West Virginia
1880 –May
"Elliot! You get outta that tree this instant!"
Nancy and I both jumped at my aunt Lavicy's sharp outburst on the back porch. Elliot gave some reply that was either too quiet or too far away for us to hear and I could see my aunt shake her head, flour-covered fists on her hips.
"If you do not get yerself down on the ground in the next two seconds yer gonna be feelin' the back of my hand and a hungry belly to go 'long with it!" She retorted, slapping the back of her hand against the palm of her opposite one to show she meant business. Then she turned and reentered the house, returning to the dough she and I had been kneading. I do not know if it was the threat of getting backhanded or the prospect of no supper that scared Elliot more, but whichever one it was, he was down out of the tree and through the back door in two shakes of a rabbit's tail, slamming the door behind him. A loud whimpering in the next room told us that Elias had been woken up by the racket, and my aunt grumbled under her breath as she went to her youngest. As soon as my aunt was out of the room a fierce pain gripped my swollen stomach for the third time that day. Nancy came to stand next to me.
"You alright, Honey?" She asked quietly. I nodded, biting my lip. All of a sudden I was grateful to be at my aunt's home, not alone at the cabin Tom and I had shared for the past eleven months, and not by myself with no way to call for help. I had become pregnant two months after Tom and I were married, much to Victoria's over-enthusiastic excitement. In typical 'Skunk-hair' Tom Wallace fashion, my husband was too worried about what might happen if he left me at home by myself while he went to work, so he left me with my aunt Lavicy and her children every morning. Abi, Victoria and Cotton-top had been present earlier, but my uncle Anse had invited them to the plot of land where my family made its money by utilizing the plentiful resource of timber. My sister and Plyant Mahon had been married just a month after Tom and myself, a fact that neither Abi nor myself had been overly enthusiastic about. My sister had only grown more beautiful, while Plyant's looks were rapidly deteriorating.
I waved away my cousins' persistent questions and focused on kneading the dough on the table in front of me, something that my aunt Lavicy had put me in charge of, telling me that it had always helped her focus on something other than the early pangs of childbirth. I grimaced. I couldn't tell if it was working or not and frankly, I didn't care just then. Unsure of what to do, Nancy resumed helping me knead the dough, focusing powerful hard on her own blob of dough, but shooting me apprehensive glances every so often. I sighed and elbowed her gently.
"Sorry Nancy." I apologized. "I didn't mean to be rude."
Nancy smiled up at me just as her mama reentered the room, Elias in her arms. I clenched my teeth as another wave of pain hit, trying not to hiss like a snake. My aunt shot me a sympathetic glance as she set Elias down in a corner with Mary, Elizabeth and Elliot. I would have to keep that in mind for future reference. Put children in a corner to keep an eye on them all.
"What's it like, mama? Havin' babies I mean." Nancy piped up suddenly. My aunt Lavicy chuckled as she took up the dough once more.
"Why don't you ask yer cousin, Nancy?" She replied, amusement tinting the edges of her voice. "I think she could give ya a pretty accurate answer right about now."
It took all of my will power and then some not to glare at my aunt. Instead I turned to Nancy's upturned, expectant face.
"Painful." I told her.
My aunt Lavicy threw her head back and laughed then. I jumped, then doubled over slightly as another contraction hit.
"And you're jus' getting' started darlin'." She told me, wiping at her eyes, still chuckling. I had never heard my aunt Lavicy laugh like that. Then I realized she found it so funny because her children were quite possibly what she loved most in this world, after having so many.
"Yeah well ya don't have to remind me." I grumbled, rubbing my side, grimacing. This day couldn't get any worse.
I was wrong, it got worse, much, MUCH worse. But it also got better, then back to worse.
All throughout the two-hour long labor I could tell that my aunt Lavicy was thoroughly enjoying herself. I however, was not. I desperately wanted to kick my aunt, but I wasn't able to, resolving to kick her later.
