I have spent the past day with Grace. Her pregnancy is progressing well, at least in terms of her physical health. Brid has continued to check in on her and is pleased.
However, Grace is struggling. First is the difficulty of Con. He has returned to town and is staying with Michael and Amanda, but Grace does not see him very much. They exchange messages occasionally, mostly Con just checking that she is well. When she can, Grace will talk to Michael instead of Con. Just talking to him is hurtful to her, and in the interest of avoiding stress, she simply avoids him as much as possible.
It does not help that most of those who now know about Grace’s pregnancy—her parents, her coworkers, her friends—all are deeply angry at Con for her sake. She has told many of them that she now needs his support and wants to reconcile with him, but it is no easier for them to forgive him than it is for her.
Added to all this, this week she has been transferred to a light-duty position. Already she misses her patrols, seeing the people she knows and walking the streets of her home. Filing records and answering phones is exactly not the kind of job she wants to do. She recognizes the need to protect the child, but it is still depressing to her.
I am worried. Brid says that stress is a real danger for mothers-to-be, and Grace is coping with a great deal of stress. I am trying to soothe and comfort her as much as I can, but when I leave the trouble just comes back to her.
I think I must address the root of the problem more. There is joy to be found in this, after all. Grace has always wanted children, and that has not changed despite the difficulty of this situation. My hope is that if I can help her to begin to feel the love of a mother for her child, it can begin to balance the pain she is feeling.
I am hopeful. After all, what is more powerful than a mother’s love?