The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 67 - Shopping for Baby

With the holidays and their accompanying weekends behind them, things went back to normal in the Abernathy household on Monday ... well as close to normal as they could be with extra people in the house. Greg went back to work as usual at the studio. Susan went back to work in the cottage, spending twenty hours a week or more on her programming. Matthew was enrolled in the local high school and quickly fell into the routine of taking the shared school bus with Jessie and Zackary each morning as they all went to school. Mrs. Abernathy helped Susan with the children and the meals and taking care of the household as much as she could, but it was hardly a full time job and she had a lot of time left over. Mr. Abernathy did too. They both had time for long walks and plenty of time for themselves in their rooms. In the evenings, they all enjoyed time as a family, talking, reading, or watching television after supper. Every now and then Mr. Abernathy found himself involved in a theological discussion with his son-in-law which they both thoroughly enjoyed, and just as often he found Greg and Susan dancing, after the house was quiet, when he suspected they thought everyone else was in bed. They were doing so well, Susan began to wonder if her parents might like to go home for a while.

"So what do you think, Mom?" Susan asked on Saturday afternoon after a week which was unremarkable in every way.

"I think one of the reasons you are doing so well is because your father and I decided to stay," Mrs. Abernathy insisted. "We know your usual problems are starting to develop, Susan. So far they are mild which suggests to me that what we are doing is right. I say we keep doing it this way to make sure they don't get worse."

"If you're certain," Susan said doubtfully. "You know I'm going to need you to be here for quite a long time once things do go bad, both before and after the baby is born. And I know how Dad is. He doesn't like to be gone from home for such a long time."

"Well I'll ask him, but my guess is he won't stay that whole time. I expect he will want to go home for a while, before long," Mrs. Abernathy conceded. "But if he does, I suspect he won't stay there long."

And so she did. As Susan expected, her father jumped at the chance to go home ... even for one night. He left, intending to stay at home three or four days, but as her mother predicted he was back before that, after spending only two nights away.

c

By the second week of a normal routine, the Abernathy seniors began to realize that just as there was a daily routine the household generally followed, there was a weekly routine to the Susan and her family adhered to as well. Every Thursday, Mr. Levinson came to give them Hebrew lessons. Everyone joined in, even Matthew who, although he'd studied Hebrew with them during the summer, was quite far behind. Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy senior listened in to the lessons, and even found themselves joining in with the basic lessons Matthew was receiving, just to help him practice. As a result, they realized they were beginning to learn it too.

On Friday evenings, everyone listened as the family welcomed in the Sabbath with their prayers, practicing their Hebrew and their translation skills over their evening meal. On Saturdays Greg went to services at the synagogue and on Sundays everyone else went to church. Before they knew it, it was Monday, time to start the whole thing over again. Over all, Susan was doing so well, and she suggested once again to her parents that maybe they could go home for a while if they wanted to, but both were convinced it was due to their presence that she was well and so they elected to stay.

c

"How are you feeling, Susan?" Mrs. Abernathy asked over dinner on Monday evening in the middle of January, after two full weeks of following their usual routine.

"I'm feeling good, Mom. Everything's been steady for quite a while," Susan assured her.

"What does your doctor say about the leaks?" Mr. Abernathy asked.