PT.7
"The Test of Time"
Walking down the second hallway that was going to change his life, Matt again had to prepare himself for the reaction of yet another woman. A much younger woman. But a woman none the less. In his mind, twice in one day was really more then he could handle, and if she started crying… Gosh, a woman crying. That was something that always made him uneasy. But now, especially, these were his women.
He braced himself, then knocked and said, "Mike, it's me Matt." The door opened. To some degree he was hoping Mike had already told her. But from the look on Mike's face, no such luck.
"Matt, please come in. Sit. Can I get you a drink?"
He was very nervous and fiddling with the brim of his hat. Then the door opened and Beth walked in. "Hello, Marshal."
"Beth."
"Momma, what did you need to see me about?"
"Beth, Honey, come sit. There's something we need to talk to you about."
"Momma, what is it?"
"Beth, this isn't going to be easy."
"Momma? What's wrong?" Beth could tell from the expression in her mother's eyes that something was troubling her. "And what does this have to do with the Marshal?"
"Honey, please, give me a minute. We'll explain everything to you."
"Momma, your starting to scare me."
"No, I don't want to do that." Mike added, putting her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "I need you to just listen. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes."
"Ok." After taking what seemed like the longest breath, Mike sat next to Beth and said, "Beth, you remember about a year or so ago when everyone back home was down with influenza? And we lost so many and how sick I was? And you and Chalk had to take care of me for so long till I could get back on my feet?"
"Yes, Momma. But you did and now we're all fine."
"I thought so too, honey."
"We're not?" Beth questioned.
"The influenza's gone but it has left damage to my heart."
"Well, we'll get you medicine from Doctor Emmett." Beth said quickly.
"No, Beth, it won't help. I've seen Doctor Emmett."
"Momma, what are you saying to me then?"
"Beth, Honey…" Mike was trying to hold back tears. "Doctor Emmett says it won't be much longer for me. My heart is getting weaker."
Beth jumped up. "NO! NO! Momma, we'll find another doctor, one that can fix your heart. I'll go talk to Doctor Adams. He's been a doctor longer then Doctor Emmett. He'll know what to do. I need you, Momma." Now Beth was crying and ranting. "Daddy's gone, now you're telling me you're gonna leave me too? You can't. You just can't."
Then she looked at Matt and suddenly asked the question. "And what does he have to do with all of this?"
Mike and Matt just stared at one another. Matt got a lump in his throat. "Beth, that's the other part of what your mother and I wanted to talk to you about. Beth, you won't be alone. I'll be here for you."
Looking totally confused, Beth passively said. "Why? Why does any of this mean anything to you?"
Mike and Beth were holding each other and Mike pulled Beth's chin up and said. "Come here, Sweetheart. I need to explain something to you. When you were growing up, I always told you that your father was Johnny Yardner but…"
Now Beth was staring at her intensely. "You mean he wasn't my Daddy?"
"No, Beth. Matt's your father." The room went completely silent for what seemed like forever.
"What? Why?"
"Why?"
"Why didn't you tell me before now?" Then looking over at Matt, "And why didn't you ever come around or stay to take care of me? Didn't you want me? Didn't you love Momma?"
"Beth, slow down, slow down." Matt was trying to get a word in. "I didn't know."
"OH, you didn't know." She answered in a sarcastic tone.
"Beth! Young Lady, I won't have you talk like that." Mike said. "Now you just wait and listen. I never told Matt about you. He just found out a few days ago."
"How come?" She asked.
"Well, Beth, if you must know the whole story…"
"Yes, Momma, I want to know."
"Alright, come over here. Well, Matt was shot and injured and I found him out on the large scape of land we have over the hill. You know where I mean?"
"Yeah, I know."
"I got him back to the house. He was unconscious for a week or so but I nursed him back to health. But he had no idea who he was or where he came from or what had happened to him. I gave him a name. I called him 'Dan'. I had to call him something. We started to get close. But…"
"But what, Momma?"
Then Matt added, "Beth, even though I didn't know who or where I was from, I had a gnawing feeling I belonged somewhere. I just didn't have the answers. And yes, like Mike says, we were attracted to each other, physically; I think we both knew as long as I didn't know who I was or where I came from, it wouldn't really work."
Then Mike finished telling the story. "Beth, then the man who shot him, told me who he was and as soon as I knew, I realized I had to tell him. I knew there would be people worried about him. So I sent him away and let him go. Beth I would have loved it if he could've stayed. But it wasn't meant to be. He belonged to someone else. Then I found out I was going to have you. And for me in some way, I still had a part of him. Beth, Honey, I'm so sorry. I never meant to lie to you. And, Matt, I never meant to lie to you either. I never meant to hurt either one of you. Can either one of you or both of you ever forgive me?"
Beth just hugged her mother. "Momma, of course, I forgive you."
"Matt?"
"There's nothing to forgive, Mike." And he smiled at both of them. Then he looked at Beth. "Beth, think you can forgive your ol' Man?"
"Wow! This is gonna take some getting used to."
While Mike and Beth were in an embrace, Matt put his arms around them both.
TBC
