Disclaimer: I do not own the Grapes of Wrath it is the property of John Steinbeck
This starts when Rose of Sharon is having her baby.
A wail pierced the air causing the men digging to pause before digging more vigorously, they had a new reason to get the bank built. After what felt like hours they stopped and watched to see if it held, after a minute they released the breath they had been holding and everyone began to smile
"Pa, Al, John git in here," shouted Ma from inside, the boys waded their way inside and Ma greeted them with a smile.
"How is she doing," asked Pa worriedly.
"Tar'd, but doing okay."
"And the Babe," at this Ma smiled widened and she said,
"See for yourself," the boys followed Ma down the cat walk to where Rose of Sharon lay with a bundle in her arms. Rose of Sharon smiled tiredly up at them. Mrs. Wainwright took Pa to the side and said,
"It's a boy," Pa smiled happily before asking,
"Is he..." Pa trailed off and looked at Mrs. Wainwright worriedly, she smiled reassuringly at him.
"He's a little small, but thats to be expected with the way we've been living, other than his size he's a healthy baby." Pa grinned when he heard that.
"That's alright, we knew he was born alright, heard him outside when we was digging got a set of lungs on him that one does," Mrs. Wainwright smiled at his enthusiasm, but then her face became serious,
"You're gonna have to be careful 'cause he may be healthy now, but that can change real quick, keep his Ma healthy and don't let her do work and he should be fine." Pa nodded and moved back to where the rest of the family was, outside the rain slowed to a drizzle and the sun started to peek through. Right now everything was okay, the baby was healthy and sleeping soundly in his Ma's arms, tomorrow they would worry about what they were gonna do, tonight they would be happy and celebrate the birth of the baby. In front of the box car a small pouch sat tied to the car so it wouldn't was away.
Ma awoke to the sun shinning in her face, she squirmed her way out of the mass of people and moved to start cooking, she filled the pot with water. As she waited for it to fill she looked out the window and nearly had a heart attack. Standing in a grove of trees was three people, so pale they almost seemed to glow. She focused on the older couple first.
"Grandma, Grandpa," she breathed out and as if they had heard her they smiled and waved before fading. Once they were gone she focused on the last figure she, she couldn't see their eyes because their hat was pulled down to low, but she saw the scar on his cheek and the crooked nose, "Tom," she whispered tears filling her eyes. Tom lifted his head slightly and she saw his eyes smiling back at her. She blinked her eyes and he was gone, but that was okay because now she knew they would be fine. Grandma and Grandpa and Tom were watching over them. She looked back at the rest of the family and started smiling, something had been returned to them, she didn't know when they had even lost it, or even what it was, but she new know that it was going to be okay they would all be okay now.