Mail Order Mama

by Kirsten Osbourne

  Abbie watched the other children playing, and Emily tried to encourage her to join them, but she would only shake her head. “I want to stay with you, Mama.”

  After church, they walked the short distance to their home to get the picnic basket she’d packed before anyone else was awake. While Benjamin hitched up the team, she went to get the basket and a quilt for them to sit on. The temperature was chilly, but it wasn’t so cold they would be uncomfortable during their time outdoors.

  She hurried outside to find the girls already in the buggy waiting for her. Benjamin took the basket before helping her into her seat, and then handed the basket to her. Once they were on their way, she turned to the girls. “Are you excited?” She thought, no matter how excited they were, there was no way their excitement could match hers. She’d always fantasized about having a life where she could go on picnics when she wanted to, and now she suddenly had one.

  Georgie bounced in the seat clapping her hands, while Abbie sat like a little lady, but her face glowed with pleasure.

  “I made some things that I had on picnics back east. I wasn’t sure if you’d like them, but I hope you will.” Instead of going with just the things they’d talked about before, she’d added several things she thought her new family might enjoy.

  Benjamin glanced at her. “Anything you want to cook, I’m happy to eat. I’ve never met a better cook, and I’m including Mor in that. Please don’t tell her I said that, though.” He winked at her as he drove carefully along the country roads toward the pond Georgie had indicated she enjoyed.

  Emily felt as if she’d just been handed the best compliment of her life. With the way his mother spoke to her about not being able to cook Norwegian foods, she was thrilled he liked her cooking so well. “I won’t say a word.” And she wouldn’t, but she was thrilled to receive the compliment.

  She and the girls spread the quilt out before she dug in the picnic basket. She let the girls “set the table” with the plates and forks she’d brought. She brought out the small flask of lemonade she’d prepared and gave the girls glasses. Benjamin sat watching the whole ritual with a smile on his face. It was as if they’d rehearsed exactly how they wanted to do this.

  While the girls were seeing to the lemonade, she started pulling out their feast. First came the bread and cheese. She also pulled out potato salad and devilled eggs along with baked beans. So many typical American foods were new to them because of the tight knit Norwegian community they’d always been part of. She felt like she was constantly introducing them to foods everyone she’d ever known had eaten.

  She left the cookies in the basket, knowing the girls would want to have them right away if they knew she’d brought them.

  They all sat down on the quilt, and Benjamin said their prayer for them. She took each plate and filled it with some of everything.

  Benjamin spent a minute poking at his food before opening his mouth and taking the first bite of baked beans. His eyes widened with surprise. “These are beans, but what kind? What do you call them?”

  “Baked beans.” She loved introducing Benjamin in particular to new foods. He always looked at them like they were some sort of foreign insect, but then he’d open his mouth and take a big bite, and his smile would tell her what he thought of it.

  “Delicious.” He tried a bite of her potato salad and smiled. “We have something similar. This is your potato salad, right?”

  She nodded. “Do you like it?”

  “I love it.” He looked at the devilled egg. “An egg, but you’ve added something to the yolk.” He sampled everything quickly and pronounced it all delicious.

  The girls quickly followed suit, enjoying everything she’d made. When they’d all stuffed themselves, she pulled out the cookies. They were simple sugar cookies, but she’d frosted them to make them special. Georgie and Abbie each ate a few, but Benjamin said he’d have to wait as he patted his stomach.

  Abbie looked at Emily with admiration in her eyes. “Mama, I want to learn to cook like you do. I’m sure I can have my pick of all the men in Minnesota if I can cook half as well as you can!”

  Emily laughed self-consciously, but promised she would be happy to teach her everything she knew. She sat back and pulled one last thing from the picnic basket. “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of this book, but I received this copy as a gift for Christmas when I was ten. It’s become my favorite book, and I’ve read it over and over again.” She handed the book to Abbie. “Do you think you can read the title?” While both girls could read a few basic words, Abbie had learned to read some more difficult ones, and Emily hoped she could decipher the simple title.

  Abbie stared at the cover for a moment, glancing at her father, and obviously a little intimidated that he was watching her. “Lit..tle. Little. Woe..men. Little Woemen?”

  Emily smiled. “That’s very good! It’s Little Women. Have you heard of it?” Both girls shook their heads so she looked at Benjamin.

  “Never heard of it.”

  “Well, it’s about four young ladies who are trying to get by the best they can during the Civil War.” She looked down at the book in her hands, which she had treasured for ten years. “If you don’t mind, I thought I could read a chapter or two while we sat here.” She looked from face to face, hoping they’d like the idea. She wasn’t sure what they were used to doing on picnics, but she knew the girls enjoyed being read to, so maybe they’d like the book.

  Abbie smiled. “I’d like that more than anything!”

  “Yes, please!” Georgie agreed.

  Benjamin smiled and watched as his wife opened the book and began reading to his mesmerized daughters. “’Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,’ grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.” Her voice was soft, but fluid as she read through the first two chapters. Both girls listened intently smiling and frowning at all the right places.

  Finally, when two chapters were finished, Emily closed the book. “We’ll read some more another time.” She opened the picnic basket to return the book.

