"That's good, about yer ma. Sounds like that she was someone who could show ya how ta be a good ma, even if she ain't here ta do it herself.," Tully remarked.
"Yes, I've got no better example than her to live up to when the baby comes. She gave her life to save me...." Clara paused still vividly recalling every second of that horrifying attack. She doubted the woman would want to even hear about such things though from a stranger about a stranger.
Tully wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Clara noticed of course but kept her mouth shut, it was not her place to teach the woman proper manners. "Ya gotta care if ya have a boy or girl?" She grinned. "Maybe one'a each?"
"Arabella is all fired certain it is going to be a girl. Wants me to name it after her. Even if it is a girl, no child of mine is going to get stuck with that name," Clara declared in all finality.
"Jacob seems content with either I think. I guess I will be too. The most important thing of course is for it to be healthy. I pray to God it will be healthy.."
"Twins? Oh, gosh no, I do not want that. But then God decides I suppose," Clara hadn't even considered such a thing.
"God decides a lot, don't he?" Tully shrugged. She wasn't sure one way or the other how she felt about God. On the one hand, it didn't seem like He'd ever dome anything for her -- He'd let her mother abandon her, He'd not done anything to make her childhood easy -- but she still believed in Him, what little she knew from listening to Bible readings and occasional days in actual church.
"Yer real pretty, Missus...Clara, an' that man ain't hard on th' eyes, yer baby's gonna be real pretty." She scooted her chair back and slowly stood, keeping a close eye on Clara, and also listening for any sign of Jacob getting too near.
"I 'preciate th' kindness, an' I'm sorry again fer th' muss, but I gotta go now." Provided she was really allowed to leave...
Tully agreed, it was God who made such decisions about babies and births. Clara was a fatalist in that way, you could but believe and hope things turned out alright. Her mother had once lost a baby, that weighed on her now.
"Yer real pretty, Missus...Clara, an' that man ain't hard on th' eyes, yer baby's gonna be real pretty."
The woman rose to her feet then.
"Oh thank you, I always thought I was rather an ugly duckling in all honesty. And I would never get married. But then Jacob came along," Clara smiled.
"All babies are pretty I believe," she added.
"I 'preciate th' kindness, an' I'm sorry again fer th' muss, but I gotta go now."
Clara nodded, "It was nice we met even if it was not under the best of circumstances.. Feel free to stop by again sometime...only not by sneaking in I would ask of you. And of course you may go, I keep my word."
"Yes...Clara..." Backing to the door, Tully watched for signs of betrayal, but she offered a small smile and nod as she opened the door. "Thank ya. No more sneakin' in." She'd keep her word on that, although that didn't mean she wouldn't still haunt the alleys at night for scraps, or maybe even offer to help out in return for food? The lady seemed nice enough that she'd do that, so Tully would just have to make sure that man Jacob wasn't there.
In one hasty movement, she pulled open the door, bolted out, shutting the door behind her, and ran!
Storyteller / Shared NPC
OOC: Good place to end this I think?
It was a fun thread!