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Chapter 3: Alone Time Two days later, the church was filled from front to back with townsfolk and the council members. Loren, Jake, Reverend Johnson, Michaela, and Horace sat at the table, quietly talking before the meeting while the other town members chattered away at what they thought was best for this case. Grace and Robert E. most definitely wanted Anthony to have an education, and they only thought it was fair that he should be allowed into the school seeing as Mary was. There was a school let up for Negro children in Shanty Town, but they weren’t learning the things they needed to know. “Alright folks, settle down!” Jake called above the crowd. “Dr. Mike, go ahead.” Michaela looked at the crowd and saw her family’s encouraging smiles. “We’re here this afternoon to discuss a very important matter. We just fought a war that proved us all to be equal, so I am proposing that our school doors be open to children of all races.” With that said, the church exploded into chatter of all sorts from the townsfolk, some agreeing, and others strongly disagreeing. Once the crowd had quieted down, Jake spoke up. “I think we ought to vote. Reverend?” Reverend Johnson looked around the crowd. “While I do believe all children should have an education, I think that letting all children into this school would cause more harm than good within the town. Now I want to keep the peace, but maybe we can build a schoolhouse for the colored children.” “We already got one in Shanty Town,” Hank spoke up. Myra elbowed him in the ribs to quiet him. Grace put her arm around Anthony. Mary, who was sitting beside him, reached over to take his hand. “It’s alright,” she whispered. “You don’t gotta be afraid.” Anthony smiled at Mary, and squeezed her hand. “So there’s one against it,” Loren spoke up. “I say no. Things gotta stay the same. We only let little Mary in ‘cause her ma was teachin’. Things are different now, so I say we don’t let anymore children in who ain’t like us.” “The only difference, Loren, is the color of their skin.” “My final word. I’m sayin’ no.” “There’s two against it,” Jake pointed out. “Horace?” “While I’m happy that Mary’s getting an education, it ain’t right to keep other children out who are deservin’ just ‘cause they ain’t white. Mary shouldn’t have been an exception, so I’m sayin’ yes.” “Dr. Mike?” Reverend Johnson asked. “I’m saying yes. All children should have the chance to do something with their lives. Education should be put first for all children.” All eyes turned to Jake. He was the one to cast the deciding vote. Everyone knew he was in love with Holly, but he had also been strongly opposed to this idea before Michaela expressed her shock towards him and Loren. “Jake, it’s up to you,” Loren said, thinking that surely Jake would close the deal and prohibit any more students who weren’t white from entering the doors. Jake scanned the crowd and saw people whispering, wondering what he was going to do. He had the power in his hands, and he wasn’t sure whether to do right by Holly or to keep the respect of the townsfolk who he tended to agree with most of the time. “We ain’t got all day, Jake,” Hank spoke up from the crowd. Several men in the back laughed under their breaths. Jake swallowed hard, feeling his conscience being ripped apart by the second. “I say yes,” he replied. The townsfolk went wild. Some were cheering, some were yelling, and some sat still, not wanting to get involved. “Then this subject is closed. All children are welcome into our school doors.” “Even the immigrants and the Indians?” Brian asked. “Any child whose parent wishes for them to attend our school, Brian, though I believe the Indians have their own ways of teaching,” Michaela said with a grin. “C’mon,” Sully suggested as the crowd began to leave the church. “Let’s go celebrate.” “I agree,” Grace spoke up, giving Michaela a hug. “You in the mood for pie?” “When ain’t she?” Brian asked, speaking of his mother’s recent cravings. Colleen nudged her brother in the back. “Brian!” she hissed. Grace looked at Michaela who only shrugged. Grace raised an eyebrow but decided not to say anything at the moment. She, Robert E., and Anthony walked behind the Sully family. “You ain’t sendin’ me away, then?” Anthony asked, looking up at Robert E. and Grace. