* * *
“Darlene, I’ll wash up.” I reach over for the washcloth.
Darlene looks up from her spot near Hazel. “No, don’t. I’ll do it later. Just enjoy yourself and sit for a while.”
* * *
I nod and Darlene looks back down to Alice now cradled in Hazel’s arms. Hazel is practically beaming at Alice. Genevieve and Lydia are standing behind, peering over her shoulder, clearly waiting for Hazel to be done her turn.
* * *
I smile, crossing to the table to sit down.
* * *
August looks up and smiles. “I’m just telling Robert about what I’ve been up to lately. I’m working in a small town, helping to build things with the people. It’s called Riverbend. There are so many nice people.”
* * *
“That sounds lovely. Is it a new town?”
* * *
“Yes, at the moment they’ve got a small mercantile, and small houses for all the people living there. Right now, the men in the town and I have been working on building a small schoolhouse. There are many children living in Riverbend and a proper place for their education is a high demand.”
* * *
Nodding, I pull my hand through my hair. “Did you-“
* * *
My words are cut off by Darlene tapping me on my shoulder. I raise my eyebrows at her, and she tips her head in the direction of the door. Confused, I stand while Darlene leans down and whispers something in Robert’s ear, who in turn nods.
* * *
“Come on.” She smiles, gripping my arm gently and pulling me towards the door.
“What?” I sigh as we step outside.
* * *
“We’re going to go for a walk, just us, and we can talk for a bit.”
* * *
I fold my arms over my chest. “Am I going to get some lecture? You’re not my Ma, you know.”
* * *
Darlene giggles and begins walking slowly. “I’m not planning on giving you a lecture but, who knows.”
* * *
We walk in the direction of the shed, neither of us saying anything. Darlene clears her throat and looks at me, worry clear in her eyes. “So, how’s life at home?”
* * *
I look down, refusing to make eye contact. “It’s great. Happy and warm, just like when you lived there.”
* * *
She draws in a long breath. “Adi, I know you better than I know myself. When you lie, the tops of your ears go red. Please, be honest.”
* * *
I look straight ahead at the tree in the distance as I try to gather my thoughts. “Fine. Things are still a little tense with Pa and I.”
* * *
“A little?”
* * *
“Okay, a lot.”
* * *
She runs both of her hands through her thick, brown hair. “Adi, I know there is a lot of anger built up over this whole Pa thing, but I think it’s time for you to try to forgive him.”
* * *
“That’s easy for you to say, Darlene. You have a natural way of understanding people’s motives and being able to forgive. It’s not that easy for me.” I sigh, looking down at my feet.
* * *
“I know it may take some time, but I think it would really make things better. Think about it, you’re probably going to leave the house in the next few years. Do you really want to leave with unresolved anger and tension left behind?”
* * *
My eyes flutter to a beautiful white daisy and I pick it, tucking it behind my ear, hoping to distract her. Darlene just stares at me expectantly, so I sigh. “No, I don’t, but every time I try to say something nice to him, my mind is flooded with thoughts of what he did. How he left us to fend for ourselves. The one that really sets me off is the memory of him standing in the doorway watching you bleed on the floor after that bear attacked you. I’ll never forgive him for that, Darlene. I was so scared you were going to die; he could’ve come and helped.”
* * *
We walk quietly and I look to Darlene. I can tell she’s thinking of an answer. Eventually, she looks up again. “I know Pa messed up, but everyone makes mistakes. We learn from them. Why let what once was a beautiful bond between you both, be ruined by a few mistakes? Pa’s trying, Adeline. He’s trying to get you to forgive him. Do you know how many times he’s come over here, asking for advice on how to get you to at least partly forgive him?”
* * *
“I knew it would turn into a lecture.” I nudge her arm playfully.
* * *
Darlene laughs. “Don’t think of it like that. Think of it as my sisterly advice. Once you learn to forgive, you will enter a world of happiness. You deserve that.”
* * *
We continue walking, not saying a word. The company of being with Darlene again is refreshing.
* * *
“So…” Darlene moves over to sit down on a fallen log. “What do you want to talk about?”
* * *
I take my spot next to her and smile. “What’s it like to be happy again, Darlene? To be living a life like yours?”
* * *
“Oh Adeline. You’ll get there, I promise. It may seem unbelievable now, but trust me. You know why I’m happy? Because I’m with the love of my life, I’ve got a wonderful little girl, four supportive sisters and a pa who loves me with all of his heart. A pa who loves you the same way, if you’d only let him.”
