Apples and Onions and Oxen, Oh My!
Summary: When Sadie impulsively volunteers to watch her neighbor's four-month-old baby, she ends up needing a little help.
A/N: This OC-centric installment takes place some time after Chapter 120 of Something Worth Winning (after the Beckers' tenement party but before Mayer's reprimand). It's pure fluff written for AetherlightGirl, who has been patient but persistent in her requests for more happy!Savey content. AG, I hope this fulfills the requirement and makes the current angst of the main SWW narrative a bit less objectionable. Enjoy! :)
Sadie trotted down the hallway of the second floor, humming the jaunty refrain of "Keep on the Sunny Side" as she steadied the wicker basket on her arm. Her destination was an apartment at the end of the row, and as she drew near, she could see Mrs. Neil's newest rag wreath hanging on the door, a cheerful spot of color amidst the tenement's neutral hues. The combination of warm reds and deep purples made Sadie think of a toothsome plum tart, and she was pleased to see that the craft project had turned out just as pretty as her friend had hoped for.
Raising her hand, she knocked gently on the door, adjusting the bouquet of lavender in the basket while she waited. The sweet-scented bundle was situated next to a freshly-baked Marlborough pie and a cotton gown that had been sewn for the Neils' newest arrival. Sadie had had the pleasure of meeting little Julia at the recent tenement party, and while a slew of hostessing duties had kept her from spending as much time with the baby or her mother as she would have liked, she'd procured permission to stop by by at a later date for a more leisurely visit, and now that day had finally arrived.
Smoothing her skirt, Sadie waited expectantly, listening for the sound of approaching footsteps from within the apartment. After several moments, the door opened, and Mrs. Neil appeared.
"Come in, Sadie, come in!" she beckoned. "I was just putting Julia down in her cradle. She didn't sleep well again last night and has been tired all morning, so I nursed her and she finally fell asleep. I've left the bedroom door part way open so that I can hear if she wakes up, but we can talk over in the kitchen area."
Sadie stepped into the apartment, careful not to make too much noise - a task that proved more difficult than usual given the state of the room. The Neils' unit was in a state of complete disarray, various items strewn across the floor and piled atop every available horizontal surface. A tray of unopened mail by the door was nearly overflowing, and mounds of laundry covered the settee, waiting to be folded.
"I apologize for the mess," Mrs. Neil murmured as she led the way over to the corner of the apartment that served as a kitchen. "Herman's been gone the last few weeks, and it's been difficult to keep up with the housework, especially with Julia sleeping so poorly."
Sadie quickly reassured her that she didn't mind. Mr. Neil, a seaman by trade, was regularly away for long stretches of time, and while his job allowed him to provide for his family, his frequent absences left his wife often lonely and struggling to attend to the needs of their home and their four-month-old baby.
"Let me clear the kitchen table."
Mrs. Neil hurriedly swept a scattering of crumbs into her apron, moved several dishes to the credenza, then filled a platter with tea biscuits and set it down on the table before motioning for Sadie to have a seat.
"I was just about to cook some apples and onions," she explained. "Deborah Gerlach convinced me to try them together."
"She does love to combine sweet and savory flavors," Sadie agreed. "Her cherry and cheese turnovers were so popular at the tenement party that we ran out before the celebration ended." Reaching into the basket on her arm, she added, "Speaking of baked goods…"
Mrs. Neil eyed the contents with anticipation. "Is that one of Miriam's cakes?"
"It's actually a Marlborough pie." Sadie set the confection down on the table. "Mama baked it fresh this morning. And this…" she lifted out the carefully-folded garment, "is a gown for Julia. I hope that you like the shade of cotton - Mr. McEntyre had just received a new shipment the day I stopped by the fabric store, and he said that this shade of cream may be gaining popularity again. I thought that you might like to have something slightly different from the usual white dresses."
"Sadie, this is beautiful!" Mrs. Neil exclaimed as she took the gown in her hands. "The shirring is exquisite, and the lace around the neckline is prettier than anything I've seen, even in the window displays of Best and Company."
Sadie smiled. "I'm pleased that you like it. I hope Julia will get a lot of wear out of it."
"She will, and the cream color will be easier to keep fresh. White stains so easily; I don't know why it's the only color offered for baby gowns when mothers have so much to do already without fretting over their baby's laundry…."
