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Chapter 7: Calm After the Storm December was finally in progress, and a good six inches of snow covered the grounds of Colorado Springs. Things had returned to normal, or at least as normal as they could be. The Sully family was reunited, and Sully had made nearly a full recovery. His stitches were out, but he still felt a little pain from time to time. Michaela’s arm was nearly completely healed, but she was going to be keeping her arm in a sling for the next two weeks. The children were happy to have their parents back, and now that Christmas was drawing near, so was Michaela and Sully’s first anniversary. But with their anniversary drawing near, so was the anniversary of Charlotte Cooper’s death. She had died in early January, and Michael and Sully knew that the holidays would never be the same for any of them. But, as time would wear on, they were sure that things would improve. Colleen was downstairs fixing breakfast when Brian hurried down the stairs with his schoolbooks. Sully was sitting at the kitchen table with Connor in his arms. Connor was wide-awake and focused on the eggs that his father was eating. The boy had just been fed by his mother, who was upstairs soaking in a hot bath. Daniel was sleeping in his cradle beside the fireplace. Matthew was watching after him while studying for a history test. “Brian, you’re late getting down for breakfast,” Sully pointed out. “Sorry pa,” Brian replied. “I was up studyin’ late.” “I noticed you were burnin’ the midnight oil. Try not to stay up so late next time. Make time for studyin’ a little earlier in the day.” “I’ll try,” the tired nine-year-old replied. Colleen reached over to put some eggs on Brian’s plate. He poured himself a glass of milk and ate his breakfast hungrily. Connor began to fuss, and Sully put down his fork and picked the boy up. He held him up over his head and leaned back. He played this game with both of the boys, and pretended that they were flying. Of course they were a bit too young to move around a lot, but he liked to hold them up so they could look down at him. “What are ya fussin’ about, Connor?” Sully asked. Connor cooed and Sully grinned at his boy. Sully loved spending these quiet mornings with the children while Michaela was upstairs getting ready to the day. Something about it made his heart swell with pride. “We’ll take our wagon into town,” Matthew replied, referring to the wagon the children had kept when Charlotte died. Having two wagons proved to be very helpful on days when Michaela was running slow. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and Sully couldn’t blame her because she was functioning with one good arm and one broken one. “I’m ready,” Brian said, shoving the rest of his eggs into his mouth. He swallowed them down by drinking his entire glass of milk in less than thirty seconds. Colleen grabbed her coat and Matthew helped her into it. The boys grabbed their coats and hurried toward the door. “Be careful,” Sully called after them. “Bye, pa!” they responded. Sully was left alone downstairs with a squirming Connor and a sleeping Daniel. “Alright, Connor. I’m gonna put you down in your cradle. Ya gotta go to sleep for me, ‘cause I’m gonna go check on mama.” He put Connor down in his cradle and patted Wolf’s head. Pup was curled up in front of the fire while Wolf watched over him like a big brother. “C’mon, boys. Time to go outside.” Sully walked over to the door and as soon as he opened it and whistled, Pup’s ears perked up and he and Wolf ran out to frolic until Sully called them back in. Sully started up the stairs, and he could hear Michaela walking into their bedroom and shutting the door. When he walked in, she was sitting at her vanity mirror with her wet hair hanging down her back. She was putting her corset on. “Sully? Will you help me?” Michaela asked. She looked so pitiful trying to put a corset on with one good arm. Pitiful but beautiful. Sully shook his head. “Why do ya wear this? Ya don’t need it. You ain’t fat.” “I wear it because I’ve been wearing corsets all of my life.” “Do ya really need it?” Sully slipped the corset off of his wife and put his hand against her flat stomach. “See. Ya ain’t fat.” Michaela sighed and smiled up at her husband. “I suppose not,” she replied. “I suppose it would cut about ten minutes out of getting ready in the morning.” Sully smiled, loving how Michaela weighed the pros and cons of every decision. He brought her dress over to her and helped her slip into it. She turned around so he could do up the buttons in the front. “Thank you,” Michaela whispered, giving him a kiss on the lips as a reward. “Maybe I should help ya get dressed more often,” Sully replied, raising an eyebrow. Michaela laughed and turned back toward her mirror. She took her brush and began to comb out her long, wet locks. “Here, let me.” He took the brush from her and began to delicately run it through her golden brown hair. He noticed how very dark her hair became when it was wet, and he loved the way the sunlight flickered on it, making it seem as if her hair was made of gold. As he brushed her hair, his eyes stared into the mirror, locking on the reflection of her gaze. He bent down and began to nibble at the nape of her neck. Michaela closed her eyes as his lips and tongue moved over it. As he worked, he could smell the scent of her soap. Michaela moaned as Sully’s hand dropped the brush and moved around to graze against the side of her breast. They hadn’t been intimate since they were in Denver. One reason was because the children were always coming and going, helping