The day of my trip home came too quickly. Before I knew it, my trunk was packed and I had bought a train ticket. Charles was going to accompany me to the station, and I am thankful to have him with me. In the cab ride over, he rambled on about nothing as I just looked out the window at the passing buildings. Soon though we get to the station and Charles helps me with my trunk.

"I guess this is goodbye then." Charles says with a sad face. I look back at him a bit shocked.

"What do you mean 'goodbye'? I am coming back. I told you, it is only for the wedding. It's not like I want to stay with my family longer."

"Oh I know, that is as long as they don't tie you down and force you to stay." Charles says with his smile back. I roll my eyes and step on the train. Charles grabs my gloved hand and I turn around to face him. "Do not forget the most important thing," I start to get concerned and the sudden serious voice of his. "never trust a John."

"My brother's name is John." I say a bit confused.

"And do you trust him?" Charles asks. I ponder this for a second.

"No." I say as I turn around and go find a seat. I sit by a window and the train starts to move. I see Charles waving at me and I give a little one back. The train it's self is not very full and I doubt someone will need to sit with me like last time. I look around at the people there, but none of them seem interesting. Such a shame. I am not sure if I want the ride to go quickly or slowly. On one side I can get seeing Mother over with while on the other, I won't have to see her. Yet still the hour passes and the train pulls into the station and I see my brother John. Once the train stops, I go out to greet him.

"Anna! It has been a while." John says as we embrace.

"Yes." I say awkwardly as John goes to get my trunk. We then get into his buggy and start home. "How is Florence." I say trying to make little conversation. I know I set John up to talk because he loves to brag about his wife and children.

"Very well. She doesn't like it when I talk about the election at home, says it stresses her out..." John starts. I forgot all about John running for mayor. But it is the perfect topic for him to talk while I don't listen. This goes on for some time until I can see the house in the distance. "Everyone is staying here for Emma's wedding. The children will be very happy to see you."

Once we get closer to the house, I see Mary, Emma, Florence, and Ida (William's wife) sitting on the front porch. All their children are running around the yard and when they spot John, come running toward us. I step out of the buggy and the children yell greetings to me. John carries my trunk and we head to the house.

"Oh Anna, I am so happy you made it!" Emma says when I get to her. We embrace too. The children come running to their mothers and started to play at their feet.

"Have you met out newest child, George?" Florence asks me. I looked down at the child on her lap and see a one year old boy fidgeting on her.

"Yes, how long do you think I have been gone?" I remember I came the day after George's birth to see them. Florence opens her mouth to speak but Mary interrupts whatever she was going to say.

"Mother is waiting inside, she want's to see you." Mary says with a stern, serious voice. Oh how I hate that voice.

"Do not worry, I bet she just wants you to try on your new dress." Emma says hopefully.

"I doubt that." I say under my breath as I head toward the door. I put my hand on the doorknob and I look back at my siblings. I notice Henry wiggles his way onto Mary's lap. I also spot William's twin girls, Elizabeth and Alice running around with John's only girl, Clara. If only Mother could see that. She would point out how unladylike her granddaughters are, not that I care.

I go inside the house and start to look for Mother. Something tells me that she is in the parlor, so I head in there after seeing the kitchen empty. Sure enough there she was in the parlor. I knock on the open door and Mother tells me to come in. I sit down in the plush sofa across from her chair.

"I am glad you made the right choice of coming home for Emma's wedding. I mumbled something about not having a choice but thankfully Mother didn't hear that. "I always tried to teach you that family is important. I am thankful that you at least learned that." I just somewhat glared at Mother but she chose to ignore it. "I wish you were staying longer."

"A week before and a few days afterward is a good amount of time. I wouldn't expect John, William, or Mary is staying longer." I say in a somewhat rude voice. We both look at each other for a minuet than Mother speaks again.

"Have you found yourself a beau yet?" I knew that question was coming, it was only a matter of time.

"Mother! Must you always ask that." I glare at her again. She smiles and shakes her head, knowing that my answer means 'no'. "I will be honest with you by saying that I thought I may have had one for a bit, but that turned out to be false." Mother smiled and seemed to be happy that I was at least trying.

"Are you still living with Mary House?" Mother asks. I know Mother would never approve of my current living situation so I stutter my answer a little bit until a saving grace comes.

"Mother, Father needs to talk to you." James's voice comes from the doorway. Mother gets up and leaves to go find Father while James comes in the room. I stand up and we embrace. "I figured you might want to be saved an interrogation." I laugh and we walk out of the parlor and go to the back porch, away from everyone else.

"You don't know how much I have missed you James."

"Probable five times less than I have missed you." I smile at him and we talk and talk for what feels like hours.

"Mother needs you to help with dinner." Mary's serious voice said to me. I reluctantly got up and went to go help prepare. My sisters and sisters in law talked and talked as I said nothing. The same happened for the rest of the night because I never had another chance to talk with James alone. Soon I went to bed. I slept in my old room that I used to share with Emma. But she wouldn't go up to bed to soon, so I just changed and sat in the empty room by myself. I finally laid down on my back at stared at the ceiling for what felt like the whole night. I did this even past when Emma came to bed. I cannot believe that I am really back at home. Thankfully, it will only be a matter of time before I come back to my friends, Charles and Margaret and my almost beau, William.