Hiding their true identities

Gia had been right about the baby being hungry soon, it was not even five minutes later when the baby woke up. Gia was concerned about this as well, except for the initial cry from Gia's slap on the baby's bottom at birth she had never heard the baby cry. She knew that Ruthie and Agustus would be expecting the baby to cry when she was hungry like normal babies do, but what would they think when Braelyn never cried. She needn't have worried though, because Braelyn seemed to sense what was expected of her and awoke with a soft cry that nearly startled Gia. She just barely managed to hold in the gasp she felt coming. Instead she patted the baby's bottom and made shushing noises.

"Shh, it's ok my baby girl, Momma's here for you." Gia felt elated to say the words but also knew that it was wrong. She shouldn't feel happy about it, Braelyn had her own mother, and it was not Gia.

"Here you go Bette, my dear." Ruthie said holding something out to Gia.

"What is it?" Gia asked.

"It's the milk for the baby." Ruthie told her, holding out one of the bottles that Gia had used to feed the baby from earlier in the day.

"Thank you very much." Gia said, feeling truly thankful. She offered the bottle to Braelyn and the baby took it happily. She drank the milk like she enjoyed it, perhaps it tasted better than the donated nurse milk that she had been drinking thus far.

"Not too fast, Lyn." Gia cooed to the bundle in her arms as she set the bottle aside and put the baby up on her shoulder to gently pat her back.

"You're a natural with her." Ruthie noted.

"That ya are, looks ta me like ya was meant to be a mother." Agustus added.

"I don't think I'm doing anything that well." Gia said embarrassed as she blushed a soft pink.

"I think you're the perfect mother to that baby." Ruthie said, startling Gia. Did she know that Gia wasn't really her mother and was stating it? No, she had to be overthinking what she said.

"I think it's more like I have the perfect daughter, she has been a blessing since day one." Gia said as she smiled fondly down at the baby she loved so dearly.

"I think you're both special, and I am so happy we could help you on your way dearie."

"Ya truly are some special youngin's, I'm happy ta be doin' my part as well." Agustus added to Ruthie's statement.

"Lyn and I are so happy that we've met you as well, I can't thank you enough." The three of them smiled at each other for a few more moments.

Gia continued to feed the baby until the milk was gone, then she stripped the diaper cloth off her and cleaned her up with the water near the fire. She did her best to hide Braelyn's back from view, which was made easier by the fact that she was still so tiny. After washing her up and putting her in new diaper clothes Gia wrapped her back in the blanket and laid her back into the apple box that served as her bassinet.

"Don't you have any gowns or biggins for the baby dear?" Ruthie asked Gia after she had settled Braelyn in for another nap.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't at this time, my husband took all the clothes with him for the move, so I have little with me at this time."

"Oh, dear me, that's not good."

"No, it's ok Ruthie, that blanket is lovely and warm, it does well enough. And we will be at our new home soon enough, just a few more days." Gia tried her best to calm the older woman's concerned look.

"That may be true, Bette, but we can do one better, isn't that right Agustus?" Ruthie asked her husband who had already risen from the table."

"Right ya are, Ruthie, right ya are." Agustus was climbing the small ladder that was in the corner of the room that led to a small storage area built into the ceiling above. A few moments later he came back carrying a leather sack with him, it was a bit bulky and looked quite heavy.

"Oh, let me help you with that." Gia said, jumping to her feet.

"Nonsense, lass, I may be old and ya may be a youngin', but I'm still strong enough ta be kickin' and ya just had a babe, ya don't need to be frettin' over me." Gia felt embarrassed to be having these people coddling her, but she knew she could not deny any of it without having a lot of explaining to do, so she just sat back down and kept silent.

The sack seemed to be filled with all sorts of old clothes, mostly for babies and children.

"There are some lovely baby gowns in here that would do wonders for you right now, I'm sorry that they are not quite the newest style but if you'd like them, then they're yours." Ruthie was beaming at Gia as if giving this gift to Gia was the best gift that Ruthie could receive.

"Oh my, that's far too generous of you." Gia said startled. "I couldn't possibly take all that, you must have spent so much money on them and poured so much love into them."

"We used them for what we needed to dearie, but now I'm afraid they won't do anyone any good here." Ruthie looked a little sad as she spoke. "Our children have grown as have their children, most of them do not come back home to visit very often, and they have everything they need for their children, please Bette, do an old woman a kindness by accepting this gift."

"The one accepting a kindness is me, Ruthie, this is so generous of you, and if you insist then I would gratefully accept this wonderful gift." The two women beamed at each other. Gia felt as if this meeting with Ruthie and Agustus was a mark of fate, she was doing the right thing by heading this way and meeting this wonderfully helpful couple was proof that she was on the right track.

That night Gia sat down to a dinner of roasted chicken and potatoes with Ruthie and Agustus, after three days of dried fruits and meats it tasted like the best food Gia had ever had. They had a night of pleasant talk about Ruthie and Agustus' children, Gia loved hearing them reminisce about them. Once evening fell and they were all stuffed from dinner and ready for bed, Ruthie made a lovely bed next to the fire for Gia to sleep on with Braelyn at her side. It was made from soft blankets that seemed to hold so many memories for the elderly couple. As Gia laid in the bed snuggling the baby close, she thought about how much love this couple had to give and was glad she could experience some of it.