Dating a Soldier

"It was there on hill 198 that the noble soldier found himself at the crossroads of destiny. Major Whittlesey had led his men forward, following orders from Pershing down to the letter. They were simple and clear, do not retreat, do not take one step back. The "battalion" had temporarily been blocked off from the rest of the American forces the day prior, but now on the 2nd of October Ethan found himself cut off from support by the Germans.

Ethan was one of sixty Montanans that had been assigned to companies in the 77th Division that would make up the lost battalion. Harkening from the towering mountains of western Montana, the American was raised in the bottom of a mine and in the woods hunting for his family. There were few people better equipped to survive the next six days of hell, and in that time this humble miner would become the "Ghost of Charlevaux".

I was lucky enough to encounter this young cat while reporting on how Montanan soldiers were faring in France for the Billings Gazette. Fate would allow our paths to cross as I was headed to the frontlines for two days of reporting when our staff car was halted for the afternoon while a great many wounded and battle-weary boys from all over our great land were relieved from front-line duty to gain a well-earned rest and reprieve from the German artillery. While touring the facility, I spied him sitting by himself, rifle still in his hands. I could not tell whether it was blood or mud which was covering Ethan Kelly from head to toe, but the state of his weapons made me curious about what sort of fighting he had come out of.

Admittedly, he did not wish to give up his story so freely, but with fresh coffee, cigarettes, and a flask of whiskey I had stashed in my belongings as a bribe, Pvt. Kelly told me about his actions in the body of soldiers that was quickly gaining fame as the "lost battalion." What follows is a retelling of this story and how the bravery of one cat kept so many others alive."

Riley was engrossed in the book. One that was written about her brother no less! Or at least that's what the first part of the book was called. The full title was "The Ghost of Charlevaux: Tales From the Great War". It was a collection of stories from the war, one she was far too young to remember. But since the author and Ethan were both Montanans and his story was apparently the most interesting, he was featured as the lead story in the short book. She continued onward, skimming over the boring stuff about what led up to this battle. It was one she had heard of before but didn't know a great deal about.

"Private Kelly scanned the surroundings through the haze and smoke. For a moment the shelling had stopped. Word was quickly spreading throughout the battalion that they had been cut off and were now in the fight of their lives. Hunkering down in a hastily made trench, Kelly slumped back to rest after an intense few days of fighting. His muscles ached from exhaustion, having pushed forward well beyond the soldiers from other units. Looking back to the southwest, Ethan could see in the far distance the American lines. They had gone one hill too far.

"Kelly, that you?" Ethan heard from the next hole over. It was LeBlanc, a brother in arms that hailed from the river delta of Louisiana. As Ethan crawled into the next hole, he stumbled into what appeared to be an intricate ceremony taking place, LeBlanc having used gathered materials for some kind of ritual.

"LeBlanc, what's all this about? Surely this isn't the time for praying?" Ethan reasoned, but his friend simply shook his head. "No, in the middle of a battle like this, we need to pray. We are going to need all the help we can get. Do you have your rosary with you, Kelly?"

"Sure, but what for? Mary certainly won't be of much help on a battlefield." Ethan replied but did as asked anyway. He produced his mother's rosary from his vest pocket, placing it in LeBlanc's outstretched hand."

"I am not calling upon Mary. I am calling upon my fathers, my fallen brothers. I cam calling on the god of iron and war. He is an old lwa, having followed my people from across the sea."

Then the next round of artillery could be heard in the distance, followed by a terrible shrieking sound as shells pounded the earth around the hole. Ethan hadn't noticed just who all these other soldiers were in the hole with him and LeBlanc, but it was clear now that they were all partaking in his friend's ritual. All were of a religion alien to the Montanan, one that had hid in the southern swamps for generations, one that had spread throughout the Caribbean, one which hailed from the dark continent, deep in the jungles far beyond the reach of civilized felines.