The little sigh that accompanied the lament was enough to get Sadie to pursue a more serious line of conversation, and she reached over to take her friend's hand.
"It must be a lot to handle," she said gently. "Especially on your own."
Mrs. Neil nodded, her eyes beginning to well up with tears.
"I haven't slept soundly in weeks," she confessed in a half-whisper. "Julia was doing so well for a while, but then she seemed to regress, and now she's sleeping during the day and active during the night…there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it, and it's driving me batty. I've hardly left the apartment these last few weeks aside from doing the necessary shopping and attending the tenement party, and I feel so cooped up, and the pantry is nearly bare, and…"
She broke off, dabbing at her eyes which had begun to water in earnest, and Sadie squeezed her hand, trying to offer what comfort she could.
She'd suspected that Mrs. Neil might be struggling (for there had been hints of discouragement during their brief conversation at the tenement party), but the severity of those struggles hadn't been made apparent until Sadie had seen the chaotic state of the normally-tidy apartment and had heard the despair in her friend's voice. Mrs. Neil, despite her standing as a married woman with a child, was still fairly young herself, and in the absence of her husband and of any family nearby who might have offered some support, the task of constantly caring for Julia must have been daunting indeed.
Surely there must be something I can do to help, Sadie thought. Even if it's only a small task, it might lift her spirits to have one less thing to worry about.
Biting her lip, she deliberated over what to say. She didn't want Mrs. Neil to feel embarrassed or offended by an offer of assistance, but at the same time, it was clear that the young mother's responsibilities were overwhelming her. It would only be right to offer to lend a hand, even if the offer was subsequently rejected.
"What can I do, Mrs. Neil?" Sadie said aloud before she could second-guess her decision. "To make things easier for you, I mean. Would you like me to run to the grocer's so that you can get some rest, or would it be more agreeable to you if I stayed here to watch Julia while you went to out for some fresh air?"
The woman gave her a tearful look of surprise.
"I don't have to be at work until noon today," Sadie continued, "and it would make me happy to know that I was providing some service to you and your family."
Mrs. Neil thought for a moment as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.
"A chance to go shopping would be welcomed," she finally admitted. "I need to replenish the pantry, and I'd like to have a chance to socialize with some adults instead of just Julia for a change." She hesitated. "But I'm afraid that would defeat the purpose of our meeting. This was supposed to be our time to catch up together."
"Don't give it a second thought," Sadie declared. "I'm sure that the trip to the grocer's will do you good, and we'll find other times to talk in the near future."
A hint of a smile appeared on Mrs. Neil's face. "Well, if you're sure, then I'll freshen up a bit and be on my way."
She got to her feet, a noticeable spring in her step, and walked over to the mound of laundry that was covering the settee. Selecting a clean shirtwaist and skirt, she draped them over the ornamental screen that stood in the corner of the room, then went behind the partition to change.
"Would you like me to cook up your apples and onions?" Sadie offered, eying the plates of cut produce that had been set out on the credenza. "I might as well make myself useful while Julia is sleeping."
"Oh, would you?" Mrs. Neil's voice came from behind the screen. "That would be a great help to me. It's an easy recipe, and I've already prepared everything."
Sadie assured her that she would take care of finishing up the dish, and soon after that Mrs. Neil reemerged, looking all ready for her shopping excursion in her clean (if slightly wrinkled) clothes. After several profuse expressions of thanks, she wrapped a shawl around her shoulders, procured her shopping basket, then took her leave, promising to be back in an hour.
Once the door had shut, Sadie turned her attention to recipe card that was sitting on the credenza next to the dishes of cut up produce. A quick examination of the instructions confirmed Mrs. Neil's assessment: the dish seemed to be simple enough to make, and Sadie was confident that she'd be able to whip up a delicious batch of apples and onions in no time.
Locating a frying pan, she set it on the stove to warm, then added a few pats of butter. Once the yellow squares had liquified into a puddle, she poured in the sliced onions that Mrs. Neil had prepared and gave everything a brisk stir.
Let the onions cook until they are brown and tender, read the recipe, taking care not to overwork them.
"There will be no overworking of onions on my watch," Sadie declared as she set down her spoon. After satisfying herself that the fire in the stove was burning steadily, she took her hand off of the frying pan and stepped away, determined to follow the recipe's instructions to the letter.
