This short story was written for the December 2010 DQ Forum Picture/Quote Challenge. The pics were one of Michaela in front of the Christmas tree reading a note, a concerned look on her face. The other pic was of the 4 year old Katie from the first movie, her index finger up to her lips as if she's saying, "ssshhhh" (from the scene when Sully tells her her mother's party is a secret). The quotes we had to use were: "as my father used to say, everything is possible on Christmas Eve" and "You know, it really doesn't matter if my present is wrapped or not."
THE FAITH OF A CHILD
By: Linda Ellen
December 2010 DQ Christmas Challenge
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (but those people aren't using them anyway!)
At his decline of her invitation to come inside and warm up, Michaela thanked Horace for making the long trip, bidding him good night and Merry Christmas before quickly closing the homestead's front door against the rather forceful and cold December wind. Snow was definitely in the air. She hoped the telegram brought the longed for news from Sully.
Unable to wait the small amount of time it would take to go stand by the fire and warm back up, Michaela tore open the envelope and read the three lines, her back to the gaily decorated Christmas tree, lips parted in concentration.
Michaela, Unavoidable delay, missed last train out from Denver.
I'm sorry, but it looks like I won't be home for Christmas morning like I promised.
Will be home as soon as possible. Give Katie and Brian hugs for me.
All my love, Sully.
"Oh Sully...I was afraid this was going to happen," Michaela whispered, hugging the paper to her chest and closing her eyes against the tears brought on by four days of missing her husband and the reality that their family would not be together on Christmas.
"Is that from Pa?" Brian's voice gently interrupted her thoughts.
Surreptitiously wiping her eyes, Michaela looked toward the stairs and saw her two youngest – Brian and Katie – silently watching their mother's reaction to the telegram. She nodded and drew in a deep breath, determinedly assuming a 'brave face' for her children.
"Yes. Yes, it is, Brian. He, um...he missed the last train out," she explained softly, scrambling for words that wouldn't upset Katie too much, as the little girl had counted so on her beloved Poppy making it home for Christmas.
"Where's Poppy?" Katie whined softly, reaching to clutch her big brother's hand. "Poppy's not home?"
Brian bent down and scooped his little sister up into his arms as he descended the rest of the stairs toward Michaela. "She thought it was him at the door," he explained softly to his mother's questioning look.
Reaching out for the child, Michaela gently wiped two tears from her daughter's cheeks as she whispered, "So did I..."
Then taking another deep fortifying breath, Michaela determinedly pasted a smile on her face and pressed a kiss to her little angel's cheek, then reached to encompass her teenage son with her other arm.
"But he says he'll be home as soon as possible. I'm sure he'll be here with us before Christmas is over," she stated emphatically, managing to encourage her little girl, though her gaze into her son's eyes revealed more than her words conveyed.
Giving her daughter another loving kiss on the cheek, Michaela placed her again on the floor. "Katie, run along back up to bed. I'll be up in a few minutes to tuck you back in."
"Yes, Mama," replied Katie sweetly as she obediently scampered across the floor and up the steps. Her brother and mother watched until she was out of sight.
Brian then turned to look into his mother's eyes. "What is it, Ma?"
Drawing in a shaky breath, Michaela walked toward the window next to the front door, Brian following. For a moment they stood looking out at the scene that had already greatly worsened since Horace had delivered the telegram - swirls of snow beginning to stick, thick clouds blocking out dusk's remaining light.
"Horace said we're in for a blizzard, Brian. Even if Sully catches the first train in the morning...we could get so much snow that it would block that pass through the hills. Or they could choose not to chance it at all. I almost hope that's the case..." she added with a whisper, the thought of her precious husband trapped in a train car under a ton of wet cold snow and wreckage causing a hard shiver to pass through her body.
Brian noticed the shiver and immediately wrapped an arm around his normally calm, confident mother. Over the years, he had seen her fearlessly face obstacles and situations that could make a strong man cringe and cower – but he knew that when it came to her children, or Sully, suffering in any way, she could turn into a puddle of melted butter.
"He'll be alright, Ma. Pa can take care of himself – in any situation. And not only himself, but everyone with him – you know that."
Michaela chuckled softly and nodded, remembering dozens of situations where Sully had done just that – for her and for nearly everyone they knew at one time or another.
Turning further into her son's arms, she realized he was no longer the little boy who had come to live with her eight years before - he was now almost a man. A man both she and Sully were immensely proud of – and he had taken on so many of his adopted father's traits, including the one of always knowing just what to say to make her feel better.