The shells continued to slam into the ground, each one making a new crater. Yet the ritual would not be stopped. LeBlanc seemed to fall into a trance, shouting out to the heavens to reach his ancestors. "Legba, hear me! We ask for the guidance and protection of your people! We ask for the strength of the ancestors, and we make this sacrifice in the name of Ogun!" LeBlanc declared as more explosions sent dirt and shrapnel into the air. Kelly thought that this situation was a waste of time, yet the protection of being in the hole was far preferable to being on the surface where the land was being torn apart. Then he saw it—"

"Hey, Riley, are you good to stay here for a while?" I asked my sister, who was snuggled into her bed reading. I could only imagine the tales she was engrossed in. All were old books and while that one looked sort of familiar, I didn't recognize it. Riley, having put the book down, gave me a smile in return. "I'll be fine, Ethan. Tell Isabella I said 'hi'!"

"Of course I will. Mitzi will be checking in on you after a while, and if you need her before then she'll be downstairs in the speakeasy. Also, there is dinner downstairs in the kitchen. I promise I won't be out too late, but I expect you to be in bed when I get back, understand?"

"Yes, Ethan…"

"Have a good night, sister. Looks like you're enjoying a good book." I then closed the door to let her be. I was about to leave the apartment when Rocky grabbed me by the sleeve and pulled me over to the mirror. "Wait! You can't go out looking like that! There's still so much to do!" Rocky exclaimed as Ivy seemed to prepare an entire toolset of beauty products.

"This is a bit much, guys." I protested, but Ivy wasn't having any of it and I knew better than to argue. Rocky had gone through the trouble of cleaning out the sedan for me. It was a "two birds with one stone" sort of thing too since he now had more comfortable living quarters. I wasn't quite prepared for the addition of a roommate in the apartment, and I did miss the couch just a bit. Also, he didn't seem to grasp the concept of clothing, but Rocky did at least understand he can't be strutting around in his underwear while in the presence of a young lady. All in all though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to have him here. After Mordecai snuck in that night it couldn't hurt to have another set of eyes for Riley's protection.

And as for Ivy, I couldn't tell if she enjoyed the challenge of preparing a man for a date, or if she just liked to annoy her boys. Perhaps it was both? But if she wasn't afraid of Viktor, I doubt I'd fare any better trying to get out of it. "Okay Miss Pepper, make me look like some rich, pompous frat boy, but go easy on the makeup please. I have some dignity, you know."

"Ethan, you are the farthest thing from a frat boy. I don't know what it is about men in this crew and their lack of fashion sense—"

"Hey!" Rocky shot back.

"Rocky, your suit is bright blue, and it is certainly… unique. But tonight we want our man here to look the part of a proper bachelor!"

"That I can agree with, Miss Pepper. Fashion is a personal thing, anyways. I doubt either of you could pull off the look my suit grants me anyways."

Rocky was truly in his own world. At least the forced styling session was over quickly, and to Ivy's credit I rarely looked better. Scanning myself from head to toe in the mirror, the clothing choices were a bit like Mr. Sable, though on a tighter budget and more current to younger scene. With Rocky and Ivy's blessing, I grabbed an umbrella in case of a late-night rain shower and headed downstairs. I had only one stop before leaving, and that was checking in on the Lackadaisy.

Taking the back entrance down, I walked out into the quiet atmosphere of our humble establishment. Zib and the band were playing for a small group that had come in. At the bar, Mitzi and Wick were enjoying experimental mixed drinks with our latest stock. Wick, after tasting the concoction, noticed my presence as I came up to the bar.

"My word, Mr. Kelly. You look like a proper gentleman tonight! What's the occasion?"

"Oh, our resident sharpshooter has gotten himself a date." Mitzi explained as she patted me on the arm. "You do look handsome, dear. Ivy does a good job, doesn't she?"

"A good job indeed, Miss M. Though I can't shake the feeling that it's all a bit… much."

