The Shade of the Moon (23 page)

“How?” Jon asked. “It’s hundreds of miles away.”

“My uncle’s getting me a travel pass,” she replied. “Daddy was going to ask for Alex
to drive me, but I told him not to because of the baby. Alex will want to spend as
much time with Miranda and the baby as possible, and it’s a long drive to Virginia.”

“Alex can go,” Jon said. “Miranda isn’t going back to White Birch.”

“Why not?” Sarah asked.

Jon thought of Alex’s fantasies of getting out, but that’s all they were. Fantasies.
You needed money and passes to travel. Alex didn’t have an uncle to provide them.

“Lisa arranged for Miranda to be our domestic,” Jon said. “She’s coming after the
baby’s born.”

“Miranda’s your sister,” Sarah said. “Lisa’s stepdaughter. She’s going to be your
grub?”

“It wasn’t my idea,” Jon said. “Lisa thought it would be better this way. You’ve seen
Mom’s apartment. That’s no place for a baby.”

“Laura never would have approved,” Sarah said.

“She knew,” Jon said angrily. “She approved. And you know something? You shouldn’t
call her Laura. You only call her that because she wasn’t a claver.”

Sarah looked stricken. “Oh, Jon,” she said. “I never thought about that. But you’re
right. I’m sorry. I’m just as bad as everyone else. No, I’m worse, because I go around
acting like I’m better.”

“It’s not your fault,” Jon said, reaching out to take her hand. “It’s just the way
they’ve taught us.”

“We could run away,” Sarah said. “I could go with you to your brother’s. We could
be grubs together.”

Jon kissed her. “You’d make a lousy grub,” he said. “It’s okay, Sarah. Go to Virginia.
I’ll know you’re safe there. I’d like somebody I love to be safe.”

“We won’t lose each other,” Sarah said. “We’ll work something out.”

Jon knew they wouldn’t, they couldn’t. But Sarah needed her fantasies, and Jon wasn’t
going to deprive her of them.

“We’ll work something out,” he said instead, and kissed her with a promise of a different
world, a different life, where people in love could work things out.

Saturday, July 18

Ruby was on her hands and knees scrubbing the hallway floor with Gabe attempting to
help when the phone rang. She shrieked at the unexpected sound.

“That thing scares the living daylights out of me,” she said. “We had a phone back
home in West Virginia, but I don’t remember it ever ringing that loud.”

“I’ll get it,” Jon said. He stepped around Ruby and picked up the phone. “Evans residence,”
he said, hoping Ruby might learn.

“Jon, it’s Lisa,” she said so softly Jon could hardly hear her. “I can’t talk long.
Call Dr. Goldman. Tell him to come over as soon as he can.”

“He’s probably at the clinic,” Jon said.

“Call him there,” Lisa said. “Just get him. Miranda had her baby. They’re dropping
her off at the house any minute now. I don’t know what shape she’s in.”

“The baby?” Jon asked.

“Dead,” Lisa said. “So deformed they wouldn’t let her see it. They baptized the poor
thing before it died. That should be some comfort to Alex at least.”

“Shouldn’t Miranda stay in the hospital another day or two?” Jon asked.

“She’s a grub,” Lisa said. “As far as they’re concerned, they’ve done enough. Call
Dr. Goldman. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

“Something the matter?” Ruby asked as Jon hung up the phone.

“It’s Miranda,” Jon said.

“Oh, the other grubber girl,” Ruby said. “She had her baby?”

“The baby died,” Jon said. He went to the living room and searched Lisa’s desk for
her address book. He carried it back into the hallway and dialed the clinic’s phone
number.

Dr. Goldman got on the phone. Jon told him what he knew.

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Dr. Goldman said. “I’ll ask for Alex to be my driver.
We’ll get there as soon as we can.”

“Tell Alex the baby was baptized before it died,” Jon said.

“I will,” Dr. Goldman said. “If Miranda gets there before I do, put her in bed and
keep her warm. Physically she’s probably fine, but this could be very hard on her
emotionally. Especially so soon after losing her mother.”

“Thank you,” Jon said, and hung up. Ruby looked at him.

“Stop scrubbing the floor,” he said to her. “Get your things out of your bedroom and
move them into the nursery. Take your sheets, blankets, everything, and put them on
the bed in there. Then take the linens from the nursery and put them on your old bed.
You understand all that?”

