Rebuilding Appaloosa Plains

In the early morning light, with her dad all to herself, Emery cast her line and patiently wait for a nibble. She enjoyed the soft sounds of the bugs and birds waking up, the steady and somehow delicate crashing of the waterfall into the pond, and quiet talks with her father. Her favorite was when he’d talk about growing up in the city… although by how he described it, she didn’t think she would want to live there. It sounded very busy and noisy – nothing like their home or Cinnamon Crest Falls. Emery cherished these mornings. With three younger siblings at home, it was hard to get quality one-on-one time with her parents, let alone quiet time to herself, even though she had her own room. Soon Aria would have her own room, too… ‘ Maybe the house will be quieter when that little noise-maker has her own space, ’ she thought. As it was, spending time at Cinnamon Crest Falls felt like a blessing. While Bridget spent her mornings gardening and minding the younger kids, Altman would take...

Bridget rubbed the sleep from her eyes, hoping the plastic over the insulation had kept any harmful dust out of her eyes and lungs as she slept. It had been their first night in the new building that would eventually grow into their main house. For now, though, it was just a newly insulated room that they’d hurriedly moved their bed and night stands into. Bridget was eager to get the drywall and painting done as soon as possible; ideally within the week, despite how busy the season was for the garden. It had been two months since her last period, and she was fairly certain they’d soon be meeting the consequences of their cohabitation – or perhaps one of their many sleepovers before Altman moved in. They wanted a family, and sure enough, they were getting one! It wasn’t long before Bridget had to trade her usual overalls for loose-fitting dresses and the race was on to get the house ready for a new arrival. It was also an especially important season for the garden. Autumn meant b...