A Settlers Love (settlers series book 3)

In Her Image

In Her Image

After helping Payton come down from her last contraction, and hearing her scream of dying, yet again, had turned my stomach into a twist; and my back ached from bending over the bed. The length of the room felt too small to stretch out my limbs, which was something I desperately wanted to do.

Payton had been in labor all night. The doctor said these things take time, but he whispered with Mother on the opposite side of the room too frequently to make me feel confident in his words. Something seemed wrong, and with each hour that passed, I feared the worst. Payton, my life long friend, was so tired, and I wasn't sure if I had anything left to give her. Fear hung in the room. It accompanied every word that echoed from Payton's lips. And during the peak of her contractions, her talk of death, and calling for us to make the pain go away threatened to suffocate me.

Memories of a similar night long ago, whooshed back as though it was yesterday. Life here had already made me forget the little things about The Manor and all that we had while growing up. The death of my best friends mother, while giving birth, was a memory I had pushed back into the recess's of my mind. I never considered just how powerful those memories were. Helping Payton through the birth of her first child should be joyful. Payton's fear driven outbursts, I could understand. But why my stomach was contorted the way it was, I could only put down to the insistent dread of losing my friend to the same fate. Looking over to Payton laying on the bed that her husband Charlie had lovingly made for them, with her face distorted in pain, was wreaking havoc on my soul. I couldn't loose her.

I needed to get out of the room for a while, and hearing a bang coming from the front of the house, I used it as an excuse to slip out, to investigate. Charlie, seeing his face as he turned down the hall, pained with worry, didn't ease any of the fears I had.

We sent him out not long ago to get some fresh air, and to tend to, Grace; the little girl who survived the same ship wreck Eliza, William and Bree did. And whom since then, has lived with Charlie and Payton, as theirs. Payton was always meant to be a mother, she took mothering Grace as though Grace was born to her.

"How is she?" Charlie asked when he saw me. Even though no one had said a word about the late Mrs Martin. Charlie could no doubt feel that her memory was fresh in everyones mind; Payton was making sure of it.

"Charlie." I said, trying to alleviate his fears with just one word. But from the way he regarded me I knew my emotions were written on my face. There was nothing I could say to this man. Not now.

He rushed past me to be back where his laboring wife was. Tears threatened to fall as I watched Charlie take his place at the head of the bed and hold Payton through another contraction. I knew Payton needed me, but with Charlie returning, it gave me the moment I needed. So I raced to the front room, stopping short in my effort to leave the house, as Grace came into view. Her big, expectant brown eyes shone with confusion.

The front door opened, It was Eliza. When Gracie saw her, she raced into her arms.

"How is it going?" She asked me.

"I feel scared." I answered.

"Ashleigh, you can't possibly be as scared as what she must be. Now turn back around and go into that room." Eliza, the quintessence of what a woman of survival was. I would never measure up to be what she is. I was weak.

"I can't, the smell, the pain...I cant." Eliza eyed me for a moment, then her features softened to sympathy, and nodded her head, leading Grace over to a chair, giving me the escape exit I needed. I took it, selfish as it may be, I took it and quickly stepped outside, running to the place Payton like to sit and read.