"Now, what can I do to make myself useful while I wait?" she wondered, looking around the room.
Her eyes immediately alighted on the large pile of laundry.
I'm sure it would help Mrs. Neil if she didn't have to deal with all that.
Walking over to the settee, Sadie began sorting and folding the clothes, placing skirts and shirtwaists in their own neat piles and pairing the socks that lay scattered throughout. Noticing a hole in one of the stockings, she set it aside, making a mental note to darn it if she could locate a sewing kit later. Mrs. Neil had expressed thanks in the past for such services, so she'd likely be pleased at the initiative, and it would be another easy task to help pass the time.
After several more minutes, Sadie finished setting the laundry to rights and began looking around for Mrs. Neil's sewing kit. She located the small wicker case on an end table nearby, and was delighted to find that there was a spool of thread inside that would match the stocking in need of repair perfectly. Snipping off a length from the spool, she began to carefully thread her needle…
It was then that she remembered the onions.
Setting down her sewing implements, Sadie hurried over to the stove and lifted the lid of the frying pan, her heart pounding as she realized just how long she had been preoccupied.
It was just as she'd feared: the onions had cooked down too far and were now sticking to the pan, their dehydrated flesh tearing to shreds when she tried to stir them. Thankfully, they hadn't burnt to a crisp yet, but they were already far too overdone to be used for Mrs. Neil's dish.
Inwardly berating herself, Sadie removed the frying pan from the heat and set it down on a trivet. A slightly-charred smell wafted through the apartment, and she hurried to the front door to open it, shooing the burnt odor outside as best as she could. It was already bad enough that she'd ruined the onions; she didn't want Mrs. Neil to come home to a foul-smelling apartment as well.
What to do now? she thought forlornly as she swatted the air in what was probably a futile exercise. I've made a complete mess of things!
Have you, though? came the thought. You've really only burnt the onions. The apples are still unspoiled, so if you can replace the overcooked onions with some fresh ones from Mama's pantry and prepare them properly this time, the dish will still turn out fine.
It was a tempting thought, but Sadie knew that she couldn't leave Julia alone even for a moment. There was no telling what else might go wrong in her absence.
She was about to resign herself to her fate, when she heard the sound of a door opening down the hallway.
Peeking out of the Neils' apartment, Sadie saw that it was Davey exiting his own family's abode. He was dressed in his paint-stained shirt and work trousers and looked like he was about to head upstairs to the landlord's office.
If he'd been on his way to sell papers or run an errand, Sadie wouldn't have even dreamed of waylaying him, but if there was a chance that he was only on his way to complete a routine maintenance task and had some time to spare…
"Davey!" she whispered sharply, hoping that her voice would carry without her having to raise it further and risk waking the baby.
He turned around.
"Chare? Is something wrong?"
"I'm afraid so," she murmured as he walked over to join her. "I've bitten off more than I can chew, and am in a bit of a predicament on account of my oversight."
"What's the problem?"
"Mrs. Neil trusted me to watch her baby and finish cooking her apples and onions while she stepped out to do some shopping. I told her that I could manage both tasks easily, but then I saw the laundry sitting out and got overly ambitious trying to fold it and darn a sock that had a hole in it, and I forgot to keep an eye on the stove…"
Something like a smile threatened at the corners of Davey's mouth, but he managed to keep his expression sober.
"I know that my family has onions on hand," Sadie continued, "and if I can procure them without anyone noticing, I should be able to replace the ones that I let burn before Mrs. Neil returns. The problem is that I don't want to leave Julia by herself. I was hoping…" she hesitated. "I was hoping that you might watch her for me - that is, if your schedule would accommodate it."
Davey's eyes widened. "You…want me to watch the baby?"
"Only for a moment!" Sadie pleaded. "You're trustworthy and sensible, and I promise I'll be back in a flash." Clasping her hands together, she looked up at him with her most entreating, hopeful smile. "Please, Davey. As a favor to me? If it won't put you out too much?"
"How am I supposed to say 'no' when you're looking at me like that?" he muttered.
"Making it slightly difficult is, admittedly, the goal."
"Well, it's working," Davey sighed. But after another moment of hesitation, he stepped inside the apartment. "Where's the baby?"
