Circus Freaks

Chapter 6-Shopping

You received more letters in the mail the next day, but just as you settled down to read them, Jared walked in. "Who on earth is sending you so much mail? It can't all be from that woman, right?"

"She has a name."

"You haven't exactly told me what it is."

"You've been through my mind. I'm sure you know it. And you must know she has children. These are from them."

"So you're leaving me for a strange woman named Alma living far away from your family on an island in Wales? With what, twelve, fourteen kids there? Why on earth does she have so many kids?" He muttered to himself and went to leave the room. You sighed at his behavior and went to open the first letter.

Hello Y/n,

You need to get back here as soon as possible. The Birds going mad, I swear. She leaned over my shoulder just a moment ago and scolded me for writing such an improper introduction. I showed her away before she could see her name mentioned though. But there's something I've been considering doing for a while, but I can't if you're not here. Or else I'm positive she'll just loose it.

-Abe

(P.s. She came back and scolded me again for only putting Abe instead of Abraham and insisted I fix it. I did not. Please never show her this letter, it'd doom me.)

You laughed a bit at his behavior. He still misbehaved, even over letters. You were grinning as you opened the next one.

Dear Y/n,

I apologize for not having written sooner. It's been a rough time since your leaving three days ago. The Bird is on edge and we all have to be extra careful with what we say and do around her. We'd appreciate it if you could come back and lessen the suffocating tension in the house. We all worry for our own sanity. And if you wouldn't mind finding me new gloves it'd be much appreciated. My current ones are rather uncomfortable and they don't look to be in the best shape nowadays.

From, Olive

You mentally added new gloves to your shopping list as you tore open the last letter. This one was rather short.

Dear Y/n,

I'm aware Hugh wrote to you and asked you to get me something. You don't at all have to.

-Fiona

You knew full well you would still buy plenty of seeds for the girl, no matter what she said. "Jared!" You yelled as you gathered your things. "I'm going shopping. I'll be back in a few hours or so."

"Okay!" He yelled back from another room.

You left your house and walked to a nearby market. Many different stalls had been set up and you went around looking for the right items you needed. Some hunters were selling leather gloves that you'd tried on and had deemed comfortable, not to mention they looked much nicer than the ones Olive had. Being a shade of dark brown rather than black rubber.

The hunters also had deer organs they weren't really using, and they were more than happy to jar a few hearts, a lung, and a few intestines up for you. Now you wouldn't disappoint Enoch, hell he might even smile at you for the first time.

One stall sold a verity of seed packets and pots for you to grow your own plants. You found multiple seeds you knew Fiona hadn't seen on that island. You got cardinal flowers, black eyed susan, fireweed, and iris versicolor. If you were being honest, you picked the last one because you thought Alma might like it.

You decided you might as well find something for everyone and got Alma new tobacco for her pipe and a lovely silver pendant with a falcon engraved on the front. You'd buy Claire supplies you could use to help style her hair. The twins would get new masks, ones you hoped they would like more than the creepy ones they already owned. Millard got a magic set, you had a feeling he'd be rather good at a disappearing act. Emma got a few new books, you knew she liked to read, especially romances and murder mysteries. Horace would be receiving a new suit. Victor and Bronwyn would be getting matching outfits, because you thought it would be adorable. Hugh would be gifted a net to keep his bees contained during important times such as dinner. And Abe who'd proven to be the hardest to buy for, ended up with a book of dad jokes, because you knew for a fact he'd go through it until he'd used every single one multiple times.

After getting everything you needed to you returned home. You began packaging all the gifts into different boxes to ship back to the house, along with letters written to each of the children and Alma inside. You really couldn't bring all of this stuff with you when moving, it'd be too hard to manage. Instead you'd ship it all, keeping only Alma's pendant with you to give to her in person. You wanted to see her reaction to the beautiful necklace.

The paperwork would be through in less than a week, earlier than expected, but thankfully so. You'd already packed one bag with valuables and items with sentimental value. Another was with items you didn't necessarily need, but would rather have with you than leave with Jared. The third you would pack the day you leave, it would hold all your clothes.

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It was so hard to come up with gift ideas, but I think I did well