"My let me look at you," Anne said stepping away from her daughter as they entered the old harbour house on cool April afternoon. "You look happy and healthy."
"I wouldn't go that far," Rilla shook her head. "It's nearly not as bad as before, but occasionally it likes to flare up. I can somewhat understand now why some say the second trimester is the easy trimester. Though I will outgrow clothing rapidly if I continue at the pace I am going at."
"Be glad that you are," Gilbert spoke up as he came up to his wife and daughter. "You look very well." He pressed a kiss onto Rilla's cheek.
"Well, come sit down," Rilla told them. "I'll go get the little monster." She told them as she heard the tell-a-tale sounds of Oliver waking up from his nap. "If I don't get him now, he'll try and climb out of his crib at this point."
"A climber is he?" Gilbert chuckled as Rilla walked up the stairs to get her son and soon enough she was back once again. She set down her seventeen-month-old son on the floor once she was down the stairs. He went running for his toys they left out for him as he plunked himself down on the floor.
"Don't feel bad, he barely is interested in us these days." Rilla sighed as she sat down shaking her head at her son who was playing with a train.
"Have you tried to explain about the baby to him?" Anne asked her daughter who sat down next to her on the love seat. Still looking around the house of dreams that was her first marital home. Changes happened over the yes of course but she still saw all her memories.
"Not yet, I've only begun showing enough that he somewhat notices when I pick him up" Rilla shook her head. "We'll work on that later, I'm only nearing twenty weeks. If we can make it through the move in two months I will be happy."
"What does your doctor think about such things?" Gilbert asked.
"She's not exactly happy, but she understands that it was decided and set in place before I found out." Rilla shrugged. "I mean I was going to most likely going to just have him or her here anyway. Leslie is helping me find a doctor in Toronto, quite a few of them still do home deliveries."
"Is that wise after last time?" Anne asked quietly.
"I'd rather be at home in bed for a week or two than in the hospital," Rilla stated calmly before sighing. "I promised Ken that I would consider a hospital if I wasn't well, so far I am fairly well he isn't going to fight me on this."
"Your siblings were rather surprised by your news," Gilbert said sitting back in his chair as Oliver toddled over and handing him a train.
"Tay?"
"He's asking you to play," Rilla interpreted for her father who joyfully sat playing with Oliver on the sofa. "I think we were all surprised about the news." She said to her father.
"Hoping for a girl this time around?" Anne asked.
"I think Ken is more than I am, I just want to make it through this without any complications," Rilla admitted. "Jimmy is hard to read at times, he's excited but also annoyed? I suppose at ten and a half, almost eleven the prospect of a sibling isn't all that exciting."
"By the time you came around, Jem knew what was happening," Anne said. "I don't think he was all that thrilled at another sibling, but he loves you anyway."
"Have you figured out school for Jimmy?" Gilbert asked.
"It's a toss-up, Ken thinks he should go to Upper Canada School for boys, where he went. I think a regular school will suit him better."
"Maybe he can try a trial run?" Anne spoke up. "See if it's the right fit for him?"
"I worry for him, The Island school, the Kingsport school it's not like Toronto. He's smart and I'm sure he will manage, he's a bright boy. It will be a large adjustment for him." Rilla explained her worries. "UCS is all about uniforms and place in society, I'm not sure if I want that for him, but at the same time. That is exactly what the Fords are to Toronto a society family."
"You'll worry for the rest of your life, and I'm sure you will make the decision that is best for him." Anne rubbed her arm. "I am sure the hormones aren't making all this change easy on your either."
"I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life," Rilla said. "I sobbed vomiting the other morning because as much as I wanted that can of peaches. I couldn't eat them without being sick at that moment. Didn't matter in two hours I probably would have been fine, but at that moment I wasn't and all I wanted was those peaches."
"Oh my dear," Anne laughed and pulled Rilla closer so Rilla could rest her head on her mother's shoulder. Rilla sighed and relaxed into her mother for a moment before she saw her father help Oliver get back down to the floor and he made a beeline for the bookcase.
"Oliver no," Rilla warned him. She quickly raced before he could try and pull at the books and gently held his hands in hers.
"No," was the response she was given as he reached again.