"Over here," Sadie led the way to the bedroom. "She's sleeping peacefully, and I'm sure she'll give you no trouble."
Davey followed her, picking his way around the miscellaneous items that littered the floor and then peeking into the room where Julia lay sleeping in her cradle.
Sadie saw his expression soften almost immediately.
"I think I'll manage," he whispered. And she could tell that he was as taken by the little one as she was.
"Thank you," she murmured. "I'll be back in no time."
But just as she turned around, her foot caught on a small metal bucket that had been left in the middle of the floor. It made a sharp clanging sound as it ricocheted and rolled, and before it had even come to a stop, the sharp cry of a rudely-awoken baby sounded through the open bedroom door.
Oh no.
Sadie's spirit sank. Her errand had been derailed before it had even begun, and all because of her carelessness!
She was about to tell Davey that he could go, when his voice broke through the rising cacophony of Julia's squalls.
"It's all right, Chare. I've got her." Their eyes met for a moment before he motioned to the door. "Go."
She hesitated, but he repeated the directive more firmly, and this time she obeyed, hurrying out of the apartment as quickly as she could. Guilt hounded her all the way up to the third floor as Julia's cries faded away, but she forced herself to keep moving.
Arriving at her family's apartment, she let herself in, hoping fervently that she would be able to accomplish her task without raising questions. Her mother's sewing group was gathered in the sitting area, chatting away over tea and Mrs. Gerlach's popular cherry and cheese turnovers, and Sadie gave them a quick smile and a little wave before ducking into the kitchen.
Halfway there, she thought as she hurried to the pantry. The onion basket was as full as she'd remembered, and she selected three of the best bulbs, tucking them into the crook of her arm. If she'd been thinking more clearly, she would have brought the basket back with her to carry them in, but it was too late now, so this awkward method of transportation would have to do.
Taking a steadying breath, she tightened her grip on her cargo and then walked calmly out of the kitchen, her eyes trained on the doorway. If any of the ladies called out to her, she would have no choice but to turn around and reveal what she was carrying, which would no doubt raise questions and significantly delay her return. But if she could manage to make it out of the apartment without being waylaid…
"Sadie…" her mother called out.
Sadie froze, her mind feverishly working as she prepared to turn around and explain herself.
"...please shut the door tightly on your way out," Miriam finished. "You left it a bit ajar earlier, and I don't want any flies coming in."
"Yes Mama," Sadie said, relief washing over her as she continued on. She slipped out the door, shutting it firmly behind her, then hurried towards the stairs, careful not to drop the trio of onions in her arms.
Reaching the second floor, she made her way down the hallway to the Neils' unit. To her surprise, Julia's crying could no longer be heard, and as she quietly entered the apartment, could see Davey through the open bedroom door, kneeling next to the cradle and conversing with its tiny occupant.
"It's all right, I would be thinking the same thing, too," he said soothingly. "But your mama's coming back after she picks up a few things at the store, and in the meantime, you're being a really brave girl."
Julia squawked at him, and he made a sympathetic sound.
"I know, it's not like you have a choice. I guess that's the rub of being a baby: no responsibilities, but no say in anything, either."
The baby flapped her arms, letting loose a string of grunting, guttural sounds, and he seemed to sense her growing agitation, for he stopped conversing with her and began looking around for something on the floor.
"Do you want your rattle?" He procured the item and held it over the side of the cradle. "This looks like it belongs to y– "
Julia answered him with an angry screech, clearly not about to be appeased by the offering, and he withdrew the toy.
"Okay, so…not the rattle." He paused for a moment, then said, "Let's try the fish face. Les always liked it, so maybe you'll like it, too."
Sadie watched, first in fascination and then in amusement, as Davey sat back and puffed his cheeks up. He wiggled a little in place, then made an exaggerated bubbling noise as he let the air out.
All was silent for a moment.
Then Julia chuckled.
"You like that?" Davey repeated the act, and she giggled again, more robustly this time.
"I guess Les' sense of humor is more universal than I thought," he observed, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Well, now that I've figured out what tickles your funny bone…here goes nothing."
A chorus of bubbling noises resounded in the small bedroom, accompanied by a lively fish impersonation, and Julia squealed with glee, her chubby arms reaching up and flapping as though in appreciative applause. Sadie couldn't see the baby's face from her vantage point, but she could easily imagine the infant's toothless grin, and the sheer delight of it all made a poignant wistfulness well up inside.
