An Abandoned Baby’s Ray of Hope (Preview)

Chapter One

Olive hurried down the street of Willow Springs, Montana. She was still new to town, and every time she went down the street, taking note of anything missed the day before, it was tucked away for the future, in case the information might be useful.

Two men were fighting in front of the saloon. One of them shoved the other, sending him sprawling in the dust not too far from her. Olive quickened her pace. She had just started working with the doctor in town and didn’t want to make a bad impression by getting there late on her third day.

Dr. Brook had been very kind to let her become his assistant. Olive had written letters to dozens of doctor’s offices, searching for one that would give her a chance before coming across him. Her whole life had been uprooted to go there, to start over, and to get her life back on track after what happened in Pennsylvania, leaving her with no one to depend on and nowhere to go.

The doctor’s office was small in Willow Springs, but also one of the busiest establishments in town. Since the town was always growing, there were plenty of people coming and going, and because of that reality, there seemed to be plenty of people getting sick or injured every single day.

She hurried up the steps, going past two people waiting to see the doctor. Dr. Brook looked up from a mess on his desk as she stepped through the door.

“There you are. I can’t seem to find my patient book.” He looked frazzled, his greying hair poking out in every direction, and his glasses sliding down his nose.

“It’s right here.” She went over and retrieved the book with the stained brown front from the drawer where she’d left it the day before. It seemed that one of the things she was needed most for was helping Dr. Brook with organization, keeping track of his patients, who came, who went, who paid, who hadn’t.

She’d started the deep cleaning in the medical cabinets, where he stored his remedies. It was a slow process, especially with patients coming and going all day long. Some even came late into the evening and even after dark.

It was tiring being at the doctor’s office for so long every day, but at the same time, she welcomed the endless work. It helped her stay focused. She was not distracted by the past and the painful memories that came to mind at the drop of a hat.

“There’s a woman back there who had a bad break in her arm. I’ve already set it. She just needs bandaging and such. Go take care of that while I see the next one.” Mr. Brook waved her away. He was a quiet man, usually only speaking to give her instructions, and rarely letting a compliment slip past his lips. She didn’t mind too much. She liked that he gave her a steady flow of jobs, similar to how her father had done.

Her father had treated her more as his equal when it came to being a doctor, while Dr. Brook gave her more of the nursing tasks, organization, and the like. She didn’t mind, though. She was grateful to have anything. Especially since she’d thought she would have nothing.

She hurried into the back room and stopped short to find a young woman, close to her own age, sitting there cradling her arm.

“Good afternoon, I’m Olive, and will be helping you with your arm today.” She was still meeting new people every single day in town. She had no idea if it was because there were indeed a lot of people traveling through, or if she just hadn’t had the time to get to know everyone who was a regular. Then again, it was unlikely that even the regular people broke their arms regularly.

“Afternoon. My name’s Annie. I fell from the loft and landed wrong.” She nodded toward the arm. “It hurt more than I thought it would, so I came in for the doctor to put it right.”

“I’m sorry. That must have hurt. He asked me to put this bandage on it for you.” Olive gathered up the bandages and started working on the arm, making sure it was tight enough not to be dangerous for the girl to function normally, but loose enough to where it was not going to damage the injury.

As a child, she started working alongside her father in his doctor’s office as soon as she was able to be helpful. Even before that, she’d often sit on his bench and talk with his patients when they were able. She enjoyed helping people.

“Thank you. That feels much better.” Annie grinned.

“I’m glad. Don’t use your arm at all, for four weeks. Come and see us then, and we’ll check if you can start doing some small things with it. It’s very important to give it time to heal.”

“Four weeks?” Her eyes widened. “I don’t know…”

“If you want it to heal properly, you have to give it time.” Olive did her best to be stern, while also being kind. She understood someone like Annie would need the use of her hand soon. She worked on a ranch. She couldn’t imagine it would be easy for her to rest.

“All right, I’ll do my best.” Annie didn’t look happy about it at all.

