OCTOBER 10, 1861

For the past two days Destiny had kept Ana home with her. She had wanted to get to know the girl without having Brianna around, and she had also had to take her shopping to get her a few things that she really needed like clothes and hair ribbons, but today would be Ana’s first day at school. Destiny watched Ana fidget at the table. "Ana, honey, what's wrong?" She walked over to where the young girl sat.

Ana nodded and she looked at her soon to be mother. "I'm nervous about school. We didn't get to go in the orphanage. I wont know any of the other kids except the ones that I came to town with."

Destiny smiled. "All the children are really nice. Most of them live outside of town. I'm sure you'll make friends. There and at the wedding. "

Ana nodded, "I hope so." She stood and cleaned up her dishes.

Destiny smiled as she watched Jemima take Ana's hand and lead her out to the buckboard where Brianna and Sean waited to take them to school.

“Aw, here come the pretty girls. I must be the luckiest man in Dreamville to get to take the three most beautiful girls to school.” Sean stated, and all three girls giggled. Jemima climbed aboard first, and then Destiny lifted Ana up into Sean’s arms. He promptly placed her in between Jemima and Brianna. He didn’t want her sitting at the end of the seat because she might accidentally fall out of the buckboard. Sean nodded to Destiny and then he swatted the horse and the buggy began its journey to the Dreamville School.

*****

Jemima sat under one of the trees with her new sister, Ana, and best friend, Brianna. They had all finished eating their lunches, so now they just sat observing all the new kids milling about the schoolyard.

Jemima watched as several of the kids split into two groups, and she noticed a couple of boys that looked to be about her age. “Hey Brianna, look! They are kind of cute,” she pointed them out to her friend. Brianna agreed with her friend by nodding her head.

The two girls giggled and smiled as they watched Dagon and Aslan play catch, but when the lunch bell rang it brought a frown to their faces because they would rather sit there and watch the boys then to go inside and back to work. Jemima stood up and reached out her hand, and her little sister grabbed it and pulled herself up on her feet. Jemima turned and headed towards the building, and reluctantly Brianna followed.