Chapter 51 A Snowman and a Toothless Smile
The early morning air in Dodge City was bitterly cold and sharp, with a fresh dusting of snow covering the yard and rooftop. Last night's snowfall was the kind of snowfall that seemed to blanket the whole town in a peaceful, shimmering quiet. Flakes still gently fell from the sky. Ruby stayed home from school. The school board, along with Doc Adams, decided that the cold weather was too dangerous for kids to be outside for an extended period of time. Doc warned of possible frostbite. Kitty was in the kitchen, her hands wrapped around a warm cup of coffee. She gazed out the window, her eyes softening as she watched the little flurries of snow drift down.
"Momma, let's build a snowman!" Ruby's voice rang out from behind her, full of joy.
Kitty smiled warmly as she turned to see her six-year-old daughter standing in the doorway, her small face bright with excitement. Ruby already had her coat and mittens on, with her scarf wrapped around her neck. It had been a while since the two of them had built a snowman. Last winter was on the warmer side and did not offer too much snow.
Kitty set her coffee cup down. "I don't know about going outside, Sweetie. You're not in school because Grandpa Doc said people could quickly get frostbite, if they aren't careful."
Ruby's bottom lip jutted out in a pout. "We'll be careful, Momma. We'll make sure we dress really warm."
Kitty bit her bottom lip as she contemplated her decision. "I suppose we can bundle up and take breaks to come inside and warm up."
Ruby's eyes lit up as she bounced on her toes. "You mean we can build a snowman?"
Kitty laughed softly. "That's exactly what I mean. We didn't have too much snow last winter. We might as well take advantage of it. Let me get ready."
Ruby tugged Kitty by the hand as they hurried outside, their boots crunching in the snow. The cold air bit at Kitty and Ruby's noses and cheeks, but they didn't mind. There was something magical about the way the snow gave everything a peaceful hush. Ruby immediately dove into the snow, her tiny hands scooping up a pile and pressing it together.
"I'll make the bottom part!" she declared, giggling as the snow stuck to her mittened hands.
Kitty knelt down beside her, helping Ruby roll a snowball into a larger and larger shape, until it was big enough to serve as the base. "That looks like a good size for the bottom of the snowman."
"Now we have to make the snowman's belly," Ruby stated. Once again she gathered some snow. Together, they worked to roll the next snowball to make the middle part.
"I think that's perfect," said Kitty. "If we make it too big, we won't be able to lift it on top of the bottom part. Alright, let's lift it up on the bottom part." Kitty and Ruby carefully lifted the middle part of the snowman and placed it on the bottom part of the snowman.
"Now all we need is his head," declared Ruby. Kitty and Ruby made the head and stacked it on top.
Kitty and Ruby stood back and looked at their creation. "Ruby, I think that's one of the best snowmen I've ever seen."
"Momma, do you think we can find a carrot for his nose?" Ruby asked, her face scrunching in thought.
"I have some carrots in the house," Kitty replied. "I was going to use them for our roast beef tonight, but I reckon I can spare one for our snowman's nose. We'll go inside and warm up a bit, and then add the carrot when we come back outside."
"Okay, Momma," Ruby agreed. "I'll race ya to the house."
"Ruby, slow down before you fall," Kitty instructed. No sooner did the words come out her mouth, when Ruby slipped and fell face first. Unfortunately she was near the front porch and that's where her face hit. She immediately started to scream. Kitty could see the bright white snow turning red. She hurriedly went to her daughter.
"Momma!" Ruby cried. Tears streaming from her eyes and blood pouring from her mouth.
"Oh baby," Kitty tried to console her frightened and injured daughter. She knew now wasn't the time for a lecture. "Let's get you inside." Kitty ushered Ruby inside the house and into the kitchen. She grabbed a towel to try to wipe away the blood, so she could assess the situation. "It looks like you damaged your two front teeth. Well, a trip to Grandpa Doc's office is a must. I'll get the buggy ready. I need you to hold this up to your mouth."
Ruby took the towel and held it to her mouth. By now she had calmed down. Her momma's calmness helped. "What about the carrot nose?" she asked. Her words were muffled by the towel.
"We'll have to wait until we get back home," Kitty answered. "Let's go hitch Buttercup up to the wagon." Kitty and Ruby walked out to the barn. While Kitty hitched up Buttercup, Ruby went to say hi to Rusty.
"Hi, Rusty," Ruby crooned as she gently patted his muzzle.
Kitty quickly finished. She pulled the canopy forward to help protect her and Ruby from the cold. "Let's go, Ruby." Ruby gave Rusty one final pat and climbed into the buggy next to her momma. They set off for Doc's office.
Doc was in his office counting sugar pills for Mrs. Prendalin, when he heard the familiar sounds of Matt's heavy footfalls coming up the steps. He glanced at the clock on his wall. It read fifteen minutes past noon. Without a doubt, Doc was certain that Matt was coming to ask him to join him for lunch. Doc heard the knock on the door. "Come on in!" he hollered loud enough so Matt could hear him.
Matt opened the door and stepped into the office, shutting the door behind him. "Are ya busy, Doc? I was wondering if you wanted to join me at Delmonico's for lunch."
Doc smiled a knowing smile. He knew that's why Matt was coming to his office. "I have to finish counting these sugar pills. Have a seat and I'll be with you in a few minutes."
Kitty arrived at Doc's office and pulled the reins, bringing Buttercup to a halt. Both she and Ruby climbed out of the buggy. Kitty attached the weight to Buttercup's harness. She took Ruby's free hand, and the two of them climbed the steps to Doc's office. Reaching the top landing, Kitty knocked on the door.
