Today's Battles Are Tomorrow's Triumphs: The Jacob Noah "Jake" Ingalls Story

Homecoming and Heartstrings: A Family's Resilience

(V.O.: Laura) "Pa, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Garvey, Mr. Simms, and Mr. Oleson said they'd only be gone to Fort Ridgely for a week, which means today is the day they're due home. I sure have missed Pa this week, but I'm glad he went on ahead with his trip to Fort Ridgely, for he deserved this much needed holiday." "Caroline, Girls, I'm home," Charles called out as he entered the house. Hannah, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Baby Grace ran into Charles' arm and welcomed him home. "Hey, isn't this nice— I've got my own little welcoming committee," Charles joked. He and the girls laughed. Charles asked, "Where's your ma?" Hannah replied, "She's in bed." "Dr. Baker put her on bed rest, Pa," Mary added. Charles rushed into his and Caroline's room. "Charles! Oh, Charles, you're back," exclaimed Caroline, then sitting up and tightly embracing her husband. Charles replied, "I'm home, Darling." Caroline then noticed the troublesome look on Charles' face and asked, "Charles, what's wrong?" "Mary tells me that Dr. Baker put you on bed rest. Why? What happened," said Charles. Caroline replied, "Not long after you left to head to town to meet the others, Grace, Alice, and Eva stopped by. As we were talking in the kitchen, Baby Grace started crying out for me. When I went to get her out of her crib, I got dizzy and I fainted. That's when Laura went and got Dr. Baker."

"Then what," Charles inquired. Caroline replied, "I regained consciousness right as Laura returned with Dr. Baker and as Dr. Baker and Hannah lifted me up off of the floor, Hannah noticed some blood on my apron, skirt, and on the floor. Mary said, "Ma, you're bleeding." I was terrified and I thought I was going to lose the baby. Dr. Baker said I was experiencing uterine bleeding, so he performed a procedure that helped control the bleeding and put me on bed rest, so Grace, Alice, Eva, and the all the children, theirs and ours, helped take care of me, Baby Grace, the house, the farm, and anything and everything else that needed taken care of." Charles let out a shaky sigh, pounded his fist against the wall, and said, "I should have been here instead of being out fishing." "There's nothing you could have done," Caroline replied, stroking Charles' cheek. Charles said, "Yes, there was something I could have done. I could have been here with you— for you." Caroline said, "Well, there's no need to worry now because the baby and I are on the mend— and I love you, Charles Ingalls." "I love you more, Caroline Ingalls," Charles gushed, bringing Caroline in for a passionate hug and kiss. They were then greeted by the hugs of their five loving daughters. "How did I get so lucky," questioned Charles. "I've been asking myself the same thing," Caroline replied.