ChapterTwelve

The wind was just beginning to blow as Hoss, Mary and the others pulled up to the main house. Little Joe's children were running around the front yard and their parents were standing on the porch. The moment they saw Hoss and Mary all the playing stopped; it felt like time had frozen. For a split second, Hoss wished he and Mary could simply turn around and go back to the cabin, but then Adam chased his nieces and nephews into the house, while Kristine followed her mother, who was leading Tabitha.

After the children and Adam, along with Laura Ann disappeared into the house, Alice smiled at Hoss and Mary and said, "I think it's best if I wait inside…" She never finished her sentence as Little Joe took a hold of her arm.

"Not before you at least meet my brother Eric, or Hoss, Cartwright." Little Joe, who had been looking at Hoss and fighting the emotions he had inside of him, did his best to hide his nervousness. "I can't believe you're back, Hoss." He quickly added, "It feels good." He laid his hand on his wife's shoulders and introduced her. "This is my wife Alice. I met her shortly after you disappeared."

Hoss, who had also been looking Joe over, remembered a quick glimpse of a young, somewhat annoying, man. Oh course, he was sure the annoying part was just part of growing up. And that hair, when had the style changed? The fact that Little Joe had met Alice after he, Hoss, had left made Hoss feel better…as he had quickly realized he had no memory of the young woman. "Nice to meet you, ma'am,"

"Alice," she said, then smiled as she took a hold of the hand Hoss was holding out, "you can call me by my name."

Hoss then introduced his wife, after which the two women insisted on going inside. When Mary and Alice had disappeared into the house, Little Joe leaned against the nearby post and looked at his brother. "Adam says you've become Tabitha's teacher." There was a mixture of pride and disbelief in his voice.

Hoss nodded as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "I'm doin' what I can, but what the child needs is proper schoolin'. I ain't much for that."

That statement got a chuckle of Little Joe. He couldn't stop it; after all, he remembered all the times Hoss had complained about having to go to school. "You never were."

An uncomfortable silence fell among them, both brothers wondering what to say to the other. Finally Joe stepped forward and gave his brother a genuine smile. "The way we're acting you'd think we were allergic to each other. Welcome home, Hoss!" He gave his brother the biggest bear hug he could, one which Hoss returned…doing his best not to hug his baby brother too tight.

~oOo~

Adam stepped through his daughter's bedroom doorway and sighed. His young stepdaughter was standing near the window with her head tilted upwards slightly. "The child is legally blind. She can tell light from darkness, but everything else is a blurr and, no, before you ask, glasses will not fix the problem." The doctor's words rang in Adam's ears as he walked up beside Tabitha.

Hearing her stepfather walk up beside her, Tabitha turned on him and, having overheard a portion of the conversation he'd had with her mother earlier in the evening, she snapped, "You're going to send me away because I'm blind! You don't want me around!" The anger and hurt she felt inside could be heard loud and clear.

Adam felt his heart breaking as he knelt down beside his stepdaughter. He hated to see her hurting like this, but he had to do what he could to make her understand. "I do want you around, so does your mother and the rest of the family." Adam took a hold of her upper arms and turned her towards him. Her sightless eyes staring straight ahead again tore at him, yet he kept his voice firm. Tabitha needed them to be strong worse than ever. "We also want you to have a good education. You can't get that here. However, you can get it at the school for the blind."

Tabitha knew Adam spoke the truth, though it didn't help her emotions any. "Uncle Hoss has been teaching me!" She threw the words out, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "He can keep teaching me! Don't send me away, please, pa, please!" By this time the tears were falling down her cheeks faster than water going over a waterfall, and she was holding onto Adam for all she was worth.

Adam picked her up and then sat down in the rocking chair that his wife had moved into the room shortly after Tabitha was hurt. For a moment he said nothing as a couple of tears escaped his own eyes. He then took a deep breath and started talking and assuring Tabitha everything would be all right. "Your uncle is doing all he can for you. This would only be for the school year. We'll see you here at the ranch during Thanksgiving, Christmas and during the summer. Other times," he kissed her forehead as she continued sobbing quietly, "We'll travel to San Francisco to visit you."

"This is Uncle Hoss' idea." Tabitha's anger again showed its face. "I wish he'd never come back."

Adam counted to ten, reminding himself that it was fear talking, not the daughter he knew and loved well. "I thank the good Lord he came back." Adam said quietly after he'd finished counting. "He knows what you're going through, how important it is for you to be able to given the tools needed to go forward, and is proving to be the mountain of strength we all need. He's helping you adjust to your blindness, but even he admits he's not much help when it comes to teaching you to read in Braille and such." Just as he finished speaking, he looked up and saw Hoss standing in the door way. The look in his eyes told Adam that his brother had heard what his niece had said.

"Mind iff'n I come in?" Hoss asked quietly, his own heart going out to his young niece. Adam nodded as he stood up and sat Tabitha down upon her feet. He wasn't surprised when his daughter simply stood saying nothing. Adam then left the room, but not before tapping his brother's upper arm and giving him a grateful smile.

After Adam left, Hoss walked over to the chair and sat down. "I reckon we need to talk." He then waited until Tabitha made her way to her bed and sat down before starting the conversation he intended to have with her.