May 10th 1917

Kenneth,

I miss you, I miss you more than you can understand but the more time goes on, the more I wonder if everything was real. Was it just a dream, or were my dreams just dreams?

Then I look at Seffie, and I see time pass differently now, I see it through her babbles and uneasy steps as she toddles holding my hands. Her little grin and how she can hold a spoon at meal times. It's the little things that make everything so blazingly obvious now, about how much time has passed. It's not my parents getting older, and Walter being gone from this world.

Then it's little things that drive me back and wonder how I have managed to come so far in such a short time. It's the little things that knock me back on my feet, an uncertain wind, the sound of dogs howling at the moon. Men who find me curious as if my vows to you mean nothing.

We had some man come looking for Father when he was away in Avonlea. He kept asking to wait for him, despite being told that is not how it works. I tried to shut the door on him, and he stuck his shoe in the door…and I froze, suddenly afraid. Suddenly realizing that if it came to it….Ingleside—Home wouldn't even be safe for those sorts of men.

I know that doesn't mean that would happen again…

Either way, Clementine was over when it happened, I have told you about her haven't I? Shirley's sweetheart, she is a dear, practical just like Shirley in a few ways, but also a young woman as well, she's a year older than me. So I wasn't alone, and Minnie came over as well, and we ended up at Minnie's not wanting to be alone.

Seffie is almost a year old, twelve more days. She is the brightness of Ingleside, her little giggles when Father makes time to play around on the floor with her. She started to call me Mama more and more.

I show her your pictures every day, every day I point to them and tell her you're her daddy, and if she can say Daddy as well. She hasn't yet, but one day she will for how could she not, you are her Daddy.

Your letter about Vimy Ridge, and how it correlates to the photos I've seen haunts my dreams, but I am glad you were honest about it. Of course, everyone here at home is proud that we Canadians took the ridge. Father says it will be the highlight of the war for the dominion of Canada. And later Paris and seeing Jem as well. I told Mother and Father you saw each other and that he's well, they got a letter as well and he said the same about you as well. I'm glad you saw each other, I wish Walter could have been there as well. It's strange to remember he's gone still, but he is.

I should try and get some rest now,
I love you—stay warm and safe.

Love always Rilla,

Rilla woke up with a start, as dreams slid from her grasp of the forefront of her mind. She breathed deeply and looked around her dark room remembering those lingering kisses and sighs that her dreams were remembering. Dreams, she hadn't dreamt like this since she had been expecting Seffie, she had thought those things had gone away.

"Ken," she whispered into the dark of her room Her chest was tight in its confines, but not in the familiar way that came with nursing. She closed her eyes, for a moment...

Ken

Surely he would be appalled and outraged by her actions. Mother once told her to never be ashamed of certain things that came with being a wife…but this…this wasn't because of heightened moods or senses. This was just her…being wanton!

She throws on her robe, wanting to get something like water to drink and or splash on her face.

"You look flushed are you feeling all right?" Mother asks poking her head out of the door and hearing her creep across the hall, stepping closer meaning to feel her forehead like a child.

Child…Seffie! What sort of mother was she!

"Of course!" Rilla squeaks and Mother gives her a quizzical look and a raised eyebrow. "Just some unexpected dreams." She says blushing.

Mother raises an eyebrow, and tilts her head her eyes widening slightly. "Of course," She says with a slightly knowing smile.

Rilla can only nod her head.

"Rilla," Mother starts. "What I told you when expecting Seffie still applies to other situations. It's all completely normal in the sense of being a married woman. Seffie is almost a year old, weaning days are around the corner. It's only natural for things to creep into dreams. It just means you love and miss someone, and if he was here…well things would be different you could already be expecting again if he was."

Rilla looks away from Mother blushing.

"Which would make your Father's head spin, so we shall never tell him such things," Mother jokes lightly before caressing her daughter's cheek with a smile.

Rilla can only nod her head but feels awkward and rather shameful about it still. She goes to the bathroom, washes her hands and splashes water on her face before cupping her hands and taking a drink from the sink.

She goes back to bed until morning, trying to forget the conversation, when she gives up on sleep she finds that even Susan isn't up yet. She put the kettle on the fire and set Seffie down in her high chair as she made a small plate of scrambled eggs for them, and a piece of toast.

She helps Seffie with her little fork smiling.

"Mama," She says with a little grin.

"Do you like eggs?" She says with a smile and receives an egg-bedazzled smile back and a little squeal and legs kicked in her seat.

"You should have waited," Susan says briskly as she finds them in the kitchen.

"I can make us breakfast Susan," Rilla tells her shaking her head. "I need to be able to cook meals for us. I'm not always going to live here after all."

