Mama’s Little Helper 

Annie May | Part II 

| ‘A Sweet Hero’ Short Story |

Hello, Sweet Friend! 

Today I wanted to share with you a sweet little short story I wrote this month! I’m doing the ‘Heroes Reading Challenge’ hosted by Story Of A Christian Girl! February's prompt is ‘A Sweet Hero’ and I decided to, along with reading, write a short story! 

This is the sequel to Annie May On The Train!!! In the first part, we met little orphan Annie May. She has just been taken in by the Heart family. This is set a few months later during the springtime (which is a bit ironic as there is a winter storm outside and I’m currently snowed in XD). I really hope you like this sweet little story! I really loved getting to write about Annie May and her family again and I hope you like this story too! 

The ending is definitely a favorite! It just felt so fitting for Annie May’s character not to be alone…and imma stop here so I don’t spoil it XD! 

This story is set in the early 1900s in New England during Spring! It’s about a little girl named Annie May who is now living with her foster family, the Hearts. This is a historic fiction and not all facts are completely accurate but I hope it’s still fun to read! 

Now onto the story! 

The Story:

Mama’s Little Helper (Annie May | Part II)

(A Sweet Hero)

Once upon an early spring morning, Annie May was in the garden. She hummed softly while picking some wildflowers for a flower crown of daisies she was making. Much has changed in her life since that autumn day on the train. Already Annie May had been at the Heart Family Ranch for two seasons. Autumn had left, and winter came with its cold chill and blankets of snow. It was beautiful but Annie May was glad the weather was beginning to warm and the seasons were changing and flowers were blooming. 

Oh, how she loved spring flowers with all their beautiful colors. Out here in the garden, she could just imagine that fairies were real. Of course, they must make their clothes out of beautiful flowers, thought she. Well, I suppose it would be wrong of me to rob all the pretty flowers from the fairies. And so Annie May stopped picking flowers, satisfied she had enough in her hands. Taking her pile of white and yellow flowers, Annie May walked back to the white farmhouse that was now her home. It was hard to imagine a time she was not living here, here in this home with a family of her very own. Once in a while nerves would butterfly their way into her stomach and settle on her chest. What if the Heart family sent me back? What if they grew tired of me? She tried not to think that way and was mostly successful, but then again her imagination seemed to like to get the best of her and then she was worried all over again.

She sighed and shook her head. This was no way to think, now was it. She blew a strand of blond hair that had fallen out from her braid and was dangling in front of her eye to the side. Sitting on the porch she began to weave the flowers together until they started to take the shape of a circular crown. She weaved more flowers into the crown. It was quite a beautiful little crown. She just finished as the sun was now fully awake and the colors from the painted sky were abdicating and becoming a soft blue. 

The front door opened and her foster father, Mason Heart came out. He smiled down at little Annie May with the flower crown on her head. “Now, imma need your help today, little sprite.” 

Annie May nodded enthusiastically. She loved helping her father. 

Mason smiled, “Good. Now Lizzy, your Ma, isn't feeling well. I be needing you to help around the house while she is sick in bed, alright. Can I count on you?”

“Oh, yes! I would love to help though I am sorry Mama isn't feeling well. I wonder what is the matter with her? I know she wasn’t feeling that well in the winter and cold. It is getting warmer now and the snow has melted but you think it is too cold for her?” 

Mason smiled at his daughter who always had something to say and who could talk for hours if one was willing to listen. “Maybe,” he nodded. “You be good for your Mama.”

“Oh, I will! I definitely will!”

“Good. Now I made breakfast so you best eat. I’ll be back for supper.” 

“I’ll clean just like Mama and don’t you worry, Mama was teaching me about cooking so I’ll make a good supper.” 

“Very good then. Well, I’m off to work on the ranch, why don’t you head inside to each and check on your Mama.” 

Annie May nodded all seriously like. She would take the duty of being the woman of the house seriously. With a quick nod, Annie May went into the house to check on Ma and eat the breakfast her father had made. Mama must be really sick if she could not get up or make meals. Usually, Mama loved to make good meals. It was her way of showing love, or at least that's what Mama said. 

After breakfast, Annie May looked around. “Well, I suppose now is chorin’ time. I wonder what I should do first.” Annie May looked at her empty plate. “Why the dishes of course,” she said and went to clean the dishes. Once clean and set out to dry she moved to dusting and sweeping. After that, she wasn’t sure what to do. After some thought, Annie May went to visit Mama. She was lying in bed, her eyes closed and breathing softly. She was asleep. Annie May was glad her Mama was sleeping but also wished she was awake so she would know what to do next. Oh, well. She would have to figure it out herself. 

