Free Wildflower by Prudence MacLeod

grandmother. Edna took one
glance at Abby and vanished back into the kitchen without a
word.
    “Is there anything else I can do for you Miss
MacKai?” he asked softly.
    “Yes there is,” she smiled up into his eyes.
“You can call me Abby, we’re friends now Billy. Tell me, when is
your next day off?”
    “Here now, you just sip away at this and
you’ll feel a lot better in no time,” Edna directed gently as she
appeared from the kitchen and pressed a steaming mug into Abby’s
hand. Abby took a sip and smiled her thanks. It was hot chicken
soup.
    “I’m off on Thursday,” said Billy. “What
happened to you Miss Abby?”
    “I’ve been very ill Billy,” she replied
weakly. “One week ago I lost a lot of blood and was told by my
doctor I had to have three weeks of total rest. Instead I was
forced to leave the US and fly back to Canada. I am afraid I’ve not
been getting the rest I need and it is starting to show. Edna, I’d
like to stay another two weeks and just be a lazy lout if I
may.”
    “Of course you may,” replied Edna gently as
she lowered herself onto the couch, “but there will be no more
crawling around old houses until you are well again. You lost a
child didn’t you?”
    The deep concern in both their faces kept
Abby from being deeply offended by this. Instead she decided to
confide in them. Abby was determined to remain single, and yet to
build a vast network of good and true friends to brighten her life.
She would start right here. “Yes,” she sighed as she met Edna’s
eyes squarely. “I lost both the pregnancy and the man who gave it
to me all in the same morning. That afternoon I lost my job and was
ordered to leave the US immediately, and here I am one week later.”
Tears leaked from her eyes as she allowed the emotion to claim her
at last.
    “Oh my god Abby, you poor dear,” soothed Edna
as she slipped into the chair beside Abby and put her arms around
the girl protectively. “You poor dear soul, Billy, you are never to
speak a single word of this to a living soul, do you hear me?”
    “Yes ma’am,” he replied softly. “I won’t
breathe a word, I promise. Miss Abby is there anything I can do for
you.”
    “Yes there is actually,” sniffed Abby as she
dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. She gave Edna a gentle hug and a
weak smile. Edna patted her shoulder then retreated to her own
chair. “You can stop calling me Miss Abby and start calling me
Abby. You are making me feel old.” Billy blushed softly and gave
her a shy grin. “You can also come to Halifax with me on
Thursday.”
    “Excuse me?” exclaimed Edna. “You’re staying
right here and resting young miss.”
    “Thank you Edna. I will I promise. I do need
to go to Halifax soon though and I am not strong enough yet to do
what I must there. I will need Billy’s muscles to help me.”
    “Sure I’ll go, but what’s up Abby?”
    “When I was forced to leave San Francisco in
such a hurry I had no time to make proper arrangements. I mailed
most of my personal things to myself at my mother’s address in
Halifax. We have to go get them and mail them to me here. Is that
alright to do? I have nowhere else to send them right now. I did
buy that house today, but it will be a week or more before I take
possession, and I do have to deal with this immediately.”
    “I don’t understand Abby; can’t your mother
mail them on to you?”
    “My mother is an alcoholic Edna, if I send
her money she’ll just drink it up. If I wait too long, she’ll open
the boxes to see if there is anything she can sell. I’ll call her
tonight and stall a bit.”
    “Wow,” Billy whistled softly, “that’s tough.
What’s the plan?”
    “With luck she will be at work on Thursday. I
know where she keeps her spare key hidden. We fly down, rent a
small van, drive to her place, pick up my things, drive to a post
office and mail them on to me here, and then we return the van and
fly back. Can you do it Billy? Will you help me?”
    “I