A Love Beyond Lies – Extended Epilogue

Gemma tried stretching a little in the hopes that her back would be eased. But at thirty-nine weeks pregnant, she understood that it was an ill hope to have.

After all, nothing was going to make this any easier.

But she was happy, nevertheless. Two years of being happily married, and now they were here, in England, with her mother and father.

The journey had not been easy, of course, but she and Amos had arrived in England two months before, enjoying the country and the culture, eating all the foods that she had missed, and showing her husband all of her favorite places.

Yes, the journey to England had been fraught and Gemma knew it was going to be quite difficult to travel back to America with a baby. But it was worth it to her. They would stay in England a few more months and hope for the best in return.

And until then, they would enjoy being with her parents and enjoy the fact that they would be surrounded by Gemma’s family and all things familiar as she became a new mother.

Gemma was excited that she would have their support in this exciting life change, but she was also anxious. Becoming a mother was something she had dearly wanted but felt woefully unprepared for.

“Hello, my dear,” Amos said, coming and sitting beside her.

“Hello, darling,” she replied.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s just my back again,” Gemma replied, shrugging. Her back had been acting up an awful lot and this was certainly nothing new.

“Lean forward,” Amos said, rubbing her spine to help relieve some of the pressure.

“Ah, thank you, that helps,” she said.

“Really? I am always worried that I’m not doing you any good or that maybe I’m even making it worse,” he said.

“No, no, not at all. You are doing a wonderful job, darling,” she said, closing her eyes and trying to enjoy the brief moment of relief that it gave her to have her back rubbed.

“What else can I do for you?” Amos asked.

She smiled sheepishly and Amos responded exactly as she had hoped he would, moving onto his knees and rubbing her swollen feet.

“You are the most perfect husband in all the world,” she said with a laugh.

“I am only doing what I know needs to be done for you, my dear,” he said. “Besides, I can’t imagine how tough it is to be pregnant.”

“It certainly isn’t easy, but I know that the joy we are going to feel will make everything worth it,” Gemma replied.

“Well, anyway, your mother and father are coming in soon,” he said.

“Great, we can all relax together,” Gemma said.

Her parents had been out walking with Amos. Gemma had been too tired to join them, but now that they were back, she was glad for the company.

When they entered the parlor and sat with her and Amos, they held the scandal pages.

“More and more keeps coming out,” her mother said, shaking her head.

“Even now? Come, we do not need to read all of that anymore, do we? All that matters is that we are free of him,” Gemma said.

“But you must listen to this,” her mother said.

“Oh, fine, go ahead,” Gemma said, knowing that the very last thing she cared to hear about was more gossip regarding Lord Linton.

“The once-esteemed Lord Linton, Duke of Walshire, has been found to have attempted to force yet another young woman into a match before his angry temper and appalling sense of impropriety managed to best him,” her mother read.

“He is done for. No one will ever take him seriously again,” Gemma said.

“We can only hope,” her father said.

“Oh, we have done far more than hope. We have ensured that he will never be seen in a positive light again. Lord Linton is society’s most hated man, I must say,” Gemma noted.

“True,” her father agreed.

Amos looked annoyed at even hearing the man’s name and Gemma could not blame him.

“Anyway, let us move on,” she said.

It was not that a part of her did not enjoy the sense of justice, but she knew that he had already been so cast out into the shadows of London that it hardly mattered anyway. Gemma had her happiness and she had no reason to continue worrying about Lord Linton now.

The maid entered the room just then and curtseyed.

“Dinner is ready,” she said.

“Oh, lovely,” Amos said, appearing glad for the change in subject.

But to Gemma, it was simply amusing how her husband had become so British so quickly, picking up on the vocabulary, enjoying the food, engaging so well with the culture.

They had walked in Hyde Park, indulged in fish and chips—rather frequently in her pregnancy—and he was talking about Parliament as though he understood the government system that was so different to his own.

In all, Gemma had been greatly impressed.

But throughout the entire time they had been in London so far, Amos was still every bit himself.

He still prayed the same, spoke about the Lord the same, went to church with her every Sunday without complaining about the variances between the Church of England and his own church in Tucson. He was every bit the same man that he always had been.

Gemma loved him as she always had, but she had grown in her respect for him, something she had not thought possible for he was already such a man worthy of respect.

Amos led Gemma to the kitchen, his hand on the middle of her back where it hurt the most. She was grateful for the way that he was looking after her and always stayed so eager to take care of her throughout this entire pregnancy and all that she had been through in the midst of it.

