Story about Great-Grandma by Ray Ray

I’ll never forget the morning my sister Margaret May arrived. The skies outside were black with rain clouds, and my big sister Marie told me that that’s how it was when I was born seven years earlier. She told me how cold it had been that September morning, and how she had prayed for me and mama to be ok. I asked her if we could pray for Mama now, since I could hear her laboring in the bedroom. I’d heard a woman birthing before, but this was different. It was my Mama, and she was screaming something awful.
Marie took me to the corner of our bedroom where we had a chair. We knelt around it and took turns saying prayers for Mama and the baby to be alright. I had never prayed so hard in my life. After a while I noticed that Mama’s screams had quieted down, and I asked Marie if we could go check on her. She told me to tiptoe downstairs with her, and we would peek in but not get in the way.
When we reached the bedroom, I stood by the door with my back against the wall. I could hear Mrs. Klein, the neighbor lady, talking softly. My Mama was quiet except for when she would breathe big breaths every minute or so. Suddenly Mrs. Klein yelled, “Keep on pushing, Anna Marie, I can see the head!” I couldn’t help myself, I rushed into the room. Marie grabbed the sash of my dress and tried to pull me back, but Mama saw me and smiled.
“Come and see, Anna,” she said through gritted teeth. I went and stood by Mrs. Klein and watched the babies head, then body emerge. It was so red and slimy, but so beautiful. “It’s a little girl,” Mrs. Klein announced, wiping the baby, then wrapping her in a blanket and handing her to Mama.
“Margaret May,” Mama said, smiling at the squirming little infant in her arms. She and Papa had decided on the name just the week before. Papa was sure the baby would be a boy, and saw no need to think of a girl’s name. But Mama had said that she just knew it was a girl, and could he please just have a name ready, just in case.
“Anna, Marie, come look at your new sister.” Marie went right over to her, and Mama handed Margaret May to her. I just stood where I was, at the foot of the bed, a memory of a different baby in my head. When I was five, I loved to carry my baby brother ?????? around the house. One day as I was walking into the kitchen I dropped him, and even though I picked him right up and Mama said he was ok, I felt awful. I loved my baby brother dearly. A few weeks later he died, and I felt like dying, too. I just knew that I had killed him, and I hid in my room for three days after the funeral. Mama finally found me and hugged me told me that ???????? had died from Pneumonia, not from falling.
Mama was looking at me. “Anna, don’t you want to hold your sister?” I just shrugged, and looked away. I could feel my mama’s eyes on my face. “Anna, come over here.” I slowly walked to my mama’s side, but I still couldn’t look at her.
“Anna, I know what you’re thinking,” Mama said softly. “You are a big girl now, and I trust you to hold Margaret May.” Her big blue eyes looked into mine, and I felt how much she loved me. I turned to Marie and held out my arms. She smiled at me and handed me the baby.
“Hello, Margaret May,” I whispered. She was a pretty baby, her skin so creamy already, her grey eyes seeming to study me. I stood there holding her for what seemed like hours, my beautiful little sister.
“She loves you already,” Mama said. “I can tell you two will be best of friends.”