"Yes... yes... yes... we were to be married." The woman stared off into space. "My father insisted, your father marry me, since I was the eldest daughter. Your father refused because he knew I did not want to marry him. He talked my father into allowing him to marry Carol-your mother."
"Why did you not want to marry him?"
"He was seeing another woman in Kingston.I certainly would not marry a man who loved someone else."
"Who is the woman?"
"You would have to ask your father about that. I did not care to know who she was."
"He has never mentioned being in love with another woman."
"Has he told you how much he loved your mother?"
"He never talks about her."
"It was traumatic for him when she died, no doubt."
"Were you there when the baby was born?"
"What baby?"
Hayley blushed. "Me. When I was born, were you there?"
"Of course. I barely left your mother's side."
"So you were there the whole time."
"Well, I did have to rest now and then and I can only rest well in my own quarters."
"She was so sick I feared it would be contagious."
"What was she sick from?"
"Well, from whatever it was that killed her."
"I was told she died giving birth to me."
"Yes. That is true."
Hayley's eyes began to fill with tears.
"Did your father tell you my sister's death was your fault?"
Hayley wiped her eyes. "No."
"You are feeling guilty about the fact that she died, aren't you?" There was pleasure in the woman's voice.
"I suppose so."
"Well, you should not think that you would ever have such an impact on Caroline's life."
"Pardon me."
"Perhaps I should treat you as a family member, but I simply do not feel that you are a related to me. Your mother was a part of me, but when she died, I swore no one outside my son would ever be that close to me. So I suppose I am trying to say that nothing as ordinary as you could have caused her to depart from this world. God is the one who needed her greatly-more than you or I."
Hayley felt stunned by the woman's remark. "Would you tell me more about the day she died?"