Fairchild's 7 Daughters-The 12: Book One

42. The Return

Miss Martin smiled as the five children of her class who had headed the return raced away from the school house toward Main Street. Heloise led the way with Alifair behind her and Olive Johnson not too much further behind with Hannah at the rear.

As they neared the town Olive matched her pace with Heloise. "Look, Hannah was right the post looks great." The girls waved to Mr. Siegfried as he passed by with a hammer before hurrying over to the shoe store. The frame was already set and Mr. St. Cloud and his brother Marion were looking over blueprints and fussing that Ira wasn't doing it right.

"Who's the architect here, me or you?" Ira challenged.

"None of you," Jessop said as he passed by with lumber on his shoulder. "You haven't finished school yet."

Ira rolled his eyes and dismissed all three of them. He walked outback where Annie sat with Selene and Astrid painting signs.

"What do you think, honey?"

Ira examined the signs. "It looks fine, but must you really make everything look like a nursery."

Annie only scoffed and rubbed her large stomach. "It's all subconscious." She let him kiss her hand before he was off again to inspect more building projects.

Selene laughed then got up from the table to put the post office sign with the others beneath the tree to dry. She rounded the tree to the other side where Jethro sat drawing. "That looks like Fairchild Place."

"Ira asked me what the town needs and I said a library. I can't draw from scratch, just memory and this is the nicest building I have stored away there."

Selene smiled. "Heloise will like that."

"And what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, I know you love books and thought you'd make a great librarian."

Selene smiled again and kissed his forehead discreetly.

/

Taitiann stood back in the dusty street watching the post office be built, holding her hammer in one hand. Miriam joined her and the two admired the hard work being done.

"You wouldn't have thought it possible just a month ago," Taitiann said and Miriam nodded.

"Come on, I need help serving refreshments."

As the sisters turned away an automobile came honking up Main. The people who were building began to wave back as the automobile stopped in front of the frame of the general store. Mr. Calico stepped out and the people rushed him as he went around to help his wife.

Everyone was welcoming them back, and all around happy to see them, but Mr. Calico was looking for one young woman in particular. "Miriam!" he called out when he saw her. Miriam pushed through the people with Taitiann behind her. Hearing the commotion, Selene, Astrid, Heloise, Alifair and Hannah also came running. "I'm happy to see all of you well," Mr. Calico said. "Now I have someone who wants to see you." He opened the car door and reached his hand in. From the inside a woman placed her hand in his and stepped out.

"Mama!" Selene screamed throwing her arms around her. Grace was soon surrounded by her seven children kissing each of them repeatedly as the people cheered.

"My darlings, my darlings. I should have never left my little darlings," she wept.

"Oh, Mama, so much has happened," Miriam said. "There is so much I want to tell you and—" She looked past her mother to the other side of the car and her heart raced. She glanced at her mother to make sure it was all real and the woman nodded. "Papa." Miriam felt something in her heart that she had never felt before.