Anne

Chapter one; The young parents

Content warning for the book:  Civil war, blood, death, sickness, abandonment.

1850

The two young parents, Cara and Shawn Foy had fallen and became close as they held their newborn, a tiny baby girl. They had felt so proud to have her as Cara was sickly but they had kept trying and trying for a baby. Cara had gotten worse over the next few hours. The midwife took the baby to take care of her.

Cara turned her head and looked her husband in the eyes, "Is she not the cutest baby you have ever seen?" She said softly, a weak smile across her face. She was so tired from childbirth.

"She is, I love her. What will we name her?"

"How about Anne?"

"That is a beautiful name. You get some rest, dear." Shawn tells her, which she does.

Anne soon grew into a bright two-year-old who was very curious. She loved to read and she would sit with her mother as her father had left when Anne turned one. He lied about having to go somewhere to work but he left them in debt and for Cara to fend for herself and her baby. Cara feared for their lives as Cara was too sick and poor to care for the two. She had to make a plan. After two months of getting worse and trying to find a better future for her baby, she would send her baby to America with her friend. She left the baby with letters saying how much she loved her and apologizing for sending her off with the two.

Zachary and his wife, Grace, took Anne as they went to Pennsylvania. It took months for them to get there and Grace would soon learn of Cara's death when they had gotten to their new house.

Grace and Zachary were not rich in any way. They only had enough for their needs and a bit for wants like sweets. The two could not have children so they treated Anne like their own. Zachary would soon get a high-paying job which let them be able to buy luxuries like new clothes and books. Grace got Anne a tutor, which was entertaining as the toddler had a love for helping. She also loved reading, especially about government from the newspaper. She liked the drawings of the presidents and political cartoons. She had been taught to garden, sew, and paint.

Zachary and Grace kept her safe as the years went by.

Flash forward to 1856, Anne is now eight years old. She had been tutored and she had now become fluent in English, Latin, and French and dabbled in Gaelic Irish because of her two adopted parents. She is a very angelic girl but can stand her ground. She gardened for a few hours and ran in after taking her shoes off.

"Mama, the flowers are open!" Anne yells, excited. Her garden of marigolds and peonies had bloomed. Grace put on her shoes and ran out with Anne to see the flowers and brought Anne a basket to pick her strawberries and snow peas. The young girl was a ball of joy and happiness. She was allowed to go to the market town with some money and a basket. Anne went to town and bought herself a handkerchief and bought meats and bread. She came often to get stuff so it was not weird for her to be there.

She ran home after getting a newspaper and she whistled as she came through the door. She got in and put her stuff down to read the paper about Bleeding Kansas and the issues of Pierce and the problem of slavery.

"Mama, who is Kansas and why is she so sick that her bleeding is in the news?" Anne asked, confused and concerned.

"People are just fighting over land in a war. Don't worry, it is just a small fight, and no lady named Kansas is hurt." Grace told Anne, kissing her forehead and taking the bread and stuff to make dinner. "You want to learn how to take care of a boo-boo?" She asked.

Anne nodded as Grace teaches her what to do. The reason she asked was that their horse had a cut on it from it trying to get out and getting hurt on the gate of the stable. Grace taught Anne how to clean up and sew the wound shut. Anne pet the horse before the two left to go in, wash their hands, and do their thing. Anne had finished her chores for that day already so she read book after book.

Anne felt proud of how much she knew, which would help her in the future during the Civil War.