The Midwife's Dilemma by Delia Parr Page B

all types of weather and at all times of the day or night were taking a toll on her. The yearnings for the comfort of a husband, a home of her own, and a more ordinary life had grown stronger over the past year, and she was struggling to rediscover the peace and contentment she had once enjoyed in the life she believed God had chosen for her.
    Instead, Thomas had come back into her life and offered her the opportunity to satisfy the yearnings of both their hearts.
    When she heard him returning to the blanket, she took a deep breath. She had been confused about what to do for months now, but with Thomas by her side again, all doubt and confusion about how she would respond to his question slipped away. And she knew that she was ready to give up her calling. Ready to truly love again. Ready for the companionship of a husband and a home of her own. Ready to do all the things she had been too busy to do while tending to everyone else.
    But before she could seriously contemplate ending her days as a midwife, she had one final duty that had to be met. She was just afraid that Thomas would not give her the time she needed to meet that responsibility.
    When he finally sat down next to her, she reached out and took his hand with her own. “I can accept your proposal, unequivocally, with the exception of one issue that would force me to say no and turn you away.”
    His eyes deepened with an understanding that she knew stemmed from the past. “Your work as a midwife,” he stated ina flat tone of voice. He shook his head before he looked away from her to stare into the distance.
    â€œBut it’s different this time—”
    â€œNo,” he argued. “It’s exactly the same issue that kept us from marrying all those years ago when you were training with your grandmother to replace her. I wanted you to stop, and you refused.”
    He slipped his hand free. “Before I left, I thought we’d both agreed that we were equally tired of the constant interruptions in our lives, and that now that we were a little older, we wanted to make changes that would make both of us happier. That’s why I resigned as mayor and traveled east with Fern and Ivy, planning to dissolve my investments there. I’d hoped by now you’d be able to tell me that you were ready to let someone else take up your calling. Apparently I was wrong.” His shoulders slumped ever so slightly.
    She placed her hand on his arm. “Please stop and listen to what I have to say without interrupting me. I am ready to let someone else take over as midwife.”
    When he looked back at her, his eyes were wide with disbelief but shaded with hope.
    â€œAre you certain, absolutely certain you are?”
    â€œYes, I’m absolutely certain,” she insisted, “but I can’t leave the women and children who depend on me without anyone to help them other than Dr. McMillan. I have a duty to find a competent woman who is willing to take my place. All I ask is that you give me the time I need to find her.”
    He lifted a brow and started to smile. “More time. That’s all you want? More time?”
    She smiled. “Yes.”
    His smile drooped just a tad. “How much time do you think you’ll need?”
    â€œI’m afraid I can’t tell you that,” she admitted. “I haven’t been very successful so far after talking to several women I know who are very experienced with helping me during births or with all sorts of illnesses, but there are a good number I still need to approach. If one of them is interested, I don’t think it would take more than five or six months before she’d be ready to take over as midwife, although she might still need me occasionally for difficult cases.”
    â€œAnd if none of them are interested? What then?”
    She swallowed hard. “If one of the younger women has a true desire to become a midwife but has little birthing experience, then it