Chapter 3
Sully finished work early one day; he had been helping out Mrs. Whistler, replacing an old fence in her yard. He had just finished cleaning up, ready to put the new posts down, when he thought he should check on Michaela. He didn't want to leave her alone for too long; she had been with them for several weeks now and still only spoke when necessary. As he threw the last piece of lumber onto the pile, a jagged edge hooked his skin and tore a nasty cut the length of his palm. Not having anything to wrap it with he tore a strip from his shirt for the meantime.
As his horse trotted into the yard he noticed Michaela was coming out of the chicken coop. She held the egg basket in her hand, and there were several chicken feathers strewn about in her hair. He chuckled, wondering what trouble she had gotten into in there. She had had to learn fast.
It didn't take Sully long to realise that while Michaela had no problems taking care of a home, in fact she did a better job than he expected for a proper Boston bred woman. Everything was cleaner than it had been in a long while. It was the other chores like milking the cow, tending to the chickens and the small vegetable garden they had, he could see was all new to her. He also remembered the dark colour of their first supper she made, and the giggles Hanna couldn't seem to hold in at the burnt food. It had soon infected both Sully and Michaela as well and they finally enjoyed their first happy moment together in their small home. But still –even now she remained distant and shy.
Michaela stopped at the gate of the chicken yard as Sully approached it from the other side. They faced one another and Sully was once again struck by how beautiful she was. He had tried hard not to notice, but at this moment the soft curves of her face, her mesmerizing eyes and her warm, soft lips weren't to be ignored. His hand twitched at his side as he fought the urge to caress her skin gently. She smiled shyly at him, noticing his unfaltering gaze.
Over the weeks she found she was able to enjoy simple pleasures again; taking a walk, smelling a flower or reading; and if she dared to admit it, companionship. She was still getting to know them, but Sully had included her in their lives unconditionally, he never asked any more of her than she could give, and she had begun to enjoy being a part of the family. She didn't want to confess that Sully's handsome features had given her cause to look more than once at him when he wasn't aware. Something was happening between them and she couldn't explain it. But it was pleasant.
Brought back to reality she watched him. His eyes, those pools of azure that she found herself so easily encompassed in, locked with hers and she was unable to move. Sully's fight to keep his distance was failing and when his hand reached up to her cheek, he quickly diverted to her hair and removed the stray feathers. He was glad he did so, because she flinched at his movements and gasped. He displayed the feathers in front of her as he lowered his hand, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Still the feel of her soft hair was enough to satisfy his curiosity and his fingers tingled where her hair had brushed against them. For a few moments they stood just a single step away from each other, as if their spirits were trying to familiarize themselves with one another, trying to gauge each other.
Michaela broke the reverie first as she moved to open the gate and step out of the coop. Following suite, Sully shuffled out of the way and held the gate open for her as she stepped towards the house, then followed her in. He unclipped his belt and removed his jacket, hanging them by the door. He was more than ready to feel the warmth of the fire inside. The chill in the air outside had settled itself permanently and Sully knew a blizzard wasn't far off.
Inside the small cabin he certainly wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him. Apparently Michaela had been busy most of the morning trying to prepare food for supper. Recipes books were strewn about the table and flour from her efforts was scattered across the table and floor. She noticed the amused grin on Sully's face and the twinkle in his eye as he took in her less than eventful morning.
He cleared his throat trying to suppress a laugh at her unamused expression. She had tried to come up with a good explanation as to what had happened, but couldn't seem to find the words. Her eyebrows raised in question as she noticed his lips pressed tightly together, in an effort to keep the smile from his face. Seeing the hilarity of the situation, she found her own face mirroring his.
Their eyes met and as seconds passed they couldn't contain themselves any longer; both bursting into laughter. Michaela's eyes lit up and Sully was sure he had never seen anyone more radiant as she laughed loudly holding her hand to her chest. Their obvious mirth was heard by the visitor that had approached the front door. A gentle knock announced someone's arrival and Sully answered the door still grinning while Michaela began clearing up the mess.
As she wiped her hands on her apron she heard Sully speaking with a man who had a deep calming voice. She was confused though, she was close enough to hear the conversation but she didn't seem to understand it. She tentatively moved behind Sully to subtly peek at whoever was standing in the doorway. Sully felt her presence behind him and moved to the side allowing her a better view. She froze knowing she had been caught sneaking and then shyly stepped up and stood beside him.
Michaela's heart pounded as she saw the intense gaze of the man standing right before her. His eyes were dark and his long hair flowed over his shoulders. He wore beads around his neck and feathers fell from a string that held a leather pouch against him. From the stories she had heard between Hanna and Sully she knew this to be Sully's friend, the one he considered his brother.
"Michaela, I'd like ya to meet a real good friend o' mine. This is Cloud Dancin'," he said proudly.