But as they sat down to dinner, the family was at ease once more and there was nothing but peace and happiness between them all.

“Gemma, your husband is simply perfection. Can you imagine what he did this afternoon?” her father asked.

“No, what did he do?” she asked in reply, already beaming with pride that her father approved of Amos so heartily.

“I was struggling to move some of the chairs in the library, you know how my right knee acts up,” her father began.

“Yes, are you all right?” Gemma asked.

“Well, I was having a difficult time of it, my knee buckling under me as I moved about. But then, as if by magic, your husband appeared and he helped me to move all of the pieces of furniture that I wished to move,” he said.

“He is a very strong man,” her mother added.

“Indeed, he is,” Gemma said, smiling at Amos.

“He also helped Maggie, the housekeeper, with a crate full of silver that we asked her to take outside and polish,” Gemma’s mother said.

“That was likely very heavy,” Gemma said.

“It truly was, but he took it as though it weighed hardly anything at all,” she marveled.

“Well, that sounds very much like my husband,” Gemma said.

It had been a joy seeing him interact with her mother and father as they were always so impressed with Amos and the ways that he behaved. They loved how he treated Gemma and she knew that they cared a great deal more for him because of that.

So much had taken place over the two years since they had met Amos, and Gemma was glad that they were willing to continue to get to know him, even from afar.

Each month, Gemma and Amos would receive a letter from her parents, to which they would reply. And although, by the time they received the letters they were scarcely relevant, they would receive another letter the following month, typically on a similar topic to the one they had just answered.

But since Gemma had become pregnant, she and Amos had written to her mother and father nearly every week. It was quite funny now, to think that they had arrived along with the final few letters that continued to trickle in after they had reached England.

But Gemma and Amos had let them know from the moment they realized that she was pregnant that they were going to make their way to England for the birth. And now they had come.

Thrilled that she would be with her parents, Gemma could not wait for the moment that she and Amos would get to greet their little one and hold the baby in their arms. It would be any day now, something that brought Gemma great joy in the midst of her aches and pains.

“Gemma, you have hardly eaten any dinner,” her mother said.

“Sorry, I am just so happy that food doesn’t seem to mean much to me right now,” she said, realizing that she probably should continue to eat.

“Is everything okay?” her father asked.

“Oh, yes. Everything is very well,” she said.

Amos leaned over and took her hand. Gemma gave him a squeeze to let him know that she was perfectly fine.

She really did not want anyone to worry about her over something so small as not eating much for dinner. She was already so full and it was hard to eat more when she felt as though there was no room left in her stomach.

Leaning back and trying to get comfortable, Gemma looked at Amos again and held his gaze. She was so thankful to have him as her husband. But now, he would be more than that. He would be the father of her child. He would be the man who would help her to raise their baby and bring a new life into this world.

Gemma was honored that she had a husband like him and was thankful that the Lord had brought them together.

As she tried to shift some more, Gemma realized that there was a strange cramp in her stomach.

It felt similar but slightly different from any cramp that she had ever had before.

“Are you okay?” Amos asked.

Gemma let out a long breath.

“Y-yes, sorry,” she said.

“What’s the matter?” her mother asked.

“Oh, you know. Just the discomforts of pregnancy,” she said.

But Gemma looked at the clock in the corner of the room. She tried to simply remain calm, but it was six minutes before she felt another strange cramp.

“Mother?” she asked.

“Yes? What is it?” her mother asked, looking worried.

“Do you, by any chance, remember what it feels like to begin labor?” Gemma asked.

“Oh, good heavens! Shall I send for the doctor?” her mother asked.

“I-I am not sure,” she said.

“Tell me if you have another pain,” her mother said.

“Like a cramp?” Gemma asked.

“Yes, similar to a cramp,” her mother confirmed.

“Well, I think I am having another,” Gemma said.

“It is time! We must send for the doctor. All right, darling. I will let the staff know and have Maggie bring the towels and a bucket of warm water. Amos, please escort Gemma to the bedroom,” her mother said, leaping into the mode of instructing everyone as to what they must now do.

But Gemma felt an abundance of emotions. She was frightened, certainly, worried that things may not go well with the child’s delivery. She was mourning the fact that this would be her last moment with no one to look after aside from Amos and the fact that their life had been just the two of them for the previous two years.

But mostly, she was excited.

This was the start of a new adventure with her husband, one that she trusted would be the greatest adventure that either of them had ever experienced.

