River's Song - The Inn at Shining Waters Series (26 page)

Lauren surprised Anna by looking fairly healthy when she arrived in Florence. Clark had just taken the groceries back to the boat when Dorothy and Lauren came into the grocery store. Anna hugged her daughter then looked into her eyes." How are you doing?"

"I still feel kind of weak and tired, but I haven't been throwing up."

Dorothy nodded. "That was a relief," she admitted. "I can remember when Jill got carsick on our way to Yosemite a couple years ago. The car stank for weeks."

"Well, let's get you onto the boat." Anna put an arm around Lauren's shoulders. "We fixed it up like a floating ambulance."

"And I'll get our bags," Dorothy said. "Meet you at the dock."

"Thanks." Anna smiled at her old friend, thankful that Dorothy had grown up on the river too. She knew her way around as well as Anna.

Before long, they were back at the inn and Anna told Dorothy to make herself at home, or to use the boat to visit her parents if she liked. Then she led Lauren to the room she'd prepared for her. "I think you should just rest," she told her daughter.

"OK." Lauren did look a little pale and weary as she peeled off a cardigan.

"Do you feel like eating a little something?"

"I guess I could try. I didn't feel much like it on the trip here." Lauren kicked off her shoes and sat down on the chair and sighed as if bone tired.

"You get into bed, sweetheart, and I'll bring you something."

Lauren made a weak smile. "Thanks, Mom. You know, there's no one like you when it comes to taking care of me when I'm sick. Grandmother was always hopeless at it. Remember?"

Anna chuckled. "Your grandmother never could stand the sight of a sickroom or even something as innocent as a thermometer—and if there's a bedpan anywhere near the poor woman, she might actually faint."

Lauren made a face. "Well, at least I don't need a bedpan, Mom."

"Thank goodness for that." As Anna went to prepare Lauren a tray, she remembered the long, hard years she'd spent caring for Lauren's father when Lauren was young. Adam had returned from the war minus an arm and a piece of his soul. Anna had cared for him for about seven years before he'd finally taken his own life. As far as Anna knew, Lauren was unaware of this sad fact. For years Anna had assumed she was the only one with those suspicions, although she'd been slightly blindsided when Eunice brought it up this summer. It was possible Eunice might've informed Lauren by now, but Anna had no intention of bringing up the subject.

After a few minutes, Anna carried a tray of tea, custard, and a couple of cookies into Lauren's room. "See if anything here can tempt you,"Anna told her as she set it on Lauren's lap. "And I'm making chicken soup for dinner."

Lauren smiled. "Looks good, Mom. Thanks."

Anna sat down, making small talk as Lauren picked at the food. She told Lauren a little bit about the honeymoon trip she and Clark took up the Oregon coast. "We stayed at different beachside hotels all along the highway, clear up to Astoria."

"That sounds fun." Lauren took a sip of tea. "But I plan to go to Honolulu on my honeymoon."

Anna chuckled. "Already planning your honeymoon?"

"Doesn't hurt to plan ahead."

"How were your classes going, honey? Do you like school?"

Lauren shrugged. "You know me, Mom. I've never been the scholarly type. But I like the girls in my sorority. And it's fun seeing Donald on campus."

"Are you feeling a little better now?"Anna got up now, placing her hand on Lauren's forehead, like she used to do when Lauren was a child. Her temperature felt normal.

"I guess so. But I'm surprised because I really felt sick this morning."

"Maybe you just need some rest." Anna picked up the empty tray. "A weekend on the river will put the roses back in your cheeks. Now just close your eyes and relax, honey. Enjoy." She quietly left the room, closing the door.

By dinnertime, Lauren felt like getting up and Anna didn't discourage her. Anna, Clark, Lauren, and Dorothy enjoyed dinner together and even played cards until ten. Feeling as if Lauren was making a swift recovery, Anna went to bed happy. But at five in the morning, she heard groans coming from the bathroom and hurried out in time to see Lauren hunched over the toilet.

Anna stayed with her, comforting her until she stopped retching. Then after giving her some water and washing Lauren's pasty forehead with a cool washcloth, she walked her daughter back to her bed and tucked her in. "I'll put the wastebasket right here," she told her, "in case you feel ill again."

"Thanks," Lauren muttered.

Later that morning, Anna went to check on Lauren, who seemed to be sleeping soundly. Anna checked her forehead, which felt normal. And Lauren's cheeks weren't flushed or splotchy or spotty. Mostly she just looked very pretty, sleeping sweetly in her lacy, pink nightgown. Fair-haired and blue-eyed, Lauren resembled her father's side of the family. Naturally, Eunice had been greatly relieved at this. Anna recalled her mother-in-law fretting over the possibility that her first grandchild would come out looking, heaven forbid, like a "real Indian." As if the baby would spring forth sporting a headdress and holding a tomahawk.

As Anna sat down in the chair in Lauren's room she wondered if Eunice's relationship with Lauren would've been altered if Lauren had looked more like her mother's side of the family. Of course, it would've changed everything. Eunice never would've pampered and spoiled an "Indian squaw" granddaughter. Even so, Anna wasn't sure if Lauren's fair looks had been a blessing or something else.

"Mom?" Lauren sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing in here?"

Anna smiled. "Just thinking."

"Oh." Lauren yawned.

"How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "OK, I guess."

Suddenly Anna remembered something—something that had happened to her when she was about Lauren's age—as if it were yesterday: how she'd felt when she'd first been pregnant. She let out a little gasp.

"What is it?" Lauren asked with concern. "You look like you just saw a ghost, Mom. What's wrong?"

Anna pressed her lips together, trying to appear normal. Surely she was wrong about this.

"What is it?" Lauren demanded. "Why are you upset?"

"Oh, I know it's perfectly ridiculous," she said, trying to hide her nervousness. Then she explained how there was a time when she got sick in the morning, then felt fine throughout the day. "It lasted about a month."

"What was it?" Lauren looked truly oblivious.

"I was pregnant, Lauren. With you."

Lauren's eyes got big and her lower lip quivered.

"Oh, Lauren,"Anna said quickly. "You don't mean . . . you and Donald . . . well, you don't think . . . is that a possibility?"

With both hands over her mouth and tears filling her eyes, Lauren slowly moved her head up and down. And now Anna felt sick. But instead of saying all the things that were rushing through her mind, Anna gathered her daughter into her arms and together they cried. "It will be all right,"Anna said as she stroked Lauren's hair. "It will be all right."