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son,” Robert E. replied. He looked at Grace, hoping he hadn’t spoken too soon, but the look in her eyes told him that she had already fallen in love with this little boy and wanted to be a mother to him. Anthony smiled brightly, and ran ahead to find Mary. Grace stopped and tugged on Robert E.’s hand. “If ya think I . . .” “Robert E., thank you.” “For what?” “That little boy needs a good home. He’s a child without a mother, and I’m a mother without a child,” she replied with tears in her eyes. “Nobody is ever gonna take the place of our baby girl, but this little boy needs people to love him, and I want us to be those people.” Robert E. pressed a kiss to his wife’s hand. “We’re gonna give him a home,” he replied. Grace smiled happily at her husband, took his hand, and they continued on toward the café. *~* As Michaela was swallowing the last bite of her second piece of pie, Jenny and Clayton Baker made their way over. “Jenny! Clayton,” Michaela said with a smile. “Sorry we didn’t make it for supper the other night, Dr. Mike. The storm kept us shut up in our house, and we’ve been fixin’ it up since then,” Clayton explained with a sheepish smile. “That’s alright, we’ll have dinner together some other time. I’d like the two of you to meet my family,” Michaela said with a smile. “This is my husband Sully, my daughter Colleen, and my four sons, Matthew, Brian, Connor, and Daniel. Everyone, this is Jenny and Clayton Baker.” “Nice to meet you,” was heard throughout as everyone shook hands and got acquainted with one another. “Why don’t ya both join us?” Sully asked. “Well, we were actually goin’ over to the mercantile to pick up some supplies,” Jenny replied. “Um, Dr. Mike, can I talk to ya for a minute?” “Of course.” Michaela excused herself while Clayton said his goodbyes and went over to the mercantile. Michaela and Jenny stood beside Grace’s stove to talk out of the earshot of others. “What is it?” “Well, I heard the town’s in need of a school teacher.” “Yes, desperately. We have three citizens volunteering when they can, but it’s becoming difficult for the students.” “Well, before I married Clayton, my parents sent me off to school to be a teacher. I’ve got a license to teach,” Jenny explained. “Clayton wouldn’t mind none if I worked with the children. We’re wantin’ to start our own family, so teachin’ the children of this town might be a bit of practice for me.” “Well, I’m sure the town would love to have you,” Michaela said with a grin. “I’ll call the council together for a private meeting tomorrow.” “Thank you, Dr. Mike!” Jenny exclaimed. “I better go help Clayton.” “Goodbye, Jenny,” Michaela replied with a wave. Jenny hurried off toward the mercantile, and Michaela walked over to re-join her family. Grace came back over to the table. “Any more pie for ya’ll?” “I’ll have another piece.” Sully grinned to himself, happy that his wife’s appetite was starting to come back. “Comin’ right up,” Grace replied, grinning a little. Michaela noticed the look in her eyes, and she followed Grace over to the table where the pies had been laid out. “Grace,” she began. “You’re pregnant, aren’t ya?” she asked. Michaela’s eyes sparkled, and a grin appeared on her lips. “Yes,” she replied. “But we’re keeping it a secret for now.” “What for?” “Well, we’d like to have some privacy to celebrate as a family before the rest of the town knows. Besides, the baby won’t be here until December,” Michaela whispered. Grace winked at her. “Your secret’s safe with me. Congratulations!” The two hugged, and a few of the townsfolk looked over, wondering what was going on. When Michaela walked back over to her family, everyone else went back to eating their lunch and desserts. Sully put his arm around Michaela and looked at her lovingly. Connor began to bang his fists on the table, wanting a piece of the pie that Brian was eating. Michaela laughed and picked the boy up, holding him into her lap. “You can share with mommy,” she said with a giggle. Grace placed a piece of apple pie in front of Michaela. Michaela put a bit of the sauce from inside onto her spoon, blew on it to cool it off, and let Connor have a taste. He seemed to love it! “Oh no, Brian! Connor seems to have your sweet tooth.” Brian laughed, and Michaela passed the boy over to him. “Alright, you can share with me then,” he replied. “When you’re old enough, I’ll take ya to Mr. Bray’s store and show ya the best candy.” Michaela and Sully glanced at one another and bit back fits of laughter. They loved watching their children interact together. It made knowing another baby was on the way feel even more special. They knew this child was already loved, and it had a place in their expanding family. Michaela did feel a bit down about something, however. This time, she wouldn’t have her mother and father anxiously anticipating the birth of their grandchild. This year, both Josef and Elizabeth were dead, and this child would never get to meet his or her grandmother and grandfather. Her temporary state of depression was immediately dissolved when she heard, “Mama!” Michaela’s eyes went wide, and she looked across the table at Daniel, who was holding his arms out. Everyone had grown silent, and Michaela wasn’t sure she had heard right. “What did Daniel just say?” Michaela asked. A big grin spread over Sully’s face, and Michaela looked at him with wide eyes. “Mama!” Daniel repeated, trying to stretch his fingers out to reach her. Michaela reached for her son and pulled him into her arms. “That’s right!” Michaela exclaimed. Both boys had said ‘papa’ for their first words, and it was thrilling to hear one of them finally saying ‘mama.’ “You are so smart! Yes you are!” Connor wasn’t quite sure he liked the fact that Daniel was getting the attention, but considering he was getting praise for what he just said, Connor decided to try it too. “Mama!” “Oh!” Michaela exclaimed, bursting into tears. “That’s right!” Sully knew that she was a bit hormonal due to the pregnancy, but it was so beautiful to see her so happy over a simple word. She pulled Connor into her arms too, and held them both closely. “Sully, did you hear?” “I heard,” Sully said with a chuckle. Matthew, Colleen, and Brian watched their parents with the boys, and knew that there would be so many wonderful moments like this in the future. They weren’t quite sure how Michaela was going to react each time one of the boys or the upcoming baby did something brand new, but they figured they would have to stock up on handkerchiefs for their mother. *~* Later that afternoon, Michaela was sitting on the porch of the homestead while Connor and Daniel crawled around on a quilt she’d left in the doorway of the homestead. The door had been propped open so the boys could play together, and she could keep an eye on them. Sully had taken Brian fishing, and Matthew was sitting inside at the kitchen table, studying hard. Colleen had gone to her friend Becky’s house to work on a project for school, so Michaela felt like she had the entire day to herself. She longed to go for a horseback ride, but she knew that wasn’t an option for her until after the baby was born. She had the better part of a year to carry this life inside of her, and it seemed as if being pregnant only lasted for a moment compared to her entire life. She had spent all of her years in school studying hard to make her father proud. She had never had time for friends, and that was why she was thankful she had friends like Grace, Dorothy, and Myra. She had never truly had a friend until Sully came along, and that friendship had rapidly blossomed into love. She sighed, thinking about how long she had known Sully. It hadn’t even been two years since she had met him, but it felt like they had been together for years. It even seemed as though the children had been with them since they were infants, though they had only been a real family for about a year. Michaela found it amazing how the way she saw the world changed once she and Sully began courting. Boston was no longer her world. She had gone from a fancy Bostonian upbringing to a rough and dusty little town like Colorado Springs. She was no longer the full-time doctor who had no time for beaus or friends. Now she was a down-to-earth though still proper wife and mother with friends she could always count on. The galloping of a horse brought Michaela out of her thoughts. She smiled when she saw Ingrid, the girl who Matthew swore he was going to marry. They had already begun making plans, and Matthew had sent all the way to New York for an engagement ring, which he had paid for by doing odd jobs around town and for some of the widows who were tending the farms their husbands left unattended when they passed. “Hello Dr. Mike,” Ingrid said as she dismounted her brother Jon’s horse. She tied the reins to the porch railing, and smiled at the doctor. “Hello Ingrid,” Michaela said with a smile. “Matthew’s just inside.” Matthew stepped over the boys who were still playing in the doorway. “I’m done studyin’ ma,” he replied. “I was just gonna go for a picnic with Ingrid.” “Well, alright. Be home before dark.” “We will,” Matthew replied. Michaela looked over at the twins as Ingrid and Matthew started to walk away hand-in-hand. “Matthew, we could take your brothers with us,” Ingrid offered. “What?” “Your mother looks tired, no?” “She’s alright,” Matthew replied. “We don’t . . .” “Please? We could practice. We will have our own babies someday,” Ingrid explained. Ingrid’s eyes pleaded with Matthew. He knew Ingrid adored the boys. Matthew sighed and kissed her hand. They turned and walked over toward the porch. “Ma?” “Yes?” she asked. “Would you mind if we took Connor and Daniel with us? You look like you could use a day to yourself. Ya don’t get many of those anymore.” Michaela hadn’t thought of having a day to herself in such a long time. She enjoyed her family, and was always happy to have their company, but she realized that having a little time alone for a change might be nice. “Ma?” She realized she hadn’t said anything for quite a few moments. “You know what? That would be lovely! I think I’ll take you up on your offer.” Matthew smiled, and