George Crabtree supposed that his lot in life was to always be the lone male in a gaggle of women, but to this he had no opposition. The ladies of his world had always been generous, loving, and intelligent, and as a result, George was a warm and kind man.
To him, there was no equal in the world to Dr. Emily Grace, who challenged and mystified him, but also comforted and needed him. He considered their marriage the best and the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him—until she bore him six little daughters: Sophia Emily, Grace Victoria, Georgina Celine, Adeline Wilhelmina, Charlotte Alicia, and Evelyn Julia.
The Crabtree girls were all small in stature, with dark hair and bright green eyes, and all had sweet, gentle dispositions. They were giggly, but ultimately sensible, reliable, and intelligent. Like their father, they were occasionally prone to flights of fancy, and like their mother, they were often stubborn and strong-willed.
In his daughters, George saw every quality that he so endeared in his wife, and so he could not have been more enchanted by them. They kissed his cheek at breakfast and at bedtime, and each day raced each other down the hall to be the first to greet him when he arrived home from work. His favorite part of the day was after dinner, when each girl would take her turn sitting on his knee to tell him all about their day.
A younger Emily Grace would have been absolutely horrified to know that she would bear six children, but that Emily Grace did not know what it was to love a daughter—or what it was to watch her husband love their daughters. In their mother, the girls had their first and closest friend. They told her their secrets, asked her for advice, teased and laughed with her, and went to her for a warm lap, kind words, and a soft hand to pet their hair.
In the earlier days, Emily despaired that she had not given George a son. In reply, he kissed her hair and laughed lightly.
"Who wants boys? I'd rather have a hundred girls!"