For personal use and select distribution only © August 1999 by S.L. Snyder

THE RIGHT CHOICE
by S. L. Snyder

Timeline: October 1873


Michaela and Sully were snuggling in the early morning hours. Sully put his hand on her growing stomach to feel the baby. "At three months, I think I'm bigger with this baby than I was with Katie." Michaela said.

"Does that mean the baby will be bigger when it's born?"

"Not necessarily. I may be carrying more weight that isn't baby."

"Well, it don't matter. I like ya no matter what size ya are." He moved in close and kissed her.

They heard a light knock on the door. "Mama, Papa, me come in?" They heard Katie ask.

Michaela got up and opened the door to find their little angel standing outside. "Good morning, Katie. Do you want to come into bed with Papa and me?"

"Yes, pease," Katie said as she scampered into the room and got into bed, with a little help from her mother. She crawled over next to her father, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big wet kiss. "Love you, Papa!"

"Love you too, Katiedid," he said, returning her kiss, although not as wet.

Katie turned to her mother, who was back in bed, and gave her a wet kiss. "Love you, Mama!"

"And I love you, Katie," kissing her. "How do you like your new bed?" Michaela asked, as Katie had just given up her crib for a bed Sully had made for her.

"Me like bed, Mama. I big girl now, huh, Papa?"

"Yes you are, my sweet Kates."

Katie reached down and put her hand on Michaela's stomach. "Mama's tummy gettin' big. How come?"
Michaela looked at Sully with a question in her eyes. Sully nodded his head. "Katie," he said, "mama has a baby in there. Mamas carry babies inside them for awhile and when the baby is ready, it comes out of the mama. Mama carried you inside until you were ready."

"Me inside Mama's tummy?"

"Yes, my love," Michaela answered.

"Like Anty Gace?"

"Yes, Aunt Grace had Elijah and Louise inside her," said Michaela.

Katie leaned over and kissed Michaela's stomach. "My baby, huh Papa?"

Sully laughed, "The baby is part of our family, Katie. You can help us take care of the baby, okay?"

"Otay, Papa!" Katie put her head on Michaela's stomach and said, "Me take care you, baby....me and Bran!"


Sully and Katie were at the train station to see if any packages arrived for Michaela. Sully was holding Katie. She had one arm around his neck and the other was waving in the air as she told Horace about the baby.

"Are ya excited, Katie?" Horace asked.

"Yep. Me take care of baby!"

Sully laughed and picked up Michaela's package. "Thanks, Horace." They turned to go back to the clinic.

"Sully?" a man's voice said.

Sully turned around to see David Lewis standing there, next to the driver from the resort, with a woman on his arm.

"Hello, David," Sully said, putting the package down and shaking David's hand.

"This is my wife, Victoria."

Sully nodded to her, "Nice to meet ya. This is our daughter, Katie."

"Hello, Katie," David said. Katie smiled. "I saw Mrs. Quinn in Boston and she said Michaela and you had a baby. We've come here for a nature conference, starting tomorrow, at a place called the Springs Chateau. The group I work for sent me. We'd be pleased if you and your family joined us for dinner tonight."

"I'll be at the conference too, with Welland Smith. He's President Grant's representative from Washington. I do surveying work for him. And our family's grown some. Matthew and Colleen are both married."

"Please, bring them all."

We'd like to have dinner with ya then."

"About seven then?"

"See ya then." Sully picked up the package and they headed back to the clinic. Michaela had a patient with her, so Sully and Katie waited outside. Finally Michaela was free. Sully and Katie went into the clinic. "Here's your package." Sully put Katie in her play area. "Michaela, I saw David Lewis at the station."

Michaela looked at Sully in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yep. Talked to him. He had his wife with him and they asked us out to dinner tonight at the resort. I said we'd come. Okay?"

"Yes, of course. I just.....well....I'm surprised....wife? I mean, what is he doing here?"

"Victoria is his wife's name. He's here for the conference. Said the people he works for sent him. If ya don't wanna go, we can send word we can't come."

"No, I'm okay. I just didn't expect to see him again. But I'm glad he's married. He deserves some happiness." She looked up at Sully with a smile, "I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the kind of happiness I have."

Sully smiled. "Good answer." He leaned over and kissed her. "He said to bring the family. 'Bout seven. Okay?"

"Yes. I don't have any more patients. When Amanda comes back from the store, can we go home?"

"You bet! Brian should be outa school in a few minutes. We'll let Amanda know and have Brian ride out and tell Andrew and Colleen. Me and Kates will walk over and meet Brian. When we get back, we can go home. Kates...wanna go get Brian?"

"Get Bran, Papa!"


Sully pulled the wagon up to the resort and one of the doormen came down to meet them. "Hi, Sully, Dr. Mike."

"Hey, George," Sully said. "Can ya watch the wagon for us?"

"Sure thing."

They went into the resort. Colin was behind the desk. "Dr. Mike, Sully, how have you been?"

"Good, Colin," said Michaela.

"Are you here for dinner?"

"Yes. We're suppose to meet an old friend and his wife, David and Victoria Lewis. And the other children will be joining us," Michaela replied.

