The Widow Boone stood near the table of food, slicing a turkey. Grace Bradley beside her.
"I'm sick of black. I'll confess it to you now." She said softly.
"Well, you look good in anything. Even as a widow, you are the most beautiful woman here. I still think it is unfair." Grace grinned at her. "Is Katie-Grace doing any better?"
"No." Rebecca sighed heavily. "It is most unfair to her of all the children. He lifted her up out of that valley of death, and told her she was safe, and now he's gone. She still won't speak. She wakes up all night long with nightmares. She has to sleep with me now. I'm not sure I can keep . . ."
"Widow Boone, everything looks so delicious. I am glad to see you out again." Mrs. Smith said.
"Thank you." Rebecca said aware that Mrs. Smith thought it was much too soon for the Widow Boone to be socializing.
"Mean, old, busy-body." Grace whispered as she walked away.
"Grace!" Rebecca said.
"People are so . . ." Grace said. "Don't you ever get sick and tired of being so sweet, Rebecca?"
"I'm not sweet! You've seen my temper! Just ask Dan . . ." She stopped as sudden tears sprung to her eyes.
Grace grabbed hold of her hand. "Shh . . .it's alright, Becky. I'm sorry."
Rebecca turned toward her dearest friend and Grace wrapped her arms around her. "It's alright, everyone expects you to be upset." Grace whispered. "Go ahead a cry."
Rebecca drew in a breath, stopping herself. "Israel's watching. I can't worry him more."
"Stubborn woman." Grace said as Rebecca stepped away wiping her eyes.
"Always." Becky grinned at her.
***DB***
She dreaded Christmas. It was a mere two days away, and she had made little preparation. Katie-Grace still had not said a single word since she had heard in the fort that her Pa had been executed. Rebecca only knew that Katie had heard about it because Israel had been with her. They had both run home, sobbing.
"Is Pa dead? Did they really shoot him?" Israel asked holding tightly to Katie-Grace's hand.
"Slow down, easy now." She said quietly leading both of them to the settee. "Sit down." They looked at her with wide, trusting eyes, and she thought, "I can't do this! I can't lie to them!"
"He is dead, isn't he?" Israel asked.
"That's what they told me." She said very softly. "And he hasn't come home." It was a close as she could come to lying to them.
"He would never leave us." Israel said in a whisper. "Ma,how long? How long have you known this?"
"What does it matter, Israel?" She said tears springing to her eyes.
"You shouldn't be sad all alone." He said. "Pa always told me, when he's gone, I have to be the man. I have to take care of things."
"Oh, Israel!" She said wrapping her arms around them both. "I am so sorry. Katie-Grace, I'm so sorry. Your Pa loves you both. You hear me? Katie, he loves all his children, and your his girl. You always will be. Nothing will change it." But Katie had stared blankly at her, and silently rested her head on Becky's shoulder. She hadn't spoken a single word in the three months since, not even to Israel.
"Ma?" Israel said. "Something's burning."
She turned surprised that she had been so lost in thought. "Oh, no!" She pulled the pie she'd been baking out. It was charred and black.
"I've never seen you burn a pie." He said in wonder.
"I can't remember the last time I did." She said with a smile. Then suddenly she did remember.
She had been married just nine days and had decided to make her new husband a pie. Unfortunately, she had set it to bake, and then had become, well, distracted.
"Something's burning." He had said.
"Oh no! My pie!" She had leapt from their bed and run out to the front room. Setting the burning pie on the table, she winced as her finger touched the side of the hot pan. "Ow!" She had said sucking on her burnt finger.
He had followed her out to the front room pausing just long enough to pull on his longjohns. "Sweetheart! You are lucky you only burnt your finger!" He said laughing.
"What?" And then she'd turned bright purple realizing that she had run to the front room wearing nothing at all. "Oh, good Lord!" She had said grabbing a nearby cloth and covering herself.