How very beautiful this is, she thought. A lived-in home filled with warmth and good company, graced by the sounds of a little one's laughter…
Pushing aside the pang that accompanied the picture, she stepped into the bedroom.
"I had no idea you were such a comedian, Davey."
He turned around, his cheeks puffed out, and she laughed as he let out the air with a whoosh.
"I didn't realize you were back." He blushed a little.
"Naturally," Sadie inclined her head. " You were completely focused on your audience, as any good performer should be."
"I was just replicating what I used to do with Les," he explained. "He always thought my fish imitations were funny for some reason."
"They are entertaining," she agreed with a smile. "If Julia hadn't successfully elicited an encore, I might have asked for one myself. It's not often that I get to witness this side of you come out, and as I've mentioned before, I quite like it."
"Well, I'm sure you've seen more than enough of it for today," he sidestepped, but Sadie didn't miss the way that he glanced over at Julia as though asking for her permission to stop, and she was certain that if the baby had so much as given him a pouting look in answer, he would have resumed his antics all over again despite his embarrassment.
"It looks like your errand was successful," he said, turning to Sadie.
She nodded. "Fortunately, Mama had plenty of onions in the pantry. I'll run over to the grocer's after work to replace them, but for now, I have what I need."
"Would it help if I stayed to watch Julia while you cooked?" Davey asked. "I was heading up to the office to see if your father had left any notes for me before I start on my maintenance projects for today, but I'm a little ahead of schedule, so I'm all yours if you need me."
"I'd be grateful for your assistance if it wouldn't put you out," Sadie admitted. "I don't want to risk ruining Mrs. Neil's dish again, and it would ease my mind to know that someone was keeping an eye on Julia."
"I won't let her out of my sight," Davey promised. "Is it all right if I pick her up, though? I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier, so I tried to calm her down while she was in her crib, but she kept reaching up, so I think she might want to be held."
Sadie expressed her approval of the plan, and he made his way back over to the cradle and gently lifted the baby into his arms. "You're stuck with me for a while longer," he informed her, "but we'll find something fun to do together, all right?"
Julia cooed in reply, seemingly happy to be out of her cradle, and Davey took her into the main room, where they sat down in an arm chair with a book that he found laying on the floor nearby.
"The Three Little Oxen. My brother had this one, too." Flipping the cover open with his free hand, Davey began to read, the familiar, calming sound of his voice reminding Sadie of all of the times they had read together after their tutoring lessons.
Quietly, so as not to disturb his narration, she made her way over to the kitchen area. As much as she would have liked to linger and listen, she knew that she needed to apply herself to her task if she was to finish everything before Mrs. Neil's return.
The first order of business was cleaning out the frying pan, then washing and preparing the second batch of onions. Thankfully, the cutting board and knife were still out where Mrs. Neil had left them, and Sadie wasted no time in slicing the bulbs into thin rings, blinking back her tears as best as she could. Two pats of butter went into the clean and re-warmed frying pan, followed by the slivered vegetables once the butter had been sufficiently melted.
Time to redeem myself, Sadie thought, training her eyes on the stove.
The onions began to sizzle, and she used a wooden spoon to keep them moving, knowing that it was going against the recipe's directive not to overwork them, but unwilling to run the risk of burning anything again. After a few minutes, the white rings had turned to a tender golden brown, and she carefully added the apples on top, then sprinkled a dusting of brown sugar and a pinch of salt over everything.
Soon, a sweet and savory smell began to fill the apartment.
Sadie gave the apples and onions a thorough stir, then set a lid on the pan in keeping with the recipe's instructions. It would take a quarter hour or so for the dish to finish cooking, but she would remain by the stove for the entirety of that duration as a precautionary measure.
Momentarily relieved of any pressing occupation, her eyes wandered back to the pair in the armchair, curious to see how they were getting along. Davey had read through The Three Little Oxen several times by now and taken to adding some commentary to the narration (more so to keep things less monotonous for himself, Sadie suspected), but Julia seemed to be content, and the two of them were an endearing picture as they pored over the book together.
As though sensing her perusal, Davey looked up, having momentarily come to a break in his storytelling.
"Your dish smells good, Chare. Is everything going all right?"