Michaela looked at the unknown face again, though she knew she was safe, her hands refused to stop their quivering. On the other side of the doorway, Cloud Dancing watched Michaela intently. "Cloud Dancing, this is Michaela...my wife," said Sully softly his eyes quickly meeting Michaela's before looking down.
"It's lovely to meet you... Cloud Dancing," she reiterated without missing a beat. She felt the connection with Sully the moment he said she was his wife. She hadn't really considered it since the day they were married, but to hear it now... warmed her. Cloud Dancing observed the pair as they stood together, glancing back and forth; not wanting the other to see, and a smile crept upon his face.
"My heart is happy to know you Michaela. I would like to ask if you and Sully would visit with us soon? My wife Snowbird will be glad to meet you also," he said. Michaela had never known an Indian before, having only ever read about them in books. She was both nervous and intrigued by the man that stood before them. Sully waited anxiously for her answer, wondering if she would accept his friend, as many others had not. When the smile returned to her face and she agreed, he couldn't help but smile too. On its own accord, his hand reached up to her back, but in a flash of recognition he quickly retracted it to his side.. Cloud Dancing noticed the almost gesture and smiled knowingly, the spirits were right about these two.
When Cloud Dancing left Sully closed the door, preparing to help Michaela finish the tidy up. His hand jerked back from the door handle as the cut on his hand made itself known once again. It began throbbing incessantly after the brief contact, and he held it with his free hand as he went in search of a clean cloth to cover it. Michaela had heard him suck in his breath and looked up to see him trying to tend to the open wound on his hand. She didn't know where it came from, but everything within her urged her into action.
She sat Sully in a chair, telling him to remain still as she disappeared out the side door. Sully wasn't sure what was happening but sat quietly until he heard her return. Michaela rummaged through her belongings in the barn and found it. David's medical bag. She stared at it briefly before taking it with shaky hands and holding it close to her chest. She closed her eyes, following the memories as they took her away for a moment, remembering all the things they wanted, they had planned. It wasn't to be, but with hope she would go on. She steeled herself and walked briskly back into the homestead with Sully still seated at the table, waiting. She placed the bag on the table and breathed in deeply.
She hadn't done anything like this since that fateful day back in Boston, but as if she could feel her father's strength coursing through her, she began. He pulled his hand slightly away from hers in uncertainty as she inspected the cut. She wondered what he was thinking, was it the same as what everyone else thought, their first reaction? She looked up at him catching his warm look, no - he wasn't thinking that way. She was feeling her spirit strengthening with each breath.
"Ya don't have to... I can fix it myself, it's nothin'," he defended, feeling out of sorts at her tender ministrations.
"Sully...there's something in there that needs to be removed, if it isn't it will get infected, and if it's left too long it will get much worse. It's a severe cut," she said.
"I can take care of it," he said.
"I can help," she offered quietly. He saw the glistening of hope shining in her eyes and he couldn't deny her this request.
"Alright," he conceded, letting his hand fall once again to the table top.
She set about removing the splinters of wood that had lodged their way deeply inside his hand. He held firm until she was finished watching her expression attentively. When she was satisfied she had cleaned and disinfected it properly, she reached into the bag pulling out the needle and thread.
"Ya sure ya know what ya doing?" he asked gently, not wanting to upset her but secretly not a fan of being poked with needles. He guessed she had probably learnt a lot of medicine from being with David, but it was what she said next that really shocked him.
She knew he would have to know eventually. It was a part of her, something she had held dear for so long, but had hidden away. Now she could feel it inside of her like a small flame that ignited the moment she saw his pain. She wanted to help him. And the flame inside was growing with every move she made.
"Sully, there's something you should know...'" she paused not quite knowing how to say it, she had kept it to herself for such a long time. But she had begun to feel comfortable in this place, with this man. And she knew this was the right time.
"...I'm... a doctor." It was a simple statement, and more to her surprise was that Sully accepted it straight away. She explained how she had watched her father work as a child, to going to college then later earning her degree with honours at the Women's Medical Institute. She continued on and on, not being able to stop. She had to tell someone, she had been holding it all in for too long; her fathers' death, David's too, her mothers' disownment, everything. She could feel herself getting lighter and lighter with each word she said, with each memory she told. All the while the tears flowed freely, but never enough to hinder her words.
Sully couldn't believe this woman had been through so much in her life, his heart ached at her tales and he wondered how she even managed to wake up in the morning. Life had certainly been unkind, but even now he saw how her once tired features burned with a new energy the more she spoke. He urged her to go on, asking her question after question. She was more than willing to open up, she was soaring freely and she didn't want that feeling to stop. She couldn't believe how long it had been since she felt like this.
But Michaela was equally intrigued by Sully, wanting to know more of him, and they sat with each other for hours that day, getting to know each other better than they ever thought possible. Better than anyone else would ever know them.
