Chapter 17

Bo pulled on her sleeve and yipped to bring her away from her memories. He was right. Light was fading fast and she had promised Elsinore she'd pack in wood for her. Besides, she was cold. She stood up and brushed off the back of her skirt. It was wet. She couldn't stay out all night even if she went up the hill to the place under a ledge where she slept some before winter set in. Better there than at Aunt Dottie's if Mr. Luther was around. She wished he'd stay off logging somewhere till spring, but he did come back to the house regular.

Ada June had carried in water and packed in wood aplenty for Aunt Dottie before she grabbed a cornpone and took off that morning. Mr. Luther hadn't been there then, and Aunt Dottie was feeling right pert. She said she could handle Emmy Lou even if her belly was swelled big with another baby coming.

Aunt Dottie wasn't so bad. She never said so, but she understood Ada June was better off staying out of Mr. Luther's way. Could be he was supposed to come home today. If so, best for her to wait and slip in at Aunt Dottie's after dark. That gave her plenty of time to go see if Elsinore had any fixings for supper and scraps for Bo. A peppermint stick didn't keep a girl's or a dog's stomach from grumbling.

Even before she got to Elsinore's front stoop, she could hear the baby's squalls. The door was unlatched, so Ada June pushed it open and hollered a hello.

"Come on in, Ada June." Elsinore's voice was so weak that Ada June barely heard her over the baby crying.

Bo followed her inside. The cabin was just one room, with a ladder up to a loft. A bed was against the wall on one side, and a table and some shelves were on the other. A line was strung down the middle of the room where Elsinore used to hang a quilt to divide off the bed. Now she used it to hang the baby's nappies to dry.

Elsinore had the bedcovers pulled up to her chin, while beside her, on top the covers, Selinda kicked her feet and waved her little arms. Elsinore patted the baby's belly, but Selinda didn't appear to pay that much mind, as she kept screaming.

"What's wrong with Selinda?" Funny how Ada June didn't have no trouble at all letting words out here at Elsinore's, while it had been all she could do to force out Bo's name with the teacher woman listening.

"Wantin' her pa, I expect." Elsinore looked pale in the dim glow of the dying fire across the room.

"Mr. Benny didn't make it home today then." Ada June played along with her pretend.

"He must have got delayed. I imagine he'll make it in tonight."

"That could be."

Ada June went over to the bed and picked up the baby. She opened up her coat and held her close to get her warm. Her wails changed to whimpers as she started sucking on her fist. She needed a new nappy. Ada June didn't know which to do first. Get the baby's bottom dry or build up the fire.

"You shouldn't oughta let your fire burn so low, Elsinore."

"I was gonna get up and poke it in a minute."

Sometimes Ada June felt like the grown-up instead of Elsinore. Of course, Elsinore wasn't all that much older than she was. Sixteen to her ten, but she was a mother and oughta act like one.

Aunt Dottie said Elsinore couldn't help how she was right now. That sometimes a mother got low after a baby came, especially when her man went off to who knew where. She reckoned the girl needed to go back to her ma's. Trouble was, Elsinore was like Ada June and didn't have a ma to go to. Even if she did, likely she wouldn't go. She aimed to be where Benny could find her if he decided to come on home.

Sometimes Ada June wondered if that was how her ma was. Waiting for Ada June's pa to show up. But then her ma had never once mentioned the first thing about her pa. The one time she could remember asking about a pa, her ma told her some things were better not pondered on.

She sighed and put her mind back on what needed to be done here. Best to take care of the baby's bottom first. Wet bottoms weren't good. She knew from how her own bottom still tingled with cold from sitting in the snow a bit ago.

Bo settled over by the fireplace while Ada June took a clean nappy off the line. Elsinore must have come up with enough gumption to do some washing before she took to her bed.

Selinda smiled when Ada June made some clucking sounds at her. She didn't have but a hint of hair, but she had the bluest eyes ever, even bluer than Elsinore's. Blue eyes were always filled with light, while eyes brown like Ada June's looked like a storm might be coming.

"You think she'll have yellow hair like yours?" Ada June handed the baby over to Elsinore. She started whimpering again as she rooted her head against Elsinore's breast.

"Could be, I guess. Or could be brown like Benny's." Elsinore ran her finger over the baby's head.

"I hope it's yellow like yours. You have the prettiest hair."

"Benny always says so." Elsinore pushed a few strands back from her face. "You come around tomorrow we'll have us a hair-washing day. I got a little soap left from the last making."