"Everything's going perfectly," Sadie reported. "And that seems to be the case for you as well. I don't believe I've heard a single sound of unhappiness from Julia since you started reading."
"She seems to like this book," Davey smiled. "Especially the pages with Olly and Ozzie Oxen."
Julia gurgled as though to affirm his statement, and he moved the book within reach so that she could bat at it with her chubby fist.
"I never would have guessed that you'd be so natural with her," Sadie remarked. "I suppose it's because I've only seen you interact with older children."
"I'm actually not around babies very often," Davey admitted. "But I took care of Les quite a bit when he was still an infant, and I guess some of it's stuck with me. My dad was busy with his job, and my mom's health wasn't the best, so it made sense for me to help out more."
"Even though you were only eight yourself?"
Davey shrugged. "I was the only option my parents had. I'm sure Les would have turned out better if someone older had been there to help raise him, but since we were always moving, it was hard for my parents to find other people they could ask for help. Sometimes we'd come across a friendly neighbor who would lend a hand, but we mostly figured things out ourselves."
It was a matter-of-fact statement, but Sadie couldn't help feeling a little sad at its unspoken implications.
"I take it it wasn't the same way with you and Abby?" Davey asked.
She shook her head. "I'd help to feed or bathe her on occasion, but Judith was the one who cared for us all if Mama and Papa weren't available. It wasn't until she moved away that I started looking after Abby more, and there really hasn't been much of a need to supervise her since she's already so focused and capable." She paused, then added, "I do love taking care of children, though, especially little ones. Several babies have been born at our tenement, and it's been such a delight to see them grow up - I've had the distinct privilege of caring for several of them on occasion when their mothers needed relief for an hour or two."
"I'm sure those times of respite really help," Davey remarked. "I know my family would have been grateful if someone had volunteered to take care of Les for a few hours every so often."
"It is gratifying to be able to offer a practical service," Sadie admitted. "And I quite enjoy it myself - that is, when I'm not inadvertently making this worse with my carelessness!" She glanced at the frying pan. "Speaking of which, I'd better check to see how the apples and onions are coming along."
The apples and onions, it turned out, were cooking up beautifully, and Sadie noted with satisfaction that the fruit was beginning to look translucent and tender around the edges, just as it should be.
She chatted intermittently with Davey and Julia as the dish continued cooking (though she remained firm in her resolve not to step away from the stove), and soon the apples and onions were done, and she gave them a final stir before removing them from the stove's heat.
There, she thought, feeling a rush of relief as she carefully spooned the contents into a dish to cool. She'd still have to confess her blunder to Mrs. Neil, but it wouldn't feel nearly so embarrassing when there was something to show for her efforts.
After quickly tidying up the kitchen area and partially banking the fire in the stove, Sadie went to check on Davey and Julia, who by this time had moved on from The Three Little Oxen and were sitting on the floor, playing with some wooden blocks.
"All finished?" Davey smiled at her. "That was quick."
Sadie nodded. "I'll be fine from here." She could tell that he was enjoying his time with Julia, but she also knew that there must be a number of tasks waiting for him, and as much as she would have liked for him to stay longer, it seemed selfish to continue keeping him from his work.
"What else do you have on your plate for today?" she asked as knelt on the floor next to him and held out her arms for Julia.
"Just a few screen patching jobs and some cleaning, then whatever else your father has for me." Davey carefully passed the baby into her embrace. "He mentioned something about replacing a sink pipe in the first floor washroom, but I'm not sure if that's still a go or not."
"It was kind of you to take time out of your busy day to help me," Sadie said as she set Julia on her hip. "It seems that you've saved me from disaster yet again."
"Well, I've got to earn my keep somehow," Davey joked. "But you're welcome. Like I said, I was ahead of schedule anyway - this was a welcome break." He got to his feet, setting the blocks on the end table and then turning around to address Julia.
"It was nice to meet you, Miss Julia. I hope we'll cross paths again soon, and in the meantime, don't give Sadie too much trouble, all right?"
"You're going to be a hard act to follow," Sadie lamented as she rose to walk him to the door. "I doubt my fish imitations will be as eagerly received."
"It's all in the cheeks. If you can get them puffy enough, you've won over your audience."
"Is that all?" she smiled. "Are you certain that your inherent charisma didn't have something to do with it?"