"I said no Oliver, you don't pull them from this shelf," Rilla repeated herself more sternly. Her head was already beginning to ache as she saw the tell-a-tale signs of a tantrum.
"No!, No!, No!"
"If you don't listen, little man, you'll go to time out," Rilla said through her teeth. Remain calm, don't react, anger accomplishes nothing. 'Seriously your brother never gave me half this trouble.' She thought to herself while she pointed to the corner.
"No!" A pudgy hand swatted at her as he managed to wiggle from her grasp and tried to grabbing things once more.
"Nice people don't hit other people," Rilla shook her head at him and then her parents who were watching with amused smiles. "If your father comes home to see you like this you'll be in far worse trouble?"
"Dada?" Oliver looked around.
Rilla sighed and hauled him up on him to her hip as he howled for a moment until Rilla put him in his playpen.
"I need something to eat," she said. "I think I have some snacks from the train ride still, some tea?"
"Tea would be wonderful, thank you," Anne told her.
Rilla nodded and got up, watching her father follow her to help her. He filled and placed the kettle on the stove. "I can still make tea you know?" Rilla stated.
"I know," Gilbert said with a smile. "Your mother is in a bind between you and Di," Gilbert told his daughter.
"I'm sure Leslie will help get the house sorted and help when the time comes. I've told mom this," Rilla said as leaned against the counter as she rubbed around her ever-growing stomach. She frowned as she nudged the try of ginger cookies towards her father.
"Are you all right?" Gilbert asked frowning but took an offer biscuit
"Just stretching muscles?" Rilla sighed. "The doctor checked it out last week, I'm fine."
Gilbert nodded. "I'm glad you went if it was that bothersome. Cramping is rather normal but can be worrisome if that painful."
"It was bad one night," Rilla said quietly. "It didn't feel quite the same as that night, but it was enough that it made me worried."
"It completely normal to be afraid after a loss," Gilbert said quietly. "I don't think I breathed the entire first twelve hours of Jem's life."
"It was fine in the end. I suppose I was so miserable that I missed a lot last time," Rilla told him quietly as she looked out the window. "I will miss being here."
"You were always bigger than this part of the world," Gilbert reassured her. "Is Mrs. Clarke going to follow you?"
"She is. It took her a while to decide, but she said she couldn't have it rest on her conscience. Something about me being helpless with a new baby, a toddler and growing boy," Rilla explained. "Her husband passed away before the war. Her son was caught in the explosion and never survived. Her daughter is out near London which is only a train ride away from Toronto for her."
"I didn't realize she had a daughter," Gilbert said passively as he ate another cookie.
"Indeed she's a teacher for a coloured school," Rilla explained. "It's rather a relief. The house is bigger than this one and one can hardly forge a friendship while dealing with pregnancy and children."
"Do you know what you're taking with you yet?" Gilbert asked. Knowing moving across the country wouldn't be easy.
"A few key pieces I think with the rest of our belongings. Tables and sofas can be replaced, beds can be replaced." Rilla explained. "Few things we bought when we got when we got married, our the bed frame though and the hutch in the dining room we'll take with us I think."
"Dada!" Oliver squealed as he heard the front door open, meaning it was only one person. Reality two people since Jimmy was behind Ken holding a crate of supplies as well.
Ken quickly put down his things and went over to Oliver and raised him above his head. "I hope you were good today.
"No!"
"No? You weren't good today. Well, that is not very nice of you." Ken said with a straight face. He went towards poked his head into the living room holding Oliver like a football at his side making the boy giggle and laugh.
"Im-Im!" Another shriek as he saw Jimmy.
"Afternoon Anne," He said with a smile
"It's lovely to see you Kenneth, hello Jimmy," Anne said giving him a small hug once he sat down his crate.
"Hello, Grandmama!" Jimmy said brightly and hugged her back. Anne smiled looking down at him as Rilla and Gilbert came through from the kitchen.
"Grandpa," Jimmy said to Gilbert with another smile.
"How are you feeling?" Ken asked quietly as he kissed Rilla's cheek in greeting.
Rilla merely shrugged.
"No!" Oliver shrieked as Ken tried to put him down. He looked at Rilla who shrugged her shoulders.
"He's been no different than the past week?" She said sighing before turning back to her father. "Seriously how did you manage no to spank us?"