  “Oh, please, just one more chapter, Mama?” Abbie begged.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to lose my voice if I keep going.” She looked to Benjamin. “Would you care to read a chapter?” She’d never heard him read aloud and wondered how he would do. His deep voice seemed particularly suited for reading.

  He held his hand out for the book. He’d found the story of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy as fascinating as his daughters did. He opened to the third chapter and began to read.

  While he read the familiar words, Emily studied him. He was a different man than she’d met that first day. He was more relaxed now, and much easier to be around. Even his relationship with the girls seemed to have changed in some way she just couldn’t put her finger on.

  This was her first chance to just sit and look at her new husband without worry he’d catch her. He was a handsome man, taller than any man she’d known back east. His hair was blond, and his eyes were the same deep blue of his daughters. They reminded her of paintings she’d seen of the ocean. His nose was straight, and a little large for his face, but to her, the imperfection only added to his good looks. She knew if she’d met him any way other than the way she had, she would have automatically dismissed him as too handsome for her.

  Benjamin finished reading the chapter and calmly handed the book back to Emily. She put the paper she’d brought with her to mark the page into the book and put it back into the picnic basket. “Is there anything else you want to eat? If not, I’m putting everything up,” she warned.

  Benjamin reached out and took one of the cookies he’d skipped earlier and ate it in two bites.

  The girls both shook their heads still full from all they’d eaten earlier. Emily packed up the picnic basket to be taken home. There was enough food left they could have it for a cold supper, which would be nice, because she was tired. They’d done very little except go to church and picnic that day, but she’d gotten up two hours early to fix them a feast for their picn
ic lunch. How would her new family react if she napped this afternoon? she wondered.

  Once they were home, she realized it was already half past four. They usually ate around six, so there wasn’t a great deal of time before supper. She sent the girls to the kitchen with the dishes from the picnic and sat down on the sofa with Benjamin in the parlor.

  “You look exhausted,” he told her.

  She nodded. “I am. I got up two hours early to fix the extra foods for the picnic. I could have made them yesterday, but I wanted to finish my dress. I also wanted the foods to be a surprise for the girls.” She felt like she needed to explain her tiredness away, because she didn’t want him to think she was simply lazy.

  “They were a wonderful surprise. You said in your letters you could cook, but I think we expected you to be able to cook like most wives can cook. You could open a restaurant.”

  She brushed the compliment aside. “It comes from practice. I cooked for a living so I was cooking every day of my life. I was bound to become good at it.” She tried to be modest about the compliment, but inside she was bouncing for joy that he enjoyed her cooking so much.

  He patted his lap. “Stretch out and put your head on my lap. Sleep for a few minutes before supper.”

  She nodded. “You don’t mind eating picnic food for supper again, do you?” she asked as she curled up on the sofa with her head on his thigh. His hand rubbed up and down her arm as she closed her eyes and relaxed.

  “I was going to insist if you didn’t suggest it.” He dropped a kiss onto her cheek. “Sleep.”

  She yawned. “I never nap.” She was too tired to protest any harder though. She closed her eyes and happily sank into oblivion.

  “You do today.”

  *****

  It was dark out when Emily woke up. She jerked awake startled to find herself on such a small space. Benjamin’s hand automatically rubbed her back soothingly. “I was about to have to wake you. We’re all getting hungry.”

  She sat up and stretched. “Thank you for letting me sleep.” She blinked to trying to force herself to wake faster.

  “It was my pleasure.” He traced her cheek with one finger. “The girls are upstairs playing quietly. I had them set the table, but we waited for you to eat.”

  “There was no need. Everything can be eaten cold.” She felt badly they’d waited when they could have simply eaten without her. She hated that he’d made the girls go hungry.

  He shook his head. “We didn’t wait because we needed you to cook for us. We waited because we wanted the pleasure of your company with our supper.” He stood up and called the girls. “I’ll help you set the food out.”

  “No, you don’t need to do that!” It was her job to get the food on the table. He made a living for them, so she needed to do her share as well.

  “I don’t mind. You’ve made my life so much better by being here.” He opened the picnic basket and helped her set the different foods on the table.

  The girls came running in. “You slept for a long time, Mama. We’re starving!” Georgie took her seat and waited while Benjamin and Emily finished putting the food out.

  Abbie sat down and folded her hands in her lap. “Did you have a good nap, Mama?”

  “I did. Thank you both for being so quiet.” Emily took her seat and waited while Benjamin took his. He prayed softly, before they each took a generous helping of everything left. “What time is it anyway?”

  Benjamin grinned. “Seven thirty.”

  “But we eat at six! You should have gotten me up.” She wondered why they weren’t angry with her. There was no reason she should have slept so long.

  “None of us will die from eating an hour and a half later than usual.”

  “I thought I was going to,” Georgie complained.

  Abbie kicked Georgie under the table. “We understood you were tired. We were happy to wait.”

  Emily looked at Georgie. “I’m very sorry I made you wait. I won’t make a habit of it.”

  Georgie sighed. “I guess it was okay, but just this once.”

