I sighed as I finished up tending to the last of the patients for the day and headed to read outside on the steps of the porch. It was December 20th, and I hadn't seen Andrew since after we arrived here in Front Royal after leaving the Chickamauga battle field in Georgia, back in September. It's been nearly 3 months since I'd last seen him, but I did get regular letters from him, and being here with my family and grandparents and doing my job has kept me pretty busy, which made the months just fly by, though there was those days, when I had free time that I had no clue of how to use.
He and his father were due for a visit though, they told my grandparents that they'd be around for the holiday, which I supposed was this one, hopefully.
Daddy soon joined me on the porch, walking out of the house and sitting down in a rocking chair. "Hard to find some free time ain't it?"
I nodded. "That's for sure." I said. "How's the turnout?"
He sighed. "Most of them can be released in the next few days, but a majority of them won't be able to fight again, gonna have to send them home." He shook his head. "Granted that their home is still there that is."
I knew what he was talking about, some Northern brigades have completely burned whole towns down and even killed the citizens, if they had not yet been evacuated on orders or by the Confederates. Also, some of these people have lost husbands, fathers, sons and brothers. That's what I feared, God forbid if I lose my father, or my husband, or any of my brothers. I've already lost my twin, I couldn't do this again. I probably wouldn't be able to take it.
Dad and I looked up when we heard the sound of horses galloping. Eventually, we were able to see that it was George Pickett, my father-in-law and Andrew close behind him. I stood as did dad as they started coming to a stop, a couple men (younger enlisted soldiers) stepped forward to lead the horses to the stables as they each got off.
"Hey George!" My father-in-law greeted my dad, walking towards to meet him as I walked off, well, half walked and half ran, the porch to greet Andrew. He met me, not even halfway as he ran up to me and embraced me as I threw my arms around his neck as he kissed my forehead.
"Hey Maise." He whispered to me, "I've missed you." He said, before kissing me softly and quickly.
"Missed you too." I asked, before we pulled away. He offered his arm, and I accepted, as we walked back to join our fathers.
I sighed and forced myself out of bed and got dressed. My siblings had already ate and went off to school, and I grabbed a muffin for breakfast before going to get whatever chores they hadn't done before going to school, done.
I went to Rebel's stall and led him out and groomed him and then saddled him up and went to exercise him for a couple hours.
I then brought him back and unsaddled him and then placed him back in the stall, after giving him a few apple pieces. I fed him and filled up his water bowl a little bit before heading back up to the house.
Once back, I got my shower again, and dressed into something a bit more comfortable. I headed to my room to pull on a pair of dark gray leggings, and a black tank top under a light pink racerback burn out "Little miss southern belle" tank.
I would be the one to make supper tonight, as my father was working and wouldn't have enough time to cook and get ready for work, so I figured that I'd do it. At least it would turn out much better than when Jasper and I decided to make her breakfast for her birthday one time when we were 6. We asked dad to help us out, and let's just say it wasn't too pretty.
Flashback
Daddy was helping me and Jasper cook breakfast for Momma in bed, but apparently, neither of us knew how. Nor could dad.
"Now let's see." Daddy muttered, going through a recipe book that Momma had written out. Meanwhile, my twin and I were getting the ingredients out, but more like arguing over the flour.
"No we don't need flour Maisie." Jasper said, trying to put it back, while I kept trying to get it.
"Yes, we do." I knew that momma always used it every time she made pancakes and biscuits and the likes.
"No we don't"
"Kids be careful." Dad said, getting out some eggs and stirring the grits.
I nodded at daddy, trying to get the flour back. "Yes Jaz, we do!"
"No we don't!"
Daddy sighed, "Alright kids, enough, and yes, we do need the flour." He told us. "Please bring it over."
"Okay." Jasper relented, letting go of it, I wasn't expecting it, and stumbled a bit and the flour fell, shooting up all over the air and getting all over the floor and on both me and my brother.
"Oh Maisie, Jasper." Daddy sighed and picked up the flour, and took it back over the counter, muttering. "Charlotte's gonna kill me." He muttered under his breath.
