100 In The Shade

"Oh, you a good sister yeah!" Molly giggled and kissed her sister.

"Thank you for helping carry my baby," the brunette went on and kissed Polly's sweaty belly.

"Don't do that," Polly giggled.

"Both you settle down," Early warned as the two girls playfully wrestled, Molly trying to kiss Polly's naked belly and Polly trying to prevent that ticklish behavior.

Even though it was early morning, the humidity was already building as Early made his way to Mrs. Meche's door.

"Oh, why, Mr. Early, I uh," the woman simpered, clearly caught off-guard.

"Father O'Toole baptizing your Sarah Ann on Sunday; you got you a christening gown?" Early said, getting right to the point.

"He... He knows she's a..." Mrs. Meche asked, surprised.

"He knows you had you a husband fathered this little girl," Early said. "Said it's a miracle; that's all people got to know."

"What did you do?" the woman asked, voice a whisper.

Early shrugged his shoulders, feigning innocence.

"Oh, I got to make a cake!" the widow happily declared. "You and your girls come?"

"Try and keep us away, hear? And you making a cake too?" Early chuckled.

X x x

"Aw, cher, it hot," Molly gasped in the brutal August heat, her swollen belly making her feel even more miserable. "Bet it a hundred yeah."

"Bet it is," Polly agreed, mopping the sweat from her face.

The door opened and their father smiled as the two pregnant beauties sat and complained about the heat.

"Mrs. Meche here, but don't you worry," he teased. "I do your chores for you yeah."

Polly tried to get up, but one of the chair legs had pinched a lock of her long red hair.

Early smiled as she tried to get to her feet again, swollen belly quite visible through her damp dress. Finally, he tilted the chair forward, releasing her hair.

"You so silly, yeah," he kissed her.

Mrs. Meche cradled Sarah Ann in one arm as she and Early chatted. Finally, Polly came in, carrying the full basket of eggs.

Polly cooed at the infant, eliciting smiles from both baby and mother.

Polly didn't say it, but she did think that the blonde haired child was still somewhat unattractive.

"Whew, it hot yeah; come on, I help carry your stuff yeah," Polly said.

The moment she stepped outside, though, Polly stumbled, suddenly gripped by a spasm of pain.

On the back porch, Molly likewise had a sudden spasm of pain.

Anna's aunt, the yarb doctor, helped the sisters as they strained, sweated, screamed and sobbed. Finally, after nine hours of hard labor, Molly gave one last scream and Samuel Early Davis was born.

Lying next to her in the large bed, Polly would labor for nearly another hour before giving a last shriek and pushing a red headed Charles Earl Chopin into the world.

"See?" Polly wearily told her sister. "I told you, my baby be prettier yeah."

X x x x

Sammy was sure he was going to be a policeman like his father. Charlie was sure he was going to be a butcher, like his grandfather. Sarah Ann couldn't decide; one day she was sure she was going to marry Sammy, but the next day she was sure Charlie was her true love. But at five years old, there was no hurry for Sarah Ann to decide.

And if Sarah Ann decided she didn't like either one, there was always Robert Michael Davis, Sammy's younger brother. Dolly Marianne Chopin, at three years old, though, had already made up her mind. She would be Sammy's wife and Sarah Ann could just go jump in the Atchafalaya Bayou if she didn't like it.

Mrs. Meche had a severe stroke shortly after Sarah's sixth birthday. Molly, who had progressed beyond baking perfect biscuits, took over the bakery. The pregnant girl also took over the care of Sarah Ann and Mrs. Meche.

By the time Mrs. Meche passed away, eight months after her stroke, Sarah Ann was already calling Molly 'Mommy' just like Sammy and Robert were, and like Christopher Matthew Davis would grow to do.

Early lay down one night, Cuddled up against Polly's back, and reached around to rub her pregnant belly. He had been feeling poorly for several days, probably the Ague.

"Love you, yeah," he rumbled in his deep voice.

Polly knew he was gone before she even responded.

She named their daughter Margaret Ann Chopin; they'd discovered that Margaret had been Mrs. Meche's given name when they buried the woman next to her husband, Sergeant William Boyd Meche.

Standing next to Polly Chopin, Charlie did learn all there was to know about meats, and more importantly, how to conduct a successful business. He and Sarah Ann, for several years, ran a successful combined business of meat market on one side of the road, bakery on the other. Years later, the oldest of their daughters would open Early's Grocery Store. Their only son, Sam Chopin would become an investment counselor, later a stockbroker. The third of their children, though, the red headed she-devil, as Sarah Ann called her daughter, Polly Ann Chopin, opened up a doughnut shop simply called Meche's Doughnuts.

Sammy and Dolly did wed; Polly and Molly certainly were in no position to tell the cousins they couldn't marry. Their three sons would go on to follow in their father's footsteps and all would be police officers, later sheriffs.

Robert Davis married one of the Huval children, as did Margaret.

Christopher, however, was a confirmed bachelor.

"Aw, cher, he just queer," Molly told her sister as they sat on their back porch fanning themselves in the brutal August heat.

THE END

**Author's Note: I write these stories for my pleasure; I post them here for your enjoyment. I do thank you for reading my stories.

Disclaimers: Yes, I know I need an editor. Telling me I need an editor is a complete and utter waste of time.

Yes, it jumps around too much. Yes, there's too many people to keep track of. Yes, it's too long. Yes, it's in the wrong category. Yes, it's stupid shit, and yes, I suck.

Feel better?

Have a super sparkly day.