Free Montana Morning by Sharon Flesch

Will wandered around the
small room, looking at the paintings on the wall, the dresser sitting under the
window with Emily’s picture in the antique frame.  He sat on the bed, now
covered with the spread from the bed upstairs.   The rug Emily had
made now lay on the floor where he stepped out of bed every morning.  The
room smelled clean and fresh, just like their room had always smelled when Em .
. . Adrianna came to stand before him.  She saw the tears washing down his
face, and tears came to her eyes too.
    “Oh, Will, I’m so
sorry.  I shouldn’t have!”
    “You just gave me
the nicest gift anyone’s given me in years,” he choked on emotion.  “I
never set foot in our room since she died, unless I had to, like yesterday.”
    She nodded, “But
if you shut out the pain, you can’t feel the joy . . . I’ve been there, done
that.”
    They heard Jack
and Andy in the kitchen.  “You go on out, Gal. I’ll be there in a minute,
okay?” He looked into her eyes, to be sure she understood.
    Adrianna took time
to wash her face before going to the kitchen, but Jack knew with one glance
something was wrong.  “Have you been crying?  What did Pops do?” he
was furious. 
    She smiled at him
softly. “Will didn’t do anything, I did but it’s okay now.”  She took the
bread from the oven thanking God it looked good.  She had never baked
bread in a wood cook-stove before.  Jack still hadn’t moved.  “I’m
fine, really,” she added.  “Go get washed up for lunch before I throw it
out.”
    Will joined them
at the table after all the food was dished up, and gave Adrianna’s shoulder a
loving hug before he sat down.  Jack wondered what had happened in the
short time he and Andy had been checking horses, but he doubted either one of
the people sitting across the table would ever tell him.   After
lunch Adrianna and Jack packed up the pickup and prepared to leave for town.
    Will held Chester
and offered, “Gal, why don’t you leave him here with us?  It will save you
messing with him while you’re packing and stuff.” 
    “And this way he
can be sure you’ll be back,” Jack laughed.
    Will smiled up at
her as Jack started the engine.  “Hurry back, Gal, you hear?”

FOUR
     
    The light snow was
falling once again.  Jack pointed out the nearest neighbors as they
approached the valley floor. The Baker place, on the right just at the edge of
the timber, extended half way up the mountainside and Thompson’s was the first
place in the valley.  The mail truck came up as far as Baker’s.  The
four-wheel drive pickup plowed through the small drifts easily, and Jack slowed
down only long enough to point out the grange hall.  It was nestled in a
groove of trees next to the creek that wound its way across the hayfields
between the mountains and the highway. They arrived home in time for Adrianna
to pick up a book and fix a quick sandwich before they left to visit Scotty.
    ***
    Scotty had been
listening for their voices down the hall all afternoon, but now turned his head
in disinterest as they arrived.  Jack and Adrianna were not fooled by his
act.  They could see the dimples in his pale thin cheeks.  The red
freckles Scotty hated surrounded the dimples.
    “Howdy, Stranger,”
Jack grinned down at the boy, plopping his large western hat on the small red
head.
    Adrianna wondered
if he had a temper to match the fiery hair; no doubt they would find out soon
enough.
    “What took you so
long?”  Scotty suddenly looked as if he would cry.  If the truth were
known, he’d cried himself to sleep the last two nights.
     Jack had
noticed the boy’s mood.   “Why don’t I go down the hall and get us
all sodas?”  Jack volunteered, “Unless you’d rather have Adrianna to
yourself?”
    “Do you like to be
read to too?”    Scotty sounded absolutely shocked.
    “You bet.” 
Jack winked at Adrianna as he walked towards the hallway.  “A fellow is
never too old to enjoy a good