Two Days
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dr Quinn Medicine Woman
"Sully we are in this together. We both contribute to the family, but in different ways".
The image of his last discussion with his beautiful wife was still lingering in his mind. He felt so guilty about what he had said; he couldn't even look her in the eye.
"Michaela I gotta go. I can't talk about this right now. The job is only for a couple of days. We need the money and I gotta go where the work is".
His stubborn male pride had kept him from admitting she was right when she tried to convince him that she was making more than enough to provide for the family right now. But it just wasn't something he could accept at that moment, and so he had been away from home, from her, for nearly two days now.
It was hotter here than in Colorado Springs, the sun was beginning to set outside and the room he had been given still held the stifling heat of the day. He had washed up straight after dinner and gone to bed for an early night, yet the relief he felt from the cool of the water was short lived. Now his skin was kissed with a light sheen of sweat from the high temperature and from the memory floating through his mind.
He felt so stupid he wanted to kick himself. They had been through this before, but still it was hard for him to acknowledge. Would he ever feel comfortable with it? He didn't know, but he knew he should have been able to talk with Michaela about his feelings. He shook his head in disbelief at his own actions and exhaled loudly.
He pulled himself up in bed, leaning against the headboard. He managed to keep the sheet covering the least of him as possible, his upper body and legs exposed to the air, trying to keep the warmth off of his body. The sheet was placed strategically over his naked manhood knowing that until night fell he needed to keep that part of him unexposed to the world that still bustled just outside his window.
His arm rested on the spare pillow and he thumped it half heartedly in frustration, knowing he wouldn't have the chance to speak with Michaela for another two days. He closed his eyes and rolled onto his side, imagining his loving wife was close to him. The pillow didn't give him anywhere near the comfort she did, but he embraced it just the same, laying his head on the full softness.
His dreams that night were of his heartsong, sleeping alone in their bed. He crouched by the bed and reached out to touch the smooth skin of her face. Her lips turned up into a smile and she opened her eyes clasping his hand in hers. "Sully" she whispered "You're home?"
He took his chance to make things right. "Michaela, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you before. It was stupid of me to run off like that, to not trust that you can provide for our family too"
"You thought you were doing the right thing. I can't be angry at you for that" she answered stroking his face with her free hand. Sully's heart swelled at the love she so freely gave, and he couldn't help but lean in to kiss her soft lips.
"How did I ever get so lucky to deserve someone like you?" he asked.
Michaela smiled at his heartfelt words and she sighed in delight as he placed another soft kiss to her lips. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again she was looking out of her bedroom window, the moon shining in brightly on Sully's side of the bed. It was the same as it was when she had slipped into bed earlier that evening, empty and unslept in. It would be another two days before she would see him again, and she already missed him so much. She knew she shouldn't have pushed the issue. That Sully was still coming to terms with their roles in the family. But her stubbornness had set in and she refused to be seen as just the home maker and not an equal partner. If only he were here, she could tell him how sorry she was.
As the train steamed into the station Michaela stood anxiously on the end of the platform waiting for Sully to disembark. The dream she had two days before had felt so real and she found it hard to shake the feeling that Sully had actually been there. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms and tell him how much she loved him.
She couldn't see him yet as most of the passengers stepped down and so she moved to the other end of the train to watch for him there. Sully was one of the last to step out onto the platform and instantly became troubled when he didn't see Michaela waiting for him, as she usually did. He knew he shouldn't have put so much faith in the dream he had. That maybe the spirits had caused her to feel his presence as he had truly felt hers. Of course she would still be upset with him; he had been a fool after all.
He would just find her as soon as possible and make it up to her anyway he could. He turned throwing his pack on the ground next to him to put his jacket on. The cold he felt coming down from the mountains no match for the guilt that chilled him within. As he readied himself his eyes caught a glimpse through the crowd of shimmering copper. His heart leapt as he saw her searching frantically in each window of the train for him.
"Michaela" he called.
She spun when she heard his voice. He was just standing there staring at her, looking more handsome that she remembered. She tried hard to restrain herself, but her quick walk easily turned into a run as she rushed over to him through the unusually busy crowd. He opened his arms wide as she jumped into them, kissing him soundly. He embraced her firmly and returned her affections.
"Sully, you're home" she said breathlessly. "I missed you so much"
Not wasting another moment Sully lunged into his apology, tenderly running his hands over her hair, not stopping until he was sure she had forgiven him. Michaela simply smiled and kissed him again. How could she explain that she had already forgiven him two days ago.
The End
