Free Angela's Hope (Wildflowers) by Leah Banicki

to learn everyone’s name that she didn’t already know.
    “Sidney?” Angela said with a question in her voice.
    “Yes, he joined the wagon train after Andrew…” Corinne faltered a moment.
    “Keep going.” Angela urged. She knew Corinne was going to feel awkward about talking about Andrew. Angela had many a mile to let Andrew’s mistakes go. She was fine for today. She wanted to focus on the future.
    Corinne continued, “Well Sidney had a boyish crush. And I was not interested. He had the town council deny Lucas's right to get a land claim. I was willing to marry Lucas and leave town if we needed to but it all worked out in the end when Andrew’s parents deeded their land to us.” Cori saw the shadow pass over Angie's face. She should have written a letter about Andrew’s parents to Angela, she felt a fool for bringing up the issue now. Angie didn’t need to hear about anything to do with Andrew ever, after what he had done. She explained quickly how Andrew’s parents helped Lucas and her with acquiring the land by gifting it to her before they moved off to California. Corinne apologized for reminding her of Andrew.
    "You did nothing wrong Cori, dear. Your first husband, Andrew, was a part of your life, a rather unpleasant part, I might add. His parents had no idea what he had done and the foolish way he got me injured. The fact that something good came from them is a sweet reminder how God works out the good. I have forgiven him and accepted that we have all moved on." Angie's speech sounded completely levelheaded and adult. Though her voice only faltered a little.
    Not everything is as easy as words make them to be. Corinne had a smile and a few misty tears threatening to fall.
    “I had the Sparks taking good care of me, and now you and I are together again, and my journey west was not halted forever. You have found true love with Lucas and that makes my heart happy. Your dream is coming true. I may actually find my brother and get to share a few memories with him, too. I think we have both come a long way." Angie smiled and looked around and her heart was in her throat. Her thoughts dwelled on the memories of the night she fell into a ravine, her body a broken mangled mess. That night was like a dark tent hovering over her, threatening to snuff out her light forever.
    She shook off the memory and looked at the Willamette River that was nearby. Jammed with logs and working men on a few rafts and men with longs sticks that had an amazing talent for balancing. They pushed the logs along to the mills ahead, the big hulking buildings on the river’s edge.
    The town was busily working on this fall weekday, getting everything done. The talk of the town this time of year was about the mountain snows. When would they start? When would they get snowed in? When would the gap fill in and leave them all without land routes for certain supplies? Butting off routes to families and trappers who dared to live outside the comfort of even a small town. On their own, surviving off the land had its peace and quiet, but animals, accidents and sickness had no limit in this rough land.
    Corinne and Angie stopped by Clive's office to take a peek at her cargo. The wagon would be there shortly, Cori and Angie made it to town a lot quicker than Lucas could in the wagon. Corinne felt a small twinge of guilt for leaving her husband to drive the wagon without her, but she wanted to have as much time with Angie today as possible. She felt an odd kinship with Angela that surpassed a common friendship or acquaintance. They were family now. If Angie was a year younger she would have begged her father to adopt her, but at seventeen Angie would probably feel a bit silly being adopted. She survived the Oregon Trail and she was of marriageable age. Corinne's secret wish for them to truly be sisters was just not meant to be. Lucas and Russell Grant had no more brothers that needed marrying off.
    Silly me. Cori thought to herself. Still having