I Am Not Yours

An Adopted Happiness

May 1917

As soon as the stagecoach pulled away, Rosemary told the crowd of people to back away from Abigail and the baby. They did as she said and gave them some space before Abigail smiled at Rosemary as if to thank her.

"We didn't know you were going to be home." Elizabeth smiled at Abigail, resting a hand on her arm. "How long are you visiting?"

"We aren't visiting." Cody said excitedly. "We are home for good."

Elizabeth's face lit up. "Oh, that's so wonderful!" She said as she readjusted her one year old, moving him onto her other hip.

"Hello?" Rosemary interrupted the excitement for a moment. "Does no one else see this beautiful baby? Abigail, explain to us what prompted you to adopt a baby?"

"Well...she was an old friend of mine's baby. She, unfortunately, died in childbirth and her father passed away only a few months after she found out she was pregnant. I had reconnected with her mother, a woman who I had gone to school with, when I was in town selling eggs one day. I was there when she went into labor. She was an only child and her parents died twenty years ago. So Josephine, here, had no family to take her when she was born. So I adopted her. I apologize for not reaching out to anyone in a while, but taking care of her and Cody and my mom took up all of my time." She smiled down at the baby in her arms. "But she was worth it. Weren't you? Weren't you?" She asked her new daughter, giving her a small Eskimo kiss.

"Oh, Abigail. You must be so exhausted." Rosemary said, placing a hand on the mayor's back. "Let's get you home so you can sit down and rest."

"Hey, did any of you see where my dad went?" Christopher asked.

"I think he went back to work." Florence answered him, looking down the street toward Gowen Petroleum.

"Thank you." Christopher said, picking up his suitcase and Rachel's. "Mom, are you coming with us?" He asked Beatrice as she lifted up her own suitcase.

"Yes, dear. I am right behind you." The brunette woman told her son and she followed him and Rachel to Gowen Petroleum.

"So how old is she?" Molly asked Abigail as the mayor sat down on the sofa in the back of her cafe.

"Almost five months." Abigail told them, cradling the baby and gently bouncing her. Josephine's eyes widened as she looked up at the ceiling in this new place.

"She is so sweet." Elizabeth smiled, sitting beside her best friend with Little Jack in her lap.

"Isn't she?" Abigail agreed. "And she has been so amazing. Not too fussy."

"That's wonderful, Abigail. You look so happy."

"I am." Abigail looked around at her friends. "I never really had a chance to be a mom to a girl. And Becky is wonderful, but she is already a young woman. I've always wanted to get to brush a daughter's hair and get her new dresses and new dolls. So I am excited to do all of that for Josie."

"She is so lucky to have you." Dottie told her, sitting in the chair across from the sofa.

Little Jack started to babble a bit, looking at the baby younger than him. He tried to hand her a toy that he had with him, but Josie just stared at it. "Oh, that's sweet, Little Jack, but Josie doesn't really play with toys like that yet." Elizabeth tried to explain to her son.

"Aw, how sweet." Florence said. "Maybe I should adopt a baby. I really miss having one and babysitting Jack has really given me that itch again."

"Yes, I know how you feel." Molly agreed.

"Speaking of babysitting, Abigail...if you ever need someone to watch Josephine, I'd be more than happy to." Florence smiled at the baby from her seat.