"Les would tell you that I'm about as charismatic as a dishrag," Davey deadpanned, "so I stand by my assertion."
Before Sadie could come up with the words to contradict him, he bid both her and Julia farewell, then turned and headed down the hallway, rolling the sleeves of his work shirt up as he walked. Despite his repeated insistence that helping her hadn't set him back at all, she could tell that he was trying to make up for lost time, and a bit of guilt crept in. If not for her carelessness, he would have been well into his work day rather than starting it slightly behind…
She watched as he reached the stairs and started up them, taking the steps two at a time, but before he'd gotten too far, he looked back and saw that she was still standing there in the hallway.
Sadie raised her free hand and gave him a little smile, hoping that the gesture would convey her apology and heartfelt gratitude across the distance, and a grin lit up Davey's face like the first beams of daybreak before he waved back and then continued his ascent, his long strides carrying him quickly up the stairs and out of sight.
Sadie remained in the hallway for a moment longer.
That smile had reassured her in a way that a hundred affirming words could not, and she felt relief settle like a comforting blanket upon her shoulders. Despite Davey's hurried departure, he hadn't looked upset or irritable at his work day being delayed. He hadn't even looked worried, in fact.
He'd looked genuinely happy. And that happiness had touched something in Sadie that she couldn't even attempt to name.
Julia cooed, wiggling and batting the air with her chubby fist, and Sadie gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before turning to head back into the apartment. The slight chaos of the past hour had made her feel suddenly tired, as though she had run a great distance, but it was the gratifying sort of tired that came from knowing a job well done was nearing its completion.
Making her way over to the settee, Sadie sat down amongst the piles of folded laundry, adjusting Julia so that the baby was resting comfortably in her arms. The little one regarded her curiously for a moment, continuing to wiggle and coo as though to debrief the morning's events, but after a moment or two of spirited "conversation," her movements slowed, and a tiny yawn escaped her lips.
"You must be tired after all the excitement," Sadie murmured as she pulled a blanket from the nearest pile of laundry and tucked it carefully around her little charge. "It's not every day that you get visited by a well-meaning-but-accident-prone cook and a boy who does fish impressions."
Julia blinked slowly in answer, her eyelids growing heavy with approaching sleep, and Sadie couldn't help but cuddle her closer.
"Rest if you'd like, little one," she murmured gently. "Everything is as it should be, and your mama will be home soon."
After another moment or two of soft-spoken reassurances, Julia finally settled, her head dropping against Sadie's arm as she drifted off towards dreamland, her voyage no doubt eased by her previously-curtailed nap.
Soon, all was quiet in the apartment once again.
What a morning, Sadie thought. I could have done with a bit less excitement, but I suppose all's well that ends well.
She didn't regret her impulsive offer to help Mrs. Neil (and had already resolved to regularly check in on her friend going forward), but the next time, she would be a little less ambitious about trying to do so many things at once. What mattered, after all, was not how many tasks she could complete, but simply showing that she cared. And Sadie knew that she was capable of caring truly and deeply for the ones she crossed paths with, even if she remained a liability in the kitchen for the rest of her days.
The past hour, though chaotic, hadn't been without its moments of delight, either, and she found herself smiling a little as memories spontaneously surfaced in her mind:
The unconcealed pleasure on Mrs. Neil's face as she received the gift of the pie and the baby gown…
The sound of Julia's ebullient baby squeals…
The smell of apples and onions cooking up to perfection…
And Davey's smile, warm as the morning sun as he'd headed up the stairs on his way to work.
How very beautiful it all is, Sadie thought for the second time that morning. No matter how turbulent things seem to get, there is always, always something to be grateful for.
Tucking the blanket a little closer around Julia, she leaned back against the settee, allowing a sense of peace to wash over her as she hummed softly into the silence and waited for Mrs. Neil to return.
A/N: Thank you to anyone who read this installment, and again to AetherlightGirl for the Savey fluff request - it actually lifted my spirits to write something more lighthearted and to not have the weight of the larger narrative bearing down as much as it normally does, so thank you for being the impetus for this opportunity (even if the end result probably wasn't as romantic as you might have wished…I apologize).
Please leave a review if you have a moment, gracious readers - your engagement is always a huge boost of encouragement to me. :)