Guten abend, Guten nacht.

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-3rd person-

-spring, 1922-

The typical morning chatter filled the dining room, the frying of meats, clinking of silverware, and small conversation among the family at the table.
It was a Sunday morning, and the rest of the family gathered for breakfast at the family cottage, where Ima still lived with her mother and father, and now her young daughter.
She let out a slightly stressed huff as she slid romy into  the arms of aunt Inga. Klaus and Otto toddled around the living room, where Odilia sat in her rocking chair as she hummed softly and crocheted, watching over the two toddler boys.

Ima sat at the table and thanked her father for breakfast as he handed her a plate, sitting between her two sisters.
Käthe, the youngest sister, and the mother of Otto and Klaus, cooed softly to the newborn swaddled in her arms. The house was alive with youth, and it was beautiful.
Fritz watched the two boys from a distance, before returning to his mothers side and holding to her dress as she drank her morning tea.
Romy squealed as her aunt bounced her softly, before blowing spit bubbles with her mouth, dribbling down her chin.

"So hast du ihren Hochzeitsbaum gepflanzt?"
("So, have you planted her wedding tree?")

Elsa asked, setting her teacup done on the saucer and pulling fritz into her lap.

Wedding trees were a German tradition after the birth of a daughter. The parents would plant a tree, and it would be sold before her wedding, the money would then be gifted to the daughter for her new life.

"Ja."
("Yes.")

Ima said simply, eating her breakfast.

"Welchen Baum hast du gewählt?"
("Which tree did you choose?")

Käthe asked, looking up from Hans in her arms.

"eine weiße Weide."
("A white willow.")

Ima said, looking back at her sister as she sipped her drink.

The sisters nodded.

Inga passed baby romy back to her mother.

After breakfast, Käthe and ima took their children out into the garden.

The toddler twins stayed close by, observing the world around them under the watch of the two women.
Ima and Käthe both held their youngest children in their arms. The two sisters made eye contact, smiling softly as they did.

"Ich denke, sie wird honigbraune Augen haben."
("I think she will have honey brown eyes")

Käthe said, looking into romys eyes.

"schaut so aus"
("Looks like it")

Ima agreed.

"Macht es dir etwas aus, wenn ich sie füttere?"
("Do you mind if I feed her?")

Ima asked, noticing romys instinctual mouth movements.

"gar nicht. Tatsächlich sollte ich Hans wahrscheinlich füttern."
("Not at all. In fact, I should probably feed Hans.")

Käthe replied.

The two women covered themselves with cloth as they fed their babies, in peaceful silence as they sat in the garden.

That evening after romy had been lulled to sleep, ima began to get ready for her nightly search for a husband.
She would leave romy home, odilia still being awake, kindly agreeing to move her hobby work into the bedroom where romy slept.

Ima pulled her long wool coat on before quietly leaving the cottage, making her way into the town.

She walked along the brick sidewalks, illuminated by the iron streetlights adorned with baskets of flowers.
The night was young, snd ima would only plan to stay out no longer than an hour. Hoping to cross a decent man as she walked around the streets of town.
Not many people were ever out walking, but she took her chances anyway. So many shops closed, she thought to herself. She was reminded of how lucky she was to have enough money to live a relatively comfortable lifestyle in such hard times.
Though it meant their family savings that had been gathered over generations would be no more, it got them through tough times.

Ima sat on an iron and wood bench, watching the flower baskets sway, sighing softly to herself.
With each passing day she became more desperate, and with each passing day, her standards dwindled.
She just wanted to do what was best for romy, to make the right choice. And she felt like it wasn't logical to think that leaving romy without a father was the right decision to make.
She dropped her head into her hands, her long braid falling forward. She wished it were easier to know what was right. She wished there was an undeniable way to tell if she was doing all of this motherhood stuff the right way for her daughter.
She wanted to hold romy in her arms and apologize. Apologize for bringing her into the world with any hint of uncertainty. She could only hope that she would be a good mother, and that her efforts would pay off.
She was already blessed with a healthy daughter, and a supportive family, she just hoped she wouldn't mess anything up.
She told herself that night as she walked home, alone once again, that she would find a husband before romy turned one.
As she came home and relieved odilia of her duties over watching romy, she took her coat off.
Ima peered down into the cradle at her sleeping daughter, swaddled cozily, peaceful as an Angel. She caressed her cheek softly with he back of her hand, and smiled down at her child.

"Mach dir keine Sorgen, Romy"
("Don't worry, romy.")