Just a fluffy update to try and resurrect this fic. Take as you will. And thanks Phoenix365 for the review! Much appreciated. :)
"Tad? Tad wait up!"
Dixie yelled, running into the yard to catch up to her friend. Who clearly had no interest in discussing what had just happened.
"Tad!"
Reluctantly, Tad turned to face her.
"Are you alright? Why'd you run off like that?"
"Nothing Dixie, it's fine. I'm fine."
Not buying this, Dixie persisted.
"Are you mad 'cause I told Momma you stole the cards?"
"No, Dix. I'm not. But you shouldn't have gone announcing it like you did."
"I'm sorry, I just was happy that you got them back for me.", she smiled bashfully, getting a slight grin from Tad.
"Well that's why I did it."
Sitting on the lawn, fiddling with a blade of grass, Dixie turned to Tad nervously.
"Tad?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm real sorry about Will yelling at you like that. I told him to start being nicer to you but he didn't listen to me."
"Dix I told you, I can handle myself around your brother. I've known guys like him before."
"Well, I don't know Will when he acts like this.", Dixie admitted, before a sad smile found its way to her face.
"He used to be a lot more fun, you know?""
"I find that hard to believe.", Tad scoffed, but seeing Dixie's face regretted his tone.
"Sorry.", he apologized.
"What kind of stuff would you guys do together?"
"Oh all kindsa stuff. See that field over there?", Dixie asked, pointing a ways.
"Yeah?"
"We used to go there to catch fireflies. And there's a hay bale maze up the road we used to go to in the fall. We did lots of stuff together. Except fishing, that was Will and Daddy's thing. Maybe when he comes back they can take you along with." she smiled.
It had been over a month since Seabone left but Dixie was still confident he'd come back. Tad, not so much, but he wasn't going to share his feelings and risk upsetting his friend.
"Yeah I guess. But the only way I'd go fishing is if you came along with me."
"Ew! No way!", Dixie said in disgust.
"Girls do not fish, Tad."
"Okay, good to know!", he chuckled, following Dixie over to the barn.
"Yeah I guess you wouldn't have known that, since you're not a girl and all."
"Well that's right.", Tad laughed.
"I may not be a girl but, I lived with two of them. Momma and Jenny."
"Jenny?"
"Yeah, my sister."
"I didn't know you had a sister.", Dixie smiled.
"Does she look like you?"
"Yeah, her hairs like mine. But her eyes are the same color as Wishing Star's coat.", Tad said, nodding to the horse he was grooming.
"I think you'd like her though. I think you two would be friends."
"You miss her a lot, don't ya." Dixie observed as she fed the chickens, leading Tad to nod.
"Yeah. I do.", Tad said sadly.
"Well at least she has your momma. What's she like?"
"Momma...she's, she can be kinda silly."
"Like you!"
"Yeah, like me. She's loud too. And likes to wear a lot of crazy outfits. Also she has pet birds."
"Birds?"
"Yeah, a whole bunch of 'em. But she'd like you. I think."
"I think I'd like her too."
"She likes to sing like your mom."
"Does she know my momma's song?"
"No. No she has this other one she sings. Jenny likes it."
"What's it called?"
"Uh..me and my, something..uh.."
"Something? That's a weird name for a song."
"Shadow! That's it. Shadow. Me and My Shadow.", Tad recalled.
"Huh. I don't know that one."
"Well, I won't be teaching it to you. I sing all these animals are going to spook.", Tad said, getting Dixie laughing until she realized her friend had a sad look in his eyes.
All this talk about his family must have been making him sad, so it was up to her to cheer him up.
"Okay I fed the chickens. Let's go."
"Whoa hold on, where are we going?", Tad asked, putting down the horse brush as they left the barn.
"We are gonna go inside, we're gonna have some of Momma's cookies. And then we're gonna play Chinese Checkers until you find a way to beat me at them."
Dixie said matter of factly, getting a laugh.
"Is that right?"
"Uh huh. You coming or not?", she asked, then turned on her heel to leave leaving him no choice but to follow.