by Ginny Dye
The door to the house swung open. “Who this be?” Annie demanded, leaning down to stare into Felicia’s face. She glanced up at Moses. “This be the little girl you done told me don’t like molasses cookies?” she demanded.
Rose choked back a laugh.
Felicia was silent for a moment, but then reached out to touch Annie’s dress. “Ma’am?”
Annie turned back to her. “Yes?”
“I like molasses cookies just fine,” she murmured.
Rose’s heart melted a little more as she saw Annie’s face soften.
“Whew! That sho do make me feel a sight better!” Annie said dramatically, smiling. “You know who I am, Felicia?”
Felicia looked up at Moses, waited for his nod, and then turned back. “You are Moses’s mama,” she said clearly.
“That’s right,” Annie said with deep satisfaction. “Since you gonna be part of the family now, that makes you another one of my grandbabies.” She sent Moses a warm, approving look.
Moses smiled, knowing his mama would love Felicia just like she loved John and Hope. His heart swelled with love for her.
Felicia looked confused. “I ain’t never been a grandbaby,” she answered hesitantly.
Rose moved forward then. She knew Felicia had grown up on a plantation, only moving to Memphis after the war ended. Like most slaves, any extended family had most likely been sold away. “Well, now you are,” she said cheerfully. She took Felicia’s hand, feeling a quick rush of warmth when Felicia met her eyes with gratitude. Rose knew all this had to be terribly confusing to a ten-year-old little girl. She knelt down in front of her. “You also have a little brother and sister now,” she said gently.
Felicia nodded. “Moses told me about them. John and Hope.”
“That’s right,” Rose answered. “They are both taking naps right now, but I predict they will wake up soon.”
Felicia stared up at the house again. “They live here, too?”
Rose bit back a smile, knowing Felicia had no point of reference for a black family living in the big house. “That’s right,” she answered. “You are going to have a room right beside Moses and me. As soon as Hope is old enough she will move in with you.” The house was large enough for Felicia to have her own room, but she suspected the little girl would not want to be all alone.
Annie bent down again. “You ready for some of them cookies? They’s still be warm,” she said temptingly.
Felicia gazed up at her again and nodded slowly, a small smile flitting on her lips. “Yes, please.”
“We’ll be right in,” Moses said, knowing Felicia was in good hands. As soon as the doors closed, he pulled Rose close again and claimed her lips. When he finally lifted his head, he still held her tightly. “I missed you,” he murmured.
“I missed you too,” Rose whispered, reaching up to pull his head down again. She didn’t know how she had ever survived the long months of being separated by the war. Her husband had been gone only two weeks this time, but it seemed like an eternity. After their kiss ended, she nestled close, content to let the sounds of the plantation swirl around them. She could hardly remember the angst of the morning. It had been miraculously replaced by a consuming peace that pulsed in her being.
“I have so much to tell you,” Moses began.
Rose lifted her hand and placed it across his lips. “It will wait until we have made a little girl feel at home.” A noise from above brought a tender smile. “And after a little boy spends time with the daddy he missed so much.”
Moses looked up, grinning broadly when John’s sleepy eyes peered over the window sill. He already loved his children fiercely but seeing so many orphaned by the Memphis riot had intensified his love even more. It also made him deeply grateful for the life they had on the plantation…at least for now.
“Daddy?” John mumbled sleepily, his eyes widening when he realized it really was his daddy. “Daddy!” he shrieked.
Moments later they heard the pounding of little feet on the stairs. Moses laughed loudly, sprang for the door, and opened it before John could. He swept up his son and swung him in a circle, laughing harder when John’s giggles and screams split the still air.
Rose watched, a smile on her lips, until she heard the next sound she had been expecting. “Our daughter is now awake,” she announced. “And I’m quite sure she’s hungry.” As she turned toward the house, she saw Felicia stationed next to the door watching Moses and John with a mixture of envy and pain. Another sharp pang of love shot through Rose’s heart. She held out her hand invitingly. “Would you like to go meet your little sister?”
