Fern was surprised by this directness. She was soon to learn that farm people are rarely anything but direct.

“Well, I don’t know. It’s all a bit overwhelming.”

“This place has been going to seed since Harry left. It’s going to take more than three years to put it back together again.”

“We’re young and strong. We can do it.”

Addie eyed her skeptically, then looked down into her coffee.

“A farmer’s wife doesn’t have an easy life,” she said. “There’s never any money, and there’s always too many kids. The tractor breaks and the best milking cow gets sick and corn prices go down. You have to really want to do this.”

“I really want Harry.”

“Well, good. I hope you can do it. Remember, we’re just yonder. Sam and me have been doing this a lot of years; our kids are all grown now and gone away to better themselves. I know a few shortcuts, so just ask. In the meantime, I’ll pick you up early tomorrow and we’ll go into town to buy you some supplies. After that, you’ll be walkin’, I reckon, so make your trips short and frequent.”

“I will. Thank you. I appreciate the help tomorrow. We are out of, of”—Fern gestured around the room—“everything!”

They laughed together, the big lady with the wide-open face and light blue eyes, and the young, slim, darker girl with fresh hope in her heart and panic in her soul.

That night, Fern and Harry made love for the first time, not very successfully. Their inept fumbling shamed Harry and he was reluctant to repeat his performance. As it turned out, this was a blessing in disguise, for Martha wasn’t conceived for two years.

Harry drew out half of his parents’ savings and bought a sewing machine for Fern and paint for the house and barn, had the tractor fixed and bought seed for the garden. Fern went to Addie’s house to learn to sew, and made curtains and work clothes. Addie taught her how to make bread, how to cook breakfast for a farmer, and how to kill and cook chickens. Addie was a godsend.

Her days were filled with hard work—chopping wood, weeding with a scythe, cooking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, and working with the chickens and cows. She walked to town every second day, and walked to Addie’s every day in between. She lost weight, began to look gaunt and bony, while Harry grew healthy and hardy and muscular and brown.

Addie fed her often and well, asked after her health, worried over her like a mother, but Fern adamantly said she felt fine, she was just getting used to things.