“Of course, and if you need anything, come straight back to see us, all right?” Olive watched Annie go, then started cleaning the room and preparing it for the next patient. While cleaning, she remembered her father. Working in his clinic had been very enjoyable. Every single day there was something new to learn. Seeing the patients and knowing that she was helping them was special to her. Those days were missed, and it was difficult to bring herself to think about them often because it caused such a sharp pang of sadness.

“Olive?” Dr. Brook poked his head into the clinic. “Ready for the next one?” One after another came into the back room; some for bandaging, some with simple injuries that needed to be cleaned, or to receive medications that the doctor had prescribed them. As the evening approached, Olive found herself looking forward to going home. Her feet were aching and tired.

As the last patient went out the door, she looked around the small practice room. It had fallen into disorder over the day, even though she had tried to tidy up after each visit.

Dr. Brook came in carrying the patient’s book.

“Would you mind going over all of this and making sure it’s readable, and right?” His smile looked tired. “I promised the missus that I’d be home early tonight. If you wouldn’t mind, I think that you can handle closing up the place for the night.”

“Of course, I’ll take care of it.” Olive put on a smile, taking the book from him. “I’d love to.”

“I don’t say this to many people, but I’m glad you came along. You’ve been a lifesaver.”

“I’m glad I’ve been of service.” It was nice to hear a compliment from someone as hard to please as Dr. Brook, and hopefully, it was a good sign that she might be able to keep her job for a long time, and that was exactly what was needed right then. Olive couldn’t go back home to the city where she’d spent her younger years and the place she still yearned for on occasion. This was her new home, and Olive was determined to make it work.

Dr. Brook hurried out of the office, leaving her alone with the books and to clean the place. She did the cleaning first, starting at the top of all the surfaces, and moving down until it was all set right for the next day. There were lots of little details that got overlooked during the day. Once that was finished, Olive sat down in the front at the desk and started going over the entries for the day. They were much messier than had been anticipated, and the process stretched from minutes into hours.

Looking out the window gave her a start. It was getting dark. Olive wasn’t especially comfortable walking down the streets on her own after dark lest any unsavory characters might be lurking in the shadows. She was on the next to the last entry when a sound caught her ear. It sounded like a kitten, tiny and mewling.

She ignored it for a moment, but it mewed again. A kitten left on the doctor’s doorstep? There had been stranger things at her father’s practice. She remembered once a small boy had come to the back door of the office with a sick puppy. Her father had tended it as if it were a person and sent the boy away happy.

Olive tucked the book away, then went to the front and opened the door. She looked down in shock. The noise wasn’t coming from a kitten, but a small bundle laid on the steps. It was a baby, wiggling, reaching its tiny hands up through the damp blanket it had been left in. Scooping it up and holding it to her chest, she touched its hands.

“Oh, you’re cold, you poor thing. Where is your mama?” she whispered to the baby while looking up and down the street. Surely someone hadn’t just abandoned the baby there for the doctor to find? It seemed that was indeed the case. Part of the blanket had blood on it, and the baby’s hair was damp.

She quickly brought the baby into the doctor’s office and placed the child on the narrow bed that they used to examine patients. She gathered clean rags and water from the washbasin. If there had been more time to consider the situation, she would have heated water to bathe the baby. Instead, she was focused on making sure that it had no injuries. She ran a slightly damp cloth over every inch of the little one. Concluding that the blood must have come from the baby’s mother at birth, or perhaps from the umbilical cord which had been crudely tied off with a bit of cotton and cut raggedly. Olive was relieved. The baby was a girl, with a sweet little face and bluish eyes that peered through squinted eyelids when Olive came close. She couldn’t have been older than a couple of hours.

“We’re going to find out where you’re from.” Olive took a clean blanket that she’d washed the day before, that sat on the shelf for emergencies, and wrapped the baby up. “Come along.” Having found out that the baby was all right, a girl, and indeed abandoned, Olive realized her hands were shaking. A baby. She’d found a baby abandoned on the steps. That had never happened before, even back home in the city. After wrapping the baby in the blanket, making sure to tuck in its arms and feet, she pressed her to her chest, cradling her carefully before she scooped up the keys and headed to the front door. She was going to have to leave the place closed up for the night, and then go and look for something to feed the baby.

