SPRINGTIME PROMISES *complete*

CHAPTER 5: A SPIRIT UNBOUND

Mabel Eliza Bruton leaned out of her bedroom window, letting the cool spring breeze dance through her loose hair. The scent of freshly bloomed flowers filled the air mingling with the distant sounds of Kingston stirring to life. It was the season of renewal and Mabel felt it in her very bones. She was twenty-one now - no longer a girl bound by the rigid expectations of her parents, and each day the urge to break free only grew stronger.

Downstairs, the usual morning bustle of the Bruton household began. Her mother, Minnie, was directing the day's activities with the precision of a general, while her father, Archibald, prepared for another day of teaching, but Mabel's mind was far from the routines of the family. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon, on the unknown world beyond Kingston—a world she longed to explore.

She imagined herself in Iroquois Falls, or perhaps even farther north, a place she'd only heard about in passing but dreamed of often. The wild, untamed landscape, the distant hum of industry, and the promise of new beginnings tugged at her heart. She had always been the restless one - the dreamer, the rebel. While her siblings found contentment in the familiar patterns of life, Mabel craved something more.

"Mabel!" her mother's voice called from below. "Come help with the laundry."

Sighing, Mabel pulled herself from the window and threw on her apron. The daydream would have to wait. For now, duty called. She descended the stairs, her steps light and graceful, though her spirit remained just a little too wild for the orderly confines of home.

In the kitchen, Edith was already at work, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to Mabel's more fiery disposition. At twenty-six, Edith had fully embraced her role within the family, helping their mother run the household and preparing for her upcoming marriage to Willard Coulter. Edith was everything Mabel was not—patient, selfless, content. While Mabel loved her sister dearly, she often wondered how Edith could be so at peace with the life she had. The thought of marrying a local farmer and settling into the predictable rhythm of Kingston's life made Mabel's heart race—but not in the good way.

"Mabel, you're late," Edith said with a gentle smile, handing her a basket of linens.

"I was just thinking," Mabel replied, her voice drifting off as she looked out the window again. "About what's out there."

Edith followed her gaze and smiled knowingly. "Still dreaming of leaving, aren't you?"

"I can't help it, Edie," Mabel admitted, dropping her pretense of focus. "I love Kingston, but I can't stay here forever. There's so much more beyond this town. Don't you ever wonder what it would be like to live somewhere else? To be someone else?"

Edith paused, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "Not everyone feels the need to leave, Mabel. Some of us find adventure in other ways."

"I know," Mabel said, though it was clear she didn't fully understand. Edith's life seemed so settled, so fixed in place. Mabel's heart, on the other hand, was like the wind—always moving, never content to stay in one spot for too long.

The rest of the morning passed with the usual chores, but Mabel's mind remained elsewhere. As she hung the linens to dry in the backyard, her thoughts drifted back to the idea of escape. She knew the other girls in Kingston her age were already thinking about marriage - about starting families of their own, but the thought of becoming just another farmer's wife—like her sister would soon be—made Mabel feel trapped. She needed more than that. She wanted to see new places, meet new people, and live a life that wasn't so...predictable.

After the chores were done, Mabel slipped away to the edge of the field where the Brutons' property bordered the woods. This was her sanctuary, where the trees whispered of distant lands and the wind carried secrets from far away. She sat on the cool grass and closed her eyes, imagining herself in Iroquois Falls, or perhaps traveling even farther north—somewhere wild, where the rules didn't matter and she could become whoever she wanted to be.

"Mabel?" A voice startled her from her thoughts.

It was her older brother, Harry, who had come looking for her. He was grinning, always ready to join her in some mischief.

"What are you doing out here? Dreaming again?" he teased, flopping down beside her.

"Of course," Mabel said with a smirk. "Someone has to dream around here."

Harry laughed. "Well, don't go too far. You might leave us all behind."

Mabel turned to look at him, her expression serious. "Maybe I will, Harry. Maybe I'll leave one day and never come back."

Harry's laughter faded, and he gave her a thoughtful look. "You really want to go, don't you?"

Mabel nodded. "More than anything. I love you all, but I need more than this. I want to see the world. I want to make my own life - my own choices."

Harry didn't reply right away. He had always admired Mabel's free spirit even if he didn't quite understand it. While he was content with their life in Kingston, he knew his sister was different. She was always meant for something more—something bigger.

"I think you will," he said finally. "You're not like the rest of us, Mabel. You'll go your own way."

Mabel smiled softly. "I hope so."

The two sat in companionable silence, the wind rustling the trees above them. Mabel knew that her dreams were still far off—there were responsibilities to fulfill and she couldn't leave her family behind just yet, but one day, when the time was right, she would go. She would leave Kingston and carve out a life for herself somewhere far from here, and perhaps, when she did, she'd find exactly what she was looking for—freedom, adventure, and a place where her spirit could finally soar.