April 1902
Aside from the regular restaurant background noise in Tibby's, you could've heard a pin drop. Baby looked around the table at each of the girls staring back at her.
Tears filled Lily's eyes, refusing to fall, because she really was happy for her friend. All that interrupted her smile were the corners of her mouth threatening to turn on in a sob.
Penny stared at her in shock, her hand over her mouth.
Maggie froze in the middle of cutting little Sofie's food into bites.
Amelia shook her head, still reeling from the shock. "When do you leave?" Amelia broke the silence.
"Tomorrow," Baby replied.
And all hell broke loose.
"Tomorrow?!" yelled Lily.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" asked Amelia.
"How long have you been planning this?" Maggie asked.
"That's hardly time to say goodbye!" said Penny.
Baby put her hands out, motioning for them to calm down. "I know, I know, it's short notice," she said. "But Jack and I don't want a long goodbye, and tickets to Santa Fe are really cheap right now."
"What am I going to do without you?" Lily said, her voice cracking and the tears coming.
Penny sniffled, pulling Lily into a side-hug.
"You girls will be just fine," Baby tried to give her a comforting smile, but felt tears sting her own eyes.
"You're awfully quiet," Amelia turned to Blondie.
Blondie looked up at her, and then at each of the girls around the table. "Um…Snipeshooter and I are going with them."
"What?!" Penny exclaimed.
"How long has this been going on?" Maggie asked.
"Well, Jack has been planning this for years, obviously," said Baby. "It was always sort of an unspoken given that I would go with him. We finally saved up enough."
"And how did you and Snipeshooter get involved?" asked Amelia.
"Well, Snipeshooter's always been savin' up money to go to St. Louis to look for his parents," said Blondie. "And I want to go with him. So we're all gonna ride together until St. Louis."
The girls sat in silence.
"Tomorrow?!" Lily said again.
"We're happy for you, Jack," said Skittery, clapping Jack on the shoulder.
"Thanks," Jack grinned.
"After all these years, you're finally goin'?" Spot asked.
Jack nodded. "Baby and I finally saved up enough."
The boys all sat around a table in Medda's hall.
"Another round for my boys," Medda grinned, bringing over a tray of glasses full of rootbeer.
"What are you doin' servin' drinks, Medda?" Jack asked.
"My VIP guests get the very best," she winked at him. "Enjoy it now, because you'll never get this again!" Jack chuckled. "I still can't believe you're leaving, Kelly." She shook her head. "You make sure you come by one more time before you go, okay?"
"I promise," Jack grinned.
Medda tousled his hair before walking away, handing the tray off to the bartender.
"So when do ya leave?" Race asked, lighting his cigar.
"Tomorrow," said Jack.
The boys were silent for a few moments.
"Well," said Spot, raising his glass. "We wish you the best. To Jack."
"To Jack!" the rest of the boys echoed, raising their glasses.