"Well, I certainly wish you good luck, old sport. What establishment are you taking this date of yours to?"

"There's a small club on the other side of town called the Moonlight. A good, safe, legitimate restaurant on the recommendation of our intrepid Miss May."

"Ah yes, I've heard of it. A very good choice if you ask me, though the Lackadaisy will always be the best."

"And if she's someone we can trust, I'll probably reveal the nature of my work and this establishment. But it is better to be safe than sorry. Now then, I had best get a move on. Miss M, Riley is upstairs. Would you mind checking in on her after a while? Rocky should be up there too if she needs anything."

"Of course, hon. I'll check twice just to make sure Rickaby isn't burning the place down over pancakes or some ridiculous thing. You go enjoy yourself with this young lady you met."

Freckle pulled up to the curb in front of the café. He was a few minutes early, and though nervous as can be the thought of him and Ivy spending an evening in the speakeasy sent his heart soaring. A light tapping on the glass redirected Freckle's attention as he saw Ivy standing right outside the passenger door. "Can I come in?" She asked.

"Oh, right. Yes, come in!" Freckle exclaimed as he moved to open the door, letting his young love into the cab. Ivy slid in and closed the door behind her before settling in. "You want me to bring the car around back?" Calvin asked.

"Actually, I had a better idea…" She said as a pair of headlights emerged from the alley. It was Ethan driving Rocky's car. "Ethan is going on a date with this Isabella. Don't ya want to see how it goes?"

"Uh, isn't that kind of a personal thing?" Freckle questioned.

"Sure! But who says we can't just watch from a distance? Besides, I want to see what this place has to offer that he's taking her to. I heard there'll be dancing!"

"Dancing! But I'm not—"

"Just drive, silly. For me." Ivy then pecked Freckle on the cheek and any reservations about what they were doing were quickly buried.

I walked up to the front door of the house, knocking three times before waiting patiently. Sure enough, someone came to answer the door. As it swung open, the same roommate as before was there. "Mr. Kelly. Please, come in. Bella is almost ready."

"Thank you." I said as I stepped in and made my way to the small parlor at the foot of the stairs. It was an older house, but plenty big enough for three ladies. The furniture seemed to be cobbled together from extra stuff donated by each of their families. The dim lighting illuminated the room with a warm glow. "The name is Dalila, by the way." The cat said as she took her leave.

"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Upstairs, Isabella was putting on the finishing touches. Not trying to overdress, but at the same time wanting to put her best foot forward. After all, Ethan was taking time out of his week for this and had apparently sought out an establishment with an excellent reputation. She heard a knock on the door behind her. "Bella, Ethan's here."

"Thank you, Dalila. You can come in if you want." No sooner had the words left her lips than the handle turned, and her roommate entered with a smile on her face. "You lucky girl, that boy cleans up nice."

"Ooh, what's he dressed in?" Bella couldn't resist her curiosity.

"It's an old suit, but someone must have been doing some work on it because the spit and polish is top notch. I don't know what he does for a job, but he must afford a tailor."

"Oh, he told me before. Ethan works as a cook in a café."

"Fanciest cook I've seen in a while." Dalila commented. "Maybe he has some additional income? Regardless, so far so good if you ask me. Any man who bothers to clean themselves up that nice is interested in a girl."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Well great, now you've got me sweating." Bella was starting to get nervous. She was bold enough to ask for a date, but did she bite off more than she could chew? "Hey, keep calm! Bella, you look fantastic. You're going to sweep him off his feet the minute you go downstairs."

"Okay, yeah, you're right. It's just, it's been a long, dry year. And as soon as classes are out, poof, there's a tall, handsome cat standing there in front of me."

"Then you know that you two were meant to meet. Tonight is a test, Bella. Is he someone you want, or not? That's the only question that will be worth asking once you come home. Now, are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be…" Isabella swallowed, grabbed her purse and her shawl to cover up once the evening heat wore off.