Annie May quietly went back to the living room. The clock ticked down the time but it wasn't late enough to start preparing for supper. “Well, at least I can look through Mama’s recipes to find something to make. I shall not want to be caught off guard with nothing to give my father. Besides, I don’t want them to second guess having me here. I will work well and I will be the best daughter they could ever wish for. No, they will not regret taking me in and making me their daughter.” With that speech to herself, she decided she would make the very best meal she was able to. She found the little box of recipes that Mama made. Some of them were in Ma’s loopy writing while some were given to her by her Mama and her Ma’s Ma. Generations of women had used these recipes and so would Annie May. She would make her Mama proud. 

Some of them felt too hard…really anything involving meat scared her. She would hate to accidentally ruin it or not cook it enough so she decided to go simpler. “Well…father likes pancakes a lot. He always compliments Mama when she makes them. They look simple enough to make. Besides, I have made pancakes before.” Pancakes were what she was going to make but she still had some time before she needed to start. Annie May went over to the little bookshelf in the living room. Lizzy and Mason loved books, much to Annie May’s great delight. She loved that they loved books and let her read them as well. She remembered her prayer all those months ago on the train. She had prayed for loving parents and ones who would let her read. God answered her prayer. She was so very thankful. She was very fortunate to have such wonderful parents. She knew this was a gift from God. Still, she wanted to earn her place and earn her parents’ love. They had done so much for her. They were far superior to all the other foster parents she had had and much more loving than the nuns at the orphanage. She was going to be a good daughter. She won’t give them any reason to send her back, she vowed. 

After reading for a bit she decided it was time to start pancakes. She got out all the ingredients and mixed them together in a bowl. She heated the pan and melted butter in the skillet. Carefully she poured the perfect amount of batter into the pan. The first batch of pancakes looked absolutely delicious and perfectly perfect. Annie May sighed with relief. This was going to be the best pancakes ever. “Well, wait. If I am going to make the best pancakes ever then shouldn’t I have more than just pancakes, butter, and syrup? Yes, I should. Well in the pantry are some jams and jellies Mama preserved. The strawberry one would be just splendid to go with the pancakes. Oh, yes, it will be just perfect!” 

Annie May finished another pan full of pancakes and set some more batter on the pan. “I’ll be just right back,” she called to the batter and skipped off to the pantry down the hall. She went into the little pantry and looked through all the jams and preserves. She picked up the strawberry one but spied a peach one too. “Hmm,” she mused. “What about peaches? Mama loved peaches. Surely she would like them. I do believe any kind of jam would taste good on pancakes.” So Annie May grabbed the strawberry jam and the peach preserves. Right before going out, she spotted the powdered sugar. “Oh, wouldn't the powdered sugar on top be just divine?” So moving the jars to the ground, she scooped a little powdered sugar into a little cup by the side of the pantry. Then carrying her goods, she made her way back to the dining room and placed her special treats on the table, and smiled with satisfaction. 

She wrinkled her nose. Something smelt off. Like burning—she gasped and ran into the kitchen. The pancakes on the pan were black and smoking something awful. “Oh, dandelions! What do I do?” She exclaimed. Quickly she ran over and was able to move the burnt pancakes into a plant. Still, the pan was smoking and the charred batter was stuck to the pan. “Oh, why did I have to go find strawberry jam? Now I've ruined it.” She quickly turned off the stove and put the pan into the water. Great steam welled up and made her cough and turn away. She grabbed a sponge to clean the mess but instead burnt her hand on the rim of the pan. She gasped in pain and dropped the pan into the sink. Tears really now were falling and her hand was throbbing awful. “Oh, I've ruined everything,” she wailed. “Now they must want to send me back to the orphanage.” 

Just then the front door opened and in walked Mason. He smelt smoke and quickly ran to the kitchen. Annie May was crying, holding her hand. There was a mess of batter and flour on the counter, six good pancakes on a plate, and another three charred and black. Before he could speak a word, Annie May covered her face and burst into new tears, and ran out of the house and into the garden. Mason called after her but she just wanted to run away. She ruined everything and just wanted to hide for the rest of her life. She hid with the roses and continued to cry and hold her burnt hand close to her middle. Her hand wasn’t hurting as bad anymore but it still throbbed and had a heartbeat of its own. 

Footsteps came into the garden. A hand rested against her shoulder, “Sweet thing, are you hurt?” 

Annie May cried even more. Oh, why did she have to cry? “I ruined everything,” she hiccuped. 

“You didn’t ruin everything.” 

