“Oh, is he fussy again?”Belle asked, washing her hands and taking the baby from Sally.“What is it, little one?”
As soon as Belle’s arms wrapped around the baby, he melted into her, his screams becoming soft sobs.“How did you do that?”Sally asked.
Belle shrugged.“He’s the same way with Maggie.I think he just wants me to be the one holding him all the time.Sometimes I think it may drive me mad.”
“Really?”Sally asked.“You seem so good with him.”
“I love him more than I can say, but I need the time I spend hunting to rejuvenate and be a better mother.I need the breaks, but I’m sorry he’s fussy for you.”
“I feel better just knowing that he’s the same with Maggie as he is with me.I thought I was doing something wrong or that he hated me.I’ve never really been around babies.”
Maggie walked into the cabin then with two baskets full of forage.“There’s still no new forage from spring, but I got a lot more lingonberries and Eskimo potatoes.I’m surprised so much of it survives the winter, but other than over-ripening, they are good to eat.The berries just need more sugar.”Maggie took a pail from the corner of the room and divided the forage into three parts.One part went in the pail for Belle, and the other two were placed in baskets.
Sally gladly accepted the basket with her share.“Thank you!I’m going to make jam and a pie, I think.”
“I’m sure both will be delicious.Is Tom happy to have a variety of foods and not just jerky and hardtack?”
Sally shrugged.“I think he could have happily eaten jerky and hardtack for the rest of his life, but he always compliments me on what I serve, so I think he likes it.He’s a hard man to read at times.”
Belle took something wrapped in a towel and added it to Sally’s basket.“I baked an extra loaf of bread for you,” she said.
“Thank you!I didn’t take the time to bake this morning.”Instead, she’d had a bath because she still felt dirty after washing the diapers.
“I’m glad I did it then!”Belle said.“And we’re bringing lunch tomorrow.You catch up on the things you didn’t get done this week because you were planting and taking care of my Bertie.”
“Are you sure?”Sally asked.“I could make a venison pot pie or something.”
“Not this time.I’m cooking for us all tomorrow, and Maggie is taking care of Sunday.I wonder what we’re all going to do with our weekends when we’ve built everything you need on your farm?”
Sally smiled.“I think I want a cold house like yours.I know Maggie said she doesn’t have room on her property for one, but we do, and then we could store double the meat.”
Maggie and Belle both nodded emphatically.“That would help us all out tremendously.I’ll talk to James about it tonight,” Maggie said.“I’m sure he’s going to want to wait a week or two after so many projects, but if it’s finished by fall, it’ll be fine.”
“Wonderful!I wasn’t sure if you ladies would like that idea.”
“We like all ideas,” Belle said.“The more animals we have and the more room we have to store those animals, the easier all our lives will be.”
“What will we do next year when we have all the structures we want?”Maggie asked.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you!Agnes is going to marry Jasper.”
“That’s wonderful!”Belle said.“Any idea when she’ll get here?”
“None.But I’m glad she’s coming.”Sally shook her head.“I’ve been worried about her ever since I left the hotel for the last time.”
“I worry about all of the ladies we left behind,” Belle responded.“Soon, we’ll all be settled in, and we’ll be able to do anything as we work together.”
Sally left Belle’s with a smile on her face.Her first two days with the baby were behind her, and a good friend would be joining them soon.Alaska was starting to feel like home.