"Yes, you're right," she agreed. Then drawing back to look up into Brian's face, she murmured, "I guess we should just bank the fires down here and try to get some sleep, hmm?"
He nodded and gave her a soft grin, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Sure Ma. You go on up. I'll take care of it. I'll close the shutters, too," he added quietly.
Michaela watched him walk toward the main fireplace. Then turning toward the stairs, she ascended them slowly, trying to look on the positive side. Walking down the hall, she entered Katie's room and smiled at her and Sully's precious little daughter lying there in her bed patiently waiting. Michaela pulled the covers tighter around the little girl to ward off the chill of the basically unheated room.
"Are you ready to go to sleep?" Michaela asked softly.
"Yes...but I want to pray for Poppy..." Katie answered, large brown eyes gazing up at her mother in sweet pure innocent faith.
Michaela nodded and Katie brought her hands out of the covers, clasping them under her chin and closing her eyes tightly. "Dear God, when I said my prayers a while ago, I didn't know my Poppy wasn't home yet...so God...please take care of him and please help him to be here in the morning when I wake up. Thank you God. In Jesus' Name. Amen."
Michaela ground her teeth together to fight off tears at her sweet daughter's heartfelt and trusting prayer. She hated that this may be the first time one of Katie's innocent prayers would go unanswered...and she hoped it wouldn't affect her faith in prayer in the future.
More intuitive than the average four-year-old, Katie astutely assessed her mother's thoughts and she reached out to grasp one of Michaela's hands with her tiny ones.
"Don't worry Mama. God always hears my prayers. Poppy will be here in the morning, you'll see. Poppy promised – and he always keeps his promises," she added seriously.
Michaela smiled down into her sweet daughter's eyes, so like her own, and leaned down to brush her forehead with a kiss.
"Yes, he does, sweetheart. And as my father used to say, everything is possible on Christmas Eve," she added, more to encourage herself than her tiny daughter. "Now, you snuggle down and go to sleep – and the morning will be here before you know it."
"Okay Mama. Night night."
"Goodnight, sweetheart," Michaela whispered as she made her way to the door. With one last look at her precious angel, she moved on down the hall to her own door and slipped inside the lonely master bedroom.
Dreading the moment when she would have to climb into their bed without him as she had done for the past three nights, Michaela spent an inordinate amount of time boosting the fire and making sure the guard was in place. Finally she forced herself to stop putting it off and slipped out of her dress and day clothing and into her warmest flannel nightgown. Then taking the warming brick from the fire and wrapping it with a cloth, she placed it in the middle of the big cold bed and slipped in next to it, trying valiantly to get comfortable without her ever-warm husband there to wrap his arms around her and stop her shivers.
After a few moments, she reached for his pillow and drew it towards her face, breathing in the wonderful lingering scent of his hair; achingly glad she had decided not to change the pillowcase yet.
Hearing Brian enter his room a few minutes later, Michaela forced herself to relax and try to sleep. After a long session of prayer for her husband's safety, breathing in his precious scent and listening to the wind beating snow against the windows, she finally drifted off to sleep.
Katie stirred restlessly under the heavy covers, unsure of exactly what woke her from her sleep. She blinked several times to focus her eyes in the predawn light coming from her windows as she lay there listening.
Then she heard the sound of something heavy thumping to the floor downstairs. This must have been what had awakened her! Her little heart sped up as she realized her prayer might have just been answered.
Without another thought, she pushed back the covers and slipped out of her bed, tiptoeing barefoot out of the room and down the hall, her little arms wrapping around herself as the cold immediately began to set in.
Reaching the stairs, she paused to listen and heard the distinct sounds of someone stoking the fire in the living room fireplace. Her sweet face breaking into a delighted grin, she made her way silently down the steps as fast as her little feet would go. Almost to the bottom, her breath caught in a pleased gasp as she spied the object of her prayers crouched down in front of the fireplace. She watched him stand up and shed his cold, soaking wet jacket, hanging it over a bench to dry.
"Poppy!" she whispered, unconsciously being quiet so as to not wake her mother and brother.
Sully whirled around and his eyes immediately located his little girl, standing at the bottom of the stairs...barefoot?
"Katie?" he questioned softly, crossing the room in three strides and scooping her up in his arms. Immediately reversing his course, he made his way quickly back to the hearth.
"What're ya doin' down here sweet girl – and barefoot at that?" he gently scolded, depositing her on his knee as he crouched before the fire and aimed her tiny feet toward the warmth of the flames, rubbing them briskly.
"I heard a noise down here and I knew it was you," she answered softly, one little arm wrapped around his neck as she watched his large hands at work.