I was waiting patiently, looking around the room. A photograph above the sofa showed a teenage Isabella and what I could only assume where her parents and siblings. Two brothers and one sister. They must have been fairly well off too, or at least more so than my own family. The hands of the men were clean, not dirty and weathered like that of a miner. Just then I heard footsteps descending the stairs. I quickly took a seat and put on a pleasant smile as Isabella found her way to the bottom of the stairs.

Beautiful would be an understatement. It was almost like a dream. There was nothing in particular I could point to, but she obviously put in just as much if not more time into her preparations than I did. Thank God Ivy was around, or else I'd look like a stray alley cat by comparison. "Isabella, you look…" I struggled to find the words.

Bella was nervous. "Look like what?"

"Like the star of St. Louis, ma'am." I prayed that would suffice and was pleased when she began blushing. I could hear Dalila snicker in the background, not that I blame her. We were like a couple of kids in that moment, and God did that feel great!

"Have fun, you two." Dalila said as she walked back into the kitchen. "Well, Isabella, shall we get going?" I asked. In an instant Isabella was at my side. "Yes, our chariot tonight isn't that old farm truck though, right?"

"Of course not! We'll be driving off in a sedan, a friend let me use it."

The Moonlight

Isabella walked alongside Ethan up to the car. It was plain and had seen better days. There were a couple of small holes in a side panel. But other than that nothing seemed odd about it and the car was certainly clean. Ethan opened the passenger door to allow her into the passenger seat. The door was closed with a firm but careful push as Isabella made herself comfortable. Ethan walked quickly around the front of the car before climbing into the driver's seat. "So, where's this place you're taking me?" She asked.

"It's called the Moonlight. I haven't been there personally, but it was recommended by a friend."

"Well then, let's see if your friend has good taste." As the car pulled away from the curb, a second set of headlights turned on. Freckle didn't think this was a good idea, but maybe they'd be able to keep their distance. Leaving the university district, the city buildings grew in height as the two cars skirted around downtown. A couple of turns later and both were bound for South Broadway. On the top of a small bluff was the restaurant. Old, a bit rustic, but certainly had charm in spades. Pulling into the parking lot, the view was amazing. Across town were the lights of the St. Louis skyline, below them the river coursed through the wide valley on its meandering way to the sea. Ivy and Freckle watched as Ethan escorted Isabella out of the car and into the front entrance.

"Let's park a way from Rocky's car. Don't want to impose." Ivy reasoned.

"Oh, so now we're not imposing?" Freckle asked, a hint of sarcasm in his usually timid voice. Ivy didn't seem to pick up on it, or she didn't care.

"Of course, silly! Just because I want to see how their date goes doesn't mean I don't want one of our own."

"Seems kind of expensive—"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Dad gave me a stack of checks before leaving home anyway, so it's really on his dime."

"Okay…"

Ivy pulled Freckle behind her and up to the front entrance, past the doorman. Inside an ageing gentleman was the evening's host and was there to greet the pair as they came up to the front entry. "Welcome to the Moonlight. Did you have a reservation?"

Freckle was sure that would be the end of it and they could get back to having a date of their own. But Ivy spoke up. "Yes, we have a reservation for two. The name is Pepper." Instantly the cat's eyes flashed with renewed excitement. "Ah, Ivy. How could I forget, you've grown so much! Tell me, is your father in town?"

"No, but I'm in college now. Calvin here is my date for this evening."

"Well, the family of Rueben Pepper is always welcome at the Moonlight. We can set you up with a private table in a quiet part of the restaurant."

"Actually, we'd like to be seated near some friends of ours. It was a couple a few years older than us, they came in only a couple of minutes ago."

"Ah yes, Mr. Kelly and his dashing beauty of a date. Unfortunately I think they've got the last table in the section."

"Surely there's something you could do? For a Pepper, no less?"

