“You have a healthy boy, Mary.”
The young woman began to cry. “A boy? Dan will be so happy. He wanted another boy so Timmy would have a brother.”
Micah handed the baby to Kenzie. “Clean him up.”
She froze. She’d never held a baby, much less a newborn. How in the world was she supposed to manage this?
If Micah noticed her apprehension, he said nothing. He was already busy tending to the mother. Miss Snyder stood bawling in the corner and offered no help. Kenzie whispered a prayer and looked down at the baby. The boy had calmed and now looked up at her with dark blue eyes. There was something in his expression that reached deep into Kenzie’s heart.
She went to the small table where Miss Snyder had put the towels and basin. With great care, Kenzie placed the baby beside the towels and unwrapped him. He was so incredibly tiny. She felt completely inadequate to manage what needed to be done, but she was equally determined that she wouldn’t let Micah down.
The basin of water seemed the perfect size to bathe the baby, but Kenzie wasn’t sure if the water would be too warm. She felt it. It seemed cool enough.
But what if I drop him? He’s already so slippery, and the water will only make him more so.She looked at the baby and then back to the water. She bit her lower lip and put her hand around the back of the infant’s neck and head. With her free hand, she gripped the child’s legs and lifted. It seemed manageable. She dipped the baby into the water and did her best to wash him thoroughly. He seemed at ease with her actions, giving Kenzie more confidence.
Feeling she’d done all she could, Kenzie carefully lifted the baby back out and dried him with a clean towel. She smiled in amazement. A new life had come into the world, and she’d been a part of it.
“I have diapers and pins in the trunk, Auntie. A gown too,” Mary said from her bed.
Kenzie frowned as Miss Snyder brought her the items. She’d never diapered a baby. She wasn’t even sure how to go about it. She looked at Miss Snyder, who shook her head. Kenzie turned to Micah. To her surprise, he was watching her.
“I ... I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been around babies.”
Micah chuckled. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.” He pulled the sheet over Mary, then joined Kenzie and Miss Snyder. “Let me demonstrate.”
Kenzie moved aside as he picked up a square of white flannel and folded it over several times, making a small triangle.
“With boys you put extra padding up front. With girls you put it in the back. Works best that way,” he said. He positioned the flannel triangle under the infant, picked up one of the pins, and drew the edges of the diaper together. “See, you just pin it snug, but not so tight that it cuts off circulation. Oh, and you always put your hand inside the fabric where the pin comes through. Better to stick yourself than the baby.”
Kenzie was amazed at how easily he handled the situation. Once the baby was diapered, Micah dressed him. “If you have a blanket, I’ll show you how to swaddle him. Babies prefer to be wrapped snug.”
Miss Snyder pulled a baby blanket out of the trunk and handed it to Micah. Kenzie watched carefully as he tucked the blanket across the baby, drew up the bottom, then pulled the other side across. The baby was soon wrapped up like a mummy with only his head visible. Micah smiled down at the infant, then took him to his mother.
“Here you are, Mary. He’ll want to eat, and the sooner you put him to suckle, the better.”
The young woman nodded, not at all embarrassed by Micah’s intimate references. Kenzie watched in surprise as the woman opened her bodice and put the baby to her breast. The newborn rooted a moment, seeming uncertain what to do, but Mary gently guided his mouth, and soon he had the right idea.
The tender scene brought tears to Kenzie’s eyes. It was too much. Micah was talking to Mary and Miss Snyder, so Kenzie took the opportunity to step outside.
Once there, she didn’t stop walking—or crying. She felt so confused. She was delighted at what she’d just participated in. Happy that she could be of use in something so wonderful. But also overwhelmed by a surge of emotions she couldn’t even name.
She hurried back to the warehouse but didn’t bother going inside. Instead she walked behind it so she could look out at the bay and regain control of her feelings. She wiped her eyes with the edge of her apron, then hugged her arms to her body.
“God, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know why I feel so ... so...” She had no words and stood there in silence for some time.
“Kenzie?” She turned at the sound of Micah’s voice. His expression was full of concern. “Are you all right?”
“I hardly know. That was such an amazing thing to witness, but ... I feel ... I don’t know what I feel.” Her tears flowed anew.
Micah’s expression softened. He came to her, and for just a moment, Kenzie thought he might embrace her. And in truth, she wanted nothing more.
Instead, he reached up and touched her wet cheek. “You did really well. I wasn’t sure if you’d had any experience with babies, but for someone who hadn’t, you managed it perfectly.”
“It was unlike anything else. It was like seeing the hand of God right there—giving life after so much destruction and death.” She sniffed and shook her head. “It’s like telling me there’s hope for the future.”
He smiled. “There’s always hope, Kenzie. God is hope itself. Our sorrows may reign in the past, but God alone controls the future. We can put our hope in Him and know that no matter what happens, He will never leave us nor forsake us.”
She nodded. “I know you’re right.”
