A/N: I wanted to get this posted a few days ago considering it was Mother's Day in the US and Samuel's fictional birthday (May 9th), but my hectic life unfortunately got in the way (as it often does). Plot was inspired by a reader. Enjoy!
The wagon pulled to a stop just outside the schoolhouse. Adam's children all jumped out of the back of the wagon as soon as it came to a complete stop, rushing over to join their friends before school started. Adam was about to pull away when he noticed something bright green flickering near the back of the wagon. It was Samuel's scarf. Not surprisingly his seven-year-old son had removed the dreaded item on the trip into town and forgotten to put it back on.
"Samuel!"
Samuel stopped short on his way to meet up with his friends when he heard his father call out.
Gaining his attention, Adam called out to his son. "You forgot your scarf."
He hurried back to the wagon eager to get back to his friends. "Sorry, Pa."
"Make sure you keep that scarf wrapped around your neck when you're outside. It might be spring, but there's still a slight chill in the air."
"Yes sir." Sam wrapped the scarf around his neck before running back to his friends, anxious not to waste any more of the limited time he had before the school bell rang.
"Anyways as I was saying, I have a couple of large apple turnovers in my lunch bucket today. I'm willing to share one if you guys have something good too."
"I think have some lemon snaps today. My mother makes the best ones around."
"She sure does. I've tasted them before at the church picnic. Mothers always seem to make the best food."
"Hey, what do you say we pick some flowers on the way home to show how much we appreciate them and their yummy food?"
Agreements were heard around the group including Samuel nodding in agreement.
Eddie noticed Samuel nodding along with them and rolled his eyes. "You can't come Sam."
"Why not?"
"You don't have a mother and therefore you can't pick flowers for her."
"But my Pa makes some of the best desserts around plus he's teaching me to make them too. I'm sure he would like to have some flowers to put on our dining room table."
"He wouldn't. He's not a mother. Only mothers like flowers. Plus, fathers don't make desserts."
"Well, my Pa does and he's just like a mother to me. He does everything your mother's do… and more!"
"Just stop, Sam. Everyone knows mothers are female. Your father is just your father who knows how to do other things. He could never be a mother. It's just not the same and you know it."
A sullen expression fell on Samuel's face as he processed what his friends told him. They knew he didn't have a mother and that his Pa did all those things that his mother would have done. He didn't understand how they couldn't see that his Pa was not only his father but also his mother. It seemed simple to him, but now he wasn't so sure. His ponderings were cut short, though, as the morning bell rang.
Hoss entered the barn with the mission of telling Samuel it was time for supper. However, Samuel was lost in his thoughts and never heard his uncle enter. He was sitting on a crate, feed scoop still in his hand, staring into Starlight's stall.
"What's wrong little man?"
"Oh, hi Uncle Hoss. Nothing's wrong. Just taking a break."
Hoss moved the few feet towards Samuel before leaning against one of the barn posts. He eyed his nephew carefully. "Come now. I have an uncanny way of knowin' when things ain't right and I can tell that somethings wrong right now."
Samuel let out a sigh as he brought his head up to meet his uncle's eyes. "It's the other kids at school. They were going on about how wonderful their mothers were by baking them desserts and packing them special lunches."
Hoss nodded waiting for Samuel to continue. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going but wanted to hear the entire story before adding his two cents worth.
"Well, I told them that my Pa not only makes me desserts, but is also teaching me how to make them myself. They all laughed at me saying men don't make desserts, only mothers do. I went on to say how my Pa does everything their mothers do and more so he's just like a mother. They wouldn't listen to me! They just laughed and said that Pa is just my father and that I don't have a mother in my life. I can't help it, Uncle Hoss, that I don't have a mother. Sometimes it just isn't fair."
Hoss moved to sit down on another crate next to Samuel. "Ah, I see. Children can be so cruel sometimes, but I hate to admit it, they are somewhat right."
Samuel looked over at his uncle in shock and opened his mouth to protest only to be halted by Hoss.
"Now wait a minute. I know that's not what you want to hear, but if you'd let me finish. The children are right; strictly speaking, legally your Pa is your father, not your mother. On the other hand, your Pa certainly feels about you the way a mother would and does everything your mother would have done. He cleans and cooks and takes care of you when you're sick. He may only be your Pa, but he qualifies as a mother in every other way. So, I'd have to agree with you."
"Really?"
"Sure thing. Honestly, I wouldn't pay those other children any mind if I were you. If you still are worried about this, though, you can always talk it over with your Pa."
"Thanks, Uncle Hoss." Samuel leaned over to give his big uncle a hug. He felt much better after talking it over with him, but some concerns still nagged at the back of his mind. He decided he'd still ask his Pa about all this so he would know for sure.
It was Sunday afternoon and Adam had taken his children to the beautiful meadow that overlooked the lake for a picnic lunch. With everyone finishing up their meal, Adam gave them permission to go exploring as long as they stayed within earshot.
Adam leaned back against the tree their blanket was under, watching as Nathan and the twins ran off. It was several moments later that he realized Samuel wasn't with them. Glancing to his left, Samuel still sat on the blanket pushing his slice of chocolate cake around on his plate.
"Are you going to eat that cake or just push it around all afternoon?"
"Sorry, Pa. I don't feel much like eating it right now."
"Why don't you go join your siblings? I'll save the cake for when you return."
All Adam got in response was a shrug of the shoulders.
"Something on your mind, son?"
Samuel glanced over at his father. "Can you tell me a little about my Mama? Was she nice?"
