Faith laughed. “Of course we’ll wait that long. After all, I want you to stand up with me. You’re the closest friend I have.”
Forgetting about the pain, Nancy got to her feet and came to Faith. She embraced her cousin and held her tight. “I would be honored to stand up with you. Oh, you don’t know how much that means to me. You were always like a big sister to me.”
Faith laughed. “As the oldest, I’ve been everyone’s big sister, but now I’m going to be the bride and thoroughly enjoy myself.”
Nancy let go of Faith and made her way to Seth’s side. “That last contraction was much stronger. I think this baby is going to be here before we know it.”
“So long as you both come through this strong and healthy, I will be happy,” Seth said. He couldn’t really embrace Nancy because of his injured arms, but she leaned down and placed a light kiss on his cheek.
“I feel the same way about you. I want you back strong and healthy.” Nancy straightened and shook her head. “The man who did this to you deserves the same.”
“He deserves it,” Seth said, “but we have to forgive him. Otherwise we’re no better, and we’ll only end up bitter.”
“I know you’re right, but I don’t think I could bear being a widow twice. So you must recover and never come this close to death again.” She grinned. “And that’s an order.”
Seth smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
Faith made her way to the kitchen with the basin of old bandages. She found Andrew there talking to Bedelia, of all people, and they seemed quite chummy.
“What are you two discussing?”
Bedelia gathered a stack of linen napkins. “We were considering where the two of you might live after you marry.”
“Oh, and what did you come up with?” Faith ladled hot water from the stove’s receptacle into the basin to let the bandages and scissors soak.
“I thought it might work to have you remain here,” Bedelia said. “The captain will be traveling up and down the river, and it would be awkward for the crew to have you with them all the time. Not only that, but you wish to practice medicine.”
Faith frowned. She hadn’t yet thought about their future living arrangements. She knew Andrew’s crew would more than welcome her to join them on the Morning Star, but how could she spend her time just going up and down rivers?
Bedelia continued. “However, if you remained here and the captain joined you when he was in port, then you could live like a normal husband and wife.”
“But that would put another man in the boardinghouse.”
The spinster shrugged. “What’s one more?”
Bedelia left them to figure it out, and Faith covered her mouth to keep from bursting into laughter. She could see the twinkle in Andrew’s eyes and knew he was just as amused.
“That is a rather big dilemma,” she said. “I’d never really thought about where we’d live.”
Andrew got up and came to take her in his arms. “We’ll figure it out in time. First, I’m determined that you be allowed back in college to get your certificate.”
“My class graduates tomorrow evening.” Faith had been doing her best not to think of it.
“Would you like to be there, or would that be too painful?”
She considered it for a moment. “I’d like to go. I want to see my friends get their certificates.” She smiled. “Would you go with me?”
“I will. Maybe your father would like to join us. We should be back by then.”
Faith hugged him close. “Thank you for loving me. I love you so dearly, and if you didn’t return that love . . . I think I would die.”
He held her tight. “Then you should live forever, because I will never stop loving you.”
John Alexander Carpenter was born at dawn the next morning. He was blessed, as Grace declared, with a headful of auburn hair and beautiful blue-green eyes.
“I’m pleased you named him after your fathers, but what will you call him? That’s much too formal a name for such a little peanut,” Grace said, holding her grandson close.
“I think you should call him Jack,” Faith suggested. “A lot of men named John go by that nickname.”
Grace held the baby up for Nancy and Seth to see. “What do you think? Jack?”
“I think it’s a perfect name,” Nancy said, then yawned.
“All right, you’ve both been up all night, and it’s time for you to get some sleep.” Faith pulled