Chapter 1.
It was nearly midday and Tabitha's arms ached. This time, milking cows wasn't the reason. She adjusted the box she was carrying, redistributing the weight, and told herself it was only a little further through the orchard.
Hope and Fairfax had moved into their B&B and the family were moving Matthew and Grace from Wilma's guesthouse to the house where Hope and Fairfax once lived. The house was not far. Just far enough to make carrying boxes feel like a punishment.
It was a beautiful morning at least. The Baker Apple Orchard was about as pretty as anything in the county, the trees full and green, sunlight coming through the branches. Tabitha had been there so often it was like her second home.
She saw Aunt Favor ahead and hurried to catch up with her.
“Aunt Favor, wait! You're almost dropping that box. It's tilting to the left.”
Favor looked down. “Thanks. I didn't think you'd be here today.”
“Mamm made me come.”
Favor laughed. “At least you're honest.”
“Why would I be anything else?”
“I'm not suggesting that, but I thought you'd say you wanted to help out, even if you didn't.”
They kept walking. “I see. Anyway, I was going to visit with you soon to ask you questions, but I might as well do it now.”
Favor frowned. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. I've been visiting all of Mamm's sisters lately. Spending time with each one. I'm trying to learn about love and marriage. Before I — well. Before I need to know.”
Favor glanced at her sideways. “Are you thinking of getting married? You’re a little young for that.”
“Not immediately. But I thought it was better to find out things beforehand rather than afterwards. Everyone seems to have learned things I don't know yet.”
Favor paused. “Well,” she said finally, “the first thing you need to understand is that it all depends on what position you are in the family.”
Tabitha looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“Birth order. It determines more than people like to admit.” Favor stepped over a gnarled root in the path. “Cherish was the youngest. You know that better than anyone.”
“She's my mother, so yes.”
“Spoiled rotten.” Favor said it without particular heat, just as established fact. “Got everything she ever wanted. Always did. Still does, if we're being honest about it.”
“And you were the second youngest so what does that mean?”
“I was completely overlooked. Invisible from birth to the present day, more or less.” Favor paused. “I'm not bitter about it, mind you. I'm just stating facts.”
“Surely not —”
“You'll be perfectly fine,” Favor continued, as if Tabitha hadn't spoken. “You only have brothers. That's a significant advantage that women with sisters never quite appreciate until it's too late.”
Tabitha looked confused. “Is it? Better to have brothers?”
“Oh, enormously. No competition for attention. No comparing. No watching someone else get the thing you wanted and trying to smile about it. I always wished I'd had brothers instead of all those sisters. Every single one of them getting noticed in one way or another while I…” Favor stopped. “Well. Anyway. You'll be fine.”
They walked in silence for a moment, the trees rustling softly overhead. Tabitha wondered what birth order had to do with knowing how to choose the right husband, but she didn't think she'd get a straight answer.
“Can I ask you something else?” Tabitha said.
“You can try.”
“What about work? I've been thinking lately that maybe getting a job would be the fastest way off the dairy farm. Something easier than milking twice a day. Do you think —”
“Don't talk to me about dairy farms. I'm sorry. It's just — we moved to your family's farm specifically to help your father run it. Gave up what we had, came here, worked that farm for years.” She paused. “And then when you and your brothers were grown and didn't need the help anymore, we discovered he didn't need us either.”
“That must have been hard.”
“It was what it was.” Favor adjusted her grip on the box. “These things happen.”
“But —” Tabitha seemed to be working something out. “Don't you have alpacas now?”
“Yes. Well. We had to do something so we wouldn't starve, didn't we?” Favor stared at her, blinking rapidly.
Tabitha opened her mouth and then closed it again, not wanting to say the wrong thing.
They emerged from the orchard into the clearing around the cottage, and the moving chaos surrounded them immediately — furniture being shuffled through doorways, boxes stacked along the path, people calling instructions to each other across the yard. Matthew was directing something near the front door. Grace was visible through the open kitchen window, unwrapping dishes, looking flushed and happy.
Favor set her box down and stretched her back. It was a good little cottage. Solid and well-made, with a proper garden patch and enough room for a family to grow into.
“Hope and Fairfax have been happy here for years,” she said. “Matthew and Grace will be happy here too.”
“Did you hear what Florence did?” someone nearby was saying — one of the neighbors who'd come to help. “Bought the whole B&B and handed them the key. Just like that.”
“She's always been so generous,” someone else agreed warmly. “It's a wonderful thing.”
“Hope must have been absolutely overwhelmed. Can you imagine?”
Favor picked up an empty crate that needed returning to the wagon and busied herself with it.
“And so good for Eliza too,” the first voice continued. “To have her mother right there. Such a blessing for the whole family.”
Tabitha watched her aunt carry the crate to the wagon and stand there a moment, looking back at the orchard. Something had changed in Favor's expression. She followed her over. “Aunt Favor, are you all right?”
Favor turned. “I'm not upset or bitter over it. I want you to know that. I'm pleased for Hope. I truly am.” She looked back toward the cottage where Grace was laughing at something through the kitchen window. “It's just that I find myself thinking sometimes about what Simon and I gave up to come here and help the family, and what we came away with. Cherish got Aunt Dagmar's farm. Hope has gotten the B&B now. And Simon and I got — well. We got alpacas.”
“The alpacas are very nice,” Tabitha said.
“They are,” Favor agreed. “They're surprisingly good company.” She picked up another crate. “Come on. Let's get this wagon unloaded.”
Tabitha followed her back toward the work, turning her aunt's words over in her mind. Everyone seemed to be carrying something.
