Page 47 of Westbound Awakening

With her sewing basket in hand, Mae settled into the chair and pulled a throw over her lap. She picked out her current work and studied it. The design depicted a horseman looking down at a woman carrying a basket. A pang jolted her at not realizing until now the scene familiarity of her first meeting with John. She pulled the needle from the fabric and began to stitch, filling the woman's dress with a pale blue thread. If she kept at it, the project would be completed today.

Mae's head snapped up at hearing a whimper from the back room. She must have nodded off while sewing and was disoriented as to the time. Another cry sounded, and she jumped to her feet allowing the sewing to fall to the floor.

Wesley.

When she rushed into the room, she found Wesley crying and clutching at his blanket, sitting up in the center of the bed. Immediately, she climbed on the bed and pulled him into her arms. "What's the matter Honey?' She kissed his damp forehead. It was a bad dream, he was fine.

Without a word the small child snuggled into her chest, his fingers wrapping around the fabric of her sleeve. He sighed and looked up at her. "I scared."

She forced a smile and hugged him closer. "I am too baby."

The sounds of Miss Lady, Lucinda and Elma returning brought a realization she'd not done anything while they were gone. Good thing they probably ate at Patty's house so she did not have to worry about the lack of dinner.

A deeper voice sounded from the front room. A male had entered the house with them. Mae wondered until hearing him speak again. Maybe it was Joshua, no doubt coming to see her and take her for a walk as they'd done the last few days. She took one of Wesley's hands and pulled him to leave the bed. "Come on sweet. Let's get you something to eat."

As soon as they entered the kitchen, she could tell something was wrong. Lucy was bent over Miss Lady holding a wet cloth to her face while Elma and Alan looked on with worried expressions.

"What happened?" Mae rushed to Miss Lady and reached for her hand. "What is wrong Miss Lady?"

Miss Lady waved her away with both hands. "I'm fine. Lucinda is overreacting as usual." She pushed her daughter's hand from her face and frowned. "If you continue to crowd me, I may pass out again."

"Pass out!" Mae looked to Alan and Elma. "Will someone tell me what happened?"

Elma answered. "Miss Lady passed out and fell while we were on the wagon. She was out for quite a while."

"Oh God," Her eyes flew to look over Miss Lady's figure and now noted the tear in her skirts and scratches along the old woman's arm.

She crouched next to Miss Lady who huffed with indignation. "Has this happened before to you?" Her eyes went to Lucinda who met her gaze head on without replying. Lucinda's lack of reply told her more than words could have.

Alan cleared his throat. "I better get going. Got to get the horses seen to. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you," Mae replied grateful for him being there, if for any reason she did need him.

"Help me to my room," Miss Lady told no one in particular. "I'm going to lay down for a bit."

Lucinda's gaze held to her mother, but she did not move forward instead she allowed Mae to walk Miss Lady to her room. The fact the woman actually leaned into her hand worried Mae. Something was definitely wrong.

Miss Lady pushed her away once inside the bedroom. "Go on child. I'll get myself to bed and lay down for a bit. I'll be good as new by morning." She shuffled to the bed and removed her cloak folding it neatly before placing it on the foot of the bed.

"Tell me what's wrong," Mae asked not liking the quiver of fear in her belly. "I think you are sick. We should fetch the doctor." She reached for the doorjamb and wrapped her hand around it to hold her upright when a quiver of nerves in her limbs shook her.

When Miss Lady took a long time, her head bent and then finally lifted up to meet her gaze, a soft lift to her lips made Mae felt better, but then the older woman beckoned her. "Come sit down here with me."

After releasing a breath, Mae went to the bed and sat next to the closest thing to a mother she'd ever known and immediately took her hands in hers. "Please tell me you are fine and you will be all right." She pleaded, this time her voice hitched.

"I'm doing as well as can be expected for someone my age girl. Stop looking so scared." Miss Lady lifted her hand and cupped Mae's cheek. "You're a woman now, grew up to be beautiful one too. Both inside and out."

Mae leaned to the woman's touch her eyes welling up. "Tell me."

Miss Lady huffed. "Young folk always make a big thing out of what is natural. What happens to me is part of life dear." She shook her head and looked toward the window. "And a human life is like any day, the sun rises and eventually it falls."

A shaky breath left her, and Mae pressed her lips together to keep them from quivering. She wanted to ask more questions, but afraid she'd upset the older woman, instead Mae only nodded.

"I've lived longer than my sisters and brother," Miss Lady told her. "It's going to be alright. I'm an old woman Mae, just past my sixty-fifth birthday. I had Lucinda so late." Miss Lady chuckled. "Can't say who was more surprised at it, me or her father." Her eyes sparkled at the memory. "At least he got to know her before dyin'."

Mae listened to the story she knew well. Lucinda's father was a Cavalryman who’d been killed when she was but five years old. "What are you not telling me Miss Lady?"

"I'm dying Mae. One of the reasons I came here was because I want to spend these days with both of you girls. The two halves of my heart. Now, now..." Miss Lady's hand smoothed Mae's hair away from her face when she gasped. "You stay calm now Maebelle Hawkins. It's gonna be all right."