"Sunrise, Sunset"
I was running away; away from the hurt, the pain, and the confusion. It had been two weeks since the accident in the schoolyard, yet it seemed as if were only yesterday. Rejecting David still seemed to have been the right decision, but it didn't make the choice any less painful. It would've been unfair to marry David when I'd already unknowingly given my heart to another. Neil MacNeil had not been seen by anyone in over a week, but I thought it better that way. I wasn't sure if I had the strength to say goodbye to him. My farewell to the children had been equally challenging. Tears had flowed freely as I hugged in of them in turn. Their pleas for me to remain in the Cove had been heart wrenching. In a way they had become my children. I loved each of them for their talents and flaws, for their struggles and their successes.
Now here I was two hours after school had been dismissed with tears still coursing down my cheeks. How had things gone so wrong so quickly? Sniffling, I wiped the tears hastily from my face. It had been my decision to return to Asheville, and one that had already been finalized. Cecile, Dan Scott's fiancée, would be arriving in Cutter Gap two days after my own departure. Rising from my chair, I turned to gaze out the window. How I would miss this place! The early October night was crisp and clear, without a cloud in sight. Fading sunlight streaked the evening sky with hues of red, attempting to cast final glimmers of light throughout the Cove. The sun was setting on Cutter Gap, and on my heart.
"Penny for your thoughts?" The deep Scottish brogue, tinged with the faintest of the mountain dialect, startled me out of my musings. I whirled around to find Doctor MacNeil lounging against the door frame, ankles crossed and arms folded across his chest.
"I was just admiring the sunset." It was a lie, and we both knew it.
"Come now Christy, the sunset's beautiful to be sure, but not so much that it should warrant tears." Sighing I turned back to face the mountains.
"Why are you here, Doctor?" My subject change was anything but subtle, but it was one I hoped the doctor would follow through on; he did.
"I'm here" his words were accented by the thud of his riding boots on the wooden floor "because I heard some very troubling news while I was out on my rounds today."
"What news?" I bit my quivering lip in a pitiful attempt to stall another onslaught of tears.
"That the great Christy Huddleston has finally given up."
'Neil…" Why was he making this so hard?
"So Christy, I'm asking you now. Is it true?" With a sigh, I turned to face him.
"It is."
"Christy! You cannot just up and leave."
"I can, Doctor, and if you'll excuse me, I have some packing left to do." I went to turn on my heel, but his hand shot and wrapped around my upper arm.
"No! I will not excuse you. Listen to me Christy! What about the children, are you going to leave them without a teacher? And the families, what of them? What about…" His voice trailed off.
"What about what, Doctor MacNeil?" He didn't reply, so I continued to speak. "As for the children, as much as I'll miss them, they will be in good hands. Cecile is coming to teach; she'll be here in two days. And as for the families, you once said that they'd managed just fine without my citified ideas; they'll manage just fine when I'm gone." My temper had reared its head, but I found myself fighting my anger. The last thing I wanted to do was say something that I didn't mean. My strength was gone, washed away just as the sun's rays were by night sky.
"Doctor, I'll ask you once more to excuse me. I'd like to head in for the night, and I would suggest that you do the same. Your wife is waiting; go home to her."
"She's not my wife, Christy."
"We've been over this before Neil. Regardless of how you feel about her, Margaret is still your wife." Brushing past him, I made my way towards the door of the schoolhouse.
"No! Christy, you don't understand. Legally, we are no longer married. She wanted a divorce, and I gave it to her. Margaret's always gotten what she wanted. We made our peace, but we were both miserable." At his words I froze.
"You're…not…married?"
"No, I'm not."
"I'm happy for you, Doctor. Perhaps now you can move on and find happiness. I wish you the best of luck." He may have no longer been married, but my decisions still held firm. "Goodbye Neil." With those final parting words, I turned on my heel and fled for the safety of the mission. My legs were no match for those of the Doctor. Within seconds he was beside me. Grabbing my arm, he spun me to face him.
"You cannot leave!"
"Why not?"
"Because I…." Pulling me roughly against him, he crashed his lips down onto mine. Against my will, I found myself yielding to the Doctor's attentions. Feeling my response, one of his hands slid to the base of my neck, while the other slipped to my waist. He gave a gentle tug, and I wound my arms around his neck. Finally after what seemed like just seconds, yet an eternity at the same time, he pulled back breathless, as was I.
"I love you, Christy Huddleston! I love you, and you cannot leave me."
"Neil, I…" What was I to say? There was no doubt in my mind that I loved him, but uncertainties still lingered.
"Christy, please! We need you here. I need you here." Looking up at him, I felt my eyes swimming with tears once more. As the first one fell, I stepped towards him. My hand traced his jaw line, eventually coming to rest on his chest. "I love you." The words were barely above a whisper, but the shocked look on Neil's face, left little doubt as to whether or not he'd heard them. Rising up on my toes, I brushed my lips against his. My arms twined once more around his neck, and his slipped around my waist. If anyone had told me two days ago that I'd be standing under the moonlight, in Neil MacNeil's embrace, I'd have thought them crazy. Now, nothing could've felt more natural. My head rested against the hollow of his neck, and I was perfectly content to remain there, simply being. The intoxicating scents of pipe tobacco, pine, saddle soap, and the mountains, our mountains, surrounded me.
"I take this to mean that you won't be leaving?" His voice shattered the peaceful silence, but I found myself grinning when I answered.
"No, I won't." The sun may have set on Cutter Gap that evening, but I knew that come morning it would rise once more on the Cove, and on my heart.
Author's Note: I apologize for the way I've neglected my other two stories, Love Takes Wing, and Cracks. Between academics and athletics, there has been little time for writing. This is just a little short story I found in a desk drawer a few weeks ago. Enjoy!