Rilla puts Seffie down in her basket and asks Susan for tea who was making dinner.
She finds her old teacher sitting on the sofa, looking towards the mantel of photographs.
"What brought you back to Glen Mrs. Grant?" Rilla asks sitting down next to the bassinet, she reaches and fixes one of the little booties that Seffie was wearing.
"Gertrude please I am no longer your teacher Rilla. I was helping the school board interview a new teacher," the older woman replies watching her old pupil carefully. "I didn't peg you as one who would ever child mind?"
"Seffie isn't Nan's, so it's not really child-minding," Rilla says quietly. "Seffie is mine you see," She can barely look at her old teacher in the eye.
"Rilla I know a lot of boys were sweet on you, but your father would never let you get married at your age," Gertrude says automatically not believing it. "You didn't get in trouble with a solder did you?"
"I married Ken Ford," Rilla says quietly.
"Ken Ford? The lady killer that all the girls talked about when he would visit? What did he do to you Rilla?" Gertrude says concerned.
"Ken didn't do anything to me, Miss. Oliver," Rilla slips up into the old name. "He saved me from a cruel future."
"Saved you?"
"The party, the dance I was so excited about, when the war broke out…when it became all that was talked about I got away from my siblings a bit. They all thought I left with someone else…I was at the dunes when I came across two men…" Rills says every so carefully. Trying to disassociate with it all. "They didn't realize I was missing until they all got home…and when they found me…the worst had already happened." She says quietly.
"No, Rilla, no," Gertrude's hand goes over her heart in horror.
"Ken married me on August 28th, 1914. He went home to Toronto and finished his last year of schooling and I visited him at Christmas. He came for a month in May before enlisting and going into training." Rilla explains. "It was all very courtship-like, despite us being married, he got unexpected leave to visit me in August when his regiment got stuck in Kingsport and Seffie was born in May," Rilla blushes at the insinuations she made for herself.
"Oh my darling," Gertrude said sympathetically. "Surely you didn't have to get married?"
"At the time it seemed prudent and best way to ensure whatever was left of my reputation," Rilla says quietly. "It was a very dark time and place and…alien to me as it felt like it betrayed me." She explains carefully.
Rilla looked up at her teacher, who was horrified and teary-eyed by the admission.
"But Ken, he was only ever there to be what I needed him to be and once I could heal from it literally and figuratively, though I don't think I will ever be truly passed it. God gave us a chance to feel the same way and fall in love and it allowed me a chance to see what it should have been like and not how it happened."
"I don't think you have spoken so eloquently before," Mrs. Grant says shaking her head. "But sixteen is so young to be a mother Rilla, you should have taken more care."
"Seventeen, and at least this one is my choice," Rilla snaps at her and Gertrude is taken back by it and missing pieces slotted into place. Why Rilla felt her body felt alien and betrayed her,
"I'm sorry, I didn't think," Gertrude says quietly. "Seffie? Is that short for something?"
"Persephone, her name is Persephone Beryl," Rilla explains reaching her daughter who was kicking up her feet in the layers of her nightgown. "Yes I am saying your name," she whispers smiling before picking her up and cuddling her for a moment before draping the blanket on the sofa on the floor and bending down to put her on her stomach with a few soft toys.
"I would have not expected such hair," Gertrude admits.
"Kenneth's Mother, Leslie Ford—nee West years before has golden hair," Rilla explains. "It can change though over time, but I hope it doesn't."
"You're so young," Gertrude says without thinking. "It must have been such an ordeal?"
Rilla shrugs, "Labour always is I am told," She says as she hears footsteps and the door open. "I have caught you up, but I have been impolite towards you?" Rilla says to her realizing she hadn't asked anything in return.
"Mr. Grant is at the front as well, We had a son but despite the doctor's efforts, nothing could be done. He is buried beside his grandfather." Gertrude tells her quietly. "Mr. Grant, he is well enough though and writes as often as possible. Life is simple, if not a little melancholy at times."
Rilla looked down at Seffie who was getting frustrated as the toy was out of her reach, not knowing what to say.
"My parents should be back soon," Rilla says not knowing what to say as she scoops up Seffie and goes towards the window. "The twins went back early to Kingsport, and Shirley is visiting Clementine, they are officially courting now. A lot of the time it is just me, outside of Mother and Father and Susan, of course."
"Is Mrs. Grant staying for dinner?" Susan comes to ask and Rilla looks to Gertrude.
"I have a train to catch, I should be on my way actually," Gertrude looks to the clock for the time.
"I'll walk you to the station, I should check the mail to see if anything from Ken has come," Rilla says to her. "It won't take me a moment to get Seffie settled into a sling."
This is true, as Rilla has learned to tie long shawls around her quickly that support Seffie but allow her to use her arms more easily.