"Ya shoulda put yer slippers and yer robe on though," he insisted softly, glancing lovingly into her big brown eyes as they stared back at him in pure father/hero worship.
"I had to hurry...I had to see if you kept your promise...and if God answered my prayers," she added quietly, smiling back at him as he flashed his familiar dimpled smile her way.
"Well, I did...and so did He," he answered, standing her to her feet on the hearth and wiping the remaining snow from his long wavy hair.
Just then, they both heard the unmistakable sound of Michaela's voice calling out for her missing daughter. Thinking quickly, Sully whispered conspiratorially in Katie's ear, "Katie...I wanna surprise your Ma...don't tell her I'm here, alright?"
Adoring it when her father played games with her, she eagerly nodded, brown eyes sparkling with glee.
Touching a finger to his lips, Sully reiterated, "Sshhhh."
Mimicking his action, Katie touched her index finger to her lips in silent agreement.
Quickly depositing his tiny daughter near the Christmas tree, Sully scurried over to the kitchen area as his wife hurriedly made her way down the stairs.
Spotting Katie near the tree, barefoot and just in her gown, Michaela hurried over to her and lifted her into her arms; Sully peeking around the kitchen chimney, watching the action.
"Katie! Sweetheart, how long have you been up? You'll catch pneumonia down here like this! Come, let's go back upstairs and get you dressed and warm."
"It's Christmas, Mama," Katie said sweetly, looking over her mother's shoulder and spying her father winking at her from his hiding place as she was transported toward the stairs. He reminded her of her promise with a finger against his lips and she nodded, once again touching a finger to her own lips with a soft chuckle.
"Yes, it is, honey. And we'll open our presents as soon as your brother gets up," Michaela responded, resolutely refraining from thinking about her absent husband. In her haste to care for her daughter, she had totally missed the fact that the living room fireplace was burning briskly, nor did she see her husband's coat drying on a bench several feet to the left of it.
Carrying her little girl back into her bedroom, Michaela deposited her on the bed and set about pulling stockings, petticoats and other warm clothing from the bureau drawers and began dressing her daughter.
Chattering to keep her mind off the fact that Sully was in Denver on Christmas morning, Michaela detailed to her little girl what they were going to have for Christmas dinner and that if she was a good girl she would get to go out and play in the snow as soon as the blizzard slowed down, grinning at the child who sat quietly chuckling, sometimes with her little hand on her mouth.
"And sometime today, I need to go ahead and wrap your Papa's present. It wouldn't do to have him come home tomorrow and it not be ready," Michaela added as she tied her daughter's shoelaces.
"You know, it really doesn't matter if my present is wrapped or not," said a smooth, deep, familiar voice from the doorway.
"Sully!" Michaela gasped and whirled around to find her husband standing there, where he had been the entire time, smiling at her with that cute, boyish grin she loved so much. In two strides he reached her, wrapping his arms around her waist and twirling her around in a circle, both giggling with glee that their time of separation was over.
"How did you get home?" Michaela gushed as he set her on her feet, but in lieu of answering, his mouth descended upon hers in a firm kiss.
"I missed you, woman," he murmured against her lips as their daughter jumped to her feet on top of her bed, giggling and clapping her hands together in glee. "We fooled you, Mama! I kept Poppy's secret!" she added with another giggle.
"I missed you, too," Michaela whispered in answer to his statement, leaning back to gaze up into the vibrant blue eyes of her adoring husband, thrilled beyond belief that he was home, safe in her arms, on Christmas morning.
"But...how?" she asked her husband, "and yes, you did fool me, you little minx!" she added toward her still giggling daughter.
Sully reached over to scoop their daughter up into one arm, wrapping the other firmly around his wife. "After I sent ya that telegram, I saw the weather start to get worse and the thought crossed my mind that the train could be snowed in this mornin'...so I borrowed a horse and hightailed it across country, dodgin' snowflakes as I went," he added with a cheeky grin.
"You could have frozen to death out there!" Michaela groused at him, albeit lovingly as she reached up to smooth a strand of still damp hair from his forehead.
"But I didn't," he answered huskily, leaning over to brush her lips with his, then whispering in her ear, "I kept myself warm by thinkin' about you – and about what we'll be doin' tonight."
He pulled back and looked at her, grinning at the twinkle he saw within the mismatched gaze he loved so well.
"Did you, now?" she murmured, completely under his spell.
"Mmm hmm. I had to keep my promises to my two favorite ladies, didn't I?" he asked with raised eyebrows. Michaela nodded and Katie giggled.
"And besides...I knew I'd be alright – like your father always said...everything is possible – on Christmas Eve."
~~THE END