Michaela lifted Connor up and handed him to Ingrid. Matthew took Daniel, and went inside to get their blankets. “They’ve just been fed, so they should be fine for the next couple of hours. Just make sure they don’t get cold.” “Don’t worry, I helped take care of Colleen and Brian. Ya know I can take care of these two, ‘cause I’ve done it before,” Matthew reminded her. Michaela laughed. “Yes, I know.” “Don’t worry. We’ll be home later.” Michaela watched as Matthew and Ingrid took off walking down the lane with the boys in their arms, and for a moment, Michaela could practically see the future and Matthew with his wife and children of his own. Once they had disappeared down the road, Michaela locked up the house and started off into the woods. She knew of a secluded lake nearby where she could take a relaxing swim. It was rather warm for April, so she figured she wouldn’t catch a chill. She walked for about a half hour before she came to the sun-kissed lake. She looked around, making sure nobody was around fishing or swimming. When she saw that it was completely abandoned this afternoon, she stripped out of her dress and undergarments and slowly stepped into the water. It was cold at first, but as she slowly let her body sink down into the soothing water, her body adjusted, and it soon didn’t feel so cold. The sun beat down on the lake, making it sparkle like a billion diamonds. It almost looked as if the stars from the night sky had fallen and illuminated the lake during the daytime. Michaela made a mental note not to stay in the water for very long, because with the sun shining right down on her, she could easily become sun burnt. Thanks to Cloud Dancing, however, she knew where she could get her hands on some aloe to soothe the pain. She felt a fish brush against her leg, and jumped at the feeling. She finally settled back into the water, letting her entire body except for her head become submerged. She tilted her head back, letting all of her hair become damp. She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at the clear blue sky. A few large fluffy clouds floated slowly along, reminding Michaela of a game she had seen Brian playing once. He would lay back and look at the sky, trying to think of what each cloud looked like. She had never done that as a child. Perhaps she could try it now. She smiled, looking up at one of the large formations. She studied it for a few minute before coming to the conclusion that it looked a lot like Pike’s Peak. She exhaled slowly, wondering what it would be like to stand on the top of Pike’s Peak, looking down at the earth from what seemed to be the tallest piece of land in the area. Another cloud floated past several minutes later, and it reminded Michaela of a wolf or a fox. After awhile, Michaela felt as relaxed as she could possibly feel after floating and slowly swimming around in the lake. She hadn’t known how to swim when she first arrived in Colorado Springs, but she had learned quickly that swimming was almost a necessity! Well, at least it had been before Sully built the homestead and put in their very own tub to bathe in. She hadn’t had much time for swimming lately, so she was grateful for this afternoon. She suddenly began to wish that she wasn’t alone. Yes, it had been nice to have a little peace and quiet, but the truth was that she liked all of the noise around the house with the twins trying to learn new words and getting into everything now that they were crawling. She loved when Colleen and Brian asked for help with her homework. She even liked Matthew getting frustrated with his homework and throwing his book across his bedroom, even though she would have to call up the stairs for him to calm down. At least she knew he was trying to learn, and that was what was best. She also missed Sully. She missed him when he was at the reservation, and he hadn’t had to go out there today, but he had to keep a promise he made to Brian to go fishing. Otherwise, she knew that she would be in bed with the man she loved right now. She had spent about a three-quarters of an hour in the water, and she felt so relaxed. She knew it was time to be getting out of the water and putting her clothes back on. She sighed and dunked herself under the water, letting the water caress her soft face. She did a very difficult somersault under the water, and began to swim toward the shore. When her head popped up through the water’s surface, she was impressed with how far she had gone. Her clothes were only a few feet away on the bank. She planted her feet in the sand, feeling it squish between her toes. She started to stand when she heard a twig snap. She gasped, hiding her body in the shadows of the lake. “Who’s there?