Change of Life
A Spirited Exchange
One
At Heaven's gate two ghostly lovers embraced, "I will wait here for you," the one whispered to the other, "but don't be long. The time has come to cross over."
The other smiled sweetly in return, "I know, but I have to make sure they are all right, I sense danger for them."
"It is not our concern now Sara, they will have to find their own way to heaven."
"Dear, I haven't stopped being a mother, just because I am no longer with him."
He shook his head in gentle indulgence, "As I said, I will wait for you right here."
LATER THAT NIGHT – the night of the Piss Apple Raid…
Christopher Greenwood lay in his bed on the second floor. He could hear the loud voices coming from the downstairs bedroom. There was a fight going on and it was all his fault. He pulled the blanket up over his head and wished he could pretend this night had never happened.
"Of all the dang fool things to do Kitty, did you give any thought what could have happened to you or the baby?" The night's events had caught up with Matt Dillon, gone was any effort to be understanding and sympathetic. All he could think of was how close he had come to losing the most precious people in his life.
"Oh Matt, I'm not sick. I'm not an invalid. I'm just going to have a baby for Pete's sake..." She smiled at him trying to lighten his mood. "Women have been doing it since the time of Adam and Eve."
His mood was not to be lightened, "I wish you'd give some thought to things before you go rushing off." His mind was mentally replaying all similar events in the past twenty years when she'd taken action before considering the consequences.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kitty said, beginning to sound defensive.
"Look, I'm too tired to get into this tonight, let's just go to bed."
Hands on hips, she glared at him, and declared. "No, I don't think so, we better have this out right now, what did you mean by that last statement?"
He glowered back at her, "This could take all night because it's a helluva long list, I would think at your age you'd start using a little common sense…"
No woman wants to be reminded of her age especially in the middle of an argument, he wasn't playing fair, "You just hold it right there, SUNSHINE! Maybe I should have used a little common sense when you proposed to me. The idea of thinking marriage to a pig headed lawman could work…" In a huff, she grabbed her pillow from the bed and left the room stomping down the hall to the spare bedroom off the kitchen. She shut the door with force and threw herself on the bed. She resisted the urge to give into tears, and instead pounded her fists against the pillow in frustration.
Dillon stood alone in their room staring at the slammed door. He knew he should go after her, but for once he was too angry, "let her stew," he thought, "Maybe next time she'll use a little of that `quiet thought' she's always throwing in my face, before she acts."
Kicking off his boots he lay down on the bed, he didn't bother to get undressed or get under the covers, but grabbed the afghan which lay at the foot of the bed and wrapped it around himself. The bed was cold and lonely and the steady beat of the rain on the roof only served to echo the cheerless beat of his heart.
Sleep came after a while, but it was a restless sleep, the kind that leaves the body more wearied than restored. He got up before dawn, to find the rain had stopped sometime during the night. He walked to the window and opened it. Cold air rushed in, hitting his face like a slap. Fall so long in coming this year had arrived at last, and winter could not be far behind. He changed and shaved, and then he checked on Christopher who was still sleeping in his upstairs room obviously exhausted by yesterday's adventures. Dillon scowled as he thought about the serious talk he had planned to have with the boy. That would have to wait until the evening now.
Down at the barn, he saddled the bay, figuring Buck deserved a day off and an extra ration of oats for not tossing Christopher along the side of the road last night.
The gray of early morn was being replaced by the intensity of first light as Dillon rode down Front Street to his office. He'd always liked this time in Dodge as the cow town woke up sleepy-eyed to face another day. This morning he found no joy in the sunlight, for some reason, he couldn't get Kitty off his mind. He was still fuming and his mood was entirely disagreeable. Festus met him at the door, slop bucket in hand, as he readied to dump the morning's wash water out in the street, Dillon narrowly missed being doused.
"Matthew you sure are up early this morning…" his deputy observed.
"I feel like I never got to sleep," Dillon grumbled. "You got coffee going in there?"
He followed Festus into the office and had just settled himself at his desk, coffee cup in hand when Barney came running in the building.
"Marshal I just got a telegram in for ya." Barney's glasses were perched a top his head, and he appeared out of breath as though he'd run all the way from the telegraph office.
Matt took the envelope and nodded, "Thanks Barney," The little man stepped back, holding his hands behind his back, waiting to see if there would be need for a reply.
Festus moved silently beside him and the two watched as Dillon opened and read the message. The expression on the lawman's face changed, "What is it Matthew?" Hagen asked.
Hearth and home came into proper perspective, as the pull of the badge demanded his fidelity, "The Sharlow brothers have escaped."