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Chapter Thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Believe it or not, this is my first quilt," Allie beamed with pride as she held up the quilt she'd spent the last two weeks working so hard on.

"It's a bit crooked but I'll bet it's warm," Amelia noted, glancing up from the arithmetic she was working on.

Allie rolled her eyes, "It's not crooked, Amelia, your head is tilted."

"No, it's crooked, dear," Martha assured her.

Allie frowned as she folded her blanket up. She didn't care if it was crooked. It was the first quilt she had ever made and she was proud of it. Glancing at the clock, Allie smiled, "I've got to go get Michael."

"Can you and Michael stop at the mercantile and pick up a bit of fabric I ordered. Jamison said it would be in today," Martha requested. "I have to get down to the café before the dinner rush comes in. Marybeth, Sara, Maria and Tom can't handle all that on their own."

Allie nodded, 'Sure will. Amelia, do you want to come with me?" Allie asked as she shoved herself to her feet and tested her weight on her ankle. It had been two weeks since she'd injured it and today was her first day without crutches. It seemed to have healed up just fine.

"I can't," Amelia mumbled. "I have to finish up this and then read a chapter out of the book Mrs. Miller gave me."

Allie smiled. Amelia might be mumbling now but the truth was the girl loved school and being back around other children.

"Oh, and Allie? Could you try to get Michael to come to the café to eat his supper tonight? I think it would be good for him," Martha added.

"Of course," Allie replied and then she felt her heart warm when Martha hugged her tight and kissed her cheek. It had taken a while to get accustomed to such affection from a grandmother figure. Allie had never been shown affection in her life other than from Amelia and Michael, but she found that she liked it. Martha was a wonderful person and Allie knew that is who Michael had inherited his beautiful soul from.

Allie left the hotel and stepped out onto the boardwalk. It was a strange feeling; this sensation of belonging somewhere. While she still felt those nagging doubts in her head at times and she probably was keeping a slight guard up for self-preservation, Allie still felt like these people were her family.

Even Marybeth and Sarah had finally warmed up to her and to Michael. Michael had several other cousins in town, mostly much older than him and they had been welcoming as well. As a matter of fact this whole town seemed a welcome change from anything that Michael or Allie had ever known before.

Allie had never once lived a stable life free from the threat of violence and hunger and for the last two weeks she had had just that. There was no one trying to hurt them and they always knew where their next meal was coming from. Finally Amelia had a good life, Michael had a good life, and Allie.... Allie was the happiest that she had ever been in her entire life. She was happier than she had ever imagined she could be.

***

"Well I'll be damned! I'll make a carpenter out of you yet," Pete boasted proudly as he patted Michael's back and the two men gazed upon the cabin scene that Michael had etched into a slab of wood.

"Does it look good?" Michael questioned his friend skeptically. It had felt strange at first to have a friend that was a man. He'd grown accustomed to Amelia and Allie's friendship and to Martha but Pete had been different.... Michael felt almost as if he had a brother, a real brother, and not one that beat him with sticks and made fun of him.