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest underneath the water. She looked around, her vision a bit fuzzy from the water she’d gotten in them. After a few moments of silence, she started to stand up again, but she heard a footstep. “Who’s there?!” Finally, Sully emerged from the bushes with a grin on his face. Michaela let out a sigh of relief and shook her head. “Afternoon.” “Sully!” She cupped her hands and tried to splash water on him, but he stepped out of the way. He chuckled, and she slowly stood, revealing her naked body, shimmering with sunlit water droplets. The sight of her sent the initial feelings of desire throughout his body. “You didn’t have to sneak up on me, did you?” “I wanted to catch ya off guard,” he replied. “How long have you been here?” “Just a couple minutes, I promise.” “Where’s Brian?” “We didn’t catch anything, so he went into town to get to know Anthony. We passed Matthew and Ingrid with the boys on our way home.” “How did you find me?” Michaela wondered. “I followed your tracks,” he replied. “Oh, I should have known,” she laughed, standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss upon his lips. When she pulled away, she realized he was holding something behind his back. “What’s that?” “What’s what?” he questioned playfully. Michaela reached behind him, but he stepped back. “Sully!” she exclaimed with laughter as he shielded it from her sight. She finally had an idea. “You aren’t going to make your pregnant wife struggle, are you?” That seemed to work. “Alright,” he said. “But just so ya know, you can’t use the baby as an excuse for another month.” Michaela grinned and Sully revealed one of the many fur throws he’d used at the lean to. It was the largest of all of them, one that they’d shared when they’d been stuck out in the cold woods for a night. “What did you bring that out here for?” He leaned in to kiss her lips, and he whispered into her ear. “’Cause we’re gonna have to use somethin’ as a bed.” Michaela looked up into his desire-filled eyes. She was a bit shocked at his suggestion, but she knew that she too could play around. “What do you have in mind, Mr. Sully?” “Well, Mrs. Sully,” he began, stepping closer to her so she would have to back herself back into the water, “I was thinking that I could spend the afternoon with my wife without anyone knowin’ where we are or what we’re doin’.” “Sully, not here!” she exclaimed. Sully stepped closer to her, and she took another step into the water. “Why not? There aren’t any houses around for miles, ‘cept our own. I already looked around. Nobody’s here.” “Well, it’s not proper!” she exclaimed. Sully chuckled a little, running his hands down her shoulders. He leaned in to kiss her again, but this time she didn’t worry about propriety. She wrapped her damp arms around his neck, bringing herself closer to him. The passion built by the minute, and when Sully broke away, he left Michaela’s body and heart longing for more. He reached for her again, but this time, he began to tickle her. She broke out into laughter, trying to squirm away from him. She ran out into the water, diving in, knowing Sully wouldn’t dare to jump in with his clothes on. But, she didn’t expect him to do what he did next. He quickly removed his belt, which carried his tomahawk, threw his shirt to the side, pulled off his moccasins, and slipped out of his pants. He dove into the water, and Michaela let out a delighted yelp as Sully swam to catch her. Knowing he couldn’t move very fast in the water, she moved far away from him once he was under the water. When he came up for air, he saw her looking at him from about six feet away. She had a playful look in her eyes, and he was sure he did too. Michaela ducked under the water, and Sully tried to search for her , but the sunlight bounced off of the water so brightly that he couldn’t see a thing. A moment later, he felt a tug on his leg, and he found himself being plunged under the water. He felt her soft hands on his shoulders, and she moved down so she was face to face with him beneath the surface. Sully pulled Michaela into his arms, and their lips met as they broke through the surface. They held onto each other, breathing heavily and kissing so passionately. The water splashed up around their shoulders as they stood chest deep in the water. Michaela’s breasts pressed against Sully’s chest, and the feeling of her nipples against his tingling skin made his desire for her build. He gently nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth, and she slowly opened her eyes, looking straight into his. He lifted her up in the water, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands massaged her thighs as she balanced herself by putting her hands on his shoulders. She tilted her head back into the water, letting the sunshine on her face as Sully’s mouth explored her chest and her breasts. She moaned as she felt his arousal. Her own desire for him was pooling at her center, needing his