There was nothing she could do to try and find the mother tonight. Olive would make sure the wee one was fed, safe, and warm with her, and in the morning, she would do everything she could to find out what happened to the sweet child, and why her mother would do something as horrible as abandoning her in the middle of the night.

Once Olive made sure the doctor’s office door was closed tightly, she headed down the street. She tucked the baby under her shawl as she went. To any passerby, it might look like she was bundled extra well and was simply overdressed for the crisp evening. She wasn’t looking for the type of rumors that would come from people spotting her with a baby. While people in town hadn’t had long to make their minds up about her, that wouldn’t keep people from gossiping.

Her heart sank as she saw that the mercantile was already closed. Where was she going to find milk suitable for the baby to drink? She only had a tiny room at the back of the boarding house, which she was given in exchange for cleaning a little here and there, as well as a small part of her salary from the doctor. She kept walking past the mercantile, then past the saloon. As she went past the place full of nighttime activity, she clutched the baby tighter to her chest.

It was a cruel and dangerous world for such a small creature, with no one to keep her safe. Olive decided she would personally make sure the baby made it to a safe place, whether that be back with her mother or elsewhere.

As she kept walking, she spotted one business with its windows still lit up in the night.

“Felix’s Diner.” She’d seen the place a couple of times on her way to work, but hadn’t had time to step foot inside or try eating there. Maybe they had milk she could feed the baby. The little girl was starting to fuss, moving and squirming against Olive, searching for something to fill her belly.

Olive’s heart went out to the baby.

“It’s okay. We’ll figure something out. Just be patient.” She spoke softly as she rocked her back into a fitful sleep. She squared her shoulders and quickened her steps toward Felix’s Diner. She pushed open the door and looked around.

It was mostly empty, save for two men at the back of the dining area, sharing what appeared to be a dinner as they played a game of cards. Uncertainty gripped her. Would they really have anything that the baby would be able to drink?

“Can I help you?” A deep voice startled her. She looked up to see a tall man coming straight for her. He was a good bit taller than her, with strong shoulders and kind eyes. His smile stretched across his face. It made him look friendly, but she could see the undertone of sadness and suspicion in his eyes.

“I… um… found a baby.” What was she thinking, and where had her tongue gone?

“A baby?” The man raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. Someone left her on the steps to the doctor’s office. The mercantile is closed, and I didn’t know anywhere else that might sell milk.” She rambled on. Perhaps seeking out a farmer or a ranch would have been a better idea. Then again, she had no idea where to find one who sold milk, especially since it was already dark, and wandering around in the hills and down in the woods after dark was most likely not a good idea.

“Milk? Yes, we have some. I’m Felix, by the way.”

“Oh.” Her mind paused a moment, connecting him to the name on the sign above the door.

“You really have a baby?” He was staring at her shawl strangely, as if he didn’t quite believe her. Her cheeks heated. Of course, she hadn’t exactly shown him the baby.

“Yes. I don’t know who left her, or why.” Olive pulled back the corner of her shawl, revealing the tiny baby’s face. The baby was sucking on her hand, with her eyes closed, though it was clear to see by the little grunts and efforts she made to her hand with her sucking that she was growing hungrier and more impatient by the second.

“Oh! You do.” He looked shocked. “You are…”

“Olive; the new nurse working at the doctor’s office.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Sit down here. I’ll be right back.” He flashed a smile, a crooked sort of grin that made her heart squeeze for no apparent reason other than it was a very nice smile, and hurried out of the dining area and into the back.

Olive found her way to a nearby table, keeping her distance from the two men who were still eating and talking in low tones, but watching her as if to find out exactly why she was there. She hoped she wouldn’t have to wait long to see what Felix had gone to get.

Chapter Two

Felix poured a cup of goat’s milk into a jar. He had bought it from the farmer who lived nearby not even a couple of hours before. A strange girl with an abandoned baby. Hmm. It certainly wasn’t a normal occurrence. In fact, it was one of the most out-of-the-ordinary things to happen to him since he’d started his diner in town.

