had to wash her off. My womb came out and we
couldn’t get it to go back. James had to bury it out
back.”
Mrs. Connor took a minute to figure out what
had happened. “Maude, you were there when Helen
had her babies. Did you see the whole thing?”
“No, they gave me the babies to clean up as soon
as they came out. I took them to the kitchen to wash
them.”
“Well, no wonder. What came out of you after
the baby was a natural thing. It’s called afterbirth. You
still have your womb. You’re going to be just fine. You
can have as many babies as you want.”
“Really?” Then Mom Connor and I began to
giggle. James stared at us. I took my mother-in-law’s
hand. “You mean, it was supposed to come out like
that?”
“Of course, that happens with every baby. You
wait until I see that doctor. I’ll give him what-for for
leaving here without finishing the job.” We laughed
louder.
“What in the world are you two laughing about?”
James asked. “That isn’t funny. We thought Maude
was dying.”
I shook my head, unable to stop giggling. “We
kept trying to put it back.” I was so relieved, so happy
to know that someday I could still give James the
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