I giggled as my twin and I played in the spilt flour, kicking it around and throwing it at each other. "Knock it off you two." He looked at us, but not even he could help from laughing at the sight of us, but momma wouldn't feel the same way. "Now hand me the flowers and stuff."
We both nodded, and ran through the house and to our room to get the flowers and the crafts project we'd been working on and then back to daddy, who was putting momma's breakfast on a tray and then added that. Daddy headed towards their bedroom and Jasper and I followed behind him.
"Honey, the twins had an idea of making you breakfast." He said, walking in. We could see momma, but she couldn't see us just yet.
"Aw, that so swee- Goodness gracious George!" Momma said, catching sight of us. I giggled, looking at momma.
"Happy birthday momma." I grinned while Jasper smiled brightly.
"Hi momma."
Momma didn't look amused. "Why are our twins covered in flour?" Daddy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"They uh, they started arguing over the flour and before I knew it, the flour got dropped and went everywhere." He said. "I'll get them cleaned up."
Momma nodded. "Oh, I know you are." She said. "You're also gonna clean up the mess they made, and whatever else the children get into today."
Daddy sighed. "Yes dear."
I shook my head at the memory, had to admit, it was pretty funny when you think about it, momma wasn't so amused at the time, but now, momma says it's one of her fondest memories, probably because daddy did all of her usual work for that day, even chasing after me and my twin and looking after a toddler.
I decided to put a pot roast on in the crock-pot, and that's all I needed to do for now, as I headed to my room to grabbed one of the books that daddy got me and my binder and a pen, and some highlighters and sticky notes and headed back down to the living room to get some of the stuff done. This particular book was on Civil War battles and little fights that happened here in Virginia.
If I didn't recognize something, I would go and make note of it and write down something to do further research on and go through enlistment paper records or any other kind of records, like medical. Daddy had always kept note of the names of soldiers he treated and what the injury was and what happened and where they came from, birthdate, and stuff like that, and I've found some other doctors (and sometimes nurses) in the war also kept records similar to that.
I caught sight of a passage that made me do a double take. I sighed, it was a few days before the Battle of Yellow Tavern that was also in Virginia. He was able to come see me for the weekend, but he had to leave to get where he was needed, and little did I know at the time, that would be the very last time I would ever see my husband before his death.
Flashback:
July 18, 1864
I walked outside after getting dressed, not bothering to eat breakfast, I wasn't feeling that hungry, especially knowing that I would have to see Andrew off today, and I knew I wouldn't see him for months, possibly not until the war was completely over, which most of us were expecting soon, since what happened at Gettysburg, the turn of the war, with the Union victory. And none of us knew what was going to happen.
"Maisie, are you okay?" I heard Andrew come out of the house, dressed in full uniform. "I saw that you didn't go to breakfast."
I shook my head. "I wasn't in the mood to eat. Not hungry."
He seemed to piece it together. "It's because I have to leave today ain't it?" I nodded. Usually, I didn't get this upset when he had to leave, but knowing that he was leaving here to go to an actual battlefield, yeah, I couldn't help but worry about his wellbeing.
"Ah." He reached out and took my hand with both of his and pulled me close to him. "Maise, I'll be fine." He said. "I'll come back to you, I always have." He sighed and pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me.
"I know you have." I looked up at him. "But I can't help but worry about you."
He kissed me. "I know you do, and you know that I never keep the not getting injured promises, but I give you my word that I'll try not to, during anything that I go through." He kissed my forehead this time.
I couldn't help but smile at him. "I know." I nodded. "You try." My husband was one of the three most important men in my life, the other two being my father and twin.
A young enlisted man came with Andrew's horse, saddled up and ready to go. "I need to get going now, I love you, and I promise, no matter what happens, I will always, always return back to you, no matter where I am."
I nodded at him. "I love you too." He kissed me again, but more slowly this time and more passion in it, that the reassuring one that he gave me a few minutes ago. Then he stepped back kissed my forehead again and mounted his horse.
"I'll be sure to write, and remember, I love you." He turned his horse to the road, and then made his horse gallop away, and then, he was gone.