"Don't cover up on my account!" He said laughing even harder.
"Daniel!" She had said shocked.
"Well, you are a married lady now, and I got a piece of paper that says something to the effect of me being your husband, so . . ." He crossed over to her and put his arms around her.
"I wanted to bake you a pie." She pouted.
"You did." He smiled at her, "but I ain't gonna eat it, love." And lifting her up, he'd carried her back to their room.
"Ma." Israel said. "Ma!"
She blinked, realizing that Israel had been talking to her.
"I'm sorry, Israel. What is it?"
"Rose keeps asking about Christmas." He sighed and taking her by the hand sat down with her at the settee.
"Now, I don't care for Christmas this year, and neither does Katie, but Rose is little still. She doesn't really understand things. She ought to have Christmas don't you think."
Rebecca sighed studying her ten year old son. "Israel, your Pa would be real proud of you. You are a good son."
He said nothing, his bright, blue eyes filling with tears.
"You are right," She conceded. "Rose deserves a Christmas. I'll see what I can do. Do you think you can shoot us a turkey?"
"I'll go out in the morning." He said. "Uncle Matt said he'd go with me. I know you wouldn't want me hunting alone. We'll manage it, Ma. Don't fret."
She watched him as he turned to bring in more wood for the fire. She never had to remind him about his chores anymore. He had, almost overnight, turned grown responsible. She sighed wondering at the damage being done to her children.
It was late the next afternoon that Mingo appeared.
"Mingo!" Israel said and jumped into his uncle's arms.
"Israel! I think you are a foot taller than the last time I saw you!" He looked up at Rebecca.
"You look awfully thin, Rebecca. Doesn't she eat?" He asked Israel.
"Not much." Israel said.
"Mingo!" Rose said and ran to him. "Where's Pa?" The room grew silent.
"Pa's gone." Israel said softly. "Remember, Rose. Pa can't come home no more. He went to heaven to be with all the others."
"Mingo! You've surprised us." Rebecca said quickly. "Why don't you get warmed up by the fire. We just ate, but I can fix you something." She turned to the pantry, and Mingo, with Rose in his arms crossed over to the fire.
"Actually, I was wondering if you and your little family would like to go on a journey." He said. "Where's Katie?" He looked around the cabin and saw her peeking out of the curtain that separated Daniel and Rebecca's room from the main room of the cabin. "You better come over her and give me a kiss or I will be angry with you, young lady!" She hesitated. "Come on, now." He grinned at her. She crossed to him, and setting Rose down, he lifted her up into his arms.
"I realize you are a nearly grown lady of nine years, but you seem to me to be a girl who could use a kiss and a hug." She buried her head in Mingo's shoulder.
"Pa's gone now." She said it so very softly, but it rang through the cabin like a bell.
Rebecca crossed over to her. "Oh, Katie." She said her eyes brimming with tears.
"Katie, did I ever tell you about the time my Pa caught me telling fibs?"
She shook her head.
"Well, my Aunt Katherine was visiting and she was a very large, very ugly woman. She kept asking me if I one day I hoped to marry a girl just like her. I tried to avoid it, but eventually I had to lie and tell her that yes, I did. I felt just awful because my father had taught me to never lie, but I just couldn't tell her the truth. I had to lie for her own good. Finally, my conscience got the better of me and I confessed to my father that he was raising a liar."
"Was he mad?" Israel asked.
"No. He told me that sometimes you have to tell fibs. Sometimes we tell fibs even when we don't want to." He looked up at Rebecca. "Now, all of you go put on your warmest clothes. We are going a special Christmas journey, and maybe we'll end it with a Christmas miracle." He set Katie down and the all three children scurried to get changed.
"Get your coat, Rebecca." Mingo said smiling at her. "We've got a long ways to travel."
"Mingo!" She whispered white with surprise.
"Everyone needs family at Christmas, isn't that what you always say?" She nodded and the tears she'd been holding back spilled out.