“You okay, sweetheart?”
I nod and swallow down my memories. “Yes.”
His brow furrows. “Does it scare you? The thought of getting pregnant?”
“No.” I shake my head. That’s not entirely true, though. It does frighten me. The thought of giving birth panics me. I won’t think about that part.
Adam smiles. “Rebekah, you’re a terrible liar. We can absolutely use condoms if you’re not ready to face pregnancy.”
“No, I’m fine. I want to have a baby with you.” That part is true.
“Are you worried about giving birth?”
I nod. It’s like he reads my mind. “Yes.”
“Have you ever seen a woman give birth, sweetheart?”
I cringe. “Yes.”
He winces. “A home birth?”
“Yes.” I frown. What other kinds are there? I guess people in the city might go to a clinic, but I don’t think anyone this far away ever does. They call a midwife, and other women who live nearby come to help.
“How old were you, Rebekah?” His voice is very gentle and kind.
“I’ve seen several. Maybe five or six. I was probably about four the first time. The last one I was seventeen. Old enough to be helpful.”
Adam inhales deeply. “I bet that was scary. Every time.”
I nod.
“Was your mother a midwife? Why did you see so many births?”
I shake my head. “No. Lots of women from all around help one another when it’s time. It’s so…loud.” That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of childbirth. That and the pain on the mother’s face.
The first several times I went along, I wasn’t in the room, but I could hear the woman screaming for hours. It left an impression on me. It made me wonder why anyone would want to do that. But then the baby would finally come, and everyone would be so happy, including the mother. It seemed she instantly forgot all the suffering. But I didn’t.
Adam searches my face. “I’m not going to lie and tell you childbirth is no big deal. You know it is. Nor will I pretend it doesn’t scare me, too. I never want to see you hurting for any reason. I want to protect you from pain. But I can assure you that you will have medical care. You will see a doctor regularly for the entire nine months. The doctor will monitor your progress, and when it’s time to give birth, we’ll go to the city.”
“It’s too far away.”
“Not if we leave as soon as you go into labor. And if there’s even a hint of a problem, we’ll stay in the city at the end so we’ll always be close to the hospital.”
I gasp. “Hospital? That would be way too expensive.” Mama didn’t even go to a hospital when she was dying. My father insisted she would be more comfortable at home. He also insisted she would get better until the day she took her last breath.
Adam lifts one of my hands to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “Rebekah, you need to understand a few things. Remember, I told you I have plenty of money?”
I nod. “But not that much money. Not enough for hospitals. They cost a fortune.”
He smiles. “I have that much money, sweetheart. More than that. In addition, I have medical insurance. It’s something I pay for every month that makes going to the doctor or even the hospital inexpensive. I’ll call my insurance agent this morning and add you to my policy. You will never worry about medical care. If you ever get injured or sick, we will go to the hospital.”
That’s unimaginable to me, but I nod in acceptance.
“Now. New subject. I need to go to the main house for an hour or two to take care of some business. I promise not to take too long, but I didn’t know when I got up yesterday that I would end the day getting married.” He grins. “Needless to say, I need to make some calls and touch base with my brothers.”
I nod again quickly. “Of course. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ll familiarize myself with your home and do some cleaning.”
He shakes his head. “It’s our home, firecracker, and you are not cleaning anything. Nor am I leaving you here alone. I want you with me at all times for now, sweetheart.”
