2. The new home

A little later Michaela sat in the kitchen of the boarding house with Charlotte and her three children Matthew, Colleen and Brian. Colleen and Brian were especially interested in the new town doctor.

"Were really in college? I thought girls weren't allowed to go ta College".

"Yes I was really in college, girls are allowed to go but we have to fight harder because men don't think we should be able to attend."

"What about your parents? What did they say about you going?"

Michaela looked for a moment at her hands. "My mother wanted me to marry but my father supported me in my decision. He had wanted a son, who would follow his footsteps. When I showed interest in medicine he was very happy. He wanted to call me Michael if I had been a boy, so Michaela was a compromise between him and my mother. But he always calls me Mike."

Brian looked up at her again. "Can I call you Dr. Mike?"

"I would like that." At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

Charlotte looked toward the door and called out. "Come in."

The door opened and Sully stepped inside. He looked at Michaela. "Ready?"

Michaela rose. "Yes I am Mr. Sully."

"Call me Sully."

Michaela smiled. "I'll call you Sully if you call me Dr. Mike."

Sully smiled in return. "That's okay with me let's go Dr. Mike."

A little while later they made their way out of town. For most of the trip they walked silently side by side, each took nervous to say anything.

They stopped just beyond the woods in front of a small house. "Here we are. I know it ain´t anythin´special and I have t´ repair a few things but you will have a roof over your head."

Michaela went up the few stairs leading to the porch and opened the front door.

"There's furniture in it."

"Yep the person that it was built for wanted it but they ain´t been used."

Michaela moved to the bed and sat down. "Sully the bed is wonderful."

Suddenly she realised the covered table."What is that?"

Sully smiled slightly. "I thought you might be hungry."

Michaela thought for a moment. "That is a good idea. I haven't eaten yet."

They sat at the table and started to eat.

After the supper Michaela wiped her mouth and looked at Sully again. "Hmm… that was really delicious. Then she smiled. "Don't tell me that you cooked that."

"Yep. You have to feedin´ yourself and that is impossible without knowin´ how ta cook."

Michaela smiled slightly. "I think I could learn a lot from you."

Sully looked at her sceptically. "You don´t know how ta cook?"

Michaela looked embarrassed."It …. it is… in Boston we have maids and cooks. You don´t have to know how to do it yourself."

For a moment she looked sad but than she continued.

"I think I'll have to learn a few things if I want to survive here." She pretended to smile.

Sully noticed her sudden mood swing.

"Dr. Mike. I know we just met but can I ask you something personal?"

"Yes, of course."

He looked at her for a moment. God her eyes are so beautiful. What is she doing to me?

He forced himself to concentrate so that he would choose the right words.

"Ok. I hope ya don´t take it wrong. I think ya're not here in your heart. I know it's a big step ta start a new life so far away from everyone and everything you ever knew. Ya seem to be going through a lot. I want t´ help ya but do ya really understand what living out here is going to be like? I mean, ya look as if ya may already be homesick and ya just arrived today."

Michaela let out a small sigh. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to act like I don't want to live here. I'm very happy to be the new doctor here and to be starting a new life. It's only … it's so hard … no not the changes …."

Michaela avoid Sully´s gaze. Sully moved a little nearer to her, took her hand in his own and turned her face to him so she had to look him in the eyes.

Michaela got a strange feeling as he touched her. She had never felt like that.

"I see that somethin´ is botherin´ya. Sometimes it helps if ya talk about it."

"Yes, maybe you're right. But sometimes it's difficult to talk about your feelings."

"Yep, ´cause ya´re goin´ ta let others see how vulnerably ya´re, but it could help."

Michaela took a deep breath. "It's about my mother. I quarrelled with her just before I left Boston and she said that if I came to Colorado Springs I needn't worry about coming back to home again."

"I understand. Such things can hurt.

Do ya want t´ tell me what exactly happened?"

A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I was engaged…" Michaela paused for a moment when she felt Sully's hand tense as it still held hers. Why is he reacting like this?

After regaining her train of thought she continued.

"My mother wants me to get married and live what she believes to be a proper life." She felt Sully slowly begin to relax.

"At a party she told everyone that David and I were engaged. I was taken aback and angry at her presumptions."

"That's understandable."

"I confronted her after the party. It was a really bad quarrel but I realised that I would make my family look bad if I told everyone that it wasn't true, besides there isn't many men who accept that their wives have a career as a doctor. David was one of those rare men who did accept it because he was also a doctor.

After all I thought about what affect it would have on my family I accepted that we were engaged. We were engaged for six months in which he behaved like a true gentleman."

Sensing that this was where her true heartbreak lie Sully pressed.

"What happened?"

"It was after the birthday party from my sister. We were going for a walk in the park. After a while we sat down on a bench."

Now Michaela couldn't stop the tears. Sully didn't have any other ideas of how to comfort her so he took her into his arms and held her. She leant into him and relaxed. His shoulder feels so good. What is wrong with me? I've known this man only today, but it feels so good to be with him. I feel as if I can talk with him about anything. It feels as if we've known each other for a very long time.

A moment later she removed herself from his embrace and looked him in the eyes again. "I was surprised when David leaned forward to kiss me. In all the time we were engaged we hadn't kissed except on the cheek. I was always taught that it was improper to kiss on the lips in public so I turned away. But he was drunk and didn't know what he was doing. He pushed down on the ground and began to kiss and touch me everywhere. Michaela took a shaky breath before continuing. "Then… then he started to unbutton my blouse." Michaela looked up at Sully again begging him with her eyes for him to understand. "I started to scream but no one heard me because we were in a very secluded part of the park."

By this time tears were coursing down Michaela's cheeks.

Sully looked into her eyes again and saw the pain and shame. This broke his heart. She went through so much.

Suddenly one question came to his mind and he had to know the answer

"Did … did he… hurt ya?"