“But I did. Oh, I messed it all up. I was going to make you pancakes because I know you like pancakes and it was all going so well but then,” she took a gasp of air and continued on. “But then I wanted to make it special so got out strawberry jam and peach preserves because I know Mama likes peaches. Then I saw the powdered sugar and thought that it would taste good with the pancakes. Oh, and when I got back the pancakes were burning and smoking and ruined. Then I got the pancakes off but the pan was all burnt and messy so I went to clean it but then burnt my hand and everything was ruined! You must regret having me be your daughter. I wouldn't blame you for sending me back to the orphanage. And—“

“Whoa there. Just stop alright.” Mason’s heart broke for this little girl, his daughter. “You, miss Annalease, are my daughter. There is no world where I will ever regret you. I’m not ever going to send you to the orphanage, you know why?”

She shook her head. 

“Because you are my daughter and I love you. I will always love you. Don’t ever doubt that. Alright?” 

She nodded, her breathing shaky. 

“Where are you hurt?” 

Annie May showed him the red blister on her hand from where the pan burnt her. 

“Come on now,” Mason said and led her back into the house. He took her to the kitchen sink and put her hand in cold water. He went and found one of Lizzy’s healing ointments and put it on the burn. “Feel better?”

Annie May nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered. 

“Well, come on. Let’s see what we can salvage.” 

Annie May cringed and felt like crying all over again but followed her father into the kitchen to look around. “Well you still made six good pancakes,” he said. “Now, how about I finish making them and you can set the table?”

Annie May nodded and went to set the dining room table. In little to no time Mason finished making the rest of the pancakes and he sat down with his daughter. “Now before we start, let’s go take a plant to Mama.” 

Annie May agreed and they went to Mama’s room with the peaches. Mason leaned over and kissed his wife’s head. “Look what our daughter made you.” 

Lizzy opened her eyes sleepily and smiled at her husband and daughter. “Oh, it looks wonderful. I heard a commotion earlier.” 

Mason nodded, “We figured it out.” He winked at Annie May. She laughed. 

“You have a good little mama’s helper,” Mason said softly to his wife. 

Lizzy nodded and sat up. She held her arms out to Annie May and she gladly hugged her mama. “That's my sweet helper. Thank you for helping me. I know it isn’t always easy but you are doing amazing.”

“But I did burn the pancakes and made a mess.”

“And you fixed it and cleaned the mess. You are doing wonderful my sweet. Hopefully, soon I’ll be better and able to manage more. I didn’t realize being pregnant would take so much energy out of me.” 

Annie May nodded. She remembered how sick and cranky Mrs. Smith was pregnant. “That makes sense.” 

Lizzy and Mason’s eyes twinkled. “You think you’d like to be a big sister,” Lizzy asked. 

“Oh yes, I’d—” Annie May’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. She looked at Lizzy's tummy and then back to Lizzy and Mason. “You…you’re pregnant? Like in real life? You’re going to have a baby?”

“Yes,” Lizzy smiled. “I'm having a baby.” Mason started crying. 

“Really? But I thought—“

“So did we but God had other plans. Now we have this baby and you. Goodness knows I God knew I needed you. I love that He works like that. He brings you miracles and answers prayers even when you don’t realize how much you need them. God knew I needed a sweet daughter to help me out.” 

Now Annie May was crying. “I’ll be the best helper and big sister ever.”

“I have no doubt you will,” Mason said and hugged his daughter and wife. 

Annie May felt that she was the happiest girl in all of New England—the happiest girl in the world even. She was going to be a sister and she still had a family. 

God had answered her prayers and loved her. She didn’t have to earn God’s love. Now she sees she doesn’t need to earn her parents' love either. They loved her fully—even if she only recently was theirs. This was a good family—the best family—and she would praise God for the rest of her life for giving her this gift.

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” 

—John 14:18 

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us.”

—1 John 4:18–19 

THE END

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More Short Stories…

• Annie May On The Train

• BROKEN BALLERINA the story inspiration  

• Christmas Magic (a short story) 

• A week of flash fiction (The Regency Mystery, Peter Pan’s Shadow, ‘If I Had That Day To Live Again…’, The Telephone) 

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Discussion Time

I hope you liked this short story!!! It was so amazing getting to write this story and I’m so excited that I get to share this with all of you! Thank you so much for reading!!! <3 

I want to hear from you! Meet me in the comments and tell me if you liked this story? Who was your favorite character? Do you think you’d be interested in reading more about Annie May? I would love to chat! 

If you have any questions, prayer requests, or want to talk, make sure to comment down below! Be sure to subscribe to this blog to stay in the know because I post new content here every week. ALSO, If you want to hear more about my writing and read snippets from my stories, make sure you are subscribed because I am doing special updates for BLOG SUBSCRIBERS ONLY! 

XOXO Moriyah 🤎