Anna sighed as she lay down with John. "Are you feeling any better my sweet?" John's tone was gentle as he brought the blankets up to cover them.

"Yes, I'm very tired but I feel better." Anna said. She smiled but it was clear she was exhausted. "Especially after Daniel came in and apologized. I still think he needs to make an appointment with Doctor Johansson about that tooth."

John felt a bit of satisfaction at that. After spending some time in the barn, Daniel had come in and apologized to Anna for the way he'd acted. He had promised Anna that he didn't blame her for what had happened. John had been especially impressed with the way he'd dealt with the questions about his jaw. It had swollen up, one of his teeth had been knocked loose and he was in a good deal of pain. John wouldn't have blamed his brother in law for being honest and saying that John had punched him. Daniel however seemed to be able to tell that Anna didn't need to know about John punching him and had lied; saying that one of the stall doors had swung open and hit his jaw. Papa hadn't seemed to believe him but the women had and so the subject had been dropped.

"I'm sure Daniel knows best, about whether he needs to or not."

"That was nice of Emma to make the appointment for us to visit with the Children's home." Anna said.

"Yes, that was, very nice of her." John said, "I can see a lot of you in Emma." Anna sighed as she relaxed against him. John blew the candle out as Anna spoke.

"She reminds me of Sarah." Anna spoke of her older sister who had died of the Spanish flu when Emma and Grace had been younger.

"I wish I'd known her." John said, "I think the two of us would get along."

"You would." Anna yawned. "She was very much like Emma and Mama."

They both closed their eyes, and tried to sleep. Soon though, it was obvious that sleep would not come easily to John that night. Once he was sure that Anna was asleep, he slipped out of bed and went out to the kitchen.

"You couldn't sleep either?" John turned as he heard a voice. It was Anna's father. John nodded and began to prepare a cup of tea for the both of them. As the water heated up, they both sat down at the table.

"What is it you needed to talk to me about?" John asked.

The light was low, but John could see the respect that Anna's father had for him. "What happened to Anna…." he began. He looked sick for a moment.

"Yes?" John half expected the man to blame him for what had happened.

"You've done wonderfully." The compliment surprised him. Papa must have sensed his surprise because the older man smiled. "Just like I don't blame Anna for what happened to her, I don't blame you either."

"Speak for yourself." John's mutter was quiet but he knew Papa heard it. Any response however, got cut off by Daniel walking in. He walked to the icebox and rifled around for a moment before pulling something out. John couldn't quite see what it was in the moonlight but he placed it against his jaw, he couldn't help but assume that it was something to bring the swelling on his jaw down.

John poured two cups of tea and set one down in front of his father in law. He couldn't help the smile on his face but for Anna's sake he tried to keep his face straight. Daniel however, saw the smile and shot John a look. "Don't say anything more John." He ordered, but his tone wasn't cruel.

Papa looked from John to Daniel and back again. "Stall door, huh?" Papa asked, clearly not believing Daniel's earlier story.

"Yes." Daniel said, not looking at John. The two men refused to look at each other as they sat at the table. "Stall door."

"Anna…." Papa started again. "She…" He broke off, in the candle light; John could see the tears in Papa's eyes. "I could tell that something was off, I've asked her several times…." He broke off again. "She swore up and down that you weren't violent with her. I can tell she's been telling the truth about that."

"I would never hit her, or any woman." John said, "My father was violent, I watched him beat my mother and vowed to never do that. I never have hit either Anna or Vera, when she was alive."

"She's done better then other women I know." Papa said, the candle light made him look haunted.

"Who…." Daniel started to ask but cut his question off partway through. He dropped his gaze to the table in front of him.

There was a long silence. Papa finally spoke quietly. "Your mother. I walked in on it, nearly killed the man who did it."

"What?" Daniel's flabbergasted gasp made Papa shush him.

"The women are asleep, let them sleep."

"Mama?" Daniel leaned over the table and lowered his voice. "When?" John leaned closer to both his father in law and brother in law to hear.

"When you were much younger, before Anna was born." Papa said quietly. John remembered that Anna was the youngest; Daniel was 4 years older then Anna.

Daniel let out a breath. "Mama?" He asked, his tone broken.

"Yes," Papa too sounded heartbroken.

"Is that when we had to go live with Uncle James for a time?" Daniel asked. "When Mama was sick?"

Papa nodded, "Your mother could hardly take care of herself and as much as I loved you children, I had to make the choice. Your Uncle James and Aunt Susan were willing to take you in for a year so your mother could heal. To this day they think your mother had diphtheria."

"But when we came back, Anna had been born." Daniel said.

There was a pregnant pause before Papa finally spoke. "She's mine, Daniel. She looks like my mother."

Daniel pushed back from the table and left the kitchen, going outside. Both John and Papa watched him go, and then looked at each other. Shivering at the cold that had come in when Daniel had opened the door. "Best let him calm down before one of us goes out after him." Papa said. John nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I wouldn't want to tempt another stall door to hit him." John's tone was dry. There was silence between the two men for a few minutes.

"I don't know what I would have done if Anna had been pregnant." John finally murmured.

"It wasn't easy." Papa agreed. "But you'd be looking forward to your son or daughter's birth."

"Anna would have..." John broke off. "She wouldn't be doing as well as she is now." There was another long pause. "When did you know? About Anna?"

"I had an idea all along." Papa said, he took a sip of tea. "Little things she liked, or facial expressions that made her look like me. Now she looks almost exactly like my mother." Papa heaved a great sigh and kept speaking. "But I didn't know for certain until she walked in the front door holding your hand."