Felicia nodded shyly. She took Rose’s hand and then gazed up at her. “Are you really a teacher?”
“I am,” Rose replied.
“My favorite thing in Memphis was going to school,” Felicia revealed, her eyes losing some of their dullness. “My teacher said I learned how to read real quick,” she offered.
“Very quickly,” Rose said, figuring if Felicia loved to learn, they would start right away. Perhaps it would help take her mind off her pain.
“Huh?”
“You should have said, my teacher said I learned how to read very quickly.”
Felicia ducked her head but not before she could hide her quick grin. “My teacher at home used to make me say things right, too,” she admitted. Then she frowned. “It’s real hard sometimes to know how to say all the words right.”
“I agree,” Rose replied. “Sometimes you wish you could just say them the way they come into your head.”
“That’s right!” Felicia replied. “Do you wish that sometimes, too?”
“Yes,” Rose admitted, once more aware of the bright intelligence shining from the girl’s eyes. She thought about her mama’s prediction down by the river that Felicia would be a gift to her. Suddenly she was deeply aware it was true. She stopped right outside Hope’s room, glad her cries had stopped for the moment, and knelt down, pulling Felicia around to face her. “I’m so very glad you’re here, Felicia. I know I can never take the place of your mama, but I’m so glad you’re going to be part of our family.”
Felicia stared hungrily into her eyes. “They killed my mama and daddy,” she finally whispered. “They be dead.”
“I know,” Rose said tenderly, pain squeezing her heart. “I’m so sorry that happened.”
“Why did they kill them?” Felicia asked. “Did they do something real bad?”
Rose thought of all Moses had written her about the riot and shook her head firmly. “They did nothing to deserve what happened, Felicia.”
“Then why did they kill them?” the little girl pressed, her lips quivering as she fought the tears pooling in her eyes. She held Rose’s eyes with a fierce intensity.
Rose knew nothing but the truth would satisfy her. Felicia may only be ten years old, but she had lived a life that made her much older. She took hold of both of her hands, praying she could comfort this little girl as much as her mama used to comfort her. “There are people in the world who have a lot of hate and fear in their hearts, honey. Even though they shouldn’t be, they are afraid of how their own lives will change now that all the slaves are free. They believe the only way they can live their lives the way they want is to get rid of black people.”
Felicia looked confused. “There be an awful lot of us,” she observed. “Won’t we be hard to kill?”
Rose nodded, appreciating the astute observation. “Yes. And they won’t be able to, but things are going to be hard for a while. There is a lot of hatred and fear.” She knew it would not help to sugarcoat the truth.
“How can they be scared of me?”
Rose looked at the doe-eyed little girl and wondered the very same thing. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “There is no reason for white people to be scared of us at all, but the truth about fear is that it doesn’t make sense. It just is.”
Felicia thought about what she had said, her little face puckered in thought. “Moses said I wouldn’t
need to be afraid out here.”
“He’s right,” Rose responded. She hoped she was telling the truth, but she also knew violence could find any of them at any time. The important thing right now was to make Felicia feel safe. “Moses and I are going to take good care of you.”
Felicia nodded and flung herself into Rose’s arms, the tears finally coming as her body shook with sobs. Rose held her close, knowing the tears were good for her. Sarah used to tell her holding tears was like trying to stop a raging river from overflowing the banks. No matter how hard you tried, they were going to come. You might as well just let them come because it was the only thing that would make you feel better. She crooned softly as she rocked Felicia, breathing a silent prayer of thanks that Moses had brought the little girl home.
Robert, not bothering to change into work clothes, ran to the barn eagerly. He wanted nothing more than to inhale the aromas that told him he was home. He took a deep breath as he entered the gaping barn doors. The smell of horses mixed with hay and saddle soap filled him with contentment. He smiled broadly as Granite stuck his head over the stall door and whinnied a greeting, but he frowned slightly as he wondered why the massive Thoroughbred was inside on such a beautiful day.
