Árdís - 01.01.1953, Page 52

50
ÁRDÍ S
After a light lunch of coffee and salad she went upstairs and
touched a shadow of rouge to her cheeks and lips, then slipped into
her green linen dress, having in mind that babies and good clothes
were a poor combination. “Nothing but wash dresses for me for
a while,” she thought. And once again she wondered how she had
been inveigled into promising to take care of this baby.
She went down stairs and forced herself to sit still in the slipper
chair by the picture window in the living room. And as she waited,
she felt tense, and restless. Then she saw a car turn into the drive-
way, saw Dr. Midfjord step down from it, carrying shopping bags,
and a young woman carrying a shawl-wrapped baby. As they came
up the flag-stone walk, she went to the door.
“Mrs. Leland, this is Marge Hanson,” the doctor said, then
went to the kitchen with the bags.
Grace felt a wave of understanding and strength pass to her
from the nurse. Her gray-blue eyes were steady, and calm, her
rather large mouth smiling. She reminded Grace of a picture of a
woman standing on the prow of a ship, facing the wind. But that
illusion might be due to the vibrant blond hair beneath a black
toque.
“And this is little Cecilia May,” Dr. Midfjord said too cheer-
fully, coming back from placing bottles of formula in the Frigidaire.
The nurse led the way to the living room, placing the child
down on the divan, unwrapping the shawl.
Grace had realized the child might be no beauty, but she was
not prepared for this. The infant looked like a gnome. The skin
tight over small bones, and atcually wrinkled like that of an old
woman. The brown eyes, too large for the face, stared at her
wonderingly, filled with fright.
Dropping down on a nearby chair, Grace said accusingly. “This
is a sick child. I am not a trained nurse. I don’t think I can cope
with an ailing baby.”
“But Cecilia May is not really sick,” the nurse said urgently.
“All she needs is care, and love.”
There it was again. What made these two young people think
she was capable of giving love to this homely child? It looked
repellent, but even more so than Grace had at first realized. For
now Marge took off the wool bonnet, and Grace’s eyes dilated in