The woman behind the counter, an older dark-skinned woman, looked up when they entered and smiled. Taking in Brax, she paused for a moment. Suddenly, as if recognizing him, her face lit up like a flare. “Oh, Braxton, my love,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. She hurried over and greeted him with an embrace. “How are you? I almost didn’t recognize you without hair.”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Wells. How are you?”
“I am well. And who is this lovely young woman?”
“A friend visiting from New Orleans, Raven Moreau.”
“What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. I’m Rosetta Wells. Welcome to Baltimore. Pleased to meet you.”
“Pleased to meet you as well, Mrs. Wells.”
“Her mother and my father are to be married,” Braxton explained.
Mrs. Wells clapped her hands against her cheeks in shock and surprise. “Harry is getting married?” She turned to Raven. “Is your mother as beautiful as you are?”
Raven grinned. “In my mind, she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“Oh, those old biddies up in Boston are going to take to their beds knowing Harry’s off the market. They’ve been trying to throw their nets over him for decades.”
While the two friends chatted further, Raven drifted away and took in the store’s offerings. There was daywear and nightwear. She passed hats, fancy hose, and more dress forms sporting ensembles like the one in the window.
When she saw Mrs. Wells removing the suit from the window and placing it on the counter, she became curious. Mrs. Wells said, “PrettyMiss Raven, will you come into the back with me and try this on? I want to check the fit.”
Raven looked at Brax. He turned his eyes to the ceiling and began whistling as if he wasn’t guilty of what she guessed he was up to. But Mrs. Wells had been kind, and if purchasing the suit would add a few dollars to her till, Raven would play along. She’d save fussing at him for when they were alone.
The suit did fit. It was a bit long in the hem though. Mrs. Wells suggested, “Just have Braxton or one of the women at his shop shorten it an inch or so for you, and it will be perfect. How long have you known Braxton?”
“Not very long.”
“Well, I’ve known him for over a decade and he’s very special to me.”
“He’s special to me as well,” Raven replied truthfully.
“Good to hear and to know. Go ahead and remove the suit, and we’ll tally it up and send it home with you.”
Once she changed back into her own clothes, Raven carried the suit to the counter. Apparently Braxton had done some shopping while she’d been in the back, because Mrs. Wells was tallying a small pile of other items and placing them into a canvas bag: hose, two skirts—one brown, one black—blouses, and lovely silk shifts. When she was done, Brax gave Raven a smile and handed over what was owed.
Mrs. Wells and Brax shared a parting embrace. “You take care of yourself,” he told her. “I’ll look in on you the next time I’m in town.”
“I’d like that.” She turned to Raven. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”
“Mine, too. Thank you.”
They exited, and once outside, Brax looked Raven’s way and asked, “Am I in for a fussing?”
“I’m still trying to decide. Tell me how you know Mrs. Wells.”
“Her son, William, and I were in the Fifty-Fourth together and we became good friends. He was badly injured during one of our last campaigns and eventually succumbed. On his deathbed he asked that I look after his mother. He was her only child and she has no husband. I promised him I would. Every time I’m here, I stop in to see her. Sometimes I take her to dinner, sometimes we simply sit and talk. She still misses her son very much.”
Moved by the story and yet another example of his caring nature, Raven decided not to fuss. As they walked, they came across a book shop. “Let’s get the books for Aaron and his mother,” he said.
Pleased that he’d be keeping his promise, she accompanied him inside. Aided by the owner, Brax found Aaron a speller, a book that would help him with his arithmetic, and another focusing on mastering penmanship. He also picked out Frederick Douglass’s autobiography for Aaron’s mother, Ellen, and twocopies ofAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland. After paying for the purchases, he arranged with the owner to have the books shipped to the address Ellen had provided. Brax kept one copy of Alice, however.
“Do you need a new copy?” Raven asked.
“No, you do.” And he handed it to her.
Filled with emotion, she said, “Thank you. I will treasure this always.” And she would because of the role it had played in tying them together.