ChapterThirteen

Tabitha sat on the porch of her grandfather's home. She could hear her cousins and siblings running around in the yard. She knew her father was hitching the horses to the wagon; soon they would begin their journey to the blind school in San Francisco. She was still very nervous, but had resigned herself to the fact that she would be living at the school while she continued getting the education her parents wanted for her.

"Yer gonna be fine, pumpkin." Hoss clasped his hands together as he looked upon his niece. "Before you know it Thanksgiving will be here and then Christmas." He was doing his best to sound upbeat and happy for his niece's sake. It reminded Tabitha of her Uncles kind words from the night before, and her mind went back to a portion of that conversation.

"I don't know why the good Lord allowed life to take yer eyesight from ya, but there's got to be a reason. " Hoss stood by the window looking from the scenery outside to his niece. "But there is one. Ya jist don't know it yet."

"How can you be so sure?" Tabitha, who was wiping her tears away from her face, asked.

"'Cause," Hoss smiled as he stepped away from the window, walked over to the bed and sat down beside his niece. "When I lost my eyesight, I couldn't see a reason for it either. I mean, all I could see was that the Vandervorts and Mary, they done got themselves more ta do fer me." Hoss shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Reckon, that's all they'd have got, iff'n Mary hadn't been strong enough to insist I get that teacher to help me. Look," he said and faced Tabitha as he laid his hand gently on her shoulder, "I kin't say I know how it's like to go the blind school, but I do know what it's like ta be blind and not to have yer family 'round. I mean, like yer pa and such. Ya, you'll miss 'em and cry at times, but do ya really want to have to depend on other people yer whole life to read ta ya? Do ya want them ta tell ya how things were or are; leadin ya around by the arm, and all that?" He paused and added quietly, "Yer parents want ya to be able ta learn and grow like ya were doin' before the accident like my Mary wanted me ta have a good life too." He then added, "Ya think this is easy on yer parents?"

Tabitha squirmed a little and replied, "Pa don't seem to have any trouble with the idea." Even as she said the words, she knew in her gut it wasn't the truth. Hoss backed that feeling up.

"Reckon yer wrong about that, pumpkin. It's tearin' him up inside. He loves ya, downright hates the thought of sendin' ya away. I've seen it on his face and heard it in his voice when he talks."

"So, why is he?" Tabitha asked softly.

"I reckon he just wants the best fer ya, the same way he always has."

Tabitha, who was making an honest effort to stop blaming Hoss for the changes coming her way, knew what he was doing and found herself appreciating it very much. Slowly, she moved her hand. It didn't take long for her to find his huge arm and find her way to his large hands, causing Hoss to have to swallow and hold back a couple of tears. "Is it so bad to say, that maybe someday I'll thank you for pushing pa and ma to send me to live at the blind school?"

Hoss started chuckling as he laid his right hand over hers. He knew all too well where she was coming from. "Naw, I reckon it means yer a very normal young gal." He paused as he watched his nieces and nephews playing; he couldn't help but smile as he added, "You'll make friends and, I dare say, make a lot of good memories too."

He found a lump in his throat when his niece turned her head slightly and said rather bluntly, "You'd make a great father. Why don't you and Aunt Mary have a child of your own?"

Hoss went to explain that sometimes that, no matter how badly one wanted such a thing, life denied it to them when Mary walked up to the porch with a smile as wide as the Ponderosa upon her face.

She shocked both her husband and niece when she said, "By the time you come home for your summer vacation we will have." She wasn't surprised by the stunned look that appeared upon her husband's face and the "YIPEE" that came out of Tabitha's. Naturally, all her cousins stopped playing and Adam, who had finished securing the team of the horses to the wagon, all turned and looked at the three on the porch wondering what had been said to get such a reaction out of Tabitha, who had been so quiet all morning.

Hoss let go of Tabitha's hand and stood up and looked at his wife. "Are you sure?" He asked as he glanced down at his wife's abdomen and then back up to her face. When his wife nodded and continued smiling wide, Hoss let out a loud "YES" and hugged her.

Adam, who had walked up to his daughter and taken a hold of her hand, guessed what had happened and congratulated his brother and sister in law. He then looked at his stepdaughter as Laura Ann walked out of the house. "It looks like your mother is ready. I guess we best get going."

He looked at Mary and Hoss. "Are you sure you don't mind watching Kristine and the boys while we're gone?" After what his brother and wife had just learned, Adam wondered if they wouldn't want some peace and quiet before their own child arrived.

Somehow, he wasn't surprised though when Hoss and Mary assured him it was no problem. "Don't ya worry 'bout yer other youngin's. They'll be fine." Hoss said as he smiled at Mary and gave her a quick squeeze, as he had his arm around her shoulders and was holding her close, "Mary and I don't mind a bit." Moments later he and Mary, along with his nieces, nephews, his father, Little Joe and Alice were all waving goodbye to Adam, his wife and Tabitha. Only after they had disappeared did everyone but Hoss and his father go about their business. Ben and Hoss remained on the porch and visited.

Ben looked upon Hoss. He would have congratulated Hoss only he could see that Hoss was still thinking about Tabitha and the fact that it had been him that had pushed for her to be sent away to the blind school. "Son, I want you to know that I thank the good Lord every day for not only bringing you back to us, but also for the gift you've given your brother and his family, for that matter, the gift you've given to this whole family."

"Gift?" Hoss was confused and his face showed it as puzzled lines appeared across his furrowed brows. He hadn't given any of them a gift or, at least, he didn't think he had. "What are ya talkin' 'bout? What gift?"

Ben smiled and answered, "Hope son, you gave us hope. After Tabitha's accident it was so easy to feel sorry for her. I hate to admit this, but if you hadn't stepped in and intervened, she would simply exist in darkness feeling nothing but pity for herself. I mean, as well intentioned as we'd have been, I'm afraid we'd have crippled her with our concern. The adjustment has been, and will be, hard enough without us crippling her with that concern."

Hoss looked at his father, who had yet to be told he would soon be a grandfather again, and informed him of the fact. "It's what we've wanted for years and now," He shook his head, "on one hand I'm thrilled and on the other," he shook his head, "I'm scared to death. Don't make no sense."

Ben, who was beaming at the news, slapped his son on the back and congratulated him and then said, "It makes a whole lot of sense. You did great with Tabitha, and you're great with the rest of the children. You'll be fine." Ben assured him before excusing himself saying that, after he got some paperwork done, they should get Little Joe and go fishing…saying he was sure Mary and Alice would understand.

Hoss merely nodded and continued standing on the porch as his father disappeared into the house. Hoss couldn't help but smile just a little. He had returned to the Ponderosa a stranger and now, even though many of his memories were still lost to him, he and his wife were a part of the family he'd lost so many years ago.

A/N As far as I'm concerned, there is a huge opening for a sequel. I sincerely hope to do that sequel when I get time.