The Cuckoo's Song

Chapter Thirty

Anna was frustrated.

As hard as she tried, she couldn't do up the back of her dress. She peered at her scars in the mirror. They peeked over the top of her slip, a dull red against her creamy skin and a constant, lingering reminder of her life before America.

The girl's first week in Missouri had passed them by so quickly. Elli and Ma were inseparable, both of them struck by something neither of them knew they had been missing all this time. Abe threw himself straight back into the farm as a duck takes to water. This country life suited him so well. Anna liked his jeans and plaid shirts and his tatty boots; he seemed so at ease again. She simply couldn't keep her hands off him. Even when he was teaching Elli to do pig calls she found herself blushing. Their nights together felt so different. There was a passion there without the urgency. This was, of course, made easier by the fact that Elli had moved into her own room almost immediately. Ma hadn't wanted her to be cooped up with the pair of them, so had sorted out Vera's old room for her. Elli insisted she wasn't at all lonely, despite Anna's concerns; Tammy had taken to sleeping in the bed with her right from the first night.

Anna and Ma were still acclimatising to one another. Ma obviously found it so strange that Anna didn't really know how to cook, and Anna could sense her judgment no matter how hard Ma tried not to show it. Anna knew it was because she didn't fit the traditional female mould Ma was used to; she had no knowledge of running a household outside of cleaning and was overly educated in all the wrong areas for farm life. But she was so incredibly patient with her daughter in law. She clearly wanted to connect with her, so tried her very best to converse with her as she taught her how to run a house.

Ma had tried to ask Abe about how he had met the two of them, but he always shrugged it off. It was Anna's story to tell so just told his Momma to be patient.

One morning, Abe had taken Elli with him to do the hog chores, leaving Anna and Ma alone in the house together. Ma was already beginning Christmas preparations, and she wanted to involve her daughter in law. They were planning on going to town together to buy some Christmas supplies. Anna was a little apprehensive; as much as she liked Ma, she was very aware how many questions she had for her. They'd have to come out eventually, but Anna wasn't sure how she would react. Would she be okay with the fact that Anna had been with another man before her son? Or that she had lost two babies.

Anna made one final attempt to do up her dress. She'd still been too groggy to get out of bed when Abe and Elli had left, so she'd lost her opportunity to ask for a hand. Sucking in a breath, she realised she would have to go downstairs and ask Ma. Even someone as patient as Ma would ask about the scars. It couldn't be avoided forever.

She ventured down, Tammy greeting her with a lazy sniff. Anna scratched behind her ears, cooing to her before going to the kitchen.

Ma turned around, giving her a big smile. It seemed a little forced. "Anna, my darlin'. Everything all right?"

"Would you please help me with my dress?" she asked, pointing at her back.

"Of course!" said Ma brightly, clearly happy that she had asked her.

Ma bustled over, bidding Anna to spin. Anna felt her pause on the zipper, aware at what she was staring at. She waited for her to say something, but she didn't, just doing the zip in silence. Anna turned around, thanking her quietly.

The two women just looked at one another. Surely, someone as kind as Ma wouldn't be angry at her would she?

"Why don't you take a seat?" Ma said gently. "I'll fix us a coffee."

Anna nodded, doing as she was bid and sitting at the table. She waited patiently whilst Ma got them their drinks, watching her as she came to sit beside her.