The host thought about it for a minute, tail swishing as he concentrated. "Well, I suppose I could move a reservation who hasn't shown up yet."

"Fantastic! Thank you, sir!" Ivy then pulled Freckle behind her again as the host made the necessary changes to the seating. It was perfect for her. Close enough to keep an eye on Ethan and this Isabella, but far enough away that she could have Freckle all to herself! Freckle, for his part, felt very uncomfortable. Never had he been in a place like this. A restaurant, a patio outside overlooking the river, plenty of deck space to dance.

I was sipping on water when Isabella asked me the most unexpected question. "So, who's this "Ghost of Charlevaux" Riley was talking about the other day?" I nearly choked as I processed what she was asking. Coughing quietly, I looked up as my throat cleared. "Why is she bringing that up?" I asked.

Bella gave me a look of confusion. "I thought you told her? Riley said you made a name for yourself in the war. I didn't know you were in the army."

"I-I was. Got drafted right when I turned eighteen. Was in France in the final months of the war."

"Okay, so then what's this talk about a ghost?"

"That, I, uh…" I struggled to find a way out of the subject. "It was just an old story this reporter from Billings put into a book. I guess he thought my service would make a good story, with some tweaks that is…"

Three tables away, Ivy gasped. "Freckle, Ethan's blowing it. I just saw him almost choke on his water. Oh, our poor cat must be so nervous!"

"Ivy, please. If you wanted a date, let's just have a date and leave them to sort it out." Freckle begged, wanting to at least make the most out of an awkward situation.

Luckily, our conversation was improving after a jolting start. "So that story then, it's just made up?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that either. A lot of it is true. Around 800 of us got stuck behind enemy lines for nearly a week. It was… brutal."

"Did you have to kill a lot of people to get out?"

"Isabella, I really don't want—"

"Oh my, I'm sorry. Ethan, please, if that's not something you want to talk about that's fine. It was just on my mind is all."

"It's alright. I guess the short version of the story is that yes, we had to shoot our way out and back to our own lines. A lot of us didn't make it."

"I can see that weighs on you, Ethan. How about we talk about a different subject? Tell me about your family…"

"Oh boy…" Was my only thought. Luckily, the waiter came to bail me out of the subject, or at least buy me some time.

As dinner came and went, I found myself getting more and more nervous about how much I was telling this cat I just met. I certainly didn't want her to think less of me, and so I was doing all I could to avoid the truth. I was a miner who moved to St. Louis and turned to a life of crime just to keep food on the table and some people I've come to love like family out of trouble.

Unbeknownst to me, Ivy and Freckle were having their own conversation. I just wish it wasn't about my date. "Do you see her, Calvin? That Isabella looks downright gorgeous. I'm jealous!" Ivy commented.

"Yeah, she's, uh, something alright." Freckle said, doing his best to not look like a total creep. Something Ivy didn't seem to concern herself with.

"Ooh, I wonder if they'll be dancing outside after this? We'll have to be extra sneaky then."

"Too bad I don't know how to dance. Ah well, I suppose we can just pay and leave them to their business—"

"Nonsense, Freckle. Don't you fret over not knowing how to dance, I'll teach you!"

"Of course…"

Blowing It

With dinner over, I was sure to pay the bill as quickly as possible. To say the past hour was stressful would be an understatement. Normally I could function in crowds, but with the constant questions about my past, something was beginning to flare up in me. My heart was beating at a rate that was much too fast for what should be a fun dinner. I finally couldn't take it anymore. "Say, I hope you don't mind, Isabella. But I need to get some air on the patio. You mind giving me a couple minutes?"

"Oh, uh, sure, I guess…" She replied, concerned that something was wrong. "Wait, what did I do?" She was thinking as I walked away.

Ivy saw me leave as she finished writing out the check and started panicking. "Oh my God, Freckle. He's blowing it! Why, Ethan, why? Something must have happened while I wasn't paying attention!" Freckle didn't want anything to do with the evening, but even he could see something was wrong. "You're right Ivy, why'd he leave her there at the table?"