"Well the rest of the day is my duty," Susan reminds her. "With Shirley bringing Clementine's parents this time to meet your Mother and Father before he leaves for Borden. If they are bringing bread and dessert, I can at the very least make dinner and back up dessert if theirs isn't up to par for your parents." Susan tells her.

"Susan, they own a bakery. One would think they are good at baking and bread making for them to sell their goods for the past thirty years according to Shirley."

"Just because they are the only bakery in their town doesn't mean they are good at what they do," Susan reminds her.

Rilla shakes her head and cleans up Seffie's spot and Susan waves her off when she goes to wipe down her dishes.

She goes back upstairs meaning to dress, but Seffie crawls over to her and pulls at the bodice.

"You just ate," Rilla tells her but undoes the buttons of her bodice and uses the moment of bonding as Seffie nursed.

They play for a while afterwards, until she goes down for a small nap as Rilla quickly washes and does her hair up so that when Seffie wakes up she can focus on herself. After the nap, they go out for a morning walk. Down to the valley, Rilla points to various flowers and plants to her as Seffie babbles nonsense with a few mamas thrown in here and there.

"Can you smell it," she says showing her how to sniff the flower, and when Seffie mushes the flower to her face and nose she looks up before sneezing loudly.

"Oh!" Rilla laughs. "Bless you!" She says digging for her handkerchief and wiping Seffie's face before sitting on the grass.

"Do you know who this is?" Rilla says fishing out a photo next that was of Ken.

"Mama?" Seffie looks at her.

"No, that is Daddy?" Rilla tells her. "Daddy can you say daddy."

"Mama," Seffie chooses instead.

"Da—Dee," Rilla says slowly pointing at the photo and Seffie repeats Mama over again. Rilla smiles sadly and kisses the top of her head. "Well, Daddy loves you very much."

It's after lunch when she dresses Seffie in her best dress, a little white lawn with puffed sleeves, and lace inserts and tucks on the yoke collar, while the hem was embroidered lace with scalloped edging that just hit below her little chunky knees. Underneath are little lace bloomers, and little white socks and leather slippers. While she put on her light purple voile with a dainty collar, sheer lace insertion bodice and shirred waist that was printed with darker purple flowers and new white stockings.

They are just coming down the stairs when Shirley comes through the front door, it's still strange to see him in his Flying Corps uniform, Clementine in buttery yellow comes next ushering her parents with her, just after lunch.

They are the same age it appears as her parents are waiting in the foyer.

"Mr and Mrs Montgomery, these are my parents," Shirley says starting the introduction.

"Welcome," Mother says smoothly. "I am Anne Blythe, and this is my husband Gilbert Blythe."

"Beatrice and Clive Montgomery, and our son Basil as well," The dark blonde woman says stepping forward and offering her hand to Mother, and the dusty-haired man to Father.

"This is my sister Rilla, and her daughter Seffie, her husband is in France," Shirley explains and Rilla nods her head to all of them. Basil was tall, tall as Father but had a cane in his one hand.

"Clemmie, has spoken much about all of you, it is nice to meet you all," Beatrice Montgomery says.

"Truly," Clive says in agreement. "I have brought some fresh sourdough loaves and one of the coffee cakes as Clem told you I would."

"How generous," Mother says reaching for the basket, "Shirley says you own a family bakery?"

"My father started it, and I later took it over," he says nodding his head. "Clemmie is our best baker, but Basil is our best decorator so we shall see what will happen."

Basil blushes. "It's like art to me?" He says quietly.

"Well, Shirley is apt in the kitchen, Susan our housekeeper made sure of that," Mother laughs, ushering them into the living room where they all take seats and Mother takes the basket into the kitchen.

"I hear there is a dance tonight?" Mrs. Montgomery says looking at the younger generation.

"Less a dance and more of a war effort social with dancing?" Rilla speaks automatically, before blushing.

"Rilla who is in the throws of motherhood, also run the best war effort group of women under the age of twenty-one!" Clementine explains. "They call themselves the junior reds, and do many things for the war, thrice weekly sewing groups, socials and recitals. It rather inspiring how she manages everything."

"I mean…Seffie is a fairly easy child and comes with me everywhere most days," Rilla blushes. "Events, and socials she is left at home if I go to one, but I don't…I don't always feel comfortable enough…" Rilla trails off before forcing a smile on her face. "Excuse me for a moment, we are in the middle of training..." she says picking up Seffie who was giving her a peculiar look as she bounced on her feet holding onto the table for support and hurrying off.

