I placed the basket of baked goods on the table and sat down as Mrs. Haywood removed her headscarf and hung it with her shawl on the hook sticking out of the wall. She smoothed out her dark blonde hair and straightened her apron.

“Fin.”

Propping my head up, I let out a sigh. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Don’t sound so enthralled, boy.” She turned sharply and started getting out different pots and pans. “Go get the girls and send them down to help me, then go do your chores. The woodpile is getting low.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I breathed, sliding off my chair.

Entering the living room, I found Mr. Haywood asleep in his chair near the fireplace. My eyes lingered longer than necessary on the black ash piled in the bottom before I hurried up the stairs. Seeing that woman burn had done something to me. The constant itch to be back in the warmth of the flames hadn’t left.

Kicking open the door to the girls’ room, I was met with a chorus of screams. “Mrs. Haywood wants you downstairs now!”

“Get out!” the four girls yelled in unison.

The door was shut in my face. I didn’t really care if they went or not. They’d be the ones in trouble, not me. Shaking my head, I pulled down the stairs leading to the attic and climbed up. Reese was asleep in the corner.

Hunching over so I wouldn’t hit my head on the roof, I walked to where he was lying and kicked his foot. “Hey, we need to go get firewood.”

With a groan, he rolled onto his back. “That’s your job, squirt. Get out of here.” He pushed me away and curled under the covers.

“You’re supposed to help,” I snapped.

“Some of us have to work,” he stated. “So go do your stupid chores and be quiet about it, or someone will be sleeping in the chicken coop tonight.”

“Reese!”

He sat up grabbed my lowered head and shoved me back. I hit the ground hard and felt a sharp pain from my elbow. I rubbed it and checked to see if I was bleeding. Reese simply pulled the covers over his head and completely ignored what he had just done.

“Boys!” yelled Mrs. Haywood. “You better not be roughhousing up there. I have a wooden spoon right here and I’ll beat you both if you break anything.”

“We’re not doing anything,” replied Reese. “Fin just fell.”

“Fin! You better get working on the woodpile right now.”

Glaring at him, I exhaled sharply out of my nose and stood. Just because Mr. Haywood made Reese get a job in the mines didn’t mean he could be lazy. One more year and they’d kick him out anyways. I climbed out of the attic and marched down the stairs.

Mrs. Haywood was waiting. “Did you tell the girls?”

I nodded.

She leaned down slightly. “Woodpile, now.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I muttered as I walked out the front door.

Wandering into the trees, I started gathering fallen twigs and breaking off branches from the trees. It wasn’t fair. All the girls had to do was help cook, while I had to do all the hard stuff. It stunk being the only boy around. I kind of wanted the governor to bring another one, so I had someone to help me. Reese was worthless and never did anything.

It was starting to get dark by the time I had nearly filled the wood box. On my last load, I spotted the smoke through the trees coming from the fireplace. The image of the woman surrounded by flames entered my head. It made the excitement from early in the day return. Throwing the wood into the bin, I hurried inside. The girls were all sitting around in the living room.

“Fin,” said Mrs. Haywood, “your plate is on the table.”

Despite how hungry I was, I felt disappointed. I kept sneaking peeks at the small fire as I dragged myself into the kitchen. Reese and Mr. Haywood were sitting at the table. Grabbing my bowl, I took the chair on the far side. Reese didn’t acknowledge me, while my caretaker stared at me with a confused expression on his face.

“Fin, how old are you now, boy?”

“I turned thirteen a few weeks ago.” I dipped my bread into the stew.

The old man, whose hair was starting to grey, sat up straight. “It’s about time, we get you a job.”

My shoulders dropped. “What kind of job, sir?”

“From what I’ve heard, you’re pretty agile.”

I scratched my chin, more concerned with my food than anything he had to say.

“You know old Mr. Hobbs, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, the man who sells all the herbs.”

“He says you’re good at climbing trees and rock sides.”

Letting out a deep breath, I sunk into my chair. “I guess.”

“Well, he needs someone to gather supplies. He asked me today if you could come work for him.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes,” Mr. Haywood said firmly. “You’re old enough now to be contributing to this family.”

I rolled my eyes at the thought. This family would only have me until I was eighteen.

“You don’t make the girls get jobs,” I muttered. Two of them were even older than me.

“They’re girls, Fin,” he pointed his spoon with chewed up potato caked on the side at me. “No woman wants to crawl around in a mine. You, on the other hand, need to learn a skill. One day you’ll have to provide for a family. Right, Reese?” He slapped the seventeen-year-old on the back.

The brown-haired boy muttered a “yes, sir,” before going back to finishing off his stew.

“I guess.” I stirred my soup around, trying to find the rare piece of meat hidden among the mushy carrots.

Mr. Haywood nodded. “Good, because tomorrow morning you’re going to his shop. You’ll be gathering the same things that you do for Mary when someone’s sick. It’s nothing too hard, Fin. I could always get you a job in the iron mines.”

I tensed up. Being buried under the ground all day sounded horrible. “No, thank you, sir.”

“Good to hear.” He flashed me a half-smile.

It looked painful for him to do, but the man rarely smiled.