“Well, what does it say Sister Pauline?” Roni asked.

Sister Pauline gave Roni a smile and looked down at the item she held in her gloved hand. “You, dear child,” She gleamed, “Are going to be a mom!”

“Oh good.” Roni sighed.

A loud sound rang through the halls and into their very room, it sounded as if someone had hit a metal gong with a hammer.

“That is the supper announcement bell. Time for supper!” Sister Teresa and Sister Pauline led Roni down the halls and into a large banquet hall. There had to be close to 75 women, and a third of them had children. Each took their seat, as did Roni.

Mother Margaret rose from her appointed seat at the head of the table, and said the blessing over the meal. When the prayer was concluded the meal was served, and all ate.

Roni enjoyed living at the Haven. She made friends with the other nuns and other young women, but especially with Mother Margaret.

Mother Margaret was the only one that Roni completely trusted. Mother Margaret was always there to help Roni, whether it was getting her scheduled for classes there at the Haven, or just giving advice and counseling, she was there.

On Christmas Eve1975, about noon in the day, Roni waddled into Mother Margaret’s office as she was accustomed to doing. Mother Margaret was busy reading some papers, but looked up at the usual sound of Roni’s footsteps. She looked up over her silver-rimmed reading glasses at Roni and her watermelon stomach.

“Good afternoon dear and Merry Christmas Eve to you!” She said.

“Merry Christmas Eve to you too Mother.” Roni replied.

Mother Margaret folded her arms across her desk, and looked deeply into Roni’s face. “Now what is on your mind on this Holy and Blessed day?”

“Mother, will you take me to the hospital?”

Mother Margaret’s expression turned gravely pale. “What for dear Roni?”

“I am going to have my baby today.”

“Well darling, you can’t choose the day.” Mother Margaret smirked.

“No, I mean today is the day. I have begun contractions.” Mother Margaret rushed to be beside Roni.

“I will go get Sister Pauline, she should come too.” Mother Margaret began towards the door, but Roni stopped her.

“No Mother, please just you take me. They have doctors there that can care for me. Please just you and I…” Roni’s grand brown eyes touched the depths of Mother Margaret’s heart.

“Oh alright,” She gave in. “I’ll take you.” And together they left.

Roni was admitted to St. Elizbeth’s Hospital, and by later afternoon was all situated in her room. Dr. Louisa Gratton was just finishing her exam and checking all the monitors.

“Your babies have great, strong heartbeats.” The doctor replied.

“Yes it does, and strong arms and legs too!” Roni smiled as she squeezed Mother Margaret’s hand.

“They.” The doctor said.

“They what?” Roni asked the doctor.

“I was just correcting you, you said ‘it’ had strong arms and feet, ‘they’ do, you do know you are having twins.” At that time the beeper on the doctor’s pants began to vibrate and bleep. “Oh there is an emergency that I have to tend to, I’ll be back to check on you soon.” The doctor replied as she sprinted out the door.

“How could I be having twins?” Roni asked to no one directly.

“Well it is actually very simple, other clinics have the more advanced technology available to them, we don’t, so we weren’t able to know that there were two instead of one!” Mother replied, as she squeezed Roni’s hand, but got no response.

“Twins.” Was all Roni said.

Roni never voiced it to Mother Margaret, but the thought of one baby had been an exceedingly overwhelming thought, but the thought of two just doubled the stress. She had learned and figured out her life with one, but now two were coming. She wasn’t ready for this. She was only 15.

“Congratulations Roni, you now have two wonderful healthy babies.” Dr. Gratton announced as she snapped off her gloves and headed for the door. She quickly turned back, “Oh, and Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas to you!” Roni called taking her eyes off the two bundles she held there in her arms.

Her labor had been long, too long Roni thought. Roni came to the hospital at 1:45 and delivered at 1:03 AM Christmas Day 1975.

“What beautiful children Roni,” Mother Margaret said gently touching the full head of hair on the one baby. She took Roni’s hand and gently squeezed it with tears in her eyes she said, “You did good Roni, you did good.”

“Thank you Mother.” Roni replied as she looked down at her children. On her right side lay her daughter, unnamed but weighing 6lb. 7oz., on her left lay her son, unnamed but weighing 6lb. 4oz.. Both babies had curly black hair, light brown eyes, to match their sun-tanned-looking skin. “They’re so small.”

“They’re perfect Roni, just perfect.”

By later that morning, Roni was ready for her release. She had had a terrible night, her head swarming with all sorts of thoughts and emotions.

Mother Margaret had left her early that morning and had promised to return when the sun arose.

Roni was looking in at the two babies in their baby boxes side-by-side. “Good morning Roni.” Mother Margaret called as she entered the room.

“Morning Mother.” Roni replied, as she forced a smile upon her unwilling face.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I think I am.” Roni’s eye’s never leaving the children.

“Alright then, I’ll go ask Sister Josaphine to bring the van around and I come back up to help you and the twins down.” Mother Margaret said as she quietly closed the door and left.

As soon as the door was closed Roni felt released, and she wept. For what seemed to be forever, she wept all alone, both inside and out.

“C’mon Roni,” She talked to herself, “You know what you have to do, so let’s do it.”

“Ok Roni,” Mother Margaret walked into the room. She looked on the bed where Roni had just been, and now lay empty. “Roni,” She looked into the bathroom, empty. A waver of fear came crashing upon her, she ran over to the baby boxes and found the twins happily awake, but a piece of paper lay across the two boxes, folded in half, it had ‘Mother Margaret’ written atop it.

Dear Mother Margaret,

I am so sorry for this. I just couldn’t do it like we planned. I love my babies so much, so much that I know that they don’t deserve the only life I can give them. I am only 15, with no education and no employment taking on two extra lives, no I can’t jeopardize my precious ones. When I look at them, I see their father, and the waste of my life and time he was. I can’t make them suffer like that.

I only have two requests of you Mother. First, that wherever my babies go, that they keep the names I give them. That is to the best of you ability. My daughters name, is to be Emily Margaret, and my son’s name is to be Easton Roland.

Mother Margaret, I am truly sorry for what I have done. My last formal request is that you, Mother Margaret of St. Anne’s Haven for Unwed Mothers, keep up to date with my children. I trusted you like my mother, so these are almost your grandchildren, treat them as such. Please do this for me Mother, and don’t worry about me, I will be fine. I always know where the Haven is.

Love,

Rhonda Lee, Roni

Mother Margaret jumped up and ran to the door. “Roni, Rhonda!” The people in the hall all returned her with blank stares, and no Roni. Mother Margaret looked back in at the two small babies fidgeting in their boxes. “Oh Roni, what have you done?”