Dinner is pleasant, pleasant as families meeting for the first time and a son leaving can be, but even Susan can't fault the sourdough loaves, or the cake that was brought. Clementine blushed when her father said it was her cake and not his, but Shirley could only grin and hold her hand under the table, squeezing it gently.

"You young things should go out and have fun," Mrs. Montgomery says to them as they sit back with tea. "You should feel the need to sit with us parents."

"Why don't we all go to the social?" Mother responds brightly, catching Rilla's gaze who wasn't sure if she wanted to go out in the society or not. "

"I can look over Seffie and put her to bed for you," Susan tells them coming in with more cream for the coffee.

Clementine looks to Shirley who shrugs casually and smiles at her. "If you wish to dance, I suppose I can be persuaded. The very least I can do considering."

Rilla catches Mother looking at Shirley, and then over to Walter's portrait and puts on a brave smile for them all.

No one needs to change thankfully and they take the wagon into town.

Miranda and Mary Vance see Rilla first and drag her towards the group. She feels slightly out of place but settles into the evening with a cup of lemonade until they go off to dance together, given the lack of males.

"I want to apologize for the other day, it was rude of me to be so insistent the other day," Rilla hears as she stands against the wall. She turns in surprise, bumping the table she was standing beside with a gasp. "I was just having a bad day, and took it out on you."

Rilla looks up taken aback slightly, but nods her head.

Shirley is dancing with Clementine in his new uniform, her parents had come to meet their parents and get to know the family. Her brother who was exempt from the war also came and had ridden over when they called to say they would be home late.

"Do you wish to dance? You can't stay behind that table all night?" The stranger asks him and looks up in surprise.

"I…"She stammers.

"She promised me the dance, which I have come to claim if I may?" Clementine's brother saves her.

Rilla can barely answer as he takes her arm and leads her away. "Apologies, but you looked a little like a baby deer frozen."

Rilla only can nod her head. Basil was a nice chap who was Shirley's age, he managed to dance without the cane, but it was a slow waltz, so it wasn't too hard for him.

"What happened to your leg?" Rilla asks him curiously.

"Childhood injury, broken leg never quite healed right," he explains simply. "Doesn't affect much though I can still manage the bakery and I do have a sweetheart as well."

"Would she be angry that you are dancing with me?" Rilla asks him.

"Well, you are a married woman, she would think I was being kind," Basil grins at her.

"Kind," Rilla frowns and looks down at her feet between them.

"Did I say something wrong?" Basil stammers.

"No, just what people called my husband when he offered himself to me." She says quietly. "I am sure Shirley explained."

"A bit," he says nodding his head. They finish the dance and he brings her back to Shirley and Clementine who are lingering over lemonade talking.
"What's the deal with her?" Rilla hears later that night. It was the same man who asked her to dance earlier. "I've seen her around and she intrigues me, but also confuses me a bit."

"The Doctor's daughter? Pretty isn't she? I've seen her around as well the past winter. Mostly at church or the occasional social event but mainly with her parents. Doesn't talk much, doesn't like crowds and doesn't dance, pretty much off limits for one," the other responds.

"Off limits as in her father is strict?"

"Off limits as in she is technically married" the other replied.

"What do you mean used to say technically?" The other man says confused.

"She's seventeen. They found her on the shore, ruined they said…but some say she was a bit flighty. Anyway, they married her off, and her husband was shipped out to the front last summer, but left her with a goodbye gift, apparently named it some sort name from mythology?"

"Would it be all right if I went home," Rilla asks quietly. "I'm not…I'm not feeling all that comfortable right now." She settles with.

"Did something happen?" Mother frowns.

"No, not really, I just…I'm tired mainly," Rilla tells her not wanting to make a fuss.

"I'll bring you home," Father says with a nod of her head.

Persephone Ford,

Ingleside, Morgan Rd,

Glen St Mary, PEI,

Canada

May 1st 1917

Persephone

I can't believe it has been a year since you were born, I can't believe it's been an entire year since you were born.

I stare at the photos your mother sends me, watching you grow month by month. Grow more beautiful in every photo as I pick out your features. You have your mother's fine nose and dented upper lip, but you have my eyes that always stare back at me with each new photo I get of you.

I love you so much, and I can't wait to hold you and tuck you into bed at night, but until then I make sure that the world is safe for you and your mother. I love you both so much and never think otherwise, even if I don't get home until you are older. My heart is yours in a way that I can never describe.

Look after Mummy for me and keep her company. She needs you if I am not there to help her, but also be a good girl and listen to her and your grandparents. They all love you, we all love you.

I'll be home as soon as I can come home to you because, on every wishing star I see, I wish I would be home to hug and kiss you goodnight.

I love you

Daddy.