* * *
I sigh. “Did you have to bring the conversation back to that?”
* * *
She laughs and stands up, brushing off her dress. “Let’s head back. I’m glad we got to talk, and Adeline—please consider what I told you.”
* * *
Nodding, I walk beside Darlene. She’s right. She always is. Whether I’ll be able to forgive Pa is a whole other story.
Chapter 3
I’m the only one awake, and I’m surrounded by an eerie silence as I sit by the unlit fireplace in my rocking chair. I know Pa wakes up early and goes outside. If today is the day I forgive him, I need an early start.
* * *
Soon enough, Pa’s bedroom door creaks open and he steps out, only then stopping in his tracks. He looks down at me with his eyebrows furrowed. “What are you doing?”
* * *
“Getting up early.”
* * *
He crosses to the door and slides his boots on. He smiles. “If it were Darlene, she’d be doing something productive.”
* * *
I stare at him, unsure how to reply. This isn’t a great start. “Well, I was going to, umm...”
* * *
Pa shrugs. “I won’t be back until later tonight. I’m going to cut some wood here and then go to Darlene’s to meet the baby. John invited me to come over again to help him.”
* * *
“Again?” I say, being careful not to be rude.
Pa puts his hat on. “Yea, the poor man is lonely. August hasn’t been home much lately. What else do I have to do here anyway?”
* * *
“Umm... maybe spend time with us?”
* * *
Pa chuckles, sliding his feet into his boots. “Why do you care if I’m around or not? Lately it seems you want me out of the house more than in.”
* * *
I look away, not answering. I know if I answer it won’t come out nicely.
* * *
Pa opens the door and looks back at me. “See you later.”
* * *
“Yea.” Is all I can muster. Why does he always have to make everything so hard? If he would stop giving me a reason to be upset or annoyed, I’d be able to apologize for how rude I’ve been and try to mend things. I stifle a quiet sigh. Darlene makes everything sound so easy.
* * *
I stand up and cross to the closet where the broom is stored. He’s right. Darlene would’ve been doing something productive.
I slowly
sweep the floor. Not even halfway through finishing, I feel my shoulder tighten. I pause, giving it a minute before going back to sweeping. The pain tears through my shoulder and I bring my other hand to my mouth to stop the yell. The broom falls to the floor with a loud thud.
* * *
The pain goes away after a few seconds and I wait a moment before daring to move my arm slightly.
* * *
Darlene and I are the only ones who know about my shoulder. When I was six, I fell out of a tree while playing with Darlene. I can barely remember the day, other than my desperate pleas to Darlene, telling her not to get ma. It hurt for weeks after, but we didn’t tell ma.
* * *
I think I may have damaged something in my shoulder that day, and it didn’t heal properly. Sometimes, it affects my daily life. Of course, being a child, I made a bad decision that still has an impact on me eleven years later.
* * *
I look to the loft ladder where Genevieve is slowly making her way down.
* * *
“What was that?” Genevieve asks in a tired, groggy voice.
I give a fake laugh, rubbing my shoulder. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just sweeping and I dropped the broom.”
* * *
The girls all slowly make their way out of bed and soon they start helping to get breakfast ready.
* * *
“Adeline, we’re out of flour.” Lydia says looking up from setting the table.
* * *
I sigh. “I’ll tell Pa when he comes back tonight. I’m guessing he’ll be going to town soon. We’re running low on some things anyway.”
* * *
We all sit down by the fireplace while waiting for our breakfast to be ready. I take out my knitting and busy myself with that.
* * *
A knock on the door startles me out of my knitting. The door opens and I see Darlene cradling Alice. She beams at us.
* * *
“Darlene.” Lydia exclaims jumping up and running over, carefully planting a kiss on Darlene’s cheek.
* * *
“It smells wonderful in here. What are you making?”
* * *
“Breakfast.” Hazel giggles.
* * *
Darlene laughs. “I already figured that out.”
* * *
“What brings you here? We’ve seen enough of you in the last two days.” I tease, smiling at her.
* * *
She carefully passes a sleeping Alice to me. “Well, August came over this morning and asked Robert to come help him start with the barn. I told Robert to just come here with August for lunch. I thought it would be lonely in my house today.”
* * *
I smile, rubbing my finger back and forth slowly on Alice’s tiny hand. “Did Pa come visit?”
* * *
Darlene sits down giving a small smile. “Yes, he did. For ten minutes. He then said he was going to Mr. Wilson’s.”