He placed the jar in a pan of water and heated it, waiting until the milk was warm before he found a dropper, and took it out to the girl. Olive wasn’t a name he’d heard often in those parts. He wondered if there was a story behind it. He also wondered if she’d really found the baby abandoned.

It wasn’t something that ever happened in this town. At least, not that he knew of. No one he knew in town could be capable of such a thing. As he reached the dining area, he realized his other customers had gone, leaving Olive sitting in one of the chairs, cradling the baby.
She was a beautiful young woman. Her soft dark brown hair was neatly styled, falling around her shoulders and down her back in a carefully done braid. Her clothes were simple, and yet every detail about her looked planned and perfect.

She looked up as he approached, the expression of abandon gone in a moment, replaced with a look of caution. She eyed the jar and dropper he’d brought out. He wondered what she had to be so cautious about. After all, she’d come into his diner, looking for milk.

“Here you are. Some warm goat’s milk. I’m sure I can send some home with you, and tomorrow, you’re welcome to come back for more.”

“Thank you so much. I wasn’t sure where I could find some milk at this time of night.” She looked relieved.

“It’s no problem at all. I just bought it this afternoon. I’m glad I could be of help.”

“Do you make it a habit of helping women with abandoned babies that walk into your diner?” She smiled for a moment, a bit of mischief in her eyes.

“Well, not many women with abandoned babies come in here, but I do make plenty of food with milk, and happen to have a couple of places where I buy goat’s milk on the regular, so yes, women with babies could be my clients too I suppose.”

She laughed with a nice sound that made his usually tense shoulders relax ever so slightly.

“How about you? I’ve never seen you in here, and as the patron of this place, I do notice almost anyone who comes through the door.”

The ease in her eyes and the relaxation that was there a moment ago disappeared again, replaced by caution.

“I… work a lot. I suppose I don’t really have the time or money to be eating at a diner.”

He held out his hands, almost in a defensive position.

“My food is priced quite affordably, if I do say so myself.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She repositioned the baby, who tasted the milk from the dropper, and drank it as fast as she could.

“Looks like she’s hungry.” He surveyed the little one with something akin to awe. He hadn’t seen many babies up close. Well, his sister was the last baby he’d had much to do with. The thought of her sent a stab of sadness through him. “What will you do with her?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll keep her with me tonight, and then tomorrow I’ll talk with the doctor and the minister. Perhaps someone knows who her mother is, and maybe the mother just needs some help getting on her feet. I mean, having a child can be something scary sometimes.”

“It sounds like you have it all figured out.”

“Yeah.” She looked down at the baby with something in her expression, perhaps sadness or protectiveness; he wasn’t sure which. “I should really go, but if you have more milk I can take with me for the night, I would very much appreciate it.”

“Of course. I don’t keep too much on hand in the evenings, but I’ll send what I have with you. Of course, I can get more tomorrow. I’ll get a little extra in the morning, so I have more on hand.”

“Thank you.” She seemed surprised by his generosity. He was a bit surprised himself. Despite coming back to the town where he’d spent years growing up, he kept pretty much to himself. He didn’t entertain many friendships, and he certainly didn’t get involved with things like missing babies. And yet now, he couldn’t seem to help himself.

It didn’t take long to bring her the other bottle of milk.

“Does she have a name yet?”

“No. I’ll have to think of something to call her. I can’t very well keep calling her, ‘it.’”

“I suppose you can’t. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Olive nodded curtly and stood. She dug around for something in her pocket. When he realized she meant to pay him for the milk, he shook his head.

“No, I won’t accept payment from you.”

“I didn’t come here looking for charity.”

He shook his head with a chuckle.

“I’m sure you didn’t, but the baby was abandoned, and the financial obligation doesn’t exactly fall on you. It would fall on everyone in town to keep her going until she can do so for herself, so consider it my contribution.”

Olive seemed to think it over for a few moments, before accepting with a reluctant look on her face.

“Good night, Mr…” She watched him carefully, clearly waiting for him to provide his last name instead of his first.

“As I said before, Felix is fine.”