their parents with chores while they were healing. Another reason was because they had been so tired and sore from what had happened. But now that they were alone, except for the sleeping infants downstairs, the longing for intimacy had gotten the best of them. Michaela broke away from their kiss, and she was nearly breathless. She wanted nothing more than to be able to spend a little time with her husband, but she knew she had an appointment with Grace, who was due to have her baby in about four months. She had to be in town within a half hour. “What’s the matter?” “I nearly forgot,” Michaela sighed. “I’ve got an appointment with Grace this morning. I can’t keep her waiting. You know how worried she is about this pregnancy.” “Yeah,” Sully replied. “Maybe the kids can stay in town tonight.” “Sully, we can’t just cart them off to town every time we want some privacy.” “I know,” Sully replied. “I ain’t suggestin’ that. I’m just sayin’ that it’d be nice to be able to spend some time alone with ya.” “I know,” Michaela replied. “Alone time sounds very nice right now, but I have to keep my appointment with Grace. I’m trying to get back into my full-day schedule. I haven’t had much time for that since the babies and . . . and everything.” Sully nodded and kissed Michaela again. “I just hate bein’ away from ya all the time.” “I know,” Michaela replied. “But David’s been sent away, and we won’t have to see him again. I’m in no danger, I can assure you.” Sully nodded slowly. “I still worry ‘bout ya.” Michaela turned back to the mirror as Sully picked the brush up and finished brushing his wife’s hair. Once he and Michaela had returned with the search party, Michaela had immediately gone to confront David. He had a badly broken leg, which she set for him. She couldn’t hate him completely, because she knew he wasn’t mentally well, but she still had chills every time she thought of him. When she had gone to confront him, he thought she was Millicent, once again. A marshal had come to take him away, and the last Michaela and Sully knew, he was being sent to prison on two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of kidnapping. The entire ordeal had sparked Michaela’s curiosity, however, and she had wired to Denver for newspapers over the past year. She wanted to learn more about Millicent Luther. She wanted to know what kind of woman she was to make a man so desperate to have her back after her death. She hadn’t received those papers yet, but she was expecting them any day. Once Sully was finished brushing Michaela’s hair, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped away to admire her beauty. She stood and turned around to face him, love glowing so obviously from her eyes. He noticed the necklace around his wife’s neck. “You’re still wearin’ the locket.” “Yes. It got me through a horrible ordeal, and I intend to wear it for the rest of my life.” She touched the locket with a delicate grace and smiled at her husband. “What it says is true, Michaela. You are my heartsong, forever and always.” “I know,” Michaela whispered, as Sully pulled her into his arms. “And you’re mine.” Their lips met in a kiss, and one of the babies began to cry. Michaela sighed against Sully’s lips, and pulled away. “That’s Daniel. Come on. Let’s go get the boys ready.” Sully nodded and took Michaela’s hand. They started down the stairs and Sully picked up his crying son into his arms. “Shh, Daniel, it’s alright,” he whispered. Michaela reached out to stroke the soft brown hair atop her baby’s head. “Maybe you should sing to him.” “Sing? No,” Sully replied quickly. Michaela grinned. “Why not?” she chuckled. “I bet you’re a fine singer.” Sully laughed sarcastically. “Um, no. I’ve never sang for anyone before, so I don’t intend to start now.” “Not even for your only son?” She made a pitiful face. “For me?” “Maybe some other time,” Sully replied, shaking his head. Michaela laughed. “Oh, come on.” Daniel finally stopped crying a moment later, his wails diminishing into little hiccups. “See, he stopped cryin’ so he wouldn’t have to hear his pa sing.” Michael laughed and took Daniel into her arm, cradling him closely to her body. Daniel’s head eventually lolled back in the crook of her arm and he fell asleep. Michaela bent down and put him down in his cradle. “I’ll go hitch up the wagon,” Sully offered. Michaela nodded. As Sully went out to the barn, Michaela slowly but surely put booties on the boy’s feet and wrapped them in thick baby quilts. Doing so with one good arm was difficult! But once they were ready to go, she waited for Sully so he could help her carry them out to the wagon. She sat down in a chair to wait for him, and her fingers traveled back up to the locket. To Michaela, that locket symbolized everything she had accomplished since she moved to Colorado Springs. She had acquired respect, or as much as she could expect to acquire, friends, a wonderful husband, three great children, and she had given birth to the two most beautiful babies she had ever set her sights upon. She knew that as long as she had her family and her husband, things could never be too bad. Her family was what kept her going when she thought she’d never find her way home. Her hand would always move to that locket when she was missing them. It was as if the locket acted as her own personal north star. It reminded her of the love of her husband; of her family. It helped her focus, but it didn’t lead her to Sully. It lead Sully to her. Sully walked in, brushing a few flakes of snow off of his coat. Michaela smiled at him. “Ya ready to go?” he asked. “Yes.” She picked up Connor and cradled