"Aunt Dottie says washing your hair in the middle of winter will make you catch the grippe."

"I reckon she might know, but I'm thinkin' running 'round out there in the snow with no leggings on till your knees turn purple might do it first." Elsinore made a face. She never liked it when Ada June told her something Aunt Dottie said.

Ada June shrugged. "I don't have no leggings, but I ain't got the grippe. I reckon we could sit by the fire till our hair dried out."

"You'll have to pack in the water. I wore myself out bringing in water for the wash this morning." The baby began fussing louder.

"Looks like Selinda might be hungry." For sure Ada June was, but she'd best fix the fire before she went to searching for any food.

With a heavy sigh, Elsinore opened up her dress and put the baby to her breast. "I'm some worried my milk ain't coming good for her."

"You eatin' anything? Aunt Dottie says a mother has to eat to keep a baby fed."

"Aunt Dottie this. Aunt Dottie that," Elsinore grumbled. "She ain't no Miss Nicey Jane, you know."

Ada June ignored that and went out the back door to get some wood. She was happy to see a big stack of fresh-chopped wood. She picked out a couple of chunks and gathered up a handful of chips off the ground. Back inside, she didn't have any trouble getting the fire going.

Once it was flaming up, she grabbed her skirt, pulled it tight against her legs, and turned her back to the fire to dry out the snow damp. "Mr. Horace bring you the wood?"

"He did. Said it was his Christian duty to see that Selinda didn't freeze, with it so cold right now."

"Did you let him come in?"

"'Course not." Elsinore frowned. "Folks would be talking."

"I reckon so."

Folks were already talking. Horace Perry lived up the hill from Elsinore with his ma still. Aunt Dottie said he had to be forty if a day and far as she knew never did any courting. But now he seemed to be ready to get in line for Elsinore if she ever admitted that her Benny must have gone off and died somewhere. But Ada June wasn't about to tell Elsinore any of that.

The cabin was quiet except for the crackle of the fire behind her and the sound of the baby suckling. Bo looked to be sleeping there beside her. Ada June's stomach growled to remind her she hadn't eaten anything since sunrise and here it was past sunset.

"That Mr. Horace bring any fixings for your supper?"

"He brung some milk over in that bucket on the table and his ma sent a poke of food. I ain't looked in it. Wasn't feeling pert enough to eat." She held up her hand, palm out toward Ada June before she could say anything. "I know. Aunt Dottie says I should eat. Horace said his ma says the same."

She pulled the baby away from her breast and laid her on the bed again. She pulled a corner of the cover over the sleeping baby.

Ada June looked to where the poke sat on the table but didn't say anything. It weren't proper to go into somebody's house and eat their food if they didn't offer, but a glass of milk and one of Mr. Horace's ma's biscuits sounded good. Bo must have read her thoughts again because he lifted his head and whined. His belly was probably doing some growling of its own.

Elsinore must have read her thoughts too, because she smiled. "If'n you rinse out that nappy and bring a bucket of water in from the creek, we can look and see what Granny Perry sent."

Ada June picked up the nappy and headed out. Bo got up to follow her.

"Oh, and Horace brung an extra poke with ham trimmings in case you come by with that dog of your'n." Her smile got wider. "I'm half a mind that he's thinkin' on courtin' you when you add on another year or two."

"I ain't got no mind to be courtin' any man. Especially a feller old enough to be my grandpap." Sometimes Elsinore could say the dumbest things. "But were I to take a courtin' mood, a feller that took to Bo might be in the front of the line."

Elsinore's laugh started a coughing fit.

Ada June frowned back at her. "Your cough don't sound no better. Maybe you oughta go get Miss Nicey Jane to make you a tonic."

Elsinore spit into a handkerchief she pulled from under her pillow. "I might do that if'n I get enough strength to make the trek to her house a-packing Selinda."

"I could carry her for you."

"You are a right smart help, Ada June." Elsinore looked toward the door Ada June had opened a crack. "I'd be plumb grateful if you'd get that water and then some wood packed in afore you have to run on home. Looks to be dark a falling. Yore Aunt Dottie'll be wondering where you've got to."

"She don't waste time worryin' over me. I could stay here with you and keep the fire up."

"No, Benny might come in and he wouldn't want no company at his homecoming."

Ada June knew she'd say that, but she still asked from time to time. Elsinore needed help more than Aunt Dottie, but when a person didn't want you, a person didn't want you. Leastways she had got that Horace to bring Bo some food. Ada June didn't have the first doubt about who had done the asking and who Horace was wanting to court were the door opened up to him.