Abigail

Chapter 2

"Fool girl! Where ya been?" Mama scolded as soon as I walked through the door. She stood at the stove, working on supper and balancing my little brother on her hip as he cried.

"I'm sorry, Mama," I said automatically and went to get my screaming baby sister from her crib.

"That baby's been waiting for a diaper change for the past twenty minutes while you been dawdlin'," she complained. "And this one burned his self on the stove 'cuz you weren't here to watch him."

"Sorry, Mama," I said again, laying the baby down to change her diaper.

"You better hope your Pa's dinner ain't burnt too."

She continued to scold me and I did my best to block it out. Not for the first time - or even the first hundred - I wanted to yell back and tell her that these weren't my kids and they weren't my responsibility. If she couldn't take care of them all, she shouldn't have had so many. But of course, that would only result in a whipping when Pa got home, and there was a good chance I'd be getting one already for being late.

Christopher's plan was more appealing by the minute.

When the baby was clean, I hugged her to my body in an effort to calm her down. After a few minutes of swaying and humming, her crying quieted. Holding her away from my body, I smiled down at her.

"There," I said softly. "You're alright."

She smiled back at me and I squeezed that spot on her thigh to make her laugh.

"Stop foolin' around over there," Mama ordered. "Put that baby down and come take this one so I can finish up."

Throwing a scowl at my mother, I kissed the baby on the head and put her back in her crib.

Poor kid. You have no idea what you're in for yet, I thought as I moved to go get my little brother.

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"Pa?" I said softly from the doorway.

"What?" he answered, not sounding any happier to be bothered than he ever was. He leaned against the front of the house, smoking his pipe.

Stepping all the way outside, I stood beside him.

"I wanted to ask you somethin'," I started cautiously.

"Then ask," he said harshly.

"Well, I wondered if..."

He raised his eyebrow, irritated.

"If you'd give your permission for me to get married," I said. "To Christopher James?"

His eyes narrowed and he didn't look pleased. "You do somethin' with that boy?" he accused.

"No!" I said, my face warming.

He just watched me, wondering if I was telling the truth.

"I just thought-"

"Don't be stupid," he said. "I'll decide when it's time fer you to marry and to who," he cut me off.

"But, Pa-"

"I don't want to hear no more about this," he said harshly. "You're too you young to be decidin' these things."

"But-"

"That's enough!" he shouted. "Now get back inside and get to bed, 'fore I give you another whippin'."

My hands balled into fists and my jaw clenched in anger. I didn't exactly expect him to be happy about this, but I thought he'd at least listen!

If he wasn't so much bigger than me, I'd have shouted at him and made him listen. But my legs still stung from the switch he used on me earlier and I knew if I actually provoked him, he wouldn't bother with a switch. He'd probably hit me worse with his hands.

Pa raised an eyebrow, daring me to defy him and I turned and went inside, glaring at his back.

Chris was right. Pa didn't care. If I hadn't made that promise this afternoon, I'd have snuck out to see him to get started on our plan.

But I guess one more day wouldn't make much difference. As much as I didn't feel ready, having a baby would get me out of this house and away from my parents. And right now, nothing sounded better than that.