When Repentance was little she often tried to discover what her mother's sin was. If she bore the curse, she had right to know the cause, she figured. But never would her mother speak of the deed.
Mother finished the last braid and bent to kiss the top of Repentance's head. "Sober wants you. He was desperate to have you. You are taking the biggest button price this year at five hundred beads."
"You're right, of course." What was the use of arguing? Mother would believe what she wanted. She had no problem with contentment. She put a good light on everything. That was how she coped with her harsh world. Even Repentance understood that. And it was one reason she wanted out. Providence desires us to be honest, merciful, and joyous. Perfect! Except you couldn't be all three at once. Honesty sucked all the joy right out of a body.
"Don't be so glum, Repentance," Mother said, giving her shoulders an encouraging squeeze. "I know you've heard people talking. Saying that Sober is stuck with you. He's failed at four buttonings and if he fails this one it's the slave cart for him, true enough. But look at how good Providence is. Sober needs you and you need him. It is Providence at work. It has to be. He's saving both of you from the overlords."
Repentance met her mother's gaze in the reflecting wall. Tired eyes made Mother look older than her thirty-two years. All that faking of contentment wore a soul out, apparently. But there was love in those dark eyes, too.
Guilt flooded through Repentance. She wanted to tell her mother that she loved her. She wanted to tell her goodbye. But she couldn't steal the afternoon's joy from her. Night would come soon enough, bringing the sorrow with it. "Yes," she said softly. "It must be Providence at work."
Mother smiled. "The other boys are missing out. But the best buttonings are made from necessity. Look at your father and me. See how happy we've been?"
"Why did you two need each other so much?"
"It was his fifth year, too."
"I knew he needed you. I didn't know you needed him. Didn't any other scarf boys want you?"
"He would have gone to the overlords. That's necessity enough for one button match." Mother blushed and absently tucked a strand of dull black hair back into the bun on her head. "Of course other boys wanted me. I was young and beautiful once myself. Just like you are now."
Repentance twisted around on the bench and hugged her. "You are still beautiful. And I love you." And she hated to hurt her.
She closed her eyes, remembering Trib's howling as the overlords took him away.
And her mother's weeping.
And Comfort, her little sister, clinging to her night after night while Mother sobbed and Father shushed and their world wobbled out of whack.
It fell completely off its axis the following year when the overlords came back for Devastation.
But then the little boys had been born. And joy returned. Mother was happy. She'd given her two sons already. The overlords only ever took two. The little boys were safe.
But Mother was about to have her world tipped upside down again. At the button ceremony. "I have always loved you," Repentance whispered, wanting to keep holding her forever.
Mother patted her back. "There's a good girl. And don't worry. You'll love Sober, too. He's a good man. It will all come out right in the end."
Repentance nodded, though she knew Mother was wrong. Nothing was going to come out right. She'd known that from the day Trib disappeared into the fog. She'd known then that she would never button. Never breed. Never give her children to the overlords.
Repentance found Comfort sitting on the mossy bench in the main room of their cave with a parchment book on her lap. She held a char-stick in one hand, eyes closed as if she was trying to picture, in her mind's eye, the image she wanted to capture. Repentance stared, determined to etch every line of her sister's face into her brain permanently. She would think of Comfort forever in this peaceful pose—leaning back against the wall with the dim light washing over her features.
No one ever accused Comfort of being cursed. She was beautiful in every way. The blackest hair; the smoothest complexion, like cool brown tea; high cheekbones; and the darkest, deepest eyes, dancing with secret joys.
As if feeling Repentance's gaze traveling over her, Comfort opened her eyes. "Pentance!" she said. "You scared me."
"What are you drawing?"
Comfort tipped up the parchment to reveal a blank page. "Haven't started yet. And you couldn't see if I had. I'm thinking on your button present. I want it to be perfect."
A tremor ran down Repentance's spine. "Everything you draw is perfect." She sat down next to Comfort. "I can't believe I'm leaving tonight. I'll miss you."
"It's not like we'll never see each other again. I'll walk to the marsh and visit you every day."
Repentance nodded.
Comfort twisted slightly to look at her. "If you want me, I mean. If you're not too busy taking care of Sober. And then the babies. Pretty soon you'll have babies and you'll be too busy to miss any of us."
"I'll never stop missing you, Comfort, you're my best friend."
"And I'll always be." She smiled. "Even when Aggravation and I are buttoned."
There had been no waiting until the last minute for Comfort's buttoning particulars. The Mossybanks had paid over beads to purchase Comfort for their son years earlier. Both Comfort and Aggravation were well pleased with the arrangement. Repentance smiled thinking about the two as button mates. They were the handsomest couple in the village—their