“All right, Felix.” She didn’t sound as if she were quite comfortable saying it just yet. He watched her slip out of the diner and into the night. It was dark, and her small form looked so alone and unprotected as she hurried down the street, disappearing around the corner. He should have asked where she was going, and if she would allow him to walk her home.

No, she would have seen that as much too forward for someone that she’d just met, and he wouldn’t have blamed her. Even so, he hated the idea of her out there on her own. It reminded him so much of Isla, his sister. Had she been all alone like that when she’d been taken? She’d clearly thought this town was safe, that the people in it would stand up for her, but they hadn’t. Of course, maybe no one had even known.
Felix ran a hand over his face, rubbing away the exhaustion he felt down to his very bones. He wouldn’t give up on his sister. The last time that he’d seen her came to mind, pulling him back to the past.

“Ma and Pa are happy you’re going.” Isla looked up at him, a sad smile on her face. “But I’m worried, Felix. When will you be back? What if you don’t come back? So many who leave don’t come back.”

“Isla, I have to go and fight for what I believe in, but I’ll be back. Let’s talk about something else tonight, okay? How are you and Mark doing?”

“I’m not pregnant, if that is what you are asking.” Isla’s shoulders drooped. She’d been married for three years now, and he knew her dream was to become a mother. Despite this, she had no luck when it came to having a child. While Felix knew that his sister wanted a child, part of him was almost relieved that she hadn’t had one, for her safety.

He knew the risks of childbirth, and how many young mothers passed during their first pregnancy or suffered terribly.

“I’m sorry, I know how much… what if you adopted a child? Many children have no parents.”

“Maybe we will.” Her eyes filled with sadness. “Felix, be careful out there, okay?”

“I know, Isla. Before you know it, I’ll be back here with you, Ma, and Pa.”

She nodded. “I’m going to hold you to that. Ma and Pa always said that if we ever got separated, always come back home. We’ll be waiting for you here.”

Felix pulled himself from the memory. It was ironic that now the one doing the waiting was him. He finished the pickup around the diner before closing up for the night, walking around back, and going into the little door that led to the small house where he lived behind the diner.

It was a simple place with two bedrooms, and one room that served as a tiny parlor, as well as a little kitchen. The people who had lived there before were the family that owned the mercantile. They’d run their store out of the front and lived in the back. However, once they’d had three children, they decided to make their home and their store bigger, so they’d sold the place to him, and moved.

For him, it was a perfect size, if not a bit too big. He had already eaten at the diner and headed straight to his room. He couldn’t stop thinking about Olive and the baby. Who was she, and when had she started working with the doctor? He hadn’t noticed anything new about the doctor’s office. He knew Dr. Brook, and he wasn’t the type to hire help.

Then again, he didn’t exactly spend a lot of time at the doctor’s office. The last time he’d been sick was over two years ago. He considered it one of his best qualities, being invincible to germs and sickness. He imagined her arriving home and caring for a baby for the first time. She’d looked so comfortable with the baby, as if she’d been around children a lot before. There was something kind in her face that made him want to learn more about her, and also offer to help in a bigger way.

He set about to make a simple dinner, reheating potatoes and meat from the night before and buttering two thick slices of bread.

He hoped the amount of milk he’d sent would be enough for the night. His mind shifted to who might have left a newborn child on the steps of the doctor’s office. It had to be someone desperate not to have a child. Women having a baby out of wedlock was not something that was accepted readily in town. Perhaps someone young had done something they regretted which resulted in the child, and they didn’t want to face the consequences of everyone finding out, or perhaps even their parents finding out.

He frowned. He couldn’t think of a young woman who had been pregnant in town. Then again, it wasn’t as if he saw the entire town regularly or even noticed pregnant women in general. There were plenty of farming families who lived out in the hills, past the woods, and quite a walk from town. It could have been one of them. He had no idea how Olive would go about her search for the parents of the baby, but even if she did try, he doubted she would find anything.

Whoever had left their baby out in the night, in the chill, just after giving birth, clearly was not interested in being a parent. For all he knew, it could have been a traveler just coming through town with no intention of staying. There were plenty of families and couples coming through every single day. He shook his head. The idea of that baby being out in the cold, alone and abandoned, made him sad, and his heart ached.

