Love Me Tender

15,March 1857.....

Emma had tears in her eyes as her best friend Grace was telling her of her move out west. Grace tried to smile about the whole idea her father had about moving his family out west to start a new way to live. Her father always had the wanderlust, well that's what her mother called it. She didn't want to leave the only home she knew and her best friend Emma. She tried to be strong for her mother told her that we had to be brave. 

Emma was very upset, Grace was her sister, her confidant, and the one person whom she could trust the most with her secrets. They have been together since birth, their mother's were best friends also. They were suppose to grow up together, find husbands together and raise their children together. It wasn't suppose to happen like this. 

Both girls hugged each other tight, Emma wiped a tear" Promise you won't forget me Gracie."

Gracie started to tear up" I promise Em that I won't forget you, as soon as I am old enough I will be back.''

Emma smiled" I am going to be so lonely here without you, my brother's don't have the time for me." 

Grace laughed" well neither do mine, at least I have one sister to share this misery with."

Emma smiled" I don't know how I got stuck with all brother's, but then again I am the baby." 

Grace smiled" well I am next to the last, I just have to deal with it as Mother says."

Emma grew quiet, she looked down and started to twiddle her thumbs together. Grace knew that Emma was going to be so lonely . So was Grace, she had her sister but Emma was the youngest of six. She was the only girl, and was spoiled to a point. She had new dresses and bonnets, her very own horse, and  whatever her parents bring her. Since her brothers were away at school, and her parents were mostly gone on different trips. Emma was alone all the time except for the slaves and her Mamie. 

Grace had her family around her constantly, she envied Emma for having everything and wasn't being smothered by her family all of the time. Emma would shake her head and her curls would bounce as she would push the fact that she would rather be smothered by love then gifts. The two girls hugged and stood and walked to the main house on Gracie's parents plantation. Emma was wiping the tears from her eyes as she walked up to Gracie's mother. 

Rebecca saw her two favorite girls in the whole world walk up from their hiding spot. She was going to miss Emma dearly, she wished that Susan would let them take her along with them. It wasn't like Susan was around to be the child's mother. The poor child she was being left alone in the world, her parents loved her but loved to travel more. 

Both girls were not happy about the move, Rebecca knew that this was going to be very hard on both of them. If it wasn't for her husbands wanderlust they wouldn't be moving away. There was no changing his mind, she tried but to no avail. She smiled" There's my two favorite girls, where have ya'll been?"

Emma looked up with red rimmed eyes, she had been crying. Rebecca's heart strings were pulling tight. She hated to see her upset, she felt her own eyes tearing up. She was going to try one more time to talk her mother into letting her go with them. She couldn't stand the thought of what was going to happen to such a sweet child. 

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" I am going to miss you so much Gracie, what am I to do without you?"

Grace hugged Emma tight" I won't forget you and one day we will be together again."

Grace stepped out of the hug and climbed into the cover wagon to embark on their journey. Rebecca grabbed the dainty child in her arms" I love you very much Emma."

Emma hugged her tight" I love you too, you have always been my mother and I wish I could go with ya'll."

James watched as his wife hugged his god daughter, he didn't like goodbyes. He felt the tears form in his eyes, it was a shame that her parents were being hard headed and won't let the child they could careless about go with them. He wiped his eyes and walked over to them," Rebecca my love, it's time."

Rebecca set the child down and kissed her forehead, she walked away crying. It felt like she was leaving one of her children behind. James kneeled down to Emma's height," I want you to promise me that you have a good life, and please write to us." 

Emma nodded her head" yes sir I will, and I will try to write a letter everyday ."

James stood and patted her head, he should just pick her up and take her with them without her parents permission. Since Susan had that miscarriage before Emma was born, she changed. When Emma was born she handed the child straight over to her Mamie. She rarely bestowed any type of motherly affection on the child. She and Phillip were gone most of the time, and so Emma would be at their house all of the time. Now that wouldn't happen since they were moving out west. He knew that there was talk of war and he wanted to get his family out of harms way. 

Emma watched as they were all loaded into the covered wagon and started down the road. She was bawling, why couldn't she go with them? Her parents didn't really want her, especially her mother. It was like she was paying for something, she didn't know what. Sure they bought her everything that a child could want, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be loved, to have a father and mother that would take the time to be her parents and love her.

Her family was leaving her again, this time her real family was leaving her behind and not coming back to get her. She walked to her horse and climbed up sat side saddle. She wanted to go home to her Mamie, she would make some of this pain go away.  She always had her Mamie, no one could take her away from her. She had always been there for her, and would never say goodbye.

Emma let her horse gallop all the way home, she wanted to feel someone's warm arms around her. She wanted to be loved, not loved from a distance. As her mammie always told her" honey chile, becareful whatz ya ask for."

Emma smiled" good old Mamie," she would never leave her. As she walked in the door she felt those two arms wrap her in their warmth. She let the tears flow right there in her Mamie's arms, she didn't let not one stay. She missed her family already, she wished that she could have gone with them. 

That evening her Mamie sat her in her lap and brushed her long golden brown hair out to a soft sheen. She loved to have her hair brushed, it was something that always calmed her down.  She yawned and knew that it was time for bed. She hoped that Grace was having a wonderful and exciting evening. She wished her all the happiness in the whole world. She was stuck here until something happened to free her from this prision. What could that mean? She wasn't sure exactly what that would be, she would leave it up to faith and prayer. Tomorrow she would write her first letter to Grace, she hoped that she could mail herself. 

She hopped into bed after saying her prayers, she was going to make sure one day she went out west. She wanted to live with the Richardson's forever and ever. Tomorrow was another day, she would figure this out. Even if it took years, she would be with Grace again and then they could grow old together. Wouldn't that be fun? just the two of them living out their lives. Maybe have a few kids, but first she would have to get married. Ewe, that would mean that she would have to kiss boys. Great, so far it isn't starting off great.