Finding Home (23 page)

“
Yes, for a few years before
he passed away,” Marissa said.

“
So, you know what it is
like then to miss someone you loved.”

“
Yes, I do,” Marissa said.
“I was completely lost in my solitude until Nat showed up and
taught me what it was like to feel again.”

Maggie remained silent as she thought
of the pain, Marissa would soon be experiencing if Nat chose to go
back to the woods until next winter. She knew the two women had
formed a special bond in the short months they had known each
other, but they were from different worlds. Nat was like a wild
animal roaming free in the dense forests and plains, while Marissa
enjoyed the comforts and conveniences of town. Neither of them
would thrive in the other’s environment for very long and Maggie
worried what would happen when the call to return to the wild
tugged at Nat’s heart.

Marissa finished the second boot string
and stood to stretch her body. “I am going to check on Nat,” she
announced, leaving Maggie with her thoughts.

Maggie continued sewing as Marissa
walked quietly into the bedroom. Nat was still resting peacefully,
tucked under the warm covers. The moon light covered her face and
Marissa could see the dark purple bruise that had formed on the
right side of her face.

Marissa heard her stomach growl as she
remembered that they had not eaten all day. She had baked fresh
biscuits and had bacon ready to cook. She would fry the bacon and
if the smell did not wake Nat, she would wake her long enough to
get some food into her body and then send her back to
bed.

“
I don’t know about you, but
I am hungry,” she said to Maggie. I am going to cook some bacon and
eggs to go with the biscuits I cooked earlier. ”

“
Would you like some help?”
Maggie asked.

“
No, you keep working on
those boots,” Marissa said with a smile. “If Nat doesn’t wake up
from the smell of the bacon, I will wake her long enough to get
some food into her.”

“
That is a good idea,”
Maggie agreed.

In the bedroom, Nat stirred as the
smell of bacon cooking reached her nose. At first, she thought she
was dreaming, but then she remembered they were home and she was
hungry. Gyp jumped down from the bed and trotted into the kitchen
to alert Marissa that Nat was awake.

“
I will check her,” Maggie
said as she tucked her sewing away in her bag.

Maggie walked into the bedroom and
found that Nat was struggling to sit up in bed. “Here, let me help
you,” Maggie said. “How are you feeling?”

“
Like I have been run over
by a herd of buffalo and I haven’t eaten in weeks,” Nat
said.

“
Well, it wasn’t buffalo,
but you haven’t eaten all day,” Maggie said as she sat next to Nat
on the bed.

“
Marissa is preparing a late
dinner for us,” Maggie said.

“
The smell of the bacon woke
me from dreamland,” Nat said.

“
She has made fresh biscuits
and plans to cook some eggs too,” Maggie said.

“
That sounds wonderful,” Nat
said.

“
Are you ready to walk into
the kitchen?” Maggie asked.

“
Yes.”

“
Take it slow, there is no
need to rush,” Maggie said.

“
Yes, Mama,” Nat
said.

“
I would be proud to be your
mama,” Maggie tossed back and then helped Nat stand.

“
Am I spinning or is it the
room?” Nat asked with a grin.

“
Your head is a little off
right now,” Maggie said. “Can you walk or would you prefer to eat
in bed?”

“
I can walk,” Nat said and
took a few steps forward with Maggie by her side.

Nat walked into the kitchen area and
sat down at the table. “That smells good,” she said to
Marissa.

“
That’s a good sign you
haven’t lost your appetite,” Marissa said. “Would you like some
eggs?”

“
Do we still have some
honey?”

“
Yes, we do,” Marissa said
as she plucked a jar from a cabinet and placed it on the table in
front of Nat.

“
I think I will stick to
honey and butter mixed together and some bacon then,” Nat said, as
she poured some honey into a small bowl and dropped a spoonful of
butter on top. She slowly stirred the mixture as she watched
Marissa cook.

“
Would you like some eggs,
Maggie?”

“
Yes, Marissa, I will join
you in eating some eggs and I think Gyp will too,” Maggie said, as
she watched Gyp lick her lips.

Marissa finished cooking the bacon and
placed it on the table. “How are we eating eggs tonight
ladies?’

“
Scrambled please,” Maggie
answered.

Marissa scrambled six eggs and
portioned them out between her, Maggie and Gyp. “Last chance,” she
said to Nat.

“
I am good thanks,” Nat
said.

“
Are you feeling all right?”
Marissa asked. “It’s not like you to pass on food.”

“
Yes dear, now that I am up,
I am just not real hungry,” Nat said, causing Marissa to worry even
more.

“
Let’s eat then,” Marissa
said as she took a seat beside Nat and placed Gyp’s bowl on the
floor between them.

Nat ate two biscuits and drank a glass
of water. She was in obvious pain while trying to keep her head
upright and soon after she finished eating said, “I am going to lie
back down.”

Marissa stood and helped Nat back into
the bedroom. She tucked the covers up to her chin and kissed her
forehead. “You are a bit warm.”

Marissa put another blanket on the bed.
“Is there anything you need?” she asked.

“
Just you here beside me,”
Nat said with a painful smile.

“
I will come to bed
soon.”

Marissa walked back into the kitchen
area and found Maggie washing up the dishes.