She would have a sweet child, one that had been formed by their love. Gemma knew that they could trust God because he had never abandoned them. Whatever happened, he was with them.

Amos helped Gemma up and began to lead her to their room.

“Are you okay? Can you make it up the stairs?” he asked.

“Oh, yes. I am fine still. The contractions that I have had were both small and easily gotten through. But…oh…here we go,” Gemma said, her body tensing as she bent over slightly.

In the middle of the staircase, she felt Amos supporting her, unwilling to allow any chance that she might fall. She was grateful for his support and help as the pain grew worse than it had been previously.

Gemma wondered how she might be able to handle labor once it became truly difficult. Thus far, it was only the brief and simple contractions, but even these were tough and she knew that they would grow far worse soon enough.

Once it had eased up a bit, they finished making their way to the next floor.

“Here we are, our hallway. Can you make it to the room?” Amos asked.

“Yes, I can. I’m all right,” Gemma said.

They reached their room and went inside before Amos helped Gemma onto the bed. He propped her up with pillows and she leaned while sitting somewhat upright.

“Is that comfortable?” he asked.

“I don’t think I have been comfortable for quite some time, but it isn’t as bad as some positions,” she teased him.

“Please tell me if there is anything I can do,” Amos said.

“I am fine,” Gemma replied.

But just then, another contraction came. This one was harder than the last.

“How is it that they are already getting progressively worse? Are they not meant to last a while longer in the state of not being so difficult?” she asked after she had gotten through it.

“Well, those last two were a bt closer together and didn’t you tell me that they speed up as the hard part of labor gets nearer?” Amos asked.

“Darling, I have only just begun labor. It should not be progressing so quickly,” Gemma said.

“But it does sometimes, doesn’t it?” Amos asked.

Gemma had a new fear then. Her labor really was moving quickly. What if the baby came before the doctor arrived? Or what if she was not prepared for the pain that she was about to experience? What if the baby came too fast and she wasn’t ready?

“Calm down, my dear,” Amos said, apparently recognizing that she was getting anxious.

“I’m frightened,” Gemma said.

“I know. But you are going to be fine. You and the baby will both be fine,” he said.

“How can you be sure? Bad things happen. Labor is not easy. We have heard that many times.

And what if something goes wrong?” Gemma asked, trying to find her strength despite this moment of pure vulnerability.

“Gemma,” Amos said in a steady voice. “Everything is going to be all right.”

She nodded, trying to trust him, trying to trust God.

“Hold my hand. I’m going to pray. If you have another contraction while I pray, just squeeze my hand. We will be all right. I’m going to keep praying,” he said.

Gemma gave him her hand and Amos began.

“Dear Lord, we thank you for this day and this moment. We thank you for the plans and purposes that you have for us and for this baby. We thank you for the fact that you have seen fit to give us this gift and for the fact that we are soon to meet this child,” he prayed.

“Please keep my wife brave and strong. Remind her that she can do this, she can get through it,” he said, just as Gemma gave his hand another squeeze.

“Please help the doctor to arrive soon and help this little one to stay inside Gemma until the doctor gets here. Help Gemma to get through the physical pain and give her strength through any motions or anything that may also come after her as you use her to bring a life into this world,” he said.

“Finally, God, we pray that you would help us as parents. Help us to raise this child well, to keep him or her in the knowledge and rightness of you. Help us to do well to raise this little one as a follower of you,” he prayed.

“And let this child live to bring you glory, always and forever, with us as the examples in doing so. Amen,” he prayed.

“Amen,” Gemma prayed, just as she began to squeeze his hand once more.

“Hold on, Gemma. Everything will be okay. You are having hard and fast labor, but it’s going to be all right,” Amos said.

Gemma knew that he was simply repeating some of the things that the doctor had told them could happen, but the words comforted her anyway. She wanted to be strong, she wanted to be brave. And having Amos by her side was the best and easiest way to be those things.

They heard the sound of a coach outside the window and were confident that it was the doctor coming to deliver the baby. Gemma was relieved. She had been frightened that she might have to do it herself, or that Amos would be the one to have to do it.

But the Lord had not abandoned them. He never had before, and he would not do so now.

And as they heard the doors opening down the stairs, presumably to let the doctor in, Gemma looked up at Amos and held his gaze before the next contraction would begin.

Her husband leaned forward and put his forehead to hers for just a moment before coming in for a promise-filled kiss.

THE END

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