Author' Note: I'm gonna start with this because I need to apologize for the delay. I've had to work a larger than normal amount of hours at work, but things have slowed a little and over a month later here I am. I'll try and get another post up on Thursday to make up for the delay. Thank you to those who have read it while I was away. Now then on to the real beginning of Florence's story. Florence always felt like a bit of an outsider in her own family, not because they didn't love her or give her the attention she needed, but because she never felt like she quite belonged. Her mother was a woman of a different time, a bygone era of long, uncomfortable-looking dresses with little flair and long hair always pulled up into a bun that gave them a severe, unattractive look. While her mother meant well she constantly scolded Florence for her short skirt and hair.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960835926_fe89cfbf20_c.jpgIt made little sense to the teen since the woman of her mother's generation that started it all with their protests and "New Woman" lifestyle. Her grandmother, Maggie-May told her all about it when she was alive, although tragically the bold woman passed before Florence's 12th birthday. The teen still had many of the books her grandmother wrote. She just didn't understand how her mother and her step-father for that matter could be raised by such a woman and then become boring people who seemed far more interested in raising children than seeing what the world had to offer. These feelings only grew stronger starting in about 1920 when her younger, half-brother Clifford became a child.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49961068832_a994dec727_c.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49961063402_d4d66031b3_c.jpgThe only guest in attendance was her Aunt Thelma. The only person to truly take after her beloved grandmother. When no one else was listening her aunt would tell her tales of rebellious juice runners and honor among thieves that would make the scandalous pulp stories she read cower in fear. To make matter worse not long after Clifford's birthday her mother got pregnant once more. After that, it almost felt like Florence was being pushed away as her parents put all their energy into to raising the younger kids, in fact, Clifford found out about the new addition long before Florence. She saw her mother tell him when she walked home from school one day. For extra precious points that almost made Florence hurl, he asked to feel their mother's tummy.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960283598_8f0f13657b_c.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960779756_5ee12b43a8_c.jpg[
It was childish to be jealous of younger kids that needed far more attention, but as silly as it was, it almost felt like Florence didn't matter anymore. Her father died in the war long before she was born and it seemed like her mother and step-father were finally getting to start their real family. Thankfully her Aunt Thelma was always a letter or a phone call away, and her life was far more interesting than the one Florence led. Unfortunately, Her parents considered Aunt Thelma a bad influence and rarely let Florence visit her. That didn't stop her from trying though. She started making excuses explaining that she had to stay late at school for one reason or another. Florence would then use that extra time to stop by Aunt Thelma's house where there was always a fun garden party or something similar, full of interesting people from all over the Roaring Heights and other, more exotic, parts of the world.
One party in particular changed the course of Florence's life forever. It was the height of summer and Florence hadn't visited Aunt Thelma for some time. She used her usual excuse and walked to her aunt's place. There she has approached a young man on the edge of his teen years named Edward Jones. He was much older than Florence but still charismatic and incredibly attractive.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960283698_425ea65fb7_c.jpgThe adults paid them no mind and they talked for hours about nothing in particular and everything at the same time.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960283688_2928f012f6_c.jpgFlorence had such a fun time, that she lost track of time and had to practically run home to avoid an interrogation from her mother. Florence just narrowly avoided being grounded for life but thought the evening was completely worth it and more than anything else she wanted to see Edward again.
The fact that their exchanges were mostly through letter made the relationship all the more enticing. It was exactly the type of brief escape Florence needed after her mother gave birth to her third child, a little girl named Ruth Maggie Nolan. From there, her parents dove more into their little family, which still felt separate from Florence. As a result, she increased the number of letters she sent to Edward until she couldn't stand just communicating through paper and ink. That night she wrote one more letter that she was going to personally hand him after school, an incredibly forward invitation to meet-up later that night. It was the only way to meet up with him without having to tell her parents all about her meet-ups with Aunt Thelma at parties with very illegal alcohol, something her parents were strongly against since her step-father was a cop and her parents were sticks in the mud.
Soon, night fell and Florence pretended to fall asleep, fully clothed, but it wasn't as if her parents would notice.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960283488_4a094a9c4e_c.jpgOnce she was sure her parents, Clifford and the baby were all asleep she climbed out of bed and crept downstairs. She was almost out the door when Ruth awoke with a wail. Florence should have run right out that door and to Edward's waiting arms just a few miles down the road, but instead, she froze and her mother spotted her the moment she reached the bottom of the stairs, Ruth in her arms waiting to be fed.
Her mother took one look at Florence, fully dressed and mere feet from the stairs, and then white-hot rage filled her face. "Were you about to sneak out?"
It was pointless to lie, so Florence confessed everything, although she avoided dropping Edward's name so as not to get him in trouble.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960283433_1c7727884b_c.jpgShe sat the baby in the buggy in the hallways and turned her attention to Florence. "Do you know how dangerous Roaring Heights is at night?! You and this boy of yours could have been killed by juice runners or kidnapped and held for ransom!"
"Oh please A... Juice runners don't want to hurt anyone, they just want the freedom to enjoy a drink every now and then. Most of the police are paid off anyways!" Florence yelled back.
"I don't even know how you know that, but those police officers are an insult to the badge your father wears!" It was then that Ruth started crying and her mother picked her up and bounced her until she stopped crying. "Look what you did now."
Florence ignored her mother fussing over the baby."Abraham is my step-father. Don't even pretend like the two of you care where I'm at anyways! The two of you have your own family to worry about, I'm just the daughter of the husband you lost a long time ago. "
Her mother's rage-filled face mellowed into one full of hurt and at that moment Florence realized she'd taken the argument too far. "Just go to bed, we'll revisit this in the morning." the fight had faded from her mother's face and all that was left was pain.
Without another word, Florence went to bed feeling like a monster, which was exactly what she deserved. Years later though when she was much older this would be the moment she looked back at the beginning of her and mother's reconciliation and the start of her feeling like a member of the family again. The road to full reconciliation though would be a long and painful one full of steep hills and pot-holes all along the way.