“
You don’t need to do
that.”

“
You cooked, so I clean,”
Maggie said with a smile. “If you are ready for bed, go ahead and I
will stay up a little longer.”

“
Let me get you a pillow and
a blanket,” Marissa said as she moved toward a small closet. “I am
sorry I cannot offer you a bed to sleep in.”

“
I sleep very little these
days,” Maggie said. “If I get tired, I will make a pallet in front
of the fireplace,” she said.

“
I will see you in the
morning then,” Marissa said.

“
Good night, my
friend.”

“
Good night,
Maggie.”

Marissa walked into the bedroom. Gyp
had jumped up on the bed and had her head resting on Nat’s thigh as
Nat’s hand stroked through her thick fur. She changed into a thick
night shirt and carefully climbed beneath the covers next to Nat.
She cuddled into Nat’s body and laid her head on Nat’s
shoulder.

“
Welcome back, my love,” Nat
said as her arm encircled Marissa’s body.

“
It feels so good to have
you back in a bed,” Marissa teased.

“
You didn’t care much for
sleeping on the cold ground, did you?”

“
That is not the life for
me,” Marissa answered honestly. “I don’t know how you do it,” she
said.

“
You get used to it after a
while.”

“
I don’t know if I would
ever get used to it,” Marissa said.

“
There is no need, you have
this big comfortable bed to sleep in every night,” Nat said as her
hand stroked down Marissa’s arm.

“
But, I won’t have you in it
for much longer, will I?” Marissa asked, before she realized what
she said.

“
I don’t know yet,” Nat
said.

“
I am sorry, I didn’t mean
to pressure you on your decision and now is not the time for us to
have this talk,” Marissa said.

“
You are right, talking
right now is painful,” Nat said.

“
Sleep now, my dear and we
will talk later,” Marissa said.

Marissa remained tucked under Nat’s arm
until Nat drifted off to sleep. She was exhausted from the restless
night she had experienced the night before and drifted quickly off
to sleep.

Maggie sat up for several more hours,
working on Nat’s boots. She could see the longing in Nat’s eyes
when she was outside and instinctively knew she would be heading
into the woods soon. She wanted to send her friend off with new
boots in appreciation for all that Nat had done for her. When she
could no longer focus her eyes, Maggie took the thick blanket and
pillow and curled up in front of the fireplace for a few hours’
sleep.

When the sun began to rise, Maggie woke
and after folding the blanket, she put on a pot of coffee as she
waited for Nat and Marissa to waken. She crept into the bedroom to
check on Nat and found her brow covered with sweat. Her fever had
broken sometime during the night and her body was soaked. That was
a good sign and Maggie hoped that Nat would feel much better when
she woke.

Gyp followed Maggie from the bedroom
and went to the front door. Maggie pulled her coat over her
shoulders and opened the door to let Gyp out. They stepped out into
a crisp, clear morning and Maggie heard a familiar noise. She
looked to the skies where a flock of geese was flying overhead
heading back north from their warmer winter spot. The season was
changing rapidly, green sprouts of grass poking through the soil as
she a Gyp walked around the yard.

When she and Gyp walked back into the
cabin, Nat and Marissa had gotten up and were sitting at the table
drinking coffee. “Good morning,” she said as she hung her coat
behind the door.

“
Did you get any sleep at
all?” Marissa asked.

“
Yes, I slept well for
several hours,” Maggie answered. “How are you feeling,
Nat?”

“
I am soaked from breaking a
fever, but my head feels like it is back to normal size at least,”
Nat said.

“
Are you up to a hot,
soaking bath?” Marissa asked.

“
Maybe in a little bit,” Nat
said.

“
I am going to finish my
coffee and walk back into town,” Maggie said. “Is there anything
you need?”

“
Not that I can think of,
Maggie,” Nat said.

“
I will work on the pelts
for a little while and then come back out to check on you later,”
she promised. “Do you think you can eat some chowder and fry bread
for an early dinner?”

“
That sounds very good,” Nat
said.

“
I will bring a pot of
chowder then and make the fry bread fresh when I return,” Maggie
said.

Maggie walked over to the fireplace and
took the bear claw from the mantel. “Would you like me to add this
for you?”

“
Yes, please,” Nat said as
she slipped the strip of buckskin over her head.

They watched as Maggie untied the knot
and threaded the buckskin through the hole she had bored through
the bear claw the previous night. Maggie stood and with a smile to
Nat tied the buckskin around Nat’s neck again.

“
All set,” she said. “Will
you do me a favor?” Maggie asked.

“
Of course, what is it?” Nat
said.

“
Don’t add to your necklace
for a long time,” Maggie said with a grin.

“
Trust me, I have no desire
to add to it at all,” Nat said. “Hunting bear is not my choice of
activities.”

“
That is refreshing to
hear,” Marissa said. “You scared me to death yesterday.”

“
I had no choice yesterday,”
Nat said. “That bear was hungry enough to take on three people and
only a bullet was going to stop him from attacking us. I would have
much preferred he kept on going.”

“
I know, honey, but seeing
all that blood running down your face was terrifying,” Marissa
said.

“
It looked much worse than
what is actually is,” Nat said.

“
Another inch or two and he
would have taken out an eye,” Marissa claimed.