N (WAYHAUGHT)

Chapter 16 - Beautiful Scars

Nicole managed to obtain most of the items aunty had asked her to get at the market. She had waited her turn at one stall, busy with women buying raisins, and walnuts and all manner of ingredients for cakes and pies. Used to getting it for aunty at Christmas time, to spice up her cakes, she picked up one large root of ginger, handing it to the woman trader. "That'll be a farthing to you lad. Misses up the duff is she?"

Nicole shook her head. "Cake. Needs it for a cake."

The trader laughed. "Bun in the oven more like it."

She could smell the ginger being boiled as she passed by aunty's wagon on her way to fetch Caspian from the field, wondering what aunty was doing with it this early in the morning. She normally only baked cakes late afternoon, once her small oven was warm enough. She decided not to investigate, knowing she needed to feed the horses in the field, bring Caspian in, get Waverly's horses ready for the afternoon show.

Leaving Caspian out too long made him irritable, the energy of the other horses having a tendency to get him agitated. He spotted her as soon as she entered the field, galloping over, nickering as he approached, telling her he missed his beloved N. He wanted her to be with him always, wanted her to sleep close once more. Be there for him.

She sensed his anxiety, waiting for him to slow, watching as he walked the last few steps towards her, breathing on her face. She leant her head against his neck, stroking his back, telling him everything that was going on between her and Waverly. His ears moved to listen, to hear N's voice again, letting out a sigh to say he would allow her to continue to be with Waverly. She hugged his neck telling him no matter what happened with Waverly and the baby he would always be her one true love. They simply needed to make room for the two new additions to their family.

"You'll like the little one," Nicole soothed. "I be having a real family now Caspian. A real family. Never thought I be saying that."

Caspian back in the stables, horses harnessed ready for the show, she returned to aunty's wagon, a pan sitting on the stove with a few slices of ginger floating in water. Aunty appeared in the doorway. "That be for Waverly. Helps with the sickness. I be taking her some to help her over the first months. You go easy on her N. She be fragile."

"I knows aunty. Will you help us with the little one when it's time?"

"Would be an honour to bring it into the world. She be scared right now, what with being new here and all this. I tells her she has us to call on. No one does this alone, not in the circus."

"I wants her to be happy. And, the baby. What if I get it wrong?"

Aunty pulled her into a hug. "Oh N, how could you ever get it wrong?"

"But, I ain't never had a little one to care for."

"Neither has Waverly. You'll learn together. And, there's folk here to help you. Don't you go a fearing."

"Circus folk have been good to me."

"And to me N. I'll tell you this. Had a hard life till the circus came where I be living. Took me in, gave me a reason to keep going. Couldn't have a child of me own. That's why me drunken husband up and left."

"We be all the family we need. And Waverly and the baby. Have a big enough heart for all of you."

Aunty's eyes teared up, counting her blessings that she had N. "You were made to love. And, be loved. That bastard who beat you made you think you couldn't be loved. But, I watches. I sees. I listens. I knows what you mean to everyone. Not just to your old aunty."

The knock on the door startled aunty, breaking away, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Waverly was standing on the steps, an empty mug in her hand. Aunty welcomed her in, pulling out the stool, Nicole sitting on the bed to make room. Waverly looked better than she had in the past few days, more colour in her cheeks.