The sun was so blinding, my vision slightly emparend looking up into the clear endless blue sky. The wind whipping at my hair, the smell of the wild flowers in full boom out in the wide open fields.

The water at my sides lapping at the wooden bucket its contained in. Seeming as if it too wants to run far away into the distant sun.

I stand there a moment listening to the branches of the trees moving with the wind, making a soothing natural lullaby.

I let out a soft breath, every muscle in my body relaxing, becoming one with my surroundings. Until of course my time alone and relaxed has been shattered " Beatrice! Get your ares in here with that water!" My mother yells out from the window within the house.

I sigh not wanting this little time I have to end, but as I'm told, I walk toward the house.

"What took you so long child?! Your brother needs the water to bathe!" I place the two buckets next to the big barrel "Sorry mother, I thought I saw one of the chickens running in the fields."

I lie of course, if she knew I was just standing around enjoying the sun she'd have my head!

She huffs picking up Isaac and placing him into the barrel, the poor boy looking helpless at the bottom.

"Get him clean while I get dinner ready with your sisters." She leaves without waiting for my response, I sigh softly before looking down at Isaac. He looks up at me in all his bareness, giving me a sweet smile " Did you see any bunnies while getting the water?" He asked very curiously, I couldn't help but smile, putting one of the buckets on the small table. " I saw a little brown one across the river." I told him seeing he's cute chubby face light up with wonder.

"Come now, we gotta wash ya before mother has my head." He smiles cheekily before turning around, I pick up the bucket on the ground, pouring it into the barrel.

He yelps slightly from the cold water, I chuckle understanding the feeling. I place the empty bucket on the table next to the other. Grabbing the full one again and pouring just enough to get it to his armpits.

He shivers slightly, he's little body trying to naturally warm up. I grab the home made soup and start washing him all over quickly. "Don't worry, you don't have to stay in long."

After the bath, I dry him off and place him in clean clothes. "Feel better?" I ask, he's fluffy light blonde hair going out in all directions.

He nods "Now I'm hungry!" He says cheerfully, reaching out his hands to be picked up. I do as he wants, letting him be little as long as he can.

"Alright let's go see if mother and our sisters are done!" I say cheerfully smiling at him, he nods his head excitedly.

We walk into the kitchen, Isaac on my hip, my older brothers already at the dinner table.

"Go ahead and sit Isaac down my dear, and pass out the table wear." Mother says from the stove, I put Isaac down in his slightly lifted seat. While going to the kitchen to get what is needed I hear some 'whispers' at the bread table "I heard mother yelling at her again..." I look to see, and of course I find Camila talking to poor Indigo. Indigo seems to be doing most of the work.

I roll my eyes, not paying any mind to them and set out the table wear.

Once mother and my sisters start putting food on the table, father walks into the house. "Welcome home father!" We all say in union, all of our faces lighten up. He smiles at us all, sweat glistening down his face from the hard labor at the market.

"Good to see all your faces." His rich deep voice sounding like a rich home melody.

My mother and sisters sit right after father does. I take a seat right next to him and Emmett, Emmett is the second oldest, his closest to my age and we're just close in general. We did everything together as kids, but since we've started to become of age, we've had to drift a bit.

"Where is Liv?" Father asked looking around for her "Oh! She's with Emilia! I'll go get her!" Indigo says, getting up from the table and leaving, brinning Liv and Emilia back with her. "Sorry I'm late, Emilia was getting fussy." Liv lays Emilia into a hammock before taking her seat next to Clay and mother.

"Good we're all here, let's eat." At father's words we all start grabbing and placing things onto our plates.

"Isaac! You can't just have meat and bread! We grow vegetables for a reason child!" Mother places some peas onto little Isaac's plate, causing him to make a disgusted face.

"Gotta eat your greens little man, it's what made me, father and big brother Clay so strong!" Emmett says encouraging little Issac to eat he's greens. Issac looks at father and Clay, they both nod their heads in agreement.

Little Issac looking defeated takes some peas into his mouth, doing his best to eat them.

"Guess what mother!" Camila says cheerfully, but lady-like as always. Mother stops eating to acknowledge her "What is it dear?" She asked, waiting for her to tell, though Camila looks around making sure we're all paying attention in some way.

