Pearl loved her new family so very much that sometimes she had to pinch herself in order to figure out if she was dreaming or if she was in reality. She slipped into the back door of the house after a quiet meeting with Doctor Witaker who said that she was carrying a baby for certain. It was with a mixture of nervousness and excitement that she moved to put the kettle on right away.

The house was quiet for the moment, she wondered if Ma was off to market since it seemed about the time that things would happen, and the day. She moved about the kitchen comfortably. She wanted to tell ma the secret before Joe but Joe deserved to know first... There was so much to think about!

A few things were procured from the stash of food she finally wittled down so spoilage wouldn't be an issue... after all, her little house had been stocked with a full pantry and larder. She still had to go back and get her last few things but her father had moved a woman in there and told her to work around her and don't say a word. Fine by her... But she would take those items and start slicing into the soft bread she had made that morning.

She smeared marmalade all over one piece of bread and started to hum softly, only interrupted by licking off the blob that hit the back of her hand since nobody was there to see her indulge in such an activity. She felt the little one flutter in that slight way that new little bean tickled. She set the knife down and gave a soft laugh and said to the unborn wee one, "I hope that I can do better for you than my father did..." And then emotion washed over her, so she worked on assembling a rather odd concoction of a sandwich... orange marmalade, butter, onion, and pickled carrot.