"I don't know, but we've got to do something. Here, make sure this gets to the host, and here's some spare cash for a tip, you can cover the rest, right?"

"Uh, sure, I think…" Freckle said as he felt around for his wallet.

I stood out on the patio, looking out at the river. The room inside felt like the walls were closing in, so it was good to at least get some space. I even pulled out a cigarette. I carried a small pack around with me most of the time, but only ever needed one when I was backed into a corner. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my lighter. A small flame then appeared in front of my face. "Here, Ethan." A familiar voice said. I spun around to see Ivy had snuck up on me.

"Ivy!? What the heck are you doing here?"

"I was on… a date. Yeah! A date! With Calvin. He's inside paying the bill."

I certainly wasn't about to believe that our company was by coincidence. Still, I was happy to have someone I knew here, so I sat down at a small table while people began dancing to the string band. "You followed us here, didn't you?"

"Yeah… But aren't you glad we did? You're blowing your date, Ethan!"

"I know, I know. I just couldn't take all the questions."

"What was Isabella asking you?"

"Well, it's the normal stuff. You know, questions you'd ask on a first date. Where I'm from, who my family is, what I did in the war, why I came to St. Louis. I'm just… there's a lot of that I don't want to talk about."

"You've talked to me about it. And the boys."

"That's different though. I'm not trying to impress you guys."

"Why should she be any different?" Ivy asked sternly.

I took a long draw from the cigarette, burning up a good piece of it in the process. "Because I think I love her. I just—you should have seen her family portrait in the house. I don't know who her family is, but they clearly are more than miners or farmers. They dressed like Wick, I'm just a stray cat compared to them. Even worse, I barely have a family anymore."

"Oh…" Ivy said, sitting down next to me. "You know, my father is a bit more than a miner too. Rueben Pepper was a friend of Atlas May. I can't say my dad would be impressed with me dating Rocky's cousin."

"Yeah, well at least Freckle is a good, honest, smart, and handy kid. Your father could put him to work doing anything and I bet he'd be impressed."

Freckle was there all alone at the table. This evening was not going how he thought. He did genuinely want to learn how to dance. Oh, how he wanted to impress Ivy! But how could he when he was so far outside his element? He shouldn't be in a place so fancy, it was far beyond what a good, catholic boy would seek out for entertainment. Entertainment itself was a dangerous thing according to the sermons he'd listened to. But now he became acutely aware that someone else might be dealing with a similar problem. Looking back to Ethan's table, Isabells was sitting there nervously organizing her purse. Tail twitching with distress.

He braced himself to do something he'd never done before.

Isabella couldn't help but feel confused. "What went wrong?" The war was one subject, she understood why someone might not want to relive that. But surely Ethan had other things going on in life that he would be willing to talk about? Just then, someone cleared their throat. Looking up, Isabella expected to see a waiter, but instead there was a young man in front of her. Heck, he was still a kid, barely looked 18. He wasn't too far off from looking like her little brother.

"Was there something you needed, dear?"

"Oh, no, no. I just thought, well… um… how do I say this? I know Ethan. Ivy and I came here for a date as well and it doesn't look like…"

"Yeah, it's not going great. I can admit that. I just don't know what went wrong."

"May I sit?"

"Of course, dear, go ahead."

Freckle took Ethan's chair and cleared his throat again. "Ethan really likes you; you know."

"Well he certainly has a strange way of showing it."

"There's a lot he doesn't like to talk about. He was in the war, then he was working in a copper mine, and he's lost most of his family. That's why he's in St. Louis…"

"Look, Ivy. Freckle has some excellent qualities. You two were made for each other and your father would have to be blind to not see that. But I'm not exactly the same caliber as Calvin. I don't have much to offer—"

"You have qualities of your own too, you know."