He missed his parents, but they’d shown him what it was like to be loved, what it was like to grow up in a family that cared for him. What if that baby never experienced those things? He shook his head and got ready for bed. If Olive did come back to him for milk, he was going to do everything he could to help the child, at least until a more permanent solution was found.

Chapter Three

Olive woke to the soft cries of the child in the middle of the night. Her room was still pitch black, and she struggled to find the lamp and light it. As she found a match, she stumbled over the chair near her bed. She held back a little yelp. She was glad that she had a lead on a new housing situation that she intended to check out soon.

The tiny quarters in the boarding house were becoming more burdensome, and she was already struggling to get enough sleep. She was already getting up early to clean in order to pay for part of her board. She wouldn’t be able to keep up now that she was taking care of the baby.
“You’re not keeping the baby,” she whispered. As she looked at that helpless little girl wriggling on the bed, she couldn’t help herself. “Hope. I’m going to call you Hope. You need a name, after all.” She went over and scooped her up.

She was growing more and more frustrated by the moment the more she realized that her fist was not providing her with any nourishment.

“Hold on. I’ll get your milk.” In one hand, she carried her lamp and in the other, she hugged Hope to her chest. She made her way down the hall carefully, avoiding making any sort of noise. Every time the wood creaked under her feet, she winced. She didn’t want to wake up Mrs. Nelson, or anyone else in the place. Mrs. Nelson was very particular about her sleep and the rule of how borders shouldn’t leave their rooms at night. However, she needed to heat the milk for Hope.

Because of the cool night air, she’d left the bottle Felix gave her just outside the door, up on a rock, so it wouldn’t be bothered by animals. She retrieved it and emptied half into a small pot before starting a fire. Doing everything with one hand was cumbersome. She had never cared for a baby for as long as she had now cared for Hope.

She had no siblings, and the only experience she had was helping her father deliver and care for babies at the doctor’s office back in Pennsylvania. Finally, she managed to take the warm milk, and get it into a bowl, then to Hope’s mouth with the dropper, which Felix had also sent along with the milk.

He’d been kind and helpful; both things she never expected from a stranger. She wondered what a man like him was doing running a diner himself. She had never really heard of a man cooking or dealing much in the kitchen. However, it looked like Felix had been the only one at the diner. Maybe that was just because he was about to close the establishment when she’d gone by.

As Hope finished every last drop that Olive had heated up for her, a content look covered her features. Even so, Olive propped her up against her shoulder, and patted her back, until she heard a soft burp. She’d always done that with the babies at the clinic once they’d eaten while their mothers were being attended to. With a now content and sleeping Hope, she cleaned the things she’d used for the milk and set everything right.

Right when she was about to slip back to her room, the light of a lantern bobbed down the hall. Someone was coming. Her heart sank.

Mrs. Nelson appeared; her wrinkled face was clearly full of displeasure.

“Olive, of course. What are you doing up at this ungodly hour? I figured someone was breaking into the place.

“I… had to feed the baby.” Olive pointed sheepishly to the baby.

“You have a child? We never discussed a child for your living arrangements.”

“She’s not mine. Someone abandoned her on the doorstep of the doctor’s office. I’m going to look for her parents tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Mrs. Nelson still didn’t look happy. “How long you keeping her for?”

“As long as it takes to find her parents, I think.”

“You can’t have a baby here. I’ll allow it for a couple of days, but not long term.”

“All right.” Olive sighed. She didn’t know why Mrs. Nelson was so insistent on being so ornery. Olive could see she was miserable being on her own and could do from some company and more people in her life. However, it didn’t look like she was open to letting anyone into her life.

She headed back to her room, knowing she’d be making at least one more trip to the kitchen for Hope that night. Babies ate at least three times a night, her father used to say. She remembered how when she was younger, she dreamed about the day when she would marry and settle down with a baby of her own. She’d let go of that dream when everyone in town used to hate the sight of her after what had happened.

