Whitefern (Audrina 2)

“Yes, right away. She said it was all very good. Mrs. Matthews is no longer looking after Adelle.”

“No. I don’t see why she would be. Well, I see no problem with taking her out. We’re having beautiful late-summer weather. I’m sure you’ll take great care.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“Why don’t we plan on my seeing you and the baby a week from today around two p.m. Is that okay?”

“That’s good. Thank you, Dr. Prescott.”

“Is Arden going to be okay with that?”

“Yes,” I said. Again, it was easy to hear how hurt he was that we hadn’t used him to deliver Adelle and oversee my supposed pregnancy. I hadn’t spoken to Arden about going to Dr. Prescott so soon, but I was determined that I should.

I called Arden to tell him about the arrangements. He was so quiet that I thought he hadn’t heard me because he was concentrating on something else. He’d often do that when I called, and I’d have to repeat myself.

“It’s a week from today at two. You can come along if you want,” I said.

“No, that’s all right. I was just thinking. You have to be careful about letting him examine you, Audrina. I’m not sure what he could tell quickly. Helen and I did discuss the eventuality of your going to him and having Adelle under his care, of course, but your breasts aren’t swollen like Sylvia’s. If he gets suspicious and realizes what’s gone on, it could lead to complications for us.”

“I don’t imagine he would announce it to the newspapers, Arden. There is an obligation to keep personal information between a patient and a doctor.”

“Yes, but you’re forgetting that a crime was committed here, Audrina. He might feel obligated to report Sylvia’s pregnancy.”

“Okay, okay. I won’t go through any exam. I won’t undress. I’ll see that he just examines Adelle,” I said.

“Be sure you do that.”

“We’re going to the supermarket. Anything special you might want?”

“No. Whatever you get is fine. Got to get back to work,” he said.

I wanted Sylvia to help, so I sat with her in the living room and discussed what we were going to do and how she should behave when people approached us to look at Adelle.

“Don’t mention Mrs. Matthews, Sylvia. Don’t say anything about how Adelle was born, understand? This is only for us to know.”

She nodded, but I was not confident that she understood. We packed what we needed for the baby and set out. Sylvia hovered over Adelle protectively during the drive. It brought a smile to my face. We’ll be fine, I thought. Everything will be fine from now on.

It wasn’t too busy at the market. Sylvia pushed the cart with Adelle comfortable in her infant seat set in the top part. We had dressed her in a little pink hat, pink socks, and a pink dress. It was one of the first outfits Arden and I had bought her. Strangers stopped to speak to us, but all they wanted to know was how old she was and what her name was. Sylvia answered them all. One elderly man jokingly asked what aisle the newborn babies were in. He said he wanted to buy one for himself.

Sylvia’s eyes bulged. “Buy babies in the supermarket?” she asked.

The man laughed, saw that we weren’t laughing, and quickly walked away. As we rounded a turn, I saw Mrs. Haider ahead of us, studying a box of rice. I wanted to back out and go to a different aisle to avoid her, but she looked up and waved. I had no choice.

“Oh, what a beautiful baby!” she cried after rushing over. “How happy you and Mr. Lowe must be. And this must be Sylvia?”

“Yes, my sister, Sylvia. Sylvia, this is Mrs. Haider. She was principal of the school when I was there.”

“And long before that,” Mrs. Haider said.

Sylvia held out her hand and smiled. “Pleased to meet you,” she recited.

Mrs. Haider looked at me and nodded. “And I’m pleased to meet you and your niece, too.”

“Niece?”

“I’ll explain it to you later, Sylvia. I really haven’t gone through all that yet,” I told Mrs. Haider. “You understand.”

“Yes, certainly. So how is your artwork, Sylvia? Are you still drawing and painting?”