Help when it was needed most

Soon they arrived at the couple's home. They ushered Gia and Braelyn inside and set them down in a chair next to the fire. Agustus went around the back of the house while Ruthie busied herself by drawing water and warming it next to the fire, then she brought out some blankets, a dress, and several other small odds and ends.

"Why don't you and the baby get cleaned up, dearie, you can join Agustus and me for dinner." Ruthie said as the door opened again.

"Don't force them Ruthie, ya might frighten the poor youngin'." His voice was soft as he smiled at his wife.

"I just want to help them Gus, we've been missing all the kids lately and I just want to pretend like we have a family again."

"I know Ruthie dear, I know, but the girl here ain't Emmie or Lila, and she ain't one of the grand babes neither."

"I know that." Ruthie said looking dejected. "I just want to help her is all."

"It's quite alright, I appreciate the help. And I would love for the chance to clean myself and Lyn. We've been on the road a couple days now and probably don't smell too pretty." This made the old woman smile.

"Then let me help you as much as I can." The old woman was beaming and spoke so cheerfully. "I can hold the baby while you wash up if you'd like."

"Oh," Gia said apprehensively, "well she's only ever been held by me and the birthing attendant, I'm afraid she might be nervous with someone new."

"Oh, I didn't mean to overstep." Ruthie looked sad at Gia's words."

"I think we can give it a try though." Gia said, hoping to erase the sad look on the woman's face. She supposed that with all their kids and grandkids grown and gone that Ruthie didn't get much of a chance to hold babies anymore.

Gia handed Braelyn over to Ruthie and the older woman looked as if it were the happiest she had been in so long.

"Oh, she's so little, how old is she dearie?" Ruthie asked without taking her eyes off the baby. Gia knew she couldn't tell the truth about how old she was, but she didn't want to exaggerate too much either. A woman as experienced with babies as Ruthie was certain to know if she was lying too much.

"She's three weeks old." Gia settled with three weeks instead of three days, babies change a lot in the first month, she knew that, but she knew that she could probably pass that off as believable.

"Oh my, why would you be travelling when she was just born?" Ruthie asked, concerned.

"Oh, well my husband and I were preparing to move, and he went on ahead of me to get things ready. But he was injured and unable to come back for us. We had no choice but to continue on our own." Gia hoped she wasn't laying this on too thick. She didn't want their sympathy, just to make it out of here without arousing their suspicions.

"You poor dear, is he going to be alright?" Ruthie asked once again showing her concern for the young woman and baby she was trying to help.

"We believe so, he was just not able to ride out to meet us so I thought we should get to him as soon as possible. He has yet to meet his baby after all, and I know that once he sees her it will make his recovery that much easier."

"You might be right about that, dearie, this adorable face would make anyone feel better."

"Yes, ma'am, I'm hoping it does."

"Oh dearie, just call me Ruthie, no need to be formal." Ruthie said smiling, and then she laughed. "But I guess I have been calling you dearie and haven't asked you your name." Gia was waiting for this question, so she had a name already picked out, she was going to use the name of the maid she had to send away before.

"My name is Bette ma'a.. Err, I mean Ruthie." Ruthie laughed again.

"Well, Bette my dear, you get yourself cleaned up and into some fresh clothes, I brought some out for you that used to belong to my granddaughter Liza, you look to be about her size."

"That's much-appreciated Ruthie, thank you." Gia was incredibly grateful, the baby seemed to be doing ok in Ruthie's arms and Ruthie didn't seem to suspect that they were anything other than she claimed them to be.

It felt nice to get clean, she would have preferred a true bath, but washing the dirt from her body and getting into clean clothes was going to have to suffice. She was sitting in a chair in Ruthie's room brushing out her long hair when she heard the front door open again. She stiffened automatically, her nerves still on edge. She put the brush down at once and hurried out of the room. What she saw when she entered was Ruthie rocking the baby in her arms next to the fire and Agustus coming back in carrying a chicken over his shoulder.

"Sorry if I startled ya." Agustus said seeing the panicked look on her face.

"No, no you didn't I was just wanting to see if there was something I could help with, after I wash the baby up that is." She tried her best to keep her voice even and normal and not to reveal how frightened she had been that someone might have found them or that these kind old folks had stolen her baby and left.

"It's ok ta be jumpy, youngin', yar a beautiful young woman travelling alone with a baby, yar right ta be on edge. I hope ya can relax a little here for the night at least, Ruthie is so happy ta have ya."

"I will definitely try." Gia said, smiling apologetically before walking over to Ruthie and the baby.

"She's been sleeping the whole time, dear. I didn't want to wake her by cleaning her up." Ruthie whispered as she gently handed the baby over. Gia was happy to hear the woman's words. She was worried the woman might try to bathe her while Gia was in the other room and then she would notice the birthmarks on her back. She did not know how she was going to explain that if they saw them.

"That's fine, I'll wait to clean her up until she wakes up. It's bound to be soon. She will be hungry again before long." Gia sat holding the baby while Ruthie went to the kitchen to prep for supper.