It was all worth it though when my aunt placed a screaming, red-headed baby boy in my arms. I would later be told that my labor was the shortest my aunt had ever witnessed, stating that her own birthing experiences lasted more than a day each.
This was the better part. Nancy could hardly contain her joy, accidentally bonking her head into mine in her eagerness to see her new second-cousin.
"He's so handsome!" She told me, hosting Elias onto her hip so that he might see, although he seemed more interested in playing with his sister's hair than greeting his new relative. Elliot leaned over my other shoulder, my aunt had obviously let him back in, now that all of the violence was over.
"He looks like, like, I don't know!" Elliot's nose scrunched up while he struggled to say just what my new son looked like. I glared up at my young cousin.
"Elliot." I warned, jabbing a finger in his face. "You say one harsh word 'gainst yer new cousin and I swear as soon as I'm up and 'bout again I will tan your HIDE!"
Elliot shut up after that, only commenting on how tiny and handsome his new cousin was. I smiled up at my aunt, who cracked a grin back at me, turning to peek outside from behind the drawn shades. It was now dusk outside, and both Lavicy and myself were wondering where the menfolk were.
Suddenly there was a frantic pounding on the front door. My aunt jumped and went to answer it, ordering her brood of children to be silent. She barely had time to peek at whoever was on the porch before the door was knocked out of her grasp, revealing a very disheveled Victoria, a nonchalant Plyant Mahon, and my cousin Cotton-top.
"Will's hurt!" Victoria gasped out. My aunt Lavicy's face turned white.
"What happened?" She asked, sitting Cotton down at the table, her hands on his shoulders. I froze from my spot on the floor in the corner, surrounded by my cousins. I could feel all of the blood drain from my face as my sister described our cousin's horrendous injury. Why on earth did this have to happen? And two days before our family was supposed to go to court against the McCoys! I felt my blood run cold the way Victoria told our aunt about how a splinter had decided to embed itself straight into Will's eye. She trembled a little and had to be assisted to a chair by her husband in order to continue, going on and on hysterically about the blood and how Will had thought he was going to die. When my sister had finally worn herself out from relaying the story to my aunt I thought my aunt Lavicy was about to pass out on the floor. I made to move to her side but she fixed me in my spot with a stern look and a well-aimed finger.
"You." She commanded. "Do not move from that spot, little missy. You need your rest."
Victoria looked confused as she looked at our aunt.
"Why would Honey-?" She stopped abruptly as she stared open-mouthed at me, and her nephew, noticing for the first time that I was on the floor in a corner, swaddled in a fresh nightgown and blankets. The next thing I knew my sister was kissing my cheek and pulling back the blanket to look at the newest addition to our family.
"Oh Honey I had no idea I'm so sorry!" She burst out all in one breath, clasping me to her with all of her might. I was so tired all I could do was smile and attempt to return the hug with one arm. My aunt Lavicy smiled wearily at the pair of us, somewhat drained now that she had heard of her son's injury.
"You hasn't even named him yet, Honey-bee." She informed me, getting up to make a very tired looking Plyant Mahon a cup of coffee. My sister beamed down at me expectantly.
"Well?" She prompted. "What're you namin' him?" She asked, peeking down at her sleeping nephew again. I blinked. Tom and I had not discussed names, the thought had not even crossed my mind. But I did recall him saying that I could name our babies anything that I wanted. I reflected over the fact that my daddy was to reside over the court case in two day's time. I smiled up at my sister.
"I think I shall name 'im after our daddy."
I based this bit off of my cousin's delivery two years ago. But unlike Honey's, her baby was two weeks early so we didn't know that she would go into labor so soon. The baby was perfectly healthy though, and I got a brand new baby girl second-cousin. :) Like Honey, her labor was short, and she barely made it to the hospital, we honestly thought she would have little Lily in the car.
Anyways, I apologize for this one being short, the next one will be uber long though to make up for it so don't worry! ^^ Enjoy!
Honey and Valentine 'Wall' Wallace the baby(c) craZkid
I own her and nothing else,
