The Good Sister

Fern’s coworkers at the library are very supportive of her. Meanwhile at home, Rose alternates between annoying and pampering Fern. Fern is grudgingly grateful for Rose’s care, especially as her pregnancy advances. Owen’s arrival keeps getting delayed. In her ninth month, Fern is at work chatting with Gayle when Rose pays her a visit over an urgent matter. Rose tells Fern that she got a call from Sun Meadows saying Nina has died. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, but Nina probably died of a stroke. Fern is devastated and then angry when she learns Rose learned of the death the previous day. Rose wants to take Fern home, but Fern wants to stay in the library, a place she has always found comforting. She is surprised Rose doesn’t understand this.

After Rose leaves, Fern calls Sun Meadows from her secret room. Onnab, one of her mother’s nurses, tells Fern that Nina was happy when she saw Rose last. Maybe seeing Fern’s sister lifted her spirits. Fern understands that Rose visited Nina and stops being angry at Rose.

The same day Fern learns of Nina’s death, Wally visits her at the library. He is not surprised to see her pregnant; Rose has told him Fern is expecting a baby. Rose has visited Wally often over the last few months, ostensibly to discuss Fern. Yesterday, she told him Fern was pregnant and in need of money. Fern would never admit this, as she is too proud. Fern is dumbfounded and assures Wally she is not in a financial crisis. Wally believes Rose knew she could extort money from him because he cares for Fern. Fern finds this difficult to digest. Wally tells her again that there is something “very, very wrong” (239) about Rose.

Fern can’t get Wally’s words out of her head. She remembers her mother always worrying about Rose and wonders if Nina shared Wally’s suspicions. She calls up Sun Meadows to double check the facts of Rose’s visit. Fern asks Onnab if someone checked up on Nina after Rose’s visit (Nina died the same night). Onnab isn’t sure and asks Fern if she thinks there is something suspicious about Nina’s death. Fern doesn’t have an answer and ends the call. Soon after, Fern begins to experience contractions and requests Carmel to order her a taxi.

Fern heads to the hospital, where she is rushed straight to the delivery room. Her pains worsen, and a nurse suggests she call a loved one for support. Fern realizes the only person who can help her get through the pain is Rose and calls her. Rose is angry with Fern for not informing her of the contractions, but the nurse asks Rose not to yell at Fern. Rose appears contrite and begins to arrange the delivery room so its environment doesn’t overwhelm Fern. Fern thinks only Rose could have done this for her. As Rose goes to speak to the doctor, she tells the nurse she is having the baby for her sister. The nurse thinks Fern is very generous and wishes she too had a sister who could have done the same for her when she couldn’t have a baby. Fern thinks to herself that having a sister is a mixed blessing.

Rose helps Fern through her labor, feeding her ice chips and getting her cold drinks. As Fern gets ready to deliver the baby, Rose asks Fern to imagine the library to feel safe and think of someone she trusts. Fern pictures Wally and gives birth to a girl.

Rose rushed into the water to save Billy, dragging him out and administering him the CPR she had learned at school. It was too late. Fern stood watching silently. Rose was afraid Fern would go to jail. She told Fern their story would be that Billy had been desperate to beat her time underwater. He dove in and got tangled in the weeds. He had already drowned before they could get him out. Luckily, this time Fern followed Rose’s instructions carefully.

Rose’s soothing manner toward Fern changes after she learns Fern breastfed the baby after Rose went home for the night. Rose screams at the nurses for letting “the surrogate” (251) feed the baby against her instructions. Rose often spoke against the pressure new mothers faced about breastfeeding, but Fern didn’t realize Rose was indirectly suggesting she shouldn’t feed her baby. Rose now insists on feeding the baby the formula she has bought. She decides to name her Alice. Fern feels Rose and the nurses treat her as if she doesn’t matter. Fern asks Rose why she asked Wally for money. Rose thinks Wally has enough money to pay for his child and should. Fern wonders why Owen, the baby’s adoptive father, cannot support Rose. Rose reveals to Fern that Owen has backed out of his commitment to raise the baby. Rose will be raising her by herself.

When Rose is away for a bit, an adoption counselor visits Fern. She informs Fern about her parental rights and what it means to relinquish them. The adoption paperwork is considered complete after the counselor witnesses both the birth and adoptive parents signing their consent. Rose has already signed her consent. If Fern wants, she can sign the papers now, or the counsellor can come by later if Fern wants to think things over. Fern tells her to come by later.

Everyone, including Danny, accepted Billy’s death as drowning. Fern got away with murder thanks to Rose, but Rose now wonders if she did the right thing in enabling Fern’s worst tendencies. Now, a newborn baby may have to pay a price for Rose’s mistake of shielding Fern.

Fern is groggy with meds when she overhears Rose argue with Wally outside her room. Wally has come to the hospital to meet Fern, but Rose tells him Fern is too tired. The argument turns to Fern’s suitability as a mother. Rose tells Wally Fern’s past makes her unfit to raise a child. Wally counters he knows all about the incident at the river and believes it was an accident. Rose tells him he wasn’t present at the spot; only she knows the truth about what happened. Fern observes that Rose is wrong. There was someone else at the river that day who may have known the truth.

Fern recalls that Billy kissed her the night before he died. Rose saw this and became very quiet. Nina sensed Rose’s bad mood the next day and asked the children to go swim so she could “shake it off” (260). At the river, Billy kept diving under, trying to beat Fern’s time. After an hour, Rose suggested that Fern help Billy win by holding him under water. Fern was reluctant, but Rose said she would time things on her watch so Billy was safe. Fern held Billy under and kept asking Rose if 40 seconds were up. When Rose indicated the 40 seconds were up, Fern released Billy, but he was already dead. Nina arrived at the spot and tried to revive Billy. She guessed Rose suggested Fern hold Billy underwater, and Rose got angry, saying “nothing could be the fault of your precious Fern” (264). Nina yelled at Rose for always doubting her love. A boy was dead because of those doubts. Looking at Billy’s body, Rose said if Nina wanted to prove her love for Rose, now was her chance.