"Patience?" Gilbert said grinning looking at his wife who let out a giggle.
"He will learn in time," Anne told them. "Boys always seem to be a bit more mischievous as little boys than little girls. You and your sisters were more trying between the ages six and thirteen than you're toddler years."
Rilla smiled weakly for a moment. "Excuse me for a moment," she said as she frowned. Ken watched her as he handed Oliver over to his grandparents and quickly followed her.
Gilbert frowned he had been rather hoping that this pregnancy wouldn't be as hard on his daughter.
"She's feeling much better compared to last time," Anne told him trying to reassure him.
"Tay!" Oliver shrieked once more until his grandfather picked him up.
"Why don't we go outside and play for a few minutes?" Anne looked at Jimmy. "I think your grandfather found you a football to kick around?"
Jimmy nodded. "They don't like to say how sick she gets some days. Ken was worried about the train, but she told him she needed to know she could manage it. If she could manage seven hours of travel twice, she could manage the train decently when we go to Toronto. She called it a test run."
"I was curious towards her reasoning when she said would come out for Easter," Anne said looking back at the house. "How are you feeling about the move? Another big change within a year?"
"It's with Rilla and Ken though," Jimmy said with a shrug of his shoulder. "I made friends at the last school, I'm sure I'll meet some other friends."
"That is mature of you," Anne told him as she brushed over his blond hair with her hand. "Excited for Easter dinner and hot cross buns?"
Jimmy nodded as he stopped the ball Gilbert had kicked to him.
Ingleside was in full swing Sunday afternoon when Rilla went over after Easter Sunday service with the family.
"I didn't know you would be here," Rilla said to her sister.
"Mother Wright said since they got Christmas Day, they could have Easter," Di explained. "They have it all worked out between them. "Sometimes I think Jem and Nan have it easy, the Meredith come over for most holidays."
"It's only going to get more complicated once that one arrives," Rilla tells her sister motioning to her midsection.
"Oh I know, also it's not fair how little you are," Di said with a sigh. "I'm only a few weeks ahead of you and I'm a whale already."
"It's the dress Di," Rilla told her sister with a sigh. "I've been showing for weeks at this point, I am not small."
"I don't believe you, let's measure?" Di said shaking her head.
"I rather not," Rilla sighed, she was rather jealous of her sister's energy and glowing happiness. Part of her knew that Di probably didn't feel as glowing or happy on the inside as she looked. Still made Rilla want to wipe that happy smile off her face somehow.
"Leave her be Di," Nan told her twin as she came in. "You are barely a whale."
"We're mainly waiting for you and Jerry to be next now," Di said.
"Well, it won't be anytime soon," Nan said with a shake of her head. Rilla wanted to say she saw something fall in Nan's eyes but she couldn't be completely sure. "We are quite happy with Deena right now and have no plan for more."
"I think we should all stop wondering who is expecting next," Rilla said speaking up looking at her sister Nan. "Assuming things only hurt people, and does no one else smell that?" Rilla asked.
"All I smell is the potpourri that new housekeeper put out," Nan looked around.
"It smells horrible, every time I smell it. I get a wave of nausea," Rilla explained.
"I'll go explain and then hide it," Nan told her sister grabbing the bowl and whisking it away. The new housekeeper was a youngish widow, Rilla pegged her to be in her thirties. Faith and Nan helping in the kitchen, she seemed to have settled into the house.
Rilla looked back at Di who was measuring herself. "Twenty-eight inches!"
"You carrying high," Rilla rolled her eyes at her sister. "It's more pronounced right now."
"You're not angry the mom's not going to be there for you are you?" Di asked her sister.
"You're more than welcome to have her," Rilla told her. "It's your first child, I will manage and survive without her. Leslie will be back from Winnipeg by the time my times come anyway."
"You're still not going for a hospital even in Toronto?" Di looked at her sister like she had two heads.
Rilla merely shrugged. "I don't like hospitals, there is nothing wrong with giving birth at home. Oliver is perfectly fine."
"It's 1925 Rilla. One day you will have to come to terms that it's completely normal to give birth in a hospital these days," Di told her.
"I'm not getting into this right now Di," Rilla gritted her teeth. "I just want to have Easter dinner, not throw it up. Stressing out just makes everything ten times worse and I can't have that right now. Be happy you're chipper and healthy as you because trust me it is not fun when you're not."