  After supper, the girls did the dishes without being told. Emily gathered the dirty laundry from the house and put it together to be washed and hung on the line in the morning. Once she was finished, she returned to Benjamin who was reading the small local paper in the parlor.

  “I’m going to spend tomorrow doing laundry and baking, but if you want, I’ll come into the store on Tuesday and you can show me around so I’ll be ready to take your place if need be.” She loved the idea of helping him with his work on occasion.

  He studied her for a moment and nodded. “I’d like that. I also want you to pick out some fabric to make yourself two more new dresses.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, but I already have this new dress. I can wear this whenever I work in the store or go to church, and my old ones for around the house.” She hated the idea of wasting money and time on more dresses for herself when there were so many things the girls needed.

  He sighed taking her hands in his. “No, you really can’t. I don’t want to insult you, but your old dresses are much too shabby to wear around town. As the wife of the owner of the only store in town, you’re expected to dress better than most women, and you don’t dress nearly as well as most of the others. Please don’t take this wrong, but you need a whole new wardrobe as quickly as possible.”

  She looked down at her hands embarrassed. “Well, one more dress would be enough then. I’ll have one for dressing up and one for every day.” How could she not have realized just how strongly he felt about her wardrobe? She could make another dress quickly.

  “Two more is the least amount. I’d prefer you made another six dresses, so you’d have one for every day of the week. Don’t worry about the money. I’m not a wealthy man, but I can certainly afford some new dresses for my wife.”

  She sighed. “I want to make the girls some new clothes, too, though. I don’t want to spend all my time on my own clothes.” She would feel guilty spending that much time on herself when she had two little girls who needed dresses as well. What she had covered her sufficiently, but the girls’ dresses were getting much too short.

  “Well, how about this? Make two more dresses for yourself, and then two dresses for each of the girls and then two new dresses for yourself again. I know it’s a lot of sewing, but you really need the new clothes.” He thought for a moment. “Or we could have Mor make dresses for the girls. She wouldn’t mind.”

  Emily was offended at the very idea. “I’ll stay awake sewing all night every night before I’ll allow your mother to make more clothes for the girls. It’s my responsibility, and I’ll do it.” She was certainly going to take care of the girls’ clothes herself no matter what.

  Benjamin was surprised. Anna would have jumped at the chance to ask for help. “Why?”

  “Your mother already thinks I’m not good enough to raise your girls. I’m not going to give her more reason to hate me.” Emily knew her voice sounded angry, but she didn’t know how to change that. His mother was hateful to her, and she was simply not going to give her reason to act the way she already did.

  “Mor doesn’t hate you!” He knew she was annoyed that he had married someone from out East instead of Kristen, but she didn’t hate Emily. Mor didn’t hate anyone. “She’s just not used to the idea she doesn’t get to do everything for the girls anymore. She liked having them under her control.”

  Emily knew it wasn’t the truth, but she wasn’t going to argue with him. “That must be it.” She wasn’t going to discuss it any longer so she quickly changed subjects. “I’ll come by the store in the morning and pick out more fabric. I can have another dress made by the end of the week if I start right away.” And she would. If it killed her she’d have both dresses done by Sunday, and then she could start on new dresses for the girls on Monday of the following week.

  After making love that night, she lay in her husband’s arms thinking about their day. Other than their slight argument about her dre
sses and his mother’s help, it had been a good day. She’d dreaded going to a new church for the first time, but she’d been pleasantly surprised by how well that had gone. It was nice to have Abbie at her side while Benjamin was off talking to friends and relatives.

  “I want to thank you for how accepting and loving of my daughters you’ve been,” he told her as he played with her hair. “You’ve made it very clear to them that you love them and consider them your own. I can’t think of another woman who would have been more perfect for the job of being mother to them.”

  She blushed in the dark. She was thankful for his words of praise, but wished he would tell her she’d been a good pick for wife for him as well as mother to the girls. “I enjoy the girls a great deal. I love them both as if I’d given birth to them.” She had been surprised at just how much she loved the girls. She knew she enjoyed children, of course, but she didn’t expect to love the two of them as much as she did.

  He kissed the top of her head. “It shows in the way you treat them. Abbie especially has been a completely different child since you’ve been here.”

  “Abbie is a joy for me. I understand how she thinks because we’re so much alike. Georgie is a delight as well, but I don’t feel the same affinity for her. Not that I don’t love her as much, I just don’t quite understand her.” It wasn’t as important for her to understand Georgie, though, and they both knew it. Understanding Abbie was the important thing, because Abbie was quieter and not as given to sharing her feelings. Georgie was happy to tell a total stranger what she thought and felt about any subject under the sun.

  He laughed. “I don’t think anyone truly understands Georgie. She’s a boisterous child.”

  “I think you sending off for a wife when you’d so recently lost one must have been a difficult thing to do. It shows just how much your girls mean to you. You can’t be with them all the time, because you need to support them, so it made sense you provided them with someone who could be with them all the time.” She brushed her lips across his bare shoulder. “I’m just thankful I was the one who got to complete your family. I think I’m going to be very happy here.” She already was happy. If she had his love, though, her happiness would be complete. She couldn’t tell him that, though.