The screaming began a couple of hours after Izzy came back to the room. It was faint at first. Faint enough for Izzy to pretend it wasn't there. Then it got worse. The moaning turned torcherous. She'd wrapped her pillow around her ears and sung to herself, all the while fighting the panic that threatened to push her over the edge. She tried to tell herself that Gloria was lucky. Soon it would all be over. Even if she had to stay a little longer, she'd be able to recover her body, and eventually her life.
It was as if their dormitory room was cased in a block of ice, all was still, no one moving, not even a breath escaped any of the girls. Finally, the moaning stopped. A cautious sigh from across the room cut into the silence.
"Do you think it's happened yet?" Dottie whispered, confirming Izzy's suspicion that the little girl was not asleep.
From across the room, Francine moved around in the dark, her hand fumbling across the dresser for what Izzy presumed was her glasses. The room was pitch black. It was too risky to turn on a light, the nuns often patrolled the halls, and would notice the glow under the doorway.
Francine cleared her throat. "I've read it can take hours," she said in a low voice. "Sometimes days."
Izzy cringed, wishing that Francine would keep what she'd read to herself. She propped herself on her elbow. "I think it's over," she said. "I can't hear her anymore."
Dottie stumbled across the room, her bare feet smacking the ground, until her hands were grasping near Izzy's feet. She sat down at the foot of the bed. "Gloria is really pretty," she said, her voice squeaking in the dark room. "I'll bet her baby will be pretty too. I bet it will have golden hair like hers."
Izzy grew uncomfortable at the mention of the baby. She'd come to the conclusion that her survival depended on ignoring the fact that a life was growing inside of her own body. If she dwelled on the baby, imagined its face, something inside her would break when it came time to give it away.
She jerked the light sheet from her and swung her legs around the bed. It was getting harder to pull herself up with her bulging belly in the way. Muscles she didn't know she had throbbed painfully in her groin. She felt her way towards the windows at the back of the room, dragging her legs to avoid stubbing her toe on a bed frame. The floor was cool against her bare feet. She grasped the thick curtains and pulled them open. The glow cast from the moon lit the room enough to see the faces of the other girls.
Izzy walked slowly back to her bed and sat next to Dottie. "The first thing I'm going to do when I get home is to go to Sam's Place and order a chocolate malt," she said, trying to keep all of their minds off what was happening downstairs. "Then I'm going to go ride the ferris wheel at Reeds Lake Park. After that, I'll watch all of the movies I've missed. Oh, how I miss going to the drive in."
Unintentionally, her last words brought Donnie's face to her mind and their last night flashed before her eyes. Looking back, she suddenly felt that the old Izzy was an ignorant little girl. Feelings of embarrassment and shame replaced the anger she'd once felt. How could she have been so stupid? So blissfully unaware? If she could get one chance to change a moment in her past, she wouldn't hesitate to change that one, massive mistake when she'd agreed to have sex with him for the first time. It was horrifying how one bad choice could change a person's entire life.
It was a night she knew she'd always remember, no matter how hard she tried to forget. The type of night where no amount of clothes could keep her warm. So cold, the air took her breath away for an instant when she set foot out of the front door. She'd pulled the scarf her mother knit over her mouth as she walked hand and hand with Donnie to his car. Her father and mother were gone at a social, they knew she was going out with Donnie, but they thought they were going with friends. Looking back, Izzy wished her father had been there to stop her.
She'd never planned on losing her virginity. Like all girls she knew, she'd planned on saving herself for her husband on her wedding night. She wondered if Donnie would have married her if she'd waited. She doubted he'd ever planned to marry her. It was clear he'd never loved her.
They'd gone to the Sam's Place for a malt, plopping in their favorite red upholstered booth, Donnie's arm wrapped around her, the smell of his cologne making her swoon.
"Well, aren't you two the cutest thing since sliced bread," Margaret, the waitress exclaimed, setting the malts down on the metal table in front of them. "Enjoy."
"How about we drive out to the lookout after this?" Donnie had whispered, his blue eyes dancing mischievously.
"And do what?" Izzy had giggled, sipping from her straw. She'd worn her light blue wool coat that pinched tight at the waist and went down near to her ankles. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to wear something other than drab gray.
"Look." Donnie's eyebrows had wiggled, a crooked smile on his face. She should have turned and ran away right then, but she was a foolish giggling school girl desperate for his love.
Dottie was studying her face. Izzy straightened and pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, trying to push her thoughts back in the dark where they belonged. Dottie laid her hand on her lap. "Is that where you met Donnie? At the drive in?"
Izzy was surprised by how intuitive Dottie was. It was as if she'd just read her mind. She sighed. "The last time I saw him was at the drive in."
"Oh." Dottie patted her leg, her big eyes shining in the moonlight as she studied her face. "Maybe he'll be waiting for you when you come back. I'm sure he's missed you. He's probably thinking he's made a mistake."
Izzy rolled her eyes. "He won't come anywhere near me. Especially if I have anything to say about it. I never want to see him again."
"Dottie's right," said Francine from across the room. "He could have changed his mind. The two of you were dating for a long time right? Maybe his family convinced him to leave you. Men get scared when it comes to being fathers—and getting married."
"You don't know anything about Donnie," Izzy said flatly. "Or his family."
"I'm sorry," Francine said. "You're right, I don't." She brought her pillow and sat on the floor next to them.
