Blessing Of The Cardinal

- Ricci Semple

My husband had reason to doubt me. We’d had a false alarm two days ago. Back spasms mistaken for contractions had us exchanging our Thanksgiving feast for a trip to the hospital. What did I know? This was my first child. Something was starting to happen, I could sense it, but when the doctor sent us home, I prayed my December due date would be accurate. I didn’t want our child to be born around Thanksgiving.

Now, only two nights later, we grabbed the packed bag once again to head to the hospital. Frozen pellets of rain pinged against the car window as we pulled out of the driveway. A thin layer of ice coated the trees. A flicker of red caught my eye and I watched a bright red cardinal perch on top of a lamppost.

“Look,” I said. “A cardinal.” I’d never seen one at night. Bobby glanced over.

“Cardinals appear when angels are near,” I said. Our eyes met and I saw a flash of sadness. “It’s just something I’ve always heard.”