Alec and Janet King had a whole brood of children, yet they still found the time and room to take in Andrew, Alec’s nephew.  They also viewed Sara as much more than a niece to them.

Before Olivia married Jasper Dale, she and Hetty were a family together, living in Rose Cottage.  But when Sara arrived, their family was more complete.  Hetty learned what it meant to be a parent, while Olivia, in a way, gained a younger sister.

And then, sometimes, families were formed right out of the blue.  Take the case of Abigail – Janet King’s sister.  She was a spinster for a long time and never believed she would marry.  Then, under the helpful persuasion of the King children, she agreed to marry her old beau, Malcolm McEwan.  Though happily married to Abigail, Malcolm yearned for a child and one day brought home a baby cradle that he bought at an auction – much to Abigail’s dismay.

“I could never, in all of my life, see myself having a baby.  I’m passed that,” Abigail tells him.  “And besides, I don’t think I’m the mothering kind.”

“You didn’t think you were the marrying kind either,” Malcolm retorts.

Though it looks as though Malcolm will have to give in to Abigail’s wish for them not to venture into parenthood, one day, a baby is mysteriously left at their front door.  The child is actually an orphan who lost both its mother (a former student teacher of Hetty's) and father to scarlet fever.  The baby was set to be taken to an orphanage when Felicity and Sarah intervened – knowing how much Malcolm longed for a child.  Without telling anyone, the girls left the baby on Abigail’s doorstep.  Though there were moments of hesitation on Abigail's part, she and Malcolm soon saw that they were meant to keep this baby and expand their family.

Anneofgreengables.com is honouring the families in all of its series this week.