Di face fell. "I'm sorry,"
Rilla sighed. "I'm sorry I'm just hot-tempered. I think I'm going to find Oliver and take a nap with him." Rilla told her.
"I think he's outside with the men," Di said frowning at her sister's pale face.
Rilla nodded a short thank you and went to the back porch. Most of the men, beside Jack who was sitting down with his tool kit, were cleaning off some bush from the garden.
Oliver was on her father's shoulders. Walter Junior and Cece were picking up small branches. While Deena was toddling around following her father carrying a small stick. She smiled and yawned before turning around and heading towards the stairs. She walked the stairs one at a time, stopping occasionally to look at the old photographs. She sighed as she went to her old room and sank down on the bed closing her eyes.
"Have you been taking iron pills this pregnancy?" Gilbert said from the doorway of the spare room that she was lying down in. He was holding Oliver who was sleeping in his arms.
Rilla opened her eyes and groaned. "Of course, I am," she said looking at the clock and realized she was asleep for over an hour. She held out her arms for her son. "I'm just trying not to be a green-eyed monster. I'm trying not to stress out, overthink everything that is changing and happening. That I'll be in a city with no friends, with a brand new baby on the way."
"I thought Marianne and Carl were settling in Toronto?"Gilbert said to her passing her the small boy. "Thats what John Meredith told me the other week."
"I mustn't have gotten that letter yet," Rilla said quietly. "I know they were talking about such things but that is it."
"A time to settle down for them, John and Rosemary are eager for them to be back in Canada," Gilbert told her. "I'll let you rest," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
"I'll be fine," Rilla told him not wanting to tell him that she didn't think Carl and Marianne would stay in any place long. Even if they did fall pregnant, and from what Marianne wrote between the lines. There was little to no issues of them enjoying themselves after the initial awkwardness. "Truly this is ten times better than last time and I should be grateful for that, but it's still a lot of things happening."
Gilbert nodded. "I'll take your word for it mostly since you look better than last time. Ken ran back to the old house to change for dinner. You're feeling up for dinner?"
"I can generally eat dinner most nights," Rilla nodded. "Mornings are generally the hardest, afternoons I get tired. By the evening I am fairly well."
Gilbert nodded, "I'll let you rest for a little while longer." He said before closing the door once more.
It was the next day as Rilla went through the old bedroom that had seen many wedding nights over the years.
"I can't believe this might be our last time here for a while at least?" Rilla said to Ken as they packed up any odd thing they wanted to take to Toronto with them. Dinner had been bittersweet, knowing it would be the last family dinner for a while. Christmas travel wouldn't be feasible with a newborn.
"Well, dad doesn't plan on selling it. So we will be able to always come back and vacation out here with the children," Ken said wrapping his arm around her. "He was thinking about just signing it over to us instead of leaving it in the will. I think he's just tired of making sure it's looked after and to make us pay the full property tax on it."
"Can we even afford it too?" Rilla looked at him. She knew Ken helped with the property tax.
"I'll be able to manage it," Ken said with a nod of his head. "The house was already paid for by my uncle years ago. As much as I have tried to get him to take some sort of decent offer for the house he refuses. The most he will allow is putting money away for the kids in a trust." Ken said as he found the growing bump of his unborn child. "The property tax will be less than the yearly mortgage we were paying for the house. The apartment the tenants offered to buy it from us. The house will be sold as well, then we'll be in fine shape to pay the taxes on this place."
Rilla nodded leaning into him. "Do you remember this night?" She asked as she opened an old photo album she took from its old hiding spot.
"Do I remember that night?" Ken chuckled. "Of course I do, how could I ever forget it? We are taking these with us, I can't believe we haven't before."
"I think we forgot about them. Let's just keep them with the others, away from the children, and when I die to have them all burned. God knows we don't need our future grandchildren or children finding them." Rilla told him as she delicately took the album and placed it in the box. "I need to stop you from taking so many photographs of me in such ways."
"But seeing you wrapped up in silk and lace is my favourite thing to photograph," Ken said stealing a kiss.
Sorry for the delay, the site glitch and plot bunnies made this Chapter take a little longer than usual.
Tina