“Welcome home, Robert. Granite is inside because he makes Candy feel better.”
Robert whirled around when Clint’s voice lifted up from the stall next to Granite. He moved forward and peered over the door, crossing his arms on the sill. “She looks close,” he observed, his pulse quickening as he echoed Clint’s calm tone, not wanting to excite the mare. He wasn’t going to miss any of the new births after all! “Are there any more?”
“She’ll be the first,” Clint said in a calm monotone as he stroked the bay’s glistening neck, “but Shandy and Little Bit won’t be far behind.” His sparkling eyes shouted his enthusiasm.
Robert felt a surge of answering excitement. These would be the first foals born on Cromwell Plantation from Eclipse, the son of legendary Lexington who won six of his seven race starts. His dream of breeding top Thoroughbreds was coming true.
Candy broke out into a light sheen as her eyes shone with anxiety. She reached back to bite at her side as she snuffled out her discomfort. Robert watched her, seeing nothing to cause alarm. “Has her water broken?”
“About twenty minutes ago,” Clint confirmed. “She was a little off her feed last night, so I brought her back into the stall after she had been out for a while this morning. I wanted to keep a close eye on her.”
Robert nodded, saying a silent prayer of thanks that he had arrived home in time. He knew Clint was capable of handling things, but this was the boy’s first foaling season. It would have been a lot to expect of him.
“I’m real glad you’re back,” Clint admitted. “I’ve read everything you gave me to read, but I sure would hate to mess something up.”
“You won’t mess it up,” Robert assured him. “Horses have been giving birth on their own since God created them. They only need us if something goes wrong, and Candy seems to be coming along completely normally. If her water broke twenty minutes ago, she should be dropping her baby any minute. If it goes much longer than thirty minutes there might be a problem, but I don’t expect one. She looks great.” He smiled when Candy gave a low moan, sank to her knees and then laid down heavily. He motioned for Clint to take a look. “You should be able to see the feet now.”
Clint moved to the back of the stall, his eyes spreading wide when he saw the white sac protruding from the straining mare, two small front hooves sticking out as the foal struggled to be born. “Look at that!” he whispered.
Robert grinned. He remembered his first birth clearly. “Look at the feet,” he instructed. “The soles are pointing down. Is that good?”
Clint nodded quickly. “Yes. They can point either down or sideways, but you don’t want them pointing up,” he said confidently as he moved forward to stroke Candy’s neck again, murmuring softly.
Robert smiled. The boy had indeed done his homework. He watched carefully as the foal’s nose appeared, followed quickly by the rest of the neck, the front legs, the shoulders, and then the torso. Candy grunted and moaned, but she didn’t thrash around. He knew the birth was progressing well.
“It’s coming,” Clint gasped, as the hips and rear legs appeared. Candy gave an extra grunt and the foal’s entire body slid from the birth canal onto the clean straw Clint had layered around her.
Robert enjoyed the look on Clint’s face as much as he savored the knowledge of their first foal from Eclipse. He had never lost his feeling that every birth was a miracle. He knew from the wonder shining in Clint’s eyes that he felt the same way.
“Should we do anything?” Clint asked nervously.
Robert smiled, confident Clint knew the answer. “What do you think?”
Clint hesitated and then shook his head. “No. Candy did just fine.” Moments later the foal began to move around, gasping its first breath as the membranes and the umbilical cord broke. “It’s a colt!” he said, keeping his voice as calm as possible.
Robert nodded, deep satisfaction filling him. He motioned for Clint to join him. “Let’s leave them alone. Candy needs to rest for a few minutes. It will take the foal about thirty minutes to be able to stand and eat. She will be ready for him by then.”
Clint stood slowly and reached out to touch the colt gently. He rubbed his hand down Candy’s neck and then moved to the stall door with a look of wonder still on his face. “What are you going to name him?”