"I was ready to have a family," she said. Izzy eyed her, leaning forward. Francine spoke very little about her past, it was the first time she'd opened up since she came. "George and I were married for three months when I found out I was pregnant. He was elated, probably happier than I was."
Izzy's mouth dropped. "You're married? Then, why are you here of all places?" She felt somewhat betrayed, as if Francine was a fraud, pretending to be like the rest of them.
Francine pushed her glasses up on her over-sized nose. Her eyes turned sideways at Izzy's look. "We were married," she said softly.
"What happened?" The words flew out of Izzy's mouth before she could stop them.
"That night, we spent hours in bed talking about what we would name the baby, how we'd afford the things we needed," said Francine, her face paling as she spoke. "He was going to pick up extra hours at the factory, we were going to move out of our tiny apartment to a real house, with a picket fence and a lawn for the baby to play in." She swallowed, the sound painful in the tense silence.
"Finally, we fell asleep. When I woke, he was still sleeping. So, I made breakfast, his favorite, french toast and boiled eggs. When he still didn't come down, I went back upstairs." Her voice shook as she retold the story, her eyes suddenly wide and far off, as if she were reliving it. Her hand trembled near her mouth. "He was in the same place, in the bed. But, I knew something was wrong. I think I even felt it as I was walking up the stairs. I couldn't see his face. I didn't want to. I called his name, he didn't answer."
She took a deep breath, kneading her fingers. "I reached out and pulled the blanket back. I already knew. He was stiff, cold...dead." Her voice trailed off. "I don't know what happened. Even the doctor couldn't figure it out. George's family blames me. They want nothing to do with me."
"What about your family?" whispered Izzy. "Your mother and father, surely they'd take you in?"
"I'm the youngest of nine children," Francine said, drying her eyes with her sleeve. "My mother is too old to care for me. My father died when I was young."
"There has to be a way you could keep your baby," Izzy said, her heart bursting for the girl. "You've lost your husband, and now you're forced to give up your child too?"
"I'm in no position to keep a baby," said Francine. "I've never worked. I don't even have a place to live."
Izzy slumped on her bed, running her hand through her hair. "Gee, Francine," she said. "I'm so sorry. You always seem so content with life here, I never would have guessed."
Francine stood and gathered her pillow in her arms. Her eyes sunken in. "All of us have a story to tell. None of them are the same, but they all seem to have one thing in common—heartache." Her voice trailed off as a shadow appeared under the door.
The girls collectively held their breath, ready to spring back to their beds if the handle turned. Nothing happened. It was as if the person behind the door was listening, waiting for one of them to make a sound. When it seemed like their lungs would explode, a soft knock sent them scrambling to their beds. Silence. The shadow shifted under the door. "Izzy, are you awake?" Mara's voice whispered.
Izzy sprung from the bed and turned the handle, the young nurse's face peering in from the dimly lit hall. "I figured you'd still be awake," she said, pushing in, and shutting the door gently behind her.
She looked exhausted, her red hair falling loosely out of its pins, her mascara leaving faint blotches under her eyes. Her heels dangled in her hand. "You could hear me coming from a mile away when these hit the stone floor," she whispered with a laugh.
Dottie and Francine sat up in their beds.
"I'm happy to say that the baby is here, and Gloria is doing just fine," said Mara with a smile. "I thought I would tell you before I retired for the night. Maybe you'll be able to get some sleep now as well."
"Oh, thank God!" Izzy burst, clasping her hands together.
Mara let out an exhausted breath as she surveyed the dark room. "How are you Dottie?" she asked, turning to the little girl who peered at her over her covers.
"I'm okay," piped Dottie.
"You come and find me if you start to have any pains, alright?" Mara asked, her brow furrowing. "I believe you're getting very close to delivering."
"I will," Dottie said. She pushed herself back up in her bed, thrusting her hair away from her face. "Izzy promised me she'll be with me when I deliver the baby. Please, make sure that she's there."
Mara raised an eyebrow at Izzy, who looked away sheepishly. The nurse sighed. "I'll lose this assignment sooner than later," she mumbled before shooting Dottie a reassuring smile. "I'll do my best to make sure Izzy is there."
"Well then," she frowned, checking her watch. "I must be going. But, one more thing. Gloria won't be coming back to this room. Now that she's had the baby, she'll be spending a few weeks in recovery...then she'll be staying in the servants quarters."
Izzy's breath caught. "Servants quarters?" Her stomach turned. Gloria would be humiliated.
"Some girls' parents can't afford to pay for their stay here," said Mara softly. "The parish takes them in, but they must commit to six months of labor afterwards to repay the debt. They are required to stay separate from the other girls."
"Don't worry," said Francine. "I'll also be staying with Gloria after my delivery. The parish took me in, there was no one to pay. She won't be there by herself."
"Anyhow," said Mara. "I wanted to tell you girls so that you aren't concerned when she doesn't return. Now, get some rest."
The nurse slowly opened the door and slipped into the hallway.
Thanks for being so patient with the long updates. I'll try hard to have the next one done in a week. This are going to get pretty emotional from here. I'm thinking about separating this story into three separate parts. There's a lot more to come, and yes, Wes will appear again, so will Rita. As usual, please vote if you're enjoying this story, it truly helps my inspiration :) Any comments are appreciated!