Janet had no problem remembering where she was when she woke. Em was no longer in bed and she heard the jingle of chains that she recognized as coming from the tug chains that hitched to the double tree. She looked out the window and saw Rick walking behind the team and the drag. What time was it? How long had she slept?
Janet walked into the kitchen and glanced at the clock. 10:30! "I'm sorry. I should have been..."
Dotty hugged the girl and said, "You should have been right where you were. You had a rough week last week and you need the sleep. I'll make you a good breakfast. As Dotty reheated the fried potatoes, cracked the eggs and lay out three pieces of bacon she said, "Eat all you can, Honey, we need to put some meat on those bones."
Dotty went to the back door and hollered, "She's up."
When Janet peeked outside, she saw Millie, Marlene and Em were there, along with a boy she had seen before but whose name she didn't know. He looked about 14 or 15. Millie hugged Janet and asked, "Did you sleep well?"
"It took a while to get to sleep. I can't believe this. Everybody's so nice and I was so ...
Dotty broke in, "You were very scared and you were poorly treated. That was the problem, and why you acted as you did. It was just your fear causing you to act that way. "
Janet teared up again and said, "Thanks Dotty."
"Honey, it's up to you but I'd be proud if you called me, "Mom."
More tears and hugs. "You mean it, I mean, can I?"
"Let's try it out. I love my daughter, Janet."
Dotty gave a questioning look to Janet who knew what she had to do, which was what she desperately wanted to do, "And I love my mom, Dotty."
More hugging and tears.
Millie finally said, "Hey, you two have the rest of your lives to love each other. Janet, we came over to see if you wanted to go on a buggy ride. This is Marlene's brother, Dean. He'll drive us."
Marlene quickly added, "I can drive horses but since we might end up with six or seven kids in the carriage, Dean thought we ought to take Ray and he's too hard for me to handle. Anyway, I don't like to drive on the roads. The cars or mostly the tractors going by may spook the horse and I don't think I could control him then.
In typical older brother fashion, Dean said, "You could control him. You just need a little more confidence."
"Well, don't expect me to add to my confidence today. With all my friends, especially this one who has been through enough, I'm not taking any chances." Marlene was hugging Janet as she said that.
Janet felt herself relaxing. These kids really did like her. She didn't think she deserved it but they liked her and she loved that they did.
Janet had never ridden in a horse-drawn carriage before. That in itself was fun but the day's itinerary was more gratifying. They first went to the homes of the other Distaff Quartet members and at each another girl joined the tour. They went to Millie's and had a picnic lunch. They stopped at the homes of all the girls in their class, even Suzy's. Suzy was subdued. She greeted Janet and said she had to go back into the house. The girls could tell she had been crying.
When she got home that afternoon, Janet was more relaxed and more confused. Why were all those girls so happy to see her? Why were they all so nice? It was two months before she found out that Millie had made sure all the girls understood what Janet's problem had been and her admonition that they accept Janet with kindness was almost a threat.
That was only the first of the events Millie had organized to integrate the new Janet, Janet Waverly, back into the class. Waverly wasn't really her name yet but Larry and Dottie had assured Millie that each of the three kids, Janet, Em and Rick, would be a Waverly before school started. They were confident that the adoptions would move smoothly. Larry was related to Tim Collier.
The second event was a Fourth of July picnic for the whole class at the swimming hole in the Pennebog River. Everyone came, along with enough adults to see to the children's safety, particularly water safety. As it appeared that the war would soon end - It had already ended in Europe - the government was beginning to sell war surplus items. The Eicher brothers who together owned two and a half sections had purchased two twelve by twelve tents. They did not have enough inside storage for the large amounts of seed and fertilizer they needed in the spring. The tents would keep the overflow out of the rain. Those tents were used at the picnic as dressing areas, one for boys and one for girls.
The parents of the Distaff Quartet girls noticed something interesting. The boys generally played with boys and the girls played with girls. There was the usual teasing between the sexes but there was no coupling off. The Quartet parents had talked among themselves. Wasn't eleven years old too young for their girls to have a special boyfriend? They came away satisfied today that all the children were still mostly just kids. The girls did have special friends among the boys, but only sometimes, as at the monthly outings. Usually the boys stayed together and the girls did, too. The Distaff Quartet seemed to be getting ready to add a new member. Yes, it looked very much like the Distaff Quartet was fast becoming the Distaff Quintet.
Larry and Dotty were pleased to notice the Janet mingled freely among the group. She didn't stay close to Millie as she had when she first came back. She had become much more relaxed and that was allowing her innate friendliness to blossom. And she had a sense of humor. Actually, she was becoming quite popular among her classmates.
All the kids were having fun. It was a good day.
As the picnic broke up, Millie and Janet asked Dotty if Janet could stay the night with Millie. At one point during the day, Janet had told Millie that they needed to talk. It was about Suzy. Suzy wasn't just snotty. She had other problems and Janet was pretty sure she knew what they were.
"Millie, she has some problem at home just like I had. I was sarcastic because my mother hated me. Well, maybe she didn't hate me but she wouldn't let me be just a little girl. I had to be whatever she wanted me to be and what she wanted, the other kids, wherever I lived, didn't like.
"I've thought about my first mom since she died. I didn't know her real name was Sadie May until I read it in the paper. You know she told everybody here and everywhere else we lived that her name was Olivia. I think she was ashamed of who she was. Whatever it was it wasn't good enough so she had to be someone else. She never thought what I was good enough either. She tried to make me someone else. That's one reason I love my new parents so much. They know who I really am and let me be that. You have helped me too. I know you're best friends with Marlene and Carol and Ally but I don't care. You're my best friend. I still find it hard to believe how much different my life is now than it was four months ago."
"I'm best friends with Marlene, Carol, Elly, and JANET. We've talked about it. If you want, the Distaff Quartet will be the Distaff Quintet."
"Yes, I do want that and I'll bet it was your idea."
"Maybe," Millie said, "What do you think we should do about Suzy?"
"We've got to get her to talk. I'm sure I know what her problem is. She acted just like I did so I think it's the same kind of problem. But it's getting worse. She isn't as snotty because she hardly talks at all anymore. I was really scared. I think she's really, really sad. We need to get her to tell us what's going on in her home and I don't think I can do it alone. I need you to help me."
"Janet, I know you could do it alone but if you want, I'll help."
"One other thing; Rick calls me, Jan. I like that. Before when my mother and I were living at Larry's, I played over at Dotty's a lot. I really liked Em and Rick but now I love them both. I do love them but sometimes they annoy me, especially Rick."
Millie laughed, "Tell me about it. I completely understand. I have a brother too, you know. I used to worry about it but Mom says it's part of growing up. Girls our age are becoming different people in a way, we're growing up and we have to learn how to handle our new emotions."
"I don't like the idea of growing up. I had to act like a nineteen-year-old and now I can be eleven and I like it. I'm not that anxious to grow up."
"We're not that much different. I never seem to know who's getting up in the morning, the little girl in me or the young lady. Right now, most of the time, I prefer the little girl except I really like Dallas. I didn't feel that way a year ago. All boys, even Freddy were such children to me then. Now I don't know what to think but I do really like Dallas."
"I know what you mean. Sometimes I think Rick is such a child but I love him and I really like Bobby. Confusing, isn't it?
"Anyway, would you start calling me, Jan? If you do it the other kids will too."