Robert smiled. “I’d say that is up to you.”
“Why me?” Clint asked, looking back over his shoulder at the colt before he slipped into the barn aisle and securely latched the stall door.
Robert shrugged. “I figure a man likes to name his own horse.” Silence hung in the barn for several moments. He watched with amusement as his words sank into Clint’s mind.
Clint turned to stare at him, his wonder turning to disbelief and then edging into a shocked look of confusion. “His own horse?” he echoed slowly.
Robert nodded. “Every good horseman needs a horse of his own that he trains since birth. I want you to have Eclipse’s first son.” He knew what a huge gift it was. He also knew Clint deserved it.
Clint continued to stare at him until a broad grin slowly spread across his face. He whirled around to stare over the gate at the colt that had just risen to his sternum in the hay. He teetered there with a comical look on his face. “Look at him,” Clint whispered. “He’s a bay just like his mama, but look at that white star and the four white stockings. He’s going to be a beauty.” His voice was filled with awe and pride. He spun around and reached out to grip Robert’s hand. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said gruffly.
Robert shook his hand. “You’re my partner in this venture,” he said firmly. “You’re a natural horseman — I knew that the first moment I saw you ride Granite — but you have taken it much further by your thirst to learn all you can. I’m proud of you, Clint.”
Clint swallowed and looked away for a long moment before his eyes swung back. “I have to think about his name,” he murmured. “He’s going to be the best horse ever,” he stated firmly.
“With Candy as his dame and Eclipse as his sire, I think you might just be right,” Robert agreed, joy filling his heart that he could put that look on Clint’s face. “Now,” he said briskly, “I suggest we check on our other mothers-to-be and let these two have some time to get to know each other.”
Clint cast one more awestruck look over the stall door and then turned to join him.
Rose stood outside the door to Felicia’s room and listened quietly, finally satisfied the little girl was sound asleep. She and Moses had spent the long afternoon showing Felicia around the plantation, thrilled to see her genuine smiles as John hugged her over and over. Without any prompting, her little boy had fallen in love with this stranger who had dropped into his world. He couldn’t wrap his mouth around the name Felicia. After sever
al failed attempts he had started calling her Fe-Fe.
Five month old Hope had smiled and gurgled nonstop. Rose had watched with delight as Felicia held Hope close to her chest, singing softly and laughing when Hope reached up to pat her face.
The little girl had been completely mesmerized by the horses, especially falling in love with Granite after he extended his neck over the stall door so he could blow her hair and nibble her shoulder. “He likes me!” she had exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck.
She had been rendered speechless by the sight of the three tiny little foals standing in their stall suckling their mothers. If possible, she had been even more speechless when Clint gravely told her that Robert had given him one of the foals, which he decided to name Pegasus after the mythical Greek flying horse he had read about in Thomas’s extensive library.
Felicia had finally fallen asleep on the porch, curled up in her rocking chair after a special dinner Annie prepared. Moses had carried her up to her bedroom and tucked her in bed gently. Rose sat beside her for a while, wanting to be there if she woke up frightened by the unfamiliar surroundings.
“She’s asleep?” Moses whispered.
Rose nodded. “Felicia is exhausted. All three of the kids are asleep,” she whispered back, not wanting to do anything to change that. She moved toward her husband, choking back her laugh when Moses swung her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. The laughter died as she saw the intense yearning and need in his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re home, Mr. Samuels,” she said softly, pulling his head down for a long kiss. They needed to talk, but that could wait.
Hours later, they sat up against their pillows, watching the candlelight flicker as the breeze blew in through the curtains. Rose nestled contentedly against Moses’s chest, her fingers playing across his tight muscles.
“It’s time,” Moses said somberly.
Rose leaned back and gazed into his eyes, too relaxed from their lovemaking to be concerned about anything he might say. “Time for what?” she asked lazily.