Hope stirred in her arms as she laid back down, letting the baby nestle up against her. It was nice to not feel quite as alone, even if it was only because of a tiny baby that had no idea what was going on, or where she was, but only felt those around her.

Olive kissed Hope’s small forehead. Tomorrow, she would figure out what to do with the baby.

—*—
Olive paused outside of Felix’s diner. In the light of day, it seemed a lot more daunting. She knew nothing about Felix, or what sort of person he was. She did know what others would think about her wandering around with a baby and being unmarried. She’d already noticed people looking at her differently. It was curiosity mixed with caution, and in some cases, disdain.

She was an hour early today, wanting to get the milk situation squared away before she arrived for work with Dr. Brook. There were a few people inside, some eating, and others waiting to be attended to. It seemed that Felix’s diner was rather popular. She would have paid more attention sooner if she hadn’t been so focused on survival in a new town.

Gathering her courage, she stepped into the small shop. The delicious smells hit her all at once. Felix was a good cook, or he’d hired someone who was. People tried to be discreet, but she still noticed nearly everyone in the place turning toward her. They were wondering what she was doing there, with a baby.

She frowned. What if people got the wrong idea about her and Felix? They might think that the baby was his. The idea horrified her. She’d only gotten to town three days ago, and she’d certainly not been pregnant then. Moreover, she hadn’t even met Felix at that point. She hugged Hope closer, determined not to notice the looks and the whispers. She’d gone through much worse whispers back home. She’d gone through a lot back home and had never let it get to her, at least not in public.

She waited near the counter until Felix appeared. At first, she expected him to ignore her and make her out like any customer, because he might be embarrassed to be associated with her or Hope in public.

Instead, he motioned for her to come to the back kitchen.

“I was wondering if you’d show up this morning. Just in case, I got some extra milk for the baby. I also asked for some this evening, so don’t forget to pass by.” He led her through the little hall toward the kitchen. Two women were cooking, stirring pots, and flipping skillets. They looked like they’d worked in a kitchen for most of their life.

She watched as he motioned for her to follow him outside to the well, where he pulled up the bucket and retrieved a couple of bottles of milk. He turned and held them out to her. She tucked them into the basket she’d brought, which she had draped over her arm, while also balancing a sleeping Hope.

“So, how is she?”

“I think she’s all right. She likes the milk. She finished it all right off.” Even though Felix had been nothing but kind and helpful, Olive couldn’t help but be cautious. She really knew very little about Felix and his intentions. “I decided to call her Hope.” She had no idea why there was a need to add that in, but it had come up so naturally.

“Hope. That’s a nice name. It suits her. I’ve been asking everyone who comes into the diner, but no one knows anything about an abandoned baby. No one saw anything yesterday, either.”

“Thank you.” Olive studied him for a moment, then looked away. There was something in his gaze, something sad and troubled. She wondered why that was, but didn’t dare ask him.

“So, will you keep her if you can’t find her parents?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure I can. The woman that I rent a room from was not happy to discover I had a baby with me last night.” She sighed. “I’m going to see a little house that might be available later this afternoon. I heard they were renting it for a very low fee.” She scolded herself inwardly yet again. She shouldn’t be telling Felix anything, especially anything too personal as to where she was planning on living. She didn’t truly know him.

Felix looked like he wanted to say something else, then paused.

“I… should get back to work, but wait here a moment.” He hurried into the kitchen before she could protest. A couple of seconds later, he came back carrying a paper bag. He held it out to her, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“What’s this?”

“Just something for you. It looks like you are still adjusting to taking care of her.” He smiled, which looked a bit more pitying than anything else. “If you want, you’re welcome to walk back through the diner, or if you want, you can go through the side street.” He pointed to the little street that curved around the diner.

She nodded and headed toward the side street.

“Thank you. I think I’ll go this way today. Thanks again for the milk.” She wanted to give him back the paper bag with whatever gift he’d put inside, but for one, he was right. She hadn’t eaten breakfast, and she was feeling a bit dizzy. For the other, she didn’t want to appear rude, after everything he was doing to help, so she kept it, hurrying away from the diner and back to the bustling street. Once she’d arrived at the doctor’s office, she let herself in and sat down in the waiting chairs.