" Parker Anson says that he may ask for my hand!" My eyes go wide as I almost choke on my water, so does father it seems. "What?!" Mother and father say in unison, Indigo looks taken back and Liv doesn't seem so interested. Of course Emmett and Clay don't as well, but they seem willing to continue listening unlike Liv, who is still eating her food.

"Oh my! Is this true?!" Mother looks overwhelmingly pleased, Parker is a young man my age and a son to a black smith which of course makes good money. If Camila can wed him, she'd live a very good life. Parker is a nice boy as far as I've seen, we were in school together and he didn't seem close with any of the other kids.

"Parker Anson is that distant kid right?" Emmett asks, I nod eating some of the food while thinking of Parker. He has gotten handsome, the tough labor he does with his father really has paid off.

"I'm so jealous, I haven't had anyone ask for my hand yet." Indigo says, looking a little disappointed "Don't worry sister, at least you're not like Beatrice, eighteen and unmarried." I stopped med bite from Camila's comment "Camila!" Emmett roared, surprisingly taking up for me.

Father looks at Camila distastefully, a bit of anger clear on his' brow. She lowers herself slightly and apologizes "Sorry..." I smile, of course it's fake. She's not wrong, I am eighteen and still unmarried. No one has asked for my hand, or seems to have any interest in me.

It's heartbreaking because I want to do the best I can for my family, but this is out of my control.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see Liv looking at me, I look back and she smiles. " I heard we're having a town announcement tomorrow morning." Liv says cheerfully, the most cheerful she's been all day.

It takes me a bit to realize she's trying to lighten the mood, and change the topic off me. It warms my heart, Liv is a quiet girl, but she's very smart and cunning.

"Oh yes I had almost forgotten." Mother says dabbing her lips with a cloth. "I wonder what it's gonna be about? We haven't had one since three years ago, if we don't count the time thoses bulls got loose." Indigo says thinking to herself "Is it gonna be a big avent like a party?!" Issac perks up looking excited.

"No, we're just going to listen to what the town leader has to say." Clay says blankly to little Issac, who slumps down in his seat very disappointed.

"Oh mother we also need to get those clothes Mrs. Reese made for us! Little Emilia is growing fast." I say remembering Mrs.Reese asking if I could stop by in the morning. "Oh yes, my I seem to keep forgetting everything lately!" She says, seeming a little worried, "Don't worry mother you've just been working hard lately." Indigo says taking her hand sweetly.

"Yes do not worry I'll get up before the sun rises, and head over to Mrs.Reese real quick. I'll be back so we all can walk together!" I say smiling warmly, mother nodding her head in acknowledgement. "Yes it seems everything is taken care of then." Father says softly, causing us all to nod and continue eating our blessed meal.

After dinner I head out to the barn, checking on all the animals, making sure they all have enough food and water for the next morn. I'm putting some hay in the horse stall when I hear a sound coming from the barn door.

I sit up straight on high alert, looking over to the barn door. I see nothing, so I leave the horse stall, worried it could be a fox or some dog. If it gets in the horse stalls for warmth it could hurt the horse or itself.

I walk closer to shoo it away if needed when out of nowhere Emmett jumps from the shadows! "AH!" I yelp from fright, Emmett laughing and smiling at me with amusement. I groan and roll my eyes "Don't do that Emmett! I could have hurt you!" I say frustrated at him for scaring me.

"What? You and your little arms." He chuckles at me, making me push him playfully smiling. We both know I couldn't do much to fight him off. "I swear, put those away so we can go back to the house." I point to the bucket of things in his hands, he smiles going to do as I told.

I lock the horse stalls, waiting for him to meet me at the door. Once he trots over to me we both close the barn doors and start heading to the house.

"You know you shouldn't listen to Camila, alright?" He says raising his arms to the back of his head, resting them there. I look puzzled until I realize what he is referring to. I smile "Do not worry, I don't listen to her often." He chuckles at my words.

"The guys are just shy because my little sister is so pretty." I look over at him surprised at his claim, I can see a blush on his cheeks even though he's trying to be cool about it.

I giggle warmly, my shoulders softly shaking "Thank you." He nods blushing more from my giggling. I have missed this with him, he says I'm pretty but I know I'm very plain.

I have slightly tanned skin from working in the fields. My dark auburn wavy hair stopping at my elbows, my pale blue eyes dull from the life I live.

Emmett though has dark rich brown hair and bright blue eyes, that sparkle with his personality. His skin is very tan since he works outside more than I.

