It wasn't easy, trying to put everything back together again. While I was worrying about groceries and making sure we had some source of heat for cold nights and where we were going to get clothing that didn't look like it had come from a ragbag, spring was getting to my sisters. I had always sort of assumed that it would probably start with Marie-Leah, she was a bit bolder and more precocious. I of course assumed wrong. It was shy little Marie-Anne who started it all. One day when I got home from work, I had gotten a job at the newspaper office running errands. I saw her standing out on the tamarac talking to some boy I didn't immediately recognize.
"Who is that?" I asked Marie-Leah, she looked up from where she sat on the floor with her homework, skirts puddled around her, out the door.
"A friend of Marie-Anne's." She told me. "She brought him home from school." I peered a little closer, as he turned his face and I could see the scars and suddenly recollection clicked in. That was Chase Howe, he worked on the docks for Captain East. I know what mother would have said. He had an infant son, Xav, by his previous flame, Lana--and he worked at the docks. Mother would have had a fit.
But Marie-Anne looked so happy, even if her behavior was "scanadlous" and her choice of beau not what any of us would have expected. I'd have had to have a heart of ice (Which contrary to popular belief, I don't.) to not have let that effect me. She hadn't looked this happy since mother left. When she and Chase said their goodbyes, she came in the door and found herself face to face with me. By the look on my face, I'm fairly certain she knew I had seen her and Chase.
"You're not angry with me, are you, Laura?" She asked avoiding my eyes. I refuse to be the kind of snob Mother is, if Marie-Anne likes him there's got to be more to him than just his job and his previous - indiscretion. "I-I couldn't tell you. I didn't know what you'd say." She admitted. When did I turn into the parent? Oh, that's right. I'm the one who likes to pretend she knows what she's doing.
"I'm not angry." She made this delighted little squeally noise.

That Friday, after reassuring herself five times that I was "not angry", she took some of the money she'd been saving from the job she'd gotten at the hospital as a nurse's assistant, and took Chase for an evening out. They started with a trip to the park, then dinner at Tony's. Of course I wasn't there, I was at home, worrying over the gas bill and how--having finally gotten the appointment with the headmaster of St. Amelia's--we were going to get in.

But she told us all about it when she got home. I still have no idea what they actually ate for dinner, she never got around to that part. But she did tell us about how she'd even--quite boldly--held his hand--at the table--in front of the waiter!

Then the most shocking part of all. She kissed him. Also right there in the restaurant! I was amazed. I couldn't imagine her doing that--but I guess being in love makes you do crazy things, not that I would know.

Marie-Leah was the next to fall to Eros' arrow. Her beau, too, mother would never have approved of. Terrence was the only son of Captain East. Captain owned a ship and part of the docks. His sister Lina was a good friend of Marie-Leah's and I had seen them look at each other, kind of sizing each other up when he would come to retrieve his sister from our house. Though, by mother's reckoning, Terrence was below us. I think part of that was jealousy.
Mrs. East had died when Lina was born and Terrence and Lina were mostly raised by nannies. Their house was not far from ours--and not unlike ours either in size and shape, but all the furniture that the Easts owned was actually purchased and not on credit like ours. Captain East had been to all sorts of exotic places--and mother had never been five miles outside of our town.

"It was wonderful," she'd later tell me. "We went skating and it just sort of happened." I was, I admit, a little jealous myself. Nothing ever "just happens" to me. I plan too much. I can't think of the last spontaneous, not responsible thing I've ever done. I seem to have been born without anything resembling capriousness.

Both Marie-Leah and Marie-Anne were both so happy. And I was--well mostly just worried. I'm going to be an old maid with a bleeding stomach before I'm twenty-five, I'm certain.