There was still a good half hour before the doctor got in. Hope was still sleeping. It seemed that a newborn baby did little else. That morning, she’d soiled the cloth wrapped around her bottom, and Olive had been quite pressed to find old clothing she could make into new diapers to keep the baby clean. She was starting to see just how overwhelming it could be to care for a baby, even a baby as tiny as Hope. She’d just started, and she was determined to figure it out. Her father used to say that she was resilient and would never give up on anything. It was a compliment that she intended to live up to, even when things got hard.

She pulled out two fresh pastry breads from the bag and smiled as she bit down. It was the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted. She let herself enjoy the sensation, wishing for a moment she could share the deliciousness with Hope, but knew that the baby wouldn’t be able to eat anything for months to come.

Even though it would have been delectable to make the pastries last for the next couple of hours, she was hungrier than she’d originally thought, and she wanted to be ready to talk to Dr. Brook about the baby, and what she should do about it. Not to mention, she didn’t want to be seen as shirking on the job by eating there and not being ready to receive patients. A few moments early, Dr. Brook stepped into the office. His face lit up when he spotted Olive, but fell just as quickly as his eyes landed on Hope.

“Who is that?” he asked.

“It’s Hope. I found her on the steps yesterday when I was closing up the office.” Olive frowned.

“I see.” Dr. Brook shook his head. “Shame, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a baby abandoned at my doorstep.”

“You’ve had babies abandoned here before?” Olive was surprised to hear as much. She hadn’t thought that it was a natural occurrence. She remembered most of the instances when she’d seen mothers with their infants. Most of them would do anything to protect their children. Apparently, that was not the case everywhere.

“On occasion, every couple of years. You never know why someone would drop off a baby. Most of the time, it’s because they can’t care for it, or they don’t want to face the consequences of having a child out of wedlock.”

“What do we do with her?” Olive held Hope closer. The baby nestled her face closer and Olive’s heart grew more in love with the little one. She didn’t deserve to be born into a world filled with such cruelty. She was innocent, so young, unknowing of how much the world didn’t want her.

Olive fought the sudden desire to cry. It was out of nowhere and caught her completely off guard. It wasn’t like her to be so emotional for no reason.

“We can’t do much for her. There is no orphanage in this town. All you can do is walk around and ask the families if someone wants a baby. Sometimes, the wealthier families will take an orphan to help them with their younger children. But she’s so young, it would take years before she could be of much use.” Dr. Brook’s words were not unkind. In fact, they were very caring, sadder than anything.

“I… I’ll keep her until I find someone suitable.” Olive didn’t add that she wasn’t going to just hand Hope over to whoever wanted her to raise her to be some sort of hired hand. She wanted Hope to have a family, and parents who loved her. She had only ever had her father as a parent, seeing as her own mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her. Even so, having her father through her life, guiding her, teaching her, and showing her the way was invaluable. Even one person who cared could make a world of difference.

Dr. Brook’s expression turned to concern.

“As long as she doesn’t interfere with your work at the clinic, I have no issue with it, but remember Olive, you can’t save everyone. You can’t help every orphaned child or every person out there. You’ll run yourself ragged trying.”

“I know.” Olive swallowed hard. She’d seen her share of difficulties during her life, including situations that she could not change or be of help to. She regretted those instances in so many ways. She wished that she could be there for everyone, and yet, in this instance, she could be there for Hope. She could make sure that Hope wasn’t some forgotten, abandoned baby. She could turn into someone’s beloved daughter.
“Thank you for giving me time to look out for her.”

He nodded curtly, the moment of camaraderie over between them.

“Just remember that there will be times when she can’t come along.”

“I know. I’ll find someone to watch her until I find her a home.”

“Of course.” Dr. Brook didn’t look at all as if he thought she would find Hope a home. In fact, he fully looked as if he expected her to keep the baby and raise it herself. Honestly, she wasn’t sure that he was so wrong. The way she was feeling toward Hope, she was starting to wonder if there really was someone out there that she would trust with raising the little girl who had been abandoned by those who should have loved her most.