PART 5
“Jo?”
Jo jumped, immediately straightening as she hastily brushed her tears away.
“Yes?”
“Ken I come up?”
“Would