* * *
“I thought he would’ve decided to stay and help the men with his barn.”
* * *
Darlene sighs and rubs her eyes slowly. “Did you actually think that?”
* * *
I give a smug smile. “What’s this? Pa’s sweetest daughter is angry with him?”
Darlene purses her lips, which then turn into a smile. “No, I never said that. It’s just, he’s on the path of becoming distant from you all, but I do believe he will come around. And Adi, just because I’ve forgiven him doesn’t mean I’m not sensitive to what he’s doing.”
* * *
Nodding, I look down at Alice. “Oh child, I do hope you never will have to deal with something that’ll wear you down so much.”
* * *
“It’s ready.” Lydia sets the last plate on the table.
* * *
“Here.” Darlene stands and opens her arms.
* * *
Carefully, I hand her Alice and then I go to help Hazel dish everyone’s plates. Breakfast is wonderful, just like the mornings when it was only us sisters together. We were all we had.
* * *
Darlene stands. “I’ll wash up. Hazel, if you want, you can dry. Adeline and Genevieve you can-“
* * *
I stand up with my plate in my hand, letting out a laugh. “No, no, no. I’m in charge now, not you. You can scrub the floors until they’re spotless”
* * *
“You’re hilarious.” Darlene laughs, her eyebrows raised. She sets her dish in the basin.
* * *
“I’m going to go watch Alice.” Hazel smiles and heads to where Darlene has laid Alice on the floor in front of the unlit fireplace. “Oh, Alice. Your Ma’s made sure you’re not going anywhere, hasn’t she?”
* * *
Darlene scrubs at a plate. “It’s only a few little blankets so she doesn’t roll away.”
* * *
“Well.” Hazel grins. “If Alice has enough strength already to roll away, I’d be surprised.”
* * *
“Hazel, until you’re a mother you simply won’t understand and there’s no use trying to.”
* * *
“Now you two, don’t argue.” I laugh, taking the now clean plate from Darlene.
* * *
We all work away at tidying the house quietly, the only sound coming from Hazel softly talking to Alice.
* * *
“What do you think we should make for lunch?” Lydia asks tucking the table chair in.
* * *
Darlene sits down in the rocking chair and lets out a sigh. “Oh, I know. Robert absolutely loves soup and sandwiches. I know it’s rather simple, but you can never go wrong with it. Let’s just sit for a bit first. I feel like I haven’t got to talk with my sisters in a long time.”
* * *
And just like that, we soon erupt into laughter and chatter as though Darlene still lived with us.
Chapter 4
“I do hope lunch is ready. I’m starving.” Robert laughs deeply, stepping through the door with August trailing in right behind him.
Darlene beams a huge smile. “We’ve made soup and sandwiches.”
“My favorite.” Robert grins down at her.
After August and Robert wash their hands, they join us at the table.
“How’s it going so far?” I ask passing Lydia the butter.
August pulls his hand through his blonde hair, leaving it standing up. “Pretty well. We’ve gotten most of the wood moved out of the way, and we’ve got it sorted in piles of unsalvageable and reusable wood.”
I nod, biting my lip slightly. “Thank you both for doing this. You really don’t have to. I’m sure you’ve got other things you’d rather be doing.”
August laughs. “Well, I’m getting free food, so can I really complain?”
Robert takes a sip of water and sets his glass down. “So, how’s Alice been?”
Darlene moves to rest her hand on his. “She’s been sleeping soundly and has barely made a sound since we got here.”
“She’s still alive then?” Robert smiles.
Darlene whacks him on the arm, grinning back at him. “Yes, I’m quite sure she is.”
“Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to say hello to my daughter before I go back out.” Robert stands and takes his plate to the basin. He walks to where Alice is sleeping and looks down on her.
I turn my eyes to August who is still sitting in the seat opposite mine. “So how long are you planning on working for today?”
He sighs. “Oh, I don’t know. Are you wanting to know whether I’ll be here for supper?”
“Well, yes.”
“I’m going to say yes. I’ll probably head home after supper, if it’s not too much trouble.”
I stand up, collecting a stack of dishes. “Not at all. One of us will bring you both some water in a while. It’s awfully hot out.”
“That would be much appreciated.”
Both men soon head out to con
tinue working on the barn, leaving the house quiet again. My sisters and I work together at clearing the table and washing up, and soon all evidence of eating lunch is gone.
The Barn Page 2