"Like what? Killing people? Mining copper? Running whiskey? Yeah, some qualities."

"That's not what I mean, Ethan. You remember that night the speakeasy was attacked?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was terrified of what you'd say or do when you found out I led Riley into a shootout. And with Viktor on the ground bleeding out…"

"Wait, terrified of me? I'd never hurt you, Ivy."

"Yeah, but I didn't know that at the time. Well, instead of yelling at me you just… you held me. Told me it was going to be okay. For a minute it was like Dad was there." I didn't have words, only listening as she continued. "And then out on the road near Defiance. I thought for sure that was going to be it. I'd be buried in some shallow grave near the river. Yet in the darkness, there you were. I hadn't been that glad to see someone before. And just the other day you got down on your knees and comforted Freckle. I don't think anyone has done that for him before, and I can tell he admires you a lot more now. Then there's Rocky. That apartment isn't exactly spacious, yet you made room for him. He'll never forget that, ever."

"Well, even so, you guys are my crew. Mitzi's crew. I do care about you all, even Rocky. The smell of pancakes and river water is a little off-putting, but at least he's taking more showers now. This though, I just, I can't explain it. It's more complicated."

"What I'm saying, Ethan, is you just need to show Isabella who you are. If you do and she doesn't like it, then she's a fool. So find that courage you always seem to come up with and go be yourself."

Just then, Isabella came out onto the patio looking around for me. Calvin was right behind her. It was now or never. "Alright, Miss Pepper. I think you found my courage tonight, thank you. Here goes nothing."

Isabella spun around looking for me, but then bumped right into my chest just like that day at the park. "Ethan! I'm so sorry. I—"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Isabella. A gentleman should never leave his date like that. There's just—"

"No, Ethan. It's okay. Freckle told me a lot of things; it all makes sense now. Oh, you poor thing! I didn't know just how bad Montana was. He didn't mention anything about a Ghost of Charlevaux, but the rest… I'm just so sorry for bringing all of that back at once."

"Isabella, it's alright. I should have been honest when you started asking, I just didn't want you to think less of me. I saw that portrait of your family in your parlor. I could never measure up to them."

"Ethan, you more than measure up to them. I love my family, but my brothers could learn a thing or two from you. My father may not understand right away, but if you work half as hard in front of him as you do to provide for Riley then he'd be an idiot to not see your worth."

"So you don't mind dating a street cat?" I asked.

"Don't mind? Ethan, I love the idea of dating you. Not just any old street cat, but you specifically. Now, shall we dance before the band retires for the night?"

"I… I'd like that. Lead the way, ma'am."

Ivy skipped over to Freckle as the two watched Ethan and Isabella begin dancing on the patio with the group of other couples. Ivy's eyes were dilated with delight, "they grow up so fast, don't they Freckle?"

"Yeah… wait, what?"

"Come on, silly, let's join them."

"I still can't dance…"

"You dance good enough for me, Freckle. Now let's see what you got!"

Against a backdrop of the city skyline and with the flowing of the Mississippi setting the rhythm, the band struck up an old dancing tune reminiscent of the folk songs of the old days when fur trappers, cowboys, and frontiersmen forded the river to find a new life out west. The two couples glided across the patio. Freckle was almost tripping over himself trying to keep up with his date, but Ethan was finding his confidence again.

Well some days are good, some days are fair,

And some days make you want to tear your hair.

But tonight she's Ginger and he's Fred Astaire.

Cheek to cheek on the floor so lightly.

And some dance two-steps kicking up their heels.

Some folks live for the eights and reels.

Dougie loves the way that Cecily feels.

In his arms as he holds her tightly.

So start up the fiddle and watch them go.

High stepping on the dance floor;

Heel and toe.

Their eyes so bright, their faces aglow,

Oh, Under the Summer moonlight.

-Garnet Rogers, "Under the Summer Moonlight."