A Headstrong Woman(129)
“Mom, you might want to leave a couple of extra inches,” she cautioned.
“Nonsense, you’re so thin it would show.”
“But I might need them,” she argued, her amused gaze meeting her sister’s wide one.
“You? You haven’t put on weight since you were in school,” Shirley countered as she tucked and pinned. Demanding her mother’s attention, Alexandria lowered her arms.
“Alexandria put your arms back up!”
“I think that’s about to change,” she said pointedly and watched her mom frown before Alexandria’s words and their meaning sank in.
Her mom gasped and grabbed her in a hug that nearly toppled Alexandria from the small platform she was standing on and jabbed both of them with the pins in the material.
“Oh, Alexandria, how wonderful!” Shirley said around tears. Anna stepped forward to hug her sister more gingerly and to congratulate her.
“When?” Anna asked.
“Sometime in April.”
“You’re not likely to need the extra space in the next month but I will wait until the last moment to cinch the waist,” Shirley informed her daughter.
“I know, Mom, but I was trying to share my news with you,” Alexandria grinned.
“You should have known I would be distracted,” Shirley laughed. The tornado had set many of the families in the community back financially, Alexandria’s family included and Shirley had decided to see to the brides’ maid dresses herself and hire Mrs. Louis for Anna’s gown only.
“I imagine that Jonathon is thrilled,” Anna commented.
“He is; he’s also worried because Millie is leaving us but Ali and Colton may have offered a solution to that problem.”
“How’s that?” Shirley inquired as she returned to pinning Alexandria’s dress.
“The couple they hired knows of several other families looking to hire and move west, their foreman’s brother’s family included.”
“I hope that it works out for you then,” Shirley said around the pins in her mouth.
“Sorry I’m late,” Carolyn, said as she slipped into the room and smoothed her brown hair. “Michael was late coming in for lunch and set my whole afternoon back,” Carolyn shared.
“No, problem; I’m almost through with Alexandria if you want to go ahead slip your dress off then we can get you fitted.
“Okay,” Carolyn agreed as she asked Anna to help her unfasten the back of her gown.
“There, now carefully pull it off,” Shirley instructed Alexandria. Alexandria and her mother removed her dress and Anna helped Alexandria back into her dress.
“Shirley, I uh, well I…” Carolyn was sputtering; her cheeks were pink, making her brown eyes stand out. “About my dress, that is….”
“Do you need a little extra room?” Alexandria asked on a repressed chuckle.
“That might be a good idea,” Carolyn agreed.
Shirley stepped back and surveyed her daughter-in-law. “Are you expecting too
“Too?” Carolyn looked perplexed, especially when Alexandria and Anna began laughing.
“You are! Oh, Carolyn, when are you due?”
“Late April.”
“Your and Alexandria’s baby will be born pretty close,” Shirley mused as she hugged Carolyn. Carolyn’s gaze settled on her sister-in-law as her eyes lit. Alexandria hugged the petite woman and congratulated her.
“I’m so glad we get to go through this together,” Carolyn said around tears.
“Come on, let’s get you fitted,” Shirley returned to business. Several minutes later the ladies emerged from Shirley’s sewing room dressed and chattering excitedly. They entered the kitchen to find their husbands and one husband to be having coffee at the Cannon’s ample kitchen table.
“So I’m to be a grandpa twice over again huh?” Clay asked the ladies with a wide smile. “At least I’ll get to see these two,” he said almost sadly as he thought of the grandchildren he had never seen in California.
“As often as you want,” Alexandria promised her father with a kiss on his cheek.
“Have you told your mother your plan?” Clay asked his youngest.
“My plan?” Anna frowned.
“The last your mother knew you were heading west next spring.”
“What? You’re not leaving?” Carolyn’s eyes filled with happy tears.