him in her arm while she held onto her medical bag with her slinged arm. Sully picked up Daniel, and they carried the bundled up babes out to the wagon and started off toward town. *~* “Everything is wonderful, Grace. Your baby’s heartbeat is strong, and you are both very healthy.” “So you’re sure everything’s fine?” Robert E. asked nervously as he paced the floor behind the exam table as Grace sat there starting at him. “That’s what she just said,” Grace snapped. “Honestly Robert E., don’t ya ever listen?” She turned back to Michaela and smiled. Michaela knew this all too well. Grace was having mood swings, and poor Robert E. was feeling the brunt of it all. Robert E. gave Michaela a pitiful look, and she smiled, knowing that she had put Sully through the same thing. “Yes, neither one of you has anything to worry about. You should be parents in about 4 months.” “Ya sure Grace ain’t havin’ twins too?” “Are you sayin’ I’m fat?!” Grace asked, her eyes becoming misty. Her lower lip started to quiver. “No!” Robert E. exclaimed! “I was just hopin’ it wasn’t somethin’ in the water. Don’t think I could handle two babies right now.” “I’m quite sure there is only one baby. If I ever thing otherwise, I’ll be sure to let you both know immediately.” Michaela smiled at the expecting parents. “I think we’ve gone over everything. Just take it easy, Grace. Perhaps you can let Myra do most of the footwork while you’re at the café. Robert E., maybe you can bring a chair over for Grace to sit on while she’s cooking.” “I’ve already got it covered,” Robert E. promised. He helped Grace off of the exam table. “Grace, I’d like to see you back in a month.” “Sure thing, Dr. Mike,” Grace replied as she pushed Robert E.’s hand off of her arm. “Robert E., I ain’t completely helpless! I’m just pregnant!” Grace walked out of the clinic and the nervous father-to-be turned to Michaela. “Don’t worry, Robert E. It’ll pass,” Michaela promised. “Maybe I should talk to Sully.” Michaela laughed. “Perhaps,” she replied. Robert E. nodded and tipped his hat before he shut the door behind himself. Michaela walked over to sit down at her desk. She opened up one of her medical textbooks and began to read through it. She was distracted, however, when a knock came to the door. “Dr. Mike?” It was Horace. “Come in, Horace.” “Package just came for ya,” he announced. “Thank you, Horace,” Michaela replied, shutting her book as Horace placed the wrapped package on her desk. “Are these the newspapers you’ve been waitin’ on?” “I believe so,” Michaela replied, cutting the twine with surgical scissors. She ripped away the shipping paper and nodded when she saw a thick stack of newspapers before her. Horace left to get back to manning the telegraph. Michaela began to flip through each Denver newspaper, looking through every section, until she came upon one with a headline on the front page. WOMAN KILLED IN TRAGIC HOUSE FIRE. “Oh my God.” She began to read through the article. This article was indeed about Millicent Luther, loving wife of David Luther, a businessman from Denver. Apparently he worked in town during the weekdays and came home for the weekends because it was a long trip home. Millicent had been cooking dinner when the house caught on fire just as her husband was returning home for the weekend. After reading for a few more minutes, the article explained how Millicent was pregnant with their first child, but it was likely that David hadn’t known, but it was discovered when her body was salvaged from the debris of the burnt down house. Tears were already forming in Michaela’s eyes, some falling down her cheeks. From the tone of the article, it sounded as if David Luther had been a generous, loving husband who would never hurt another person. Seeing as he only got to see his wife on the weekends, Michaela was slowly beginning to understand how he could have gone so mad with grief. Michaela flipped through more newspapers, trying to figure out how and why David had decided upon taking her in place of his dead wife. It didn’t take long for her to find the answer in another newspaper, and when she found that answer, she wasn’t prepared for it. Sully walked out of the back room, where he had been settling the twins in. He saw the look on Michaela’s face, and he immediately knew something was wrong. “What is it?” “It’s Millicent,” she whispered. “What?” Sully walked over to stand behind Michaela’s chair. He looked over her shoulder at the photo that was in the paper. It was a sketch of David Luther’s wife. “Oh my God.” “Do you see what I see?” “That’s almost you.” “Yes. Except for . . . that freckle on her cheek, I’d say that was me,” she whispered. “Sully, no wonder he thought I was here.” “He was crazy, Michaela. He probably saw us in Denver, thought you were his wife, followed us, and it went on from there.” “I’m sure that happened,” Michaela replied, “but now that I know that he really did think I was her . . .” “I know,” Sully whispered. “It makes things seem a lot different.” “Yeah. I feel sorry for him . . . more now than before.” Michaela stood and Sully watched her as she walked toward the door. “Where are ya goin’?” “I’m going to wire Denver for more information. I have to know everything about her, Sully. I can’t explain it . . . I just have to find out what she was like.” Sully reached out to take her hand. “Don’t do this alone. Let me be there with you.” Michaela smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. “I’d like that,” she whispered. She and Sully gathered up the boys and walked over to the telegraph office together, eager to find out more about Millicent Luther. |