Field of Poppies

June 1909 Hunting and Mending

            Ada and John had been arguing all morning. It all started off with Ada telling everyone that John had kissed Martha behind a tree. John was adamant that they hadn't even gotten close to each other. Ada said otherwise because she said Martha's friend Bess had confirmed that the two had kissed. The two erupted in a huge argument and Polly did her best to break it up. But the two kept bringing it back up.

Arthur and Tommy were itching to get away from the chaos so they made an excuse about going hunting with some of the other Strongs.

Polly saw the helplessness in Amelia's eyes so she suggested that the pregnant woman go for a walk to get some space. Amelia agreed, glad to get some quiet time. So, she went for a walk along the river, adoring the sun on her face.

Along the way, her feet got a little swollen so she decided to take a rest. She walked closer to the bank of the river.

Nearby, there was a woman kneeling beside a basin. At first, Amelia thought she was watching clothes, but then a little hand popped up. She realized the woman was bathing a little baby.

A bit curious, Amelia inched a little closer. That gained the attention of the woman who looked up and smiled at her.

"You look like you're due soon." She noted.

Amelia put a hand to her stomach. "Oh, about a month and a half." She answered sheepishly.

"Is it your first?"

Amelia nodded.

"This is my second." The woman waved her over. "My name is Maxine." She introduced herself to invite Amelia to sit. "This is Ava."

She took the invitation and sat near the woman who appeared to be a couple of years older than her. The baby in the basin was about six months and had lovely green eyes. "I'm Amelia."

"It's nice to meet you." Maxine smiled warmly. "I know it can be a little scary with your first pregnancy."

"It's been a bit of a journey." She admitted. "Sometimes I still wake up and it's hard to believe that..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Ava. The baby peered up at her and waved her hand, splashing the water with a gummy smile. "That I'll have a baby so soon. Someone that's so dependent on me."

"I know it can be surreal now, but once you hold your child, you'll know. You'll know how to love them with all your heart." She assured her.

The two had only just recently met, but Amelia was starting to see that there was a sort of bond between mothers. It gave her some relief to know that there were others who understood her fears and doubts.

Maxine grabbed a towel and scooped up Ava to dry her off. "Could you hold her for a moment?" She wondered.

"Oh, sure." Amelia cradled the baby in her arms. Ava cooed softly and reached for Amelia's hair.

Maxine stood up to dump out the water and rinse the basin out in the river. "Is the father around?" She asked.

"The father? Oh oh, um no. Well, not the biological father, at least." Amelia answered, looking up from Ava. "There's someone very close to me who offered to help me."

"That's very good. You can do it on your own but it isn't easy. Having family around is helpful." She set the empty basin down by the river bank and sat down again. She smiled. "See, you're already a natural at this." She motioned to Ava.