Roosevelt.

Two.

Chapter Two: Dandelions.

Maggie.

"Good morning, girls," Father greets, sliding into the kitchen, while Josie continues helping me prepare stew for the family's lunch.

It's one of the many chores I must complete before getting my father's permission to go to Bartlon Lagoon with Josie and Fannie.

"Good morning, Father. How are you feeling this morning?" I ask meekly, after Josie receives my father's blessing as a greeting.

"With very good health and ready to continue preaching the word of our Lord," he nods approvingly at the stew's good appearance. "That looks appetizing, Magdalene."

"Thank you, Father. I hope you all enjoy it," I sigh relieved to find him in a good mood today.

"I hope so too," I don't miss the warning in his tone, but he's smiling, so for now, I'm safe. "Is the room for our guest ready? He'll arrive this afternoon. Most likely after lunch, but just in case, add a bit more meat to the stew. We don't want to make a bad impression, right?"

"Of course not, Father," I reply before quickly obeying his order, adding another portion of red meat to the stew pot.

A knot of nerves settles in my stomach at the mention of the guest my father had agreed to host at home.

It will be the first time a man stays at home. Apart from my brothers, obviously. And not only that, he's a boy my age, who gets into enough trouble for his parents to decide to get rid of him all summer, sending him across Mayton.

I just hope he doesn't bring those troubles home with him.

"Dear Piper!" my father exclaims excitedly, drawing my attention back to the kitchen, and I turn my body just in time to see a very pregnant Piper entering, holding a cake in her hands.

"Mr. Kane," my sister-in-law nods in acknowledgment and places the dessert on the counter, starting to walk in my direction. "Hello, Maggie. Benjamin said you'd go to the lagoon today with the girls."

I refrain from rolling my eyes at the lack of control and privacy I have over my life and nod in response.

Josie has skillfully slipped out of the kitchen to give us some family privacy, which I infinitely appreciate. It's horrible to be scolded in front of people outside the family.

"She'll go with Noah, of course," my father adds, new information of which I was not aware.

We were supposed to go just the girls and me. Without any supervision. But well, that was too much to ask with Eleazar Kane.

"Mr. Kane, don't you think Maggie is old enough to fend for herself?" Piper intervenes on my behalf, but we both know it's futile.

If it were one of my brothers, the story would be different.

But in this family, having a v****a instead of a hanging p***s between my legs is synonymous with loss of freedom, submission to an archaic patriarchy rooted in my family, and no possibility of standing on my own.

Which translates to being raised to be obedient and docile to the male authority figure present and not to even entertain the thought of being independent.

"It's better for her to be accompanied by a man. We wouldn't want boys spying in the bushes while the girls take an innocent bath," My Father definitively closes the discussion with that statement and pats Piper's swollen belly. "How's my grandson in there? Has he stopped giving you trouble?"

I take that change of conversation as a sign to excuse myself and leave the kitchen after making sure the fire is out.

I silently glide through the halls of the parsonage, until I reach the backyard gardens, where I can finally breathe in peace.

In the distance, I can see Gorman Hill and how the sky begins to turn into a beautiful shade of blue. Judging by the lack of clouds, it's safe to say today will be a good day for swimming.

I sit on the top step of the back porch and rest my arms on my knees, letting my chin rest on them.

I pick up a dandelion, which grows under the back porch steps, and blow lightly, watching as it disintegrates and each of the flowers flies freely to an uncertain destination.

Sometimes, I just wish to be a dandelion and let the lightest breeze disintegrate me, but in doing so, set me free.

I shake my mind of those thoughts and try to focus on something else.

It's useless to waste time on a simple wish that won't come true.

My mind inevitably returns to our future tenant.

Roosevelt Donovan. His name gives me a clue to his origin. He's from the north of Mayton according to what my father said, so I deduce he comes from a wealthy family.

We were informed of his arrival a week ago, and since then, my father hasn't stopped making improvements at home to welcome the son of Deputy Donovan.

But all this is due to the hefty check that will be handed to Dad for taking care of the rebellious son of an exemplary family.

I wonder if the boy will be as bad as they describe.

I'm still trying to figure out the reason for his exile, but my father keeps it a state secret.

The course of my thoughts is abruptly interrupted by Josie's appearance, who looks longingly towards the stables.

"Fannie's father will pick us up in ten minutes," she declares, and I jump up from the step, knowing I have little time to prepare snacks for our lunch.

"Are you going again?" I point to the stables, giving Josie a knowing look.

She blushes a little, embarrassed that I caught her watching.

She has a clandestine romance with one of Dad's employees. It had started last summer, and apparently, they had no intention of stopping.

However, the boy makes my friend happy, and the few times I've seen them interact, it has been more than evident that he feels a deep affection for Josie.

So, if she feels happy with him slipping his hands under her skirt, who am I to deny her that?

"Just for a while. I'll be there when Fannie arrives," she promises, waiting for my agreement so she can sneak away and enjoy a few minutes of freedom with her man.

"Okay. But if Fannie arrives and you're not there, I won't cover for you," I try to sound threatening, but we both know I'm lying.

I could never let her be caught if I have the power to help her.

"Thank you, Maggie." Her cheeks are tinted with a crimson of anticipation for their encounter, and as I watch her walk away, I feel the familiar pang of envy inside me, discovering that she gets to choose to whom she belongs.

I won't have the same luck.

***

"Sister!" Noah's booming voice startles me as I slice a few tomatoes.

"Noah!" I set aside what I'm doing and jump into my brother's arms, enjoying the familiar warmth of his body and his familiar scent of fresh air and newly cut grass. "How are you? How was the trip here?"

"Everything's fine. The trip was tedious, but I managed to make it, which is important," he places a brief kiss on my forehead before taking a step back and grabbing one of the sandwiches from the counter.

I return my attention to the food after serving him a glass of lemonade. He gives me a grateful look before starting to eat his sandwich.

"Did Father tell you that you'll accompany us to the lake?" I ask, feigning disinterest, as I was probably the only one unaware of it.

Noah looks genuinely remorseful before nodding. "He said he wants to prevent the boys from looking at you lasciviously," he murmurs apologetically.

"It's okay. He just cares," I respond, trying to smile but only managing a strange grimace.

"Noah! The mare is giving birth!" Josie bursts into the kitchen, looking very disheveled, but I'm not sure if it's from the sprint or her previous activities.

"Already? I'll go see how everything is over there," Noah leaves his half-eaten sandwich on the table and finishes his lemonade before heading out of the kitchen.

In the last second, he turns, looking a bit sad because he knows that the trip to the lagoon is canceled since he can't accompany us.

My father won't allow me to go unsupervised.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes, coming back to give me a bear hug. "I'll make it up. That's a promise."

"Don't worry," I sigh, packing the rest of the sandwiches into a basket. "Here, take them to the other boys so they can eat something."

"You're the best," he blows a kiss before disappearing into the corridors of the house to fulfill his duties.

"You won't go to the lagoon then," Josie states, combing her blonde hair.

"Not without supervision. And I'd rather spend the rest of the afternoon in my room than ask Benjamin to accompany us," we both shudder at the mention of my older brother.

The sound of the horn at the entrance alerts us that Fannie is here, and Josie rushes to find her, bidding a hasty goodbye.

I watch her go, feeling a pang of sadness settling in my chest when reality once again sets in.

"I'm trapped here," I think. "I'm trapped forever."