Romantic - Enemies to Lovers - Forbidden Love
•✦───✧✦✧───✦•
In the peacetime following World War II, Jean Ward loses everything and is sent to live with her best friend, Clyde Mayberry, and his brood of brothers on his family's cattle ranch.
For a...
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•✦─Winter, 1944─✦• Sally Jean, age 6
Summer and Autumn dragged by as slow as molasses, mostly because Sally Jean was stuck at home a lot helping with Anne and doing chores.
Mama seemed to do less and less around the house. Sally Jean figured it was because of the sadness, but still didn't understand it all.
Mrs. Mayberry had two boys off in the same war Sally Jean's Daddy was in, and yet she still did chores and made sure her babies had full bellies by the end of the day.
It made Sally Jean jealous. And jealousy made her feel angry. She began to get into fights with Clyde and lashed out whenever the boys would tease her like usual. Mrs. Mayberry noticed the change in her, sitting her down one day in the kitchen as she kneaded dough on the countertop.
"Sally Jean, is everythin' alright at home? How's your mama and baby Anne doin'?"
"They're good." Sally Jean didn't like lying, but she felt it was necessary. Mama didn't like when she talked about their business to the Mayberrys.
Mrs. Mayberry didn't seem to believe her, wearing the same expression she wore when one of the boys tried fibbing to her.
"Sally Jean, you can tell me anything. You know that, right?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am, I know."
Mrs. Mayberry stared at Sally Jean for a moment before she nodded and hooked her foot around the small stepping stool off to her right to pull it closer to her. "Go wash up and then I'll show you how to make bread."
Sally Jean smiled softly and did just that, eventually stepping up onto the stool with clean hands and eager eyes as she waited for Mrs. Mayberry's instruction.
Mrs. Mayberry showed her how to properly knead the dough, answering Sally Jean's curious questions along the way. She was patient with the girl, and kind. It felt like she truly cared.
Sally Jean had finally gotten the hang of kneading when Mrs. Mayberry smiled softly and rubbed circles on the little girl's back. "You're doin' a fine job, Sally Jean. Has your mama shown you how to make bread already?"
Sally Jean shook her head. "No ma'am, but I read 'bout it in her cookbook when I was tryin' to make dinner."
Mrs. Mayberry's thin eyebrows pinched together. "Your mama lets you make dinner by yourself?"
Sally Jean shrugged. "Sometimes, when she don't wanna do it or when she wants to take care of Anne."
Mrs. Mayberry's hand moved up to Sally Jean's hair, brushing unruly, red curls back from the little girl's face. "And how have you been doin', Sally Jean? Has your mama been takin' good care of you?"
