"Nora... for Christ's sake, tell me this; How on earth, did this amount of muck end up on your dress?" Mother questions, vigorously scrubbing the dirt stains from the fabric of my dress.

"She fell," Archie pipes up, sipping a cup of water, smiling behind my mother.

I glare at him as mother lectures me about acting more ladylike and to not be so clumsy. 

"...and remember to keep your dress hem above your ankles, and walk with your head high, no slouched posture. Do you understand, Nora"?

"Yes mother. I understand". 

Archie snorts behind the glass now empty of liquid.

Mother turns around from where she is daintily crouching on the kitchen floor to look at him, but he has already put on a serious face.

"What is up with the two of you? Nora you have been casting him the most distasteful look since you walked in here".

"Nothing at all mother. We are just caught in a round of friendly shenanigans".

"Very well, then. I am going to take the laundry off of the clotheslines. You two may go to Nora's room if you'd-", she spots the locket and reaches up a hand to carefully finger it, asking; "Nora? Where on earth did you find this"?

I cast Archie a pleading glance for help.

"I brought it for her, Thelma".

"Why ever did you do such a remarkable thing for my daughter"?

"Because I value her very much. No locket of such fine material would ever look finer on a prettier maiden".

"Why, Archie," she exclaims, clutching a hand to her chest, "aren't you a keeper!" she looks at me, "isn't he, dear"?

"Oh yes," I say, braving the sarcasm out of my voice, "as fine as they come nowadays".

"Mhm," Archie nods. 

"You should place a picture in the locket, Nora, it will add specialty to it".

"Oh, well I fear I do not have any pictures small enough to fit inside," I say, as I unclasp the locket opening it to see a small slot where a tiny photo would fit on the inside.

"Well, we can certainly make due of that. I will take you two to the photo shop tomorrow after visiting grandmother Josephines for breakfast to have your photo taken together".

"Together?" I ask.

"After breakfast?" Archie asks.

"Yes," she says, blinking. 

"Will you have time after our meal, Archie? Before writing your letters to the town hall"?

"Now that I think about the supposed timing, yes. I will come to take a photo with you, Nora".

"Well, it is settled then," mother says. She nods and heads out to the front lawn to presumably take the washing from the clothing lines. 

She calls out; "And Nora, remove your boots"!

I slip off my leather heeled boots and set them in the front entry. 

"Shall we head upstairs?" Archie asks.

"Upstairs"?

"To your bedroom, as your mother suggested".

"Oh," I say, suddenly recalling the past conversation, "yes, come along," and we move through the house, upstairs into my well-kept bedroom.