“Yes, Mr. Jon,” Ruby said. “But I don’t understand why you’re making such a fuss over
a grub.”

“She’s not just a grub,” Jon said. “She’s my sister.”

Ruby stared at him. “I swear I’ll never understand clavers,” she said.

“Just do what I tell you,” Jon said. “Now!”

“Don’t yell at Ruby,” Gabe said. He walked over to Jon and began kicking him.

Jon lifted Gabe off the floor and carried him upstairs. “You’ll stay in the nursery
until I say otherwise, you little brat,” he said. He slammed the door on Gabe, who
began shrieking.

“Ruby, don’t let Gabe out of his room,” Jon said, rushing back downstairs. “And don’t
play with him or be nice to him. We need to get your room ready right away.”

“Yes, Mr. Jon,” Ruby said. In a minute she was carrying the dirty sheets and blankets,
along with her bag of clothes.

Jon carried the scrub brush and bucket into the kitchen and emptied out the water.
There was a chance they’d bring Miranda in through the front door. It was better for
the floor to be dirty and dry than clean and wet.

But they brought her to the back door. The ambulance motor kept running as an orderly
dragged Miranda over to Jon and dropped her in his arms. Without saying a word he
left.

Miranda looked half dead. Jon tried to shift her weight so he could carry her, but
she didn’t help him any. So he dragged her as the orderly had and got her onto the
bed in what had been Ruby’s room.

“Miranda,” he said, but she didn’t respond.

“Ruby, come here!” he shouted.

Ruby clattered down the stairs, Gabe running right behind.

“Don’t blame me, Mr. Jon,” Ruby said. “Gaby wouldn’t stay put.”

“Stay out of the way, Gabe,” Jon said. “When I lift Miranda up, Ruby, pull the blankets
off the bed.”

Ruby did as Jon told her. Then they swung Miranda onto the bed and covered her with
the blankets.

“Get another one from my room,” Jon said. “I don’t think she’s warm enough.”

“Is she dead?” Gabe asked, walking around so he could get a better look.

“No, she isn’t,” Jon said, but he wasn’t sure how alive she was, either. Miranda’s
breaths were shallow and she was very pale.

Ruby ran into the room carrying the blanket. “You’re gonna be awful cold tonight if
you let her have all those,” she said.

“I’ll worry about that tonight,” he said. “Have you made supper yet, Ruby?”

“No, Mr. Jon.”

“Then why don’t you go into the kitchen and make it,” Jon said. “Take Gabe with you.
And keep quiet.”

“Yes, Mr. Jon,” Ruby said. “Come here, Gaby. We’re going to make you a nice supper.”

Jon sat on the bed next to Miranda and held her hand. Did she understand about the
baby? And if she did, how could she bear losing both Mom and the baby? He held on
to his sister’s hand and wished he could tell her how much he loved her, how much
he’d hated hating her.

Lisa arrived before Dr. Goldman. She walked into Miranda’s room and then went back
to the kitchen. “Bring me in a chair,” she said to Ruby, and in a moment the chair
was there and Lisa was sitting in it.

“She’ll be all right,” she said to Jon. “I can’t say I’m surprised. All those chemicals
she was working with in the greenhouses. No wonder the baby was born so deformed.”

“It doesn’t matter why,” Jon said.

“Of course it does,” Lisa said. “I got Miranda when we thought we were getting a greenhouse.
She’s a greenhouse worker, Jon, not a domestic. She’ll be back in the greenhouses
by Wednesday.”

Miranda moaned.

“It’s all right, Miranda,” Lisa said, stroking Miranda’s forehead gently. “You’re
going to be fine. You just need to get your strength back.”

Miranda murmured something.

“She wants Laura,” Lisa said, and then her face crumpled. “Oh, Jon, how is she going
to manage? This is all so unfair.”

Jon stared at her.

“What?” Lisa said angrily. “You think I don’t love her? She’s Hal’s daughter. I’ve
watched her grow up. Of course I love her. I feel so helpless.”

The doorbell rang. Ruby ran to answer it.

“Miranda!” Alex cried. “Where is she?”

“We’re back here,” Lisa said. “Ruby, show them in.”

Alex raced past Ruby to Miranda’s bedside. Dr. Goldman followed, and Sarah came as
well, lingering in the doorway.