"Let me walk you in and make sure you get a good table. Course the headwaiter tonight is Sam and every since you helped him with his back, Dr. Mike, he'd do anything for you," said Colin, laughing. When they reached the dinning room, Colin asked, "Do you see your friends?"

"No."

"Let's get you settled. Sam, the Sullys' are meeting some friends and need a table."

"Of course. Dr. Mike, how you been?"

"Good, Sam, and you?"

"Just fine since you helped me. Here, follow me please."

Sam sat them at a very nice table. A few minutes later David and Victoria were brought to the table and seated, with Matthew, Amanda, Colleen and Andrew following.

"Hello, Michaela."

"David. It's so nice to see you."

"This is my wife, Victoria."

"Victoria," Michaela said, "I'd like you meet our children. You've already met Katie. These are our sons, Brian and Matthew, our daughter Colleen, son-in-law Andrew and daughter-in-law Amanda."

"Hello. Michaela, David has told me a lot about you. I really admire you for coming out here to be a doctor."

"Will you be attending the conference with David?"

Victoria laughed. "No. I learned within a few weeks of our wedding that his conferences were not for me. I spend my time looking around the places we visit."

"I'd be happy to show you around."

"I'd like that very much."

"Michaela and Sully, you have a nice family," David said.

"Thanks," said Sully. He looked at Michaela with a smile, she nodded, knowing he would like to tell them about the new baby. "And soon to grow by one. We're gonna have another baby come April."

"That's wonderful!" Victoria exclaimed.

"Congratulations," David said.

"Thank you," Michaela replied.

They went on to enjoy a pleasant meal, with David and Sully discussing the need to protect the wilderness.


The next week, while Sully and David attended the conference, Michaela took Victoria around the area. With Brian's help, they went out to the Red Rocks and up to Palmer Creek to see Cloud Dancing. During this time, Victoria told Michaela all about her life with David. Michaela understood that David had told Victoria about their engagement, but she didn't think David told Victoria much about the time he spent here trying to get her back.


Finally the conference was over. Michaela and Sully were at the train station to see the Lewis' off. "Please come again, when you can visit us," Michaela said.

"We will, won't we, David?" Victoria said.

"Yes, dear, sure."


Michaela was sitting on the bed, tired. She'd just put Katie to bed and kissed Brian goodnight. She could hear Sully downstairs, closing up. She knew she should be getting ready for bed, but she had had a very long, busy day with some emergencies. She'd even had to ride out to one of the homesteads when a man had broken his leg in three places and his family couldn't get him into town. This had all happened since the Lewis' had left at 10 in the morning.

Sully walked into the room. "Michaela? You okay?"

"Just tired. This was a long day."

Sully came over to the bed and as he had done many times, he started taking her shoes and stockings off. He massaged her feet for a few minutes then he pulled her to her feet." Let me help ya change." He got her clothes off and as she was standing there, nude, he bent down and kissed her stomach. "Night, baby." Then he put her nightgown on. He helped her into bed. He took his things off, got into bed, with her back to him and put his arms around her. "Did ya have a good time, this past week, with Victoria?"

"Yes. I like her."

"Me, too. Like David, too. I'd say he loves her, but he still has thoughts of you. He had a lot'a of questions about you."

"Victoria loves David very much, but I think she's a little sad. She said they've decided not to have children because of all David's causes. She wants to travel with him and they don't think it would be a good life for children. She said they have no real home. What little they have is with David's parents in Boston. They've been married over a year and have been back to Boston once, a few months ago. I think she really would like to have a baby. She told me she envied us our children."

"David said about the same thing, 'cept don't think he misses havin' kids. He wanted to know what it was like raising' three kids that weren't ours. I explained that they weren't our blood, but they were ours. I told him I wouldn't trade our four kids and the one that's comin' for anything. That seeing Colleen and Matthew happily married was a real good feeling. He asked if we wouldn't like to travel and I told him we'd done enough travelling. We're happy just to be home."

Michaela shook her head.

"What?"

"When I was trying to tell David that I loved you and chose to be with you, I told him things had changed since he and I had been engaged. That I had the children now, they were my responsibility. He said they would be our responsibility, that we would care for them together. I let him know that wasn't enough....that I loved you."

"That's the day ya came up to ask me to marry ya, huh?"

"Yes," she said, laughing. "I remember that day well! For a moment, I thought you were going to say no!"

"Naw, I'd never have said no. But I was so relieved you'd picked me, that for a few minutes I was afraid to say anything. Although I'd told ya I just wanted ya to be happy, I was scared you'd decided it'd be David that made ya happy. Then I just wanted to look at ya when I agreed." Sully pulled Michaela tighter against his body and splayed his hands across her stomach. Then he kissed her. "Time to go to sleep. You and the baby need your rest."

Michaela turned her face slightly so that his lips would meet hers and enjoyed a kiss.

"I made the right choice. Thank you, Sully."

"For what?"

"For you."


In the morning they said good-bye, but the memory of last night remained in their hearts...Forever.
All through that day, wherever he went, she was with him.
And wherever she went, he was with her.
And they smiled with the knowing that it would be that way forever.
---unknown



The End

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