They meet her parents on their way from the Manse, who fall into step and Rilla lets them catch up, but her mother gives her a knowing look and wraps her arm around her.
If anything she breathes a sigh of relief when there is a letter from Ken waiting for her at the post office when she goes to check the mail. Another from Leslie, and even one from Walter.
She tears open Ken's first the moment she back home and sits on the swing on the veranda.
Rilla Ford,
Ingleside, Morgan Rd
Glen St Mary, PEI
Canada
August 8th 1916
Dearest
I hope this gets to you quickly. I am well, truly. I mean I may be in the medical tent but I am well. It was a surprise attack, calling it a surprise feels so wrong, but I cannot think of another word for it right now. In some ways, I think it is good that I could always write with my left hand, though school had always forced me to use my right. So I can still write with my one arm bandaged up and sore.
Either way
We were caught off guard, and I lost three good men to it, it was Bleaker who got me out of and further away from the shelling and bullets in my moment of haze and smoke that choked me.
I have a wound on my upper arm, deep enough that it bled a fair bit but overall- I am fine. It was stitched up and I have a few days to let it heal before returning to the front, or the reserve. I am not entirely sure where they will send us. Something is building I don't know what, but the tension is high. If I shock you by saying that, I am sorry, I generally respect censorship, I also knew that you are pregnant and I don't want to distress you, but I have to…and I'll wait to mail this on leave where they can't. Because I know you know that I leave things out, I know you see the photos and the news, maybe it's the mortality that almost befallen me, remembering how the ground just shook like jelly and the explosions were so heavy at times that I was lifted right off the ground. I sincerely hope I never have to go into another like it, but I know I will.
All I wanted to do at that moment was hold you one last time, to hold Seffie. to see your shining face.
I have your photos with me and my pack was retrieved thankfully. As I have time to sort through your bundles of letters and photos, you will most likely receive a pack again. I know you will keep our letters safe, and maybe one-day Seffie will want to read them.
I'm sorry if I worried you, truly I am and please tell my parents I am fine as well, I will write them of course, but they may need reassurance.
I love you and give kisses to Seffie for me and show her my photos.
Kenneth.
August days passed with no new telegrams, and no news was good news for the most part. She spends her days as her usual schedule, venturing out more often though as she feels to have gotten a handle on how to care for an infant, willing to go out more often or bring Seffie over to the Minnies and even the Pryor's.
"You know you don't have to help me do the laundry," Minnie tells her as they hang up the whites that Minnie had rung out.
"I know, but it's nice to be useful and it's nice to be out of the house," Rilla reminds her. "Seffie is three months old, I spent almost two months at home barely leaving."
"You were regaining your strength from childbirth, and actively bleeding for most of it." Minnie reminds her with a look of 'Be kind to yourself, please'.
"I know, but…if you count the months of waiting, and the year before…" Rilla says quietly, "It is just nice to be strong enough and comfortable to come out. Even the gossip is just drivel at this point to me and barely bothers me."
"It is nice to see you happy and relaxed," Minnie agrees.
"Mother has been trying to get me to wear more white again, but honestly I feel like that is just asking for a mess with Seffie around and really. I do enjoy the clothes I buy for myself." Rilla tells her. "Father's birthday present came in though, we got him a new watch as his old one face is cracked. I plan on asking Mother and Susan to help me make a cake as well I think, Mother usually makes our birthday cakes, but with everyone else away…maybe I should give him another little surprise?"
"I am sure he would love that," Minnie agrees. "My Aunt Meg got Jim's to say happy birthday this year for me, I cried. I hadn't expected him to even know about it. God forbid his father remembers it," Minnie says with a laugh.
"Father always remembers mothers?" Rilla frowns. "I did forget about Kens this year when I realized I apologized profusely. He wrote and said you just had a baby, I think that is a good enough gift for him this year.
"They are only six days apart in May and being six days postpartum is nothing to joke around about."Minnie laughed wholeheartedly, despite both of them having difficult recoveries.
It's mid-morning when Rilla walks into the kitchen in one of her day dresses—announcing that she wanted to make a cake for Father's Birthday to Susan and Mother who were picking through the first harvest of peas from the garden.
"By all means do so," Mother says with a smile. "Neither of us has made it yet, you might as well if you wish to."
"Can I make him a chocolate cake?" Rilla asks next. "I know it is his favourite. We have fresh buttermilk do we not?"
"I am sure he will be delighted in anything you make him dear," Mother reminds her.
"I will weigh out the ingredients with you," Susan says wiping her hands on her apron. "It's been a while since we had a lesson in cooking, you were doing so well last spring, of course, baking is a bit different."
"Thank you," Rilla tells her. "I just nursed Seffie and put her down, I should have enough time to finish the cake?"