“Alex, give me a minute to examine her,” Dr. Goldman said. “If you could all excuse
us for a moment.”

“Come, Alex,” Lisa said, taking him by the hand. “Let’s wait here in the kitchen.
Ruby, why don’t you take Gabe upstairs for a bit?”

“I have supper cooking,” Ruby said. “Mr. Jon told me to make supper.”

Jon realized Sarah was staring at Ruby. Ruby must have realized it also because she
returned the look. “You Mr. Jon’s girlfriend?” she asked.

“That’s none of your concern, Ruby,” Lisa said. “I told you to take Gabe upstairs
and stay with him. I’ll make sure supper isn’t burned.”

“All right, Mrs. Evans,” Ruby said. “Come on, Gaby. We’ll have a good time upstairs
while all the grownups stand around worrying.”

“I’ll see you later, darling,” Lisa said to Gabe. “When we grownups have stopped worrying.”

Jon didn’t think Alex ever would. He was almost as pale as Miranda, and he kept shaking.

Dr. Goldman came out a couple of minutes later. “She’ll be fine,” he said. “She was
in labor for over twelve hours, and that left her weak. When they told her about the
baby, she became hysterical, so they sedated her. It’s wearing off now. Alex, go in
and talk to her. Let her know everything is going to be all right.”

Sarah walked over to Jon and hugged him. He didn’t dare think about how soon she would
be gone. There had been loss enough that day.

Dr. Goldman let Alex sit with Miranda for ten minutes before telling him they had
to go. “I don’t think there’ll be any problems,” he said. “But call me if there are.”

“Thank you for coming,” Lisa said. She embraced Alex. “It’ll be all right,” she said.
“Miranda will be back to normal in a day or two.”

They walked to the front door together and watched as Alex helped Sarah and Dr. Goldman
into the car.

“Will he be okay?” Jon asked Lisa as they walked to the kitchen.

“If she is, he is,” Lisa said. “She’s the world to him. Ruby, it’s time for supper.
Bring Gabe downstairs.”

“Yes, Mrs. Evans!” Ruby shouted.

“I’m not hungry,” Jon said. “I think I’ll sit with Miranda.”

“All right,” Lisa said. “Ruby can always heat you up something later.”

Jon went back in and sat on the bed. Miranda turned her head and faced him. “Jon?”
she said.

“Yes, Miranda,” he said. “I’m here.”

“My baby,” she said.

“Miranda, I’m so sorry,” Jon said. “The baby died.”

“No,” Miranda said. “I heard it cry.”

“It lived for a few minutes,” Jon said. “Long enough for them to baptize it. I’m sorry,
Miranda. I don’t know if it was a boy or a girl.”

Miranda closed her eyes, and Jon thought she was going back to sleep. “Girl,” she
said. “They said girl.”

“Girl,” Jon said. Liana. Named for Alex’s sisters. Now just Baby Girl Morales, if
they even bothered to make a record.

“She isn’t dead,” Miranda said, and she grabbed Jon’s hand and held on to it tightly.
“Jon, she’s alive. I know it.”

“Miranda, you don’t want her to be alive,” Jon said. “She was deformed. Her death
was a blessing.”

“No!” Miranda said. “She’s alive. My baby’s alive!” She began sobbing.

Lisa walked into the room. “Eat some supper, Jon,” she said. “I’ll sit with Miranda.”

“They took my baby!” Miranda cried. “Lisa, they took my baby.”

Lisa stroked Miranda’s cheek. “No, sweetie, they didn’t,” she said. “God took your
baby. She’s in heaven now with your parents.”

Miranda screamed. Lisa held on to her while Jon stood frozen.

Ruby walked in and touched him. “Come, Mr. Jon,” she said. “There’s nothing you can
do. Let that poor girl cry herself to sleep. In the morning it’ll all be better.”

Sunday, July 19

Lisa, Gabe, and Ruby went to church while Jon stayed home with Miranda. He helped
her walk around the house and sat with her in the living room.

“What did they tell you?” she demanded. “About my baby.”

“Lisa called me and then Dr. Goldman spoke to someone at the hospital,” Jon replied.
“Your baby was born alive but died a few minutes later. She was deformed. Everyone’s
told you that, Miranda.”