We walk in silence till we reach the house. "Good night Emmett." I say to him as he smiles and waves me goodnight. Probably still too embarrassed to talk to me, I smile at the thought.

I walk into the room to find all the girls nuzzled into their beds. I change into my nightgown quietly and do the same. Getting into bed, about to shut my eyes before I hear a low moan on the other side of the wall.

My eyes widen, oh god no. My face immediately goes red, not tonight! I hear a mascaline groan right after a delicate moan.

"Seems mother and father are at it again, I wonder if we'll have a boy next since we already have Emilia?" Liv says from her bed, causing all us girls to giggle. Thank lord we don't share a room with the boys, I couldn't look them in the face ever again.

When I was littler and it was just me, Emmett, and Clay. Clay would come get us and we'd go outside and wait until they we're done. I smile at the fond memory, missing the days of my youth.

I'm sure Clay and Emmett can hear them as well. Surely they'll quiet down...

"Ahhhh!" We all start laughing into our pillows from the out of nowhere loud sounds next door. Ahhhh...It's gonna be a long night.

The next morning I got up before the sun was even in the sky. I get dressed quickly and put on a nice dress, knowing I won't have enough time later to change.

I quietly leave the house, doing my best not to wake anyone. Once out and on the dirt road I take a deep breath of fresh morning air. I rub my hands over my arms, hoping the cardigan I put on last minute will help warm me from the chilly morn air.

I start off into town heading to Mrs.Reese's house shop. On the way I wave at a few of the townspeople who walk by me with smiles.

Almost at Mrs.Reese's house I hear a loud sound, like metal hitting metal. I stop to see Parker Anson pounding steel, his new thick muscles flex as he pounds away at the hot mineral.

He looks up, seeing me staring at him in awe, but he seems to stare back the same. "Beatrice Coldwell?" He tilts his head slightly in questioning, I blush at his bare chest, sweat dripping off of him.

"Hello Parker Anson!" I say a little to cheerfully, internally scolding myself. He smiles and it's quite radiante "What brings you here so early in the morning?" He asks, placing his tool down on a nearby table, giving me his full attention.

My face turns red as I try to explain myself "I came into town this morning to get some baby clothes for Emilia." And just happen to see you shirtless, I add to myself. "Ah yes, your baby sister. You're the oldest out of all of them, yes?" He genuinely seems curious so I answer honestly "I'm the older daughter yes, but I have two older brothers before me. Clay and Emmett." He nods his head like he just remembered them, "I heard from my sister that you may ask for her hand." I say, wanting to know if it was true or not.

He looks a little taken aback "Ah yes, my father has been hounding me about finding a wife. And I thought since Beatrice, a girl that made me feel normal among all the others. I thought marrying into your family would be nice." I look at him puzzled as to why he would want to marry into the family because of me.

He seems to catch on to my confusion since he continues "When we were in grade school, you included me in group activities, you treated me like how you treated others. I'm forever thankful for that, I've always been a distant kid and never really liked big crowds. But it hurt when people thought I was weird. Though you never treated me like I was weird, you always had a smile on your face." My mouth opens slightly in shock, my eyes round.

If he felt this way about me, then why not ask for my hand instead? I do not understand, why my sister?!

He's confession has left a bad taste in my mouth, so much so, I don't seem to think straight when I lash out at him.

"So? I made you feel this way and yet you didn't ask for my hand?" I question looking very irritated by his expression.

He seems to catch on to my emotion "I never thought you'd like me as a husband." My throat fills with emotion, doing my best to keep it down.

"You're just like all the others then...." I look down, my hair covering my face "Huh?" He responses, I can't tell if he doesn't understand or just didn't hear me.

I don't stick around long enough to find out though. I run from the shop not looking back even though Parker calls my name "Beatrice!"

I run and run until I reach Mrs.Reeses house-shop. Taking deep breaths to calm myself and mind, just forget it ever happened Beatrice.

I knock on the door, the shop bell digging, signaling my arrival. I look through the glass seeing Mrs.Reese coming.

After I got what I needed from Mrs.Reese, I take the long way back home. I don't want to run into Parker again.

I let out a deep sigh, not wanting to have all this pent up emotion in my chest. Reaching our front yard I can see everyone on the porch waiting and getting ready to leave for the town meeting.