"Even so, we can always take it out of the oven for you," Susan tells her. "Go grab your apron from the pantry and we'll get started."
Rilla nods her head and goes for her apron and some of the ingredients she knows they need.
"Now don't over-mix the batter, just stir it gently otherwise the cake will be tough." Susan reminds her.
The batter is simple, but delightful as she licks clean the spatula and as she sets a timer, though as expected the crying rang out down the hallways. As promised the cake was watched after, and later she put Seffie in her basket as she creamed together butter and confectioners sugar to frost the cake with. In the end, she used blue icing to cover the cake before she shakily wrote, 'Happy 52nd Birthday Father' and around the edge of the cake she tried to draw medical instruments along with his initials G.B.
"It looks like a five-year-old made it," Rilla sighs looking at her work.
"It's your first cake, give it time and practice, my first cake was a disaster, and it wasn't until it was Jem's fifth birthday that cakes got easier to make." Mother laughs at the old memory. "Either way your father will love it because you made it for him."
"At least this one won't end up in a stream," Rilla recalls the old cake incident.
"You have come a long way from that little girl." Mother agrees and stands up and wraps her arm around her slim waist. "How are you managing with Seffie? You haven't asked much from me these days? Is nursing going smoothly, if it isn't that can be completely normal?"
"I think we have gotten the hang of it," Rilla says softly. "I don't know what it will be like when she has teeth, but right now it is easier than the first few times."
"You will continue to learn together," Mother squeezes her hip. "You have done the most painful part, now it is just learning and adjusting to every new stage of life both of you have together."
"I suppose it helps she is a relatively, easy baby according to the books?" Rilla answers picking up Seffie and cuddling her. "As long as she is fed, and dry and around people and cuddled she is fairly content."
"Which should be every child," Mother responds knowingly.
Father misses dinner, and in the evening he calls saying he will be home at some point as a neighbour caught him on the way home as his wife was having contractions.
The cake sits out on the counter, covered in the crystal dome of a cake stand waiting for him to see the surprise when he comes home.
She bathes with Seffie in the bathtub and rubs lotion on both of them and brushes the light copper curls gently with the soft brush before nursing her once again before putting her down for the first stretch of the night. She sleeps that first round, waking up a little past midnight for one more feed and then if she was lucky she would sleep until six am.
She was still up when she heard footsteps come up the stairs and a moment later a quiet knock on the door as her lamp showed through the crack at the floor. She gets up to open it, to find her father holding a plate of cake. He smelled of disinfectant with faint tinges of copper that was behind it.
"Thank you, it was a lovely surprise," He says holding up the plate with two forks. "Though I feel guilty for eating some of it without sharing."
"You're not here to tell me I should be sleeping?" Rilla jokes quietly.
"I mean you should rest as much as you can, but after two years of you being up odd hours of the night, I am rather used to it. Though I know you sleep when you can, and you have gotten better since Seffie."
"Not much of a choice when your day revolves around a little person," Rilla says as she moves the pillows and they both sit sideways on her bed comfortably. "I hope the cake is good, Susan observed me making it, and Mom tried to show me how to use the piping bag but it was harder than it looked."
"It's perfectly imperfect and that's what's made me smile, Rilla, knowing that you made me it," Father says before they both take a bite of cake. "You have been eating and drinking enough though, no tenderness or soreness?" He adds on after chewing for a moment.
"I'm fine at the moment," Rilla blushes, her fork going in for a second time for another stab of
cake. "Mom helps me when I ask, and the lanolin helps a great deal for everyday issues. I am slightly worried when she gets her teeth, but I suppose I will just have to cross that bridge as it comes to it. Morgan says to unlatch and make them aware that biting or pulling isn't allowed, and make them wait it out."
"It's sound advice," Father says after a moment of thought. "I still don't agree on many of their practices, but basic they seem to have a good grasp on," he says gruffly.
"She is going to outgrow her basket soon," Rilla says leaning forward to look at Seffie, who was making her usual sleep sounds before rolling over to her back.
'When did she start that?" Father asks with interest.
"A little bit ago, she mastered rolling onto her back when she didn't want to be on her tummy one afternoon," Rilla tells him. "The book says to flip her back, but nothing is touching her face so I can't see how it can be bad for her?"
"As long as she is doing it voluntarily, I wouldn't worry about it," Father agrees with her before looking at his watch. "You should try and get some sleep," he says yawning himself. "Thank you again, it was a lovely surprise."
"Happy Birthday," Rilla says and hugs him gently and he takes the plate and glances at Seffie once more. She settles into bed, hearing Father creep into his own room and Mother's sleepy voice, carrying over the dark of the night. A small laugh, and then the bed creaking, and another low laugh.
Rilla blushes for a moment and wraps her pillow around her ears.