immediate attention. “Sully,” she moaned. “I need you.” His mouth found hers again, and they clumsily made their way to the shore, kissing and caressing one another along the way. Once they climbed out of the water, Sully picked her up and laid her down on the large fur throw. Her glistening body lay sprawled out before him, and he watched her face begin to turn a little red. She was breaking a rule of propriety, but she didn’t seem to care very much when Sully knelt down and crawled on top of her, running his fingers through her dripping wet hair. His fingers moved to stroke over her full, luscious lips, and she kissed his fingertips and lightly bit the tip of his thumb between her teeth. He pulled his hand away and replaced it with his mouth, kissing her with an impassioned urgency that made Michaela’s heart beat faster and her own desire build up higher than ever before. He settled himself between her legs, and she stared into his eyes as he entered her. He felt her tighten around him, and he could feel her heart beating in sync with his own. His back began to tremble, and he kissed her lips again, moaning into her mouth as he began to move inside of her. She draped one of her legs around him, letting him bury himself further inside of her. She arched her back as he began to move a bit faster. Their lips joined again, and they explored each other with a newfound enthusiasm. She met each of his thrusts with her own movements, and soon, both were breathing heavily, feeling the passion about to overwhelm the both of them. “Sully!” Michaela cried out as she found her release. Sully held on a few moments longer, helping her ride out the wave of pleasure. He found his own release soon after, and rested his sweaty forehead against his wife’s. Before he pulled away from her, their eyes locked gazes, and he panted against her lips, giving her an exhausted kiss before rolling off of her and collapsing at her side. Michaela rolled onto her side as Sully pulled his arms around her protectively. “I love you so much,” he whispered as his gently stroked her arm. “I love you too,” she replied, letting out a satisfied yawn. Her fingers began to work their way down his chest and circle around his bellybutton. Sully let out a soft growl from deep within his throat, pulling Michaela’s lips up to his yet again, feeling as if he would never have enough of her amazing kisses. After several more moments of silence, Michaela sat up and began to pull her clothes on. Sully’s eyes were closed, but he wasn’t sleeping, and Michaela knew it. She smiled knowingly, and once she was dressed, she knelt down to kiss his forehead. “We should be starting back home.” Sully slowly opened his eyes and wished he could stay with her in their magical place forever. Unfortunately that wasn’t possible. His hand moved up to caress her cheek, and she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. “We could stay a bit longer.” “We really should go home,” Michaela reluctantly insisted. “I’m sure Colleen and Brian will be home soon.” Sully nodded. “You’re right.” He quickly pulled on his clothes and gathered up the fur throw. He and Michaela joined hands and started off away from the lake and toward home. They took an exceptionally long time getting home, arriving just at dusk. Brian and Colleen were just coming down the road, having met up along the way. Sully and Michaela made it to the porch first after having dropped off the fur throw at the lean to. Sully promised Michaela they would have more afternoons of spontaneity like the one they had just experienced, and that promise sounded more than wonderful to her. “Hey ma, hey pa,” Colleen said with a smile. “Where were you two?” “We um,” Michaela started, not sure if her cheeks were flushed red or not. “We went for a walk,” Sully replied. “Your little brothers are with and Ingrid, so we took advantage of the quiet.” “Why’s your hair damp?” Brian asked, looking from his mother to his father. Michaela and Sully had thought they’d been gone long enough to have let their hair dry. Luckily they didn’t have to answer that question. Pup and Wolf came running up, and Brian forgot about his question so he could go to the barn to feed his companion. Sully winked at Michaela, gently stroking her back. “Come along, Colleen, let’s start dinner,” Michaela suggested, changing the subject. Colleen nodded and went into the house. Michaela gave her husband a soft kiss, her lips lingering on his for a moment. Neither one of them had to say a word to let the other know how amazing they felt that the day had been. They could see it in each other’s eyes and feel it in their kisses. Sully gave Michaela’s hand a gentle squeeze and a loving glance before he started out to the barn to help Brian feed Wolf and Pup, while Michaela retreated into the house to help her daughter with dinner. |