Doc heard the knock and sighed. "This never fails. I swear people know when I want to eat or when I want to sleep. Those are the times when they seem to need me." There was another knock, but this time it was Ruby. "I'm comin! I'm comin! Hold your horses!"
Ruby looked up at her momma. "Grandpa Doc sounds like an ornery old scudder."
Kitty nudged her daughter. "Ruby, don't talk like that." Honestly, Kitty really couldn't disagree.
Doc opened the door to see Kitty and Ruby standing there. Ruby had the bloody towel up to her mouth. "Kitty! Ruby! What in thunder happened?" He quickly ushered them inside. Matt immediately stood up after he heard Doc.
Kitty and Ruby walked into Doc's office. "Matt, I didn't expect to see you here."
"I came to ask Doc to lunch," Matt responded, his attention on Ruby. "What happened?"
"We were outside building a snowman. Ruby ran to the house, slipped and fell. Her face hit the front porch," Kitty explained.
"Matt, lift her up onto my table," Doc instructed. "I need to see what's going on." Matt lifted Ruby up, but instead of setting her on Doc's examining table, he sat down on the table and placed her on his lap. "Darling, let's remove this towel." Doc carefully examined Ruby's mouth. "Her front two teeth are cracked. She has a small cut that will need a stitch or two. I think I'll pull those two teeth. They're baby teeth and will eventually come out anyway. It's quite the way to lose your first tooth or in this case teeth."
Ruby wasn't sure if she liked her grandpa's plan. "How will I eat if you take my teeth?"
Doc softly chuckled. "You'll still be able to eat. Trust me. Let me get my instruments ready. Do you want to lay down while I do my work?"
"No, I want to sit on Daddy's lap," Ruby insisted. Doc agreed to let her.
Ruby squeezed her daddy's thumb as Doc did his work. Twenty minutes later Doc had pulled both of Ruby's two front teeth and gave her a couple of stitches. "You were a very brave young lady," Doc praised. He had placed Ruby's teeth in an envelope and gave it to Kitty.
"She most certainly was," Kitty concurred. Matt nodded in agreement.
"I'm hungry," Ruby declared.
"The Marshal did come up here to ask me to lunch," Doc stated. "You two might as well join us. He's buying."
"Can we join you, Daddy?" questioned Ruby. She now had a slight lisp with her two missing teeth.
"Little Gemstone, you don't even have to ask," Matt replied. "You 'n Momma can always join me for lunch."
The four of them left Doc's office and headed to Delmonico's to enjoy lunch together. Ruby quickly adapted to eating with two less teeth. It helped that Kitty ordered her mashed potatoes and gravy. Ruby also insisted on a piece of apple pie as a reward for her bravery. There was no argument from the adults. After lunch Doc had to stop at Jonas's store. Matt walked Kitty and Ruby to the buggy. He helped them into the buggy and removed the weight from Buttercup's harness and put it on the floor of the buggy.
"I'll see you ladies in a few hours." Matt gave both of his girls a kiss. "You be careful," he addressed Ruby.
"I will, Daddy," Ruby promised. "Momma, we have to finish our snowman."
When Kitty and Ruby got home, and after Kitty took care of the horse and buggy, she and Ruby went into the kitchen to get the carrot. They fashioned the carrot to the snowman's head, and then added a pair of shiny black stones for eyes and a scarf from one of Ruby's old scarves. They even gave him an old hat for a touch of personality.
"Well, what do you think?" Kitty asked as they stood back to admire their creation.
"I love it!" Ruby exclaimed.
Kitty couldn't help but smile as she saw her daughter so happy. The simple act of building a snowman together, a shared experience of joy and laughter, made everything feel right in the world. Ruby's earlier fall didn't even dampen the moment. They stood together, admiring their work. For a moment, it was just the two of them, their breath swirling in the cold air, the warmth of their bond keeping the chill at bay.
"I can't wait for Daddy to see it," said Ruby, her teeth chattering.
Kitty, feeling cold herself, noticed Ruby's chattering. "Let's get inside and warm up. I need to start supper."
Ruby was in the parlor room waiting for her daddy to come home from work. Every once in a while she would go to the window and check for his arrival. On her current trip to the window, she saw her daddy and Buck riding up. She waited for her daddy to take care of Buck and come to the house. When he was near the house, Ruby opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.
"Ruby, it's freezing out here, and you don't have shoes or a coat on. Get in the house," Matt ordered.
"Daddy, I wanted to show you the snowman me 'n Momma made." Ruby pointed to the snowman, shivering.
"That's the best looking snowman I've ever seen," Matt praised. "Now, let's get you inside before you catch the death of cold." Matt picked her up and brought her into the house.
The Dillons sat around the kitchen table eating roast beef and roasted vegetables. Kitty cut up Ruby's food into extra small pieces, so she could easily eat it. "Momma, Daddy said our snowman was the best snowman he's ever seen." She turned to face her daddy. "Daddy, Momma said the same thing."
"Well, I've learned over the years that yer Momma is usually right about things," Matt gave Kitty a wink.
Later that evening Matt and Kitty were tucking Ruby into bed. She had already made plans to make more snowmen so the one outside would have friends and not be lonely. The next day was Saturday. Kitty suggested that Matt join them. Both Matt and Ruby happily agreed. But first, her parents told Ruby she needed to get a good night's sleep. Ruby closed her eyes and fell asleep, dreaming about a day spent outside building snowmen with her daddy and her momma.
The end of this story
Author's Note: When you have a couple days off from teaching because of snowy/icy roads and dangerous below zero wind chills, you write a quick Ruby Dillon story.