Hannah's Rainbow: Every Color Beautiful

Chapter Five

"Wh- what?" Erik spluttered, his voice cracking. "You mean- ?"

"You're pregnant?" Hannah asked eagerly. "You mean, I won't be the youngest anymore? I've always wanted a younger sister!"

"Hey, it could be a brother," Harry cut in. "Erik and I would have a little scrapper to train up."

Amy was oddly silent through the news. The other children offered their congratulations. Harry tactlessly remarked that he thought "Ma had been getting fat." Hannah kicked him under the table.

The remainder of the meal passed with the usual rowdiness of the Rechthart household. Hannah seemed to be the only one who noticed how quiet Amy was. Once Hannah and Amy were in their room later, Amy revealed her feelings.

"Can you believe them?" she asked incredulously. "A baby!"

"Yeah? What's wrong with that?"

"I'm twenty. It's just... wrong. Ma isn't exactly of childbearing age, either. Everyone thinks it's wonderful, so I guess I'm the only one who feels this way."

Hannah just stared at her sister.

"I'm taking a bath," Amy said, walking out of the room and shutting the door firmly.

Hannah shrugged.

While Hannah was reading, Amy returned and slumped onto her bed. Hannah closed the book with a snap and placed it aside.

For several long minutes, neither sister spoke. Hannah began to drift into a daydream when Amy's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ma will probably want me to help raise the baby. She'll be too tired to look after it."

"I could help," Hannah said. "You were my age when I was born. Didn't you say you loved having a baby sister?"

"I was ten, and all I had were two annoying brothers. Of course I was ecstatic to have a sister. When I was your age, Hannah, I was like you - excited, happy, imagining what having a new baby in the house would be like. I've grown up."

"Seems to me you've grown bitter," Hannah mumbled, sitting up and leaving the room for her own bath.

Hannah didn't speak to Amy again that night. By the time she returned to their room, Amy was asleep. Keeping the door open to allow the light from the hall in, Hannah rolled onto her side and stared at Amy's slumbering form. She was beginning to drift off when the door creaked. Hannah turned to see Ma stepping into the room.

"Goodnight, Hannah," Ma said softly, kissing her on the head.

"Goodnight, Ma." Hannah wondered if she should say anything about Amy, but thought better of it.

"You're the only one who still lets me say goodnight to them," Ma said somberly, her eyes briefly glancing over at Amy. The wrinkles around those eyes were deeper than Hannah remembered. When Ma pushed an errant lock of hair from her forehead, it was grey.

"But pretty soon you'll have a new baby to take care of," Hannah said.

"Are you all right with no longer being the youngest?"

"Sure. I always wondered why you didn't have any more kids after me."

Ma's hazel eyes glazed over with tears, and her smile was forced. She patted her daughter's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"What's wrong, Ma?" asked Hannah. "Did I say something?"

"It's nothing... nothing, child," Ma murmured. "There are some things... never you mind. Go to sleep now. I love you."

Ma kissed Hannah tenderly on the forehead, leaving her in confusion as she tried to find sleep in thoughts too troubled for one so young.

The following day after church and lunch, Hannah wandered the neighborhood. Louisa and Rosemary were planting tomatoes in the side garden when Hannah arrived and offered to help. The pair were both freckled with green eyes. That was where their similarities ended. While Rosemary was petite and quiet, Louisa was prone to loudness and was big-boned.

Louisa turned around, her long auburn hair in a braid. "Sure, Hannah. Thanks. Would you like-" She stopped speaking and nearly dropped the basket of tomato plants. "Your hair!"

"Do you like it?" Hannah asked.

"It's pretty," Rosemary said shyly.

"It's fine," Louisa put in.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Hannah asked archly.

Louisa shrugged. "You look like everybody else, that's all. You can always grow it out, right?"

"What makes you think I'm going to grow it out?"

"Louisa, maybe you should just let it go," Rosemary suggested, but neither her sister nor Hannah seemed to hear her.

Placing her hands on her hips in well-rehearsed fashion, Hannah shot back, "Yeah, well... you're a real Mrs. Grundy. You've worn your hair the same for ever and ever. You're as bad as my mother with her boring buns." The moment the words left her month, Hannah regretted them as she thought back to the previous night and her mother's strange tears.

"Never mind," Hannah said, deflated.

She tore off, dashing tears away, unsure why she was crying. She didn't think it was because of Louisa's opinion of her hair so much as what she'd said about Ma.

Abigail Miller wasn't home, but she was pleased to find Elizabeth Bradford available.

"You came at the perfect time," her friend said as she stepped outside. "I'd just finished my chores for the day. By the way, your hair looks marvelous, Hannah. Did you know I was thinking of getting a bob before school starts?"

Elizabeth, or as she preferred to be called these days - Betsy, was a practical girl, forthright, and she wasn't likely to take risks when the other girls dared to do something naughty. Betsy was a year older, and her dark brown hair and large brown eyes rested on an amiable face, a head taller than Hannah.

"Thank you," Hannah replied. "Louisa didn't seem to think so, but I think she's just jealous."

Betsy shrugged. "I was thinking I'd go by Elizabeth next school year. It sounds more grown up than Betsy. I've been Betsy for two years now. I've done Beth, Liz, Eliza, and even Lizzy when I was really young. Mother said it's time I made up my mind."

"Whatever you decide, I'm sure it'll be fine," Hannah said. "I've always been Hannah."

Betsy smiled. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"The swings at the park?" Hannah suggested.

"Sure."

The two girls walked hand-in-hand to the park and whiled away the afternoon at the playground. Hannah didn't bring up that the neighborhood boys might be skinny-dipping in the pond just through the trees.

I'm going to be a big sister now. It's time to grow up, Hannah thought as she swung high, trying to fly the swing over the pole it hung from.

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