Snipet #7

When Mrs. Putnam arrived to check on Sara the next day, she found both mother and daughter sleeping soundly. She set to making tea and sandwiches and then gently lifted the baby from Sara's arms to check her. She washed the baby, counted her digits and eleven fingers and ten toes later, she placed Evelyn in the sunny yellow room in her bassinet. Such a lovely baby, thought Mrs. Putnam. It's a shame about those fingers, though. I wonder if Sara noticed yet, she pondered.

Mrs. Putnam was slightly concerned about the sixth finger on Evelyn's right hand, but after giving it some thought, figured if it was good enough for Ann Boleyn, then it was good enough for Evelyn Martin. But then again, she reflected, look where Ann ended up. But such thoughts were dreary, and Mrs. Putnam was not one to dwell on unpleasantries for too long. She was after all, a resident of Willow Falls and very adept at looking straight ahead and not paying too close attention to all the activity going on in her peripheral vision.

She woke Sara gently and offered her some tea. She asked Sara if she was hungry, but Sara shrugged off the question and got out of bed. She went directly into the sunny yellow bedroom and stood beside her daughter's bassinet. Evelyn had beautiful black hair and soft pink skin. She wondered what color Evelyn's eyes were, since she saw her late at night and couldn't be sure. She assumed they would be blue, since most newborns had blue eyes. She stood waiting and Mrs. Putnam came in to stand next to her. Such a beautiful, sweet baby, she said to Sara. Sara agreed, as mothers will do. All mothers believe their baby to be the finest baby ever born, and Sara was no exception.

As Evelyn began to stretch and make the most delightful baby sounds, her eyes blinked and both Mrs. Putnam and Sara leaned forward to catch a glimpse. Her eyes, to their surprise, were green. Mrs. Putnam gasped, as she had never seen a newborn baby with green eyes, especially not this intense green, the green of an older, wiser person. Saints preserve us, she cried. In response, Sara sighed, she's perfect. Mrs. Putnam asked her if she had seen the baby's right hand. My baby has been touched by the wind, Sara replied, you didn't expect her to be like all the other babies, did you? No, Mrs. Putnam replied, she is like no other. Good, said Sara. That's good.