"Hey Rose. Hey Dave." Race called without looking up from his paper.
"Hi Race." They answered in unison, entering the bunkroom. David led Rose over to Snipeshooter's empty bunk. He sat her down, and they gazed at each other for a moment. David smoothed back Rose's golden brown hair. His hand slid down to her waist and he kissed her.
Race glanced over the top of his paper. Oh, just David and Rose.
.....
David and Rose?!?
"What in the heck are you two doing?" He asked incredulously.
Rose disentangled herself from David gently.
"Uh...kissing I think." She smiled, and looked back at her David.
"That much is obvious Rosie. Why?" Race blinked hard.
"I asked Rose to be my girl. She said yes!" David exclaimed, kissing the Rose's hair. Rose lay her head down on his shoulder.
Race tried hard to smile. "Congratulations. You probably already know she's one heck of a girl."
"I do know...and God, I think I just--fell in love.." David trailed off and glanced down at Rose. She kissed him gently.
Race watched them for a second, then headed for the door. He needed time to think--alone.
The cool air hit him as he walked outside. It was still light out and Race was prepared to walk as far as he needed to to think it all over.
Rose had come and changed everything. No longer was he the carefree newsie he had been 2 or 3 months ago, but felt a responsibility to keep her safe at all costs. That didnt bother him so much. It was when he saw David and Rose look at each other--the look that said "I love you with my whole heart and soul"
Race used to receive those looks--from Anna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-April 1895-
'Race!! You'll never guess what!!" Anna burst into the bunkroom.
"What?" Race stood up to greet the girl he had met in Central park a few months ago.
"I'm got an callback! The director might give me the lead!!" Anna brushed her dark brown curls from her eyes. Anna wanted to be an actress,and had just tried out for a spot in a local theatre's new musical.
"Aw Anna, that's great!" Race gave her a quick hug. She pulled back.
"Let's go for a walk."
"Sounds good. Let's go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-March 1897-
Anna glanced over at Race-"Ya look cold."
"I am. Undescribably."
"Here, I'll help." Anna put her arm around Race. They walked a little further.
"Better?" Anna asked.
"I dont know about you, but I feel all warm inside now." He smiled softly at her.
"So do I." Anna lay her head down on his shoulder. Race kissed the top of her head.
"Can I tell ya somethin' Anna?"
"Sure."
Race stopped, and turned to face her. He ran his hands up and down her back.
"I-I aint never felt this way 'bout no one. Anna--I love you. More than anything. You're the one that makes my life brighter. Even when I lose hope of a better life, you're always there to smile and kiss me. Please Anna-marry me someday?"
Tears formed in Anna's eyes. "Yes. Oh God, yes. I love you too. Just never forget that. Because love is forever, Race. Always believe."
Race leaned down and kissed Anna. Afterwards, she gave him the same look Race had seen in Rose's eyes when she looked at David. Race remembered holding Anna for the longest time, right there in the middle of the alley, not wanting the moment to end. But it did.
All good things eventually do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-February 1899-
"Race--I hafta go now."
"No Anna--You can't. ...Anna, I love you. You can't move." Race pleaded
"I dont want to, but my family wants to move west. I have no choice."
"Stay here with me. Marry me--I'll get a real job and support you and-"
"Oh Race, please dont do this. It's hard enough as it is. Please give me a kiss and a hug and the promise you'll always remember me."
"No. You said you loved me--that you'd never hurt me." Hot tears prickled in his eyes.
"Race, I...." Anna trailed off and looked out the window. "Look Race--It's starting to snow. Look at the sky. It's beautiful."
Race buried his face in his hands. This couldn't happen. Not to him. Not to Anna.
"Don't cry, Race." Anna said in a choked up voice, "Always believe in love."
Race didnt even look up. But he felt Anna's lips brush against his forehead, and she whispered, "Always believe."
When he looked up, she was gone.
That was the last time Race ever saw Anna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Race came out of his reverie, sitting on a crate in an alley.
"Oh Anna...Anna, I miss you so much."
"Race." A female voice came from behind him. Rose.
"I'm okay Rose. Really, I'm fine."
Rose nodded. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Race looked down, and the tears that had been there, flowed easily. Rose rushed to his side and held him in her arms, while he closed his eyes, trying to remember every little detail of Anna.