Adam waved a hand calling his son over. Once he got close enough, Adam wrapped his arm around him pulling him into his side while still reclining against the tree.
"Your mother was the nicest person I knew." Adam paused a moment listening to the birds chirping happily in the trees and the gentle waves crashing on the shore of the nearby lake. His memories floated back to all the wonderful times he had with Cecily before any of their children were born.
"Did you know that picnics just like this one was one of her favorite things to do with me?" Adam felt Samuel's little head shake in response against his side. "She would pack almost the entire house to go out on a picnic. Fried chicken, buttermilk rolls, and oatmeal cookies were the foods we packed most often. Those were some of her favorite foods in the entire world. We would arrive by mid-morning and would stay out here all day chatting about anything and everything. She loved seeing all the wildlife out here too. She loved the animals almost as much as you and Hoss. That's probably from whom you got that trait."
Adam felt Samuel twist under his arm sitting up slightly to look up at him. "She really liked animals as much as me?"
He glanced down at his son giving him a small smile. "She did indeed."
"Gosh, Pa. I didn't know anyone could love animals as much as me. Well, besides Uncle Hoss that is." Samuel settled back against Adam's side once again.
"If it had been up to your Mama, we would have a menagerie of animals here on the Ponderosa. She wanted to save each and every one. I remember this one incident with a turtle. Would you like to hear that story?"
"Yeah."
"It was a bright, sunny spring day, much like today. We packed a lunch and headed out to this very spot to spend the day together. After lunch, we reclined on our blanket talking about our dreams and future together. The sun continued to beat down on our faces and without a breeze to cool us off, we both got hot quite quickly. Your mother suggested we wade in the nearby lake to cool off. Not only was the water still ice cold from the retreating winter, but there was also a gentle breeze near the lake.
"We both took off our shoes and stockings and rolled up our clothes to the knees so they wouldn't get wet. The next several minutes were spent splashing through the shallow water and then heading back to dry land as we walked along the shore.
"Soon we came to a little marshy area. I was trailing a few feet behind your mother when I heard her yell out. I thought she was seriously hurt so I went running over. She wasn't hurt, but she was bending down looking at something in the shallow water near the reeds. There, a tiny turtle had become tangled up in some leftover fishing line. It was wrapped around his head and legs. Unlike most women and girls, your mother didn't hesitate to pick it up. One look at the little critter and you could tell it would only be a matter of time before the line completely cut off all breathing or eating capabilities. She tried to free the line with her fingers, but it was just too tight. I knew I had a knife back at the picnic site that I could use to cut the line so I suggested we bring the turtle back there. Your mother more than happily agreed.
"On the short walk back to the site, your mother took to talking to the animal, much the way you and Hoss do. I couldn't hear all that she said to it, but it sounded like soothing words of comfort. By the time we reached the blanket, she had a name for it. Lightning. It seemed like a ridiculous name for a turtle considering how slow they move, but she was insistent that it was the turtle's name.
"I found the knife and made quick work of freeing the line from Lightning. We then placed it on the blanket so it could return to the wild, but it just sat there. Your mother looked up at me with a sparkle in her eye before saying that she thinks it wants to come home with us. I told her right then and there that we aren't keeping a turtle as a pet. A dog, maybe. A cat, maybe. But definitely not a turtle. Wild animals are happier being in the wild. She wasn't happy with my decision and reluctantly walked it back down closer to the lake. Your mother returned to tell me that it went right into the water, but not before it waved at her. I never believed that part of her story, but she claimed it was true."
"Wow. That sounds like something I would try doing someday."
"Try doing someday? I seem to remember you already trying something like that and I told you the same thing I told your mother: wild animals need to stay in the wild."
A little grin tugged at Samuel's lips before he sighed in contentment. "She sounds like the best. Thanks for telling me a little more about my mother, Pa." Samuel closed his eyes happy to know how much he had in common with his mother.
"You're most welcome. Now why all these questions about your Mama?"
Another shrug of the shoulders was given in response. "I don't know. I guess I've just been thinking about her a lot lately seeing as my birthday is coming up."
Adam let the silence linger for a minute. "Are you sure that's the only reason?"
"Well…" Samuel hesitated, wondering if this was the right time and place to even bring this up. It had been such a wonderful afternoon between lunch and hearing stories about his mother. Then again, finding time to have his Pa all to himself was scarce and after glancing up, he realized his siblings were still out exploring.
"I also had some problems at school the other day with my friends."
Adam listened intently as Samuel sat up slightly and recounted the entire incident that happened in the schoolyard and even the conversation with his uncle in the barn the other day.
"So, I've just been thinking a lot about what it means to have a mother." Samuel breathed a sigh of relief as he laid his head back onto his father's chest, grateful to get the whole story out.
"I can see your dilemma. I am your father, and I can never physically take the place of your mother. However, motherhood isn't simply about giving birth. I've loved you and nurtured you for seven years. I would like to think that's what really matters in a family. We both know what we are to each other regardless of what others think. Nothing could ever break the bond of love we have between us. Does that make sense?
"Yeah. I think so."
"One day you might have another mother, but for now you're stuck with me playing both parts."
"That's all right Pa. It means I get double the love and attention from you."
Adam smiled down at his son. "I love you, Samuel. More than you will ever know."
"Love you too." Samuel closed his eyes before drifting off for a nap in the late afternoon sun. Sleep came easily as his mind was now at ease and all was right in his world once again.