"Hi Race." They answered in unison, entering the bunkroom. David led Rose over to Snipeshooter's empty bunk. He sat her down, and they gazed at each other for a moment. David smoothed back Rose's golden brown hair. His hand slid down to her waist and he kissed her.
Race glanced over the top of his paper. Oh, just David and Rose.
.....
David and Rose?!?
"What in the heck are you two doing?" He asked incredulously.
Rose disentangled herself from David gently.
"Uh...kissing I think." She smiled, and looked back at her David.
"That much is obvious Rosie. Why?" Race blinked hard.
"I asked Rose to be my girl. She said yes!" David exclaimed, kissing the Rose's hair. Rose lay her head down on his shoulder.
Race tried hard to smile. "Congratulations. You probably already know she's one heck of a girl."
"I do know...and God, I think I just--fell in love.." David trailed off and glanced down at Rose. She kissed him gently.
Race watched them for a second, then headed for the door. He needed time to think--alone.
The cool air hit him as he walked outside. It was still light out and Race was prepared to walk as far as he needed to to think it all over.
Rose had come and changed everything. No longer was he the carefree newsie he had been 2 or 3 months ago, but felt a responsibility to keep her safe at all costs. That didnt bother him so much. It was when he saw David and Rose look at each other--the look that said "I love you with my whole heart and soul"
Race used to receive those looks--from Anna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-April 1895-
'Race!! You'll never guess what!!" Anna burst into the bunkroom.
"What?" Race stood up to greet the girl he had met in Central park a few months ago.
"I'm got an callback! The director might give me the lead!!" Anna brushed her dark brown curls from her eyes. Anna wanted to be an actress,and had just tried out for a spot in a local theatre's new musical.
"Aw Anna, that's great!" Race gave her a quick hug. She pulled back.
"Let's go for a walk."
"Sounds good. Let's go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-March 1897-
Anna glanced over at Race-"Ya look cold."
"I am. Undescribably."
"Here, I'll help." Anna put her arm around Race. They walked a little further.
"Better?" Anna asked.
"I dont know about you, but I feel all warm inside now." He smiled softly at her.
"So do I." Anna lay her head down on his shoulder. Race kissed the top of her head.
"Can I tell ya somethin' Anna?"
"Sure."
Race stopped, and turned to face her. He ran his hands up and down her back.
"I-I aint never felt this way 'bout no one. Anna--I love you. More than anything. You're the one that makes my life brighter. Even when I lose hope of a better life, you're always there to smile and kiss me. Please Anna-marry me someday?"
Tears formed in Anna's eyes. "Yes. Oh God, yes. I love you too. Just never forget that. Because love is forever, Race. Always believe."
Race leaned down and kissed Anna. Afterwards, she gave him the same look Race had seen in Rose's eyes when she looked at David. Race remembered holding Anna for the longest time, right there in the middle of the alley, not wanting the moment to end. But it did.
All good things eventually do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-February 1899-
"Race--I hafta go now."
"No Anna--You can't. ...Anna, I love you. You can't move." Race pleaded
"I dont want to, but my family wants to move west. I have no choice."
"Stay here with me. Marry me--I'll get a real job and support you and-"
"Oh Race, please dont do this. It's hard enough as it is. Please give me a kiss and a hug and the promise you'll always remember me."
"No. You said you loved me--that you'd never hurt me." Hot tears prickled in his eyes.
"Race, I...." Anna trailed off and looked out the window. "Look Race--It's starting to snow. Look at the sky. It's beautiful."
Race buried his face in his hands. This couldn't happen. Not to him. Not to Anna.
"Don't cry, Race." Anna said in a choked up voice, "Always believe in love."
Race didnt even look up. But he felt Anna's lips brush against his forehead, and she whispered, "Always believe."
When he looked up, she was gone.
That was the last time Race ever saw Anna.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Race came out of his reverie, sitting on a crate in an alley.
"Oh Anna...Anna, I miss you so much."
"Race." A female voice came from behind him. Rose.
"I'm okay Rose. Really, I'm fine."
Rose nodded. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Race looked down, and the tears that had been there, flowed easily. Rose rushed to his side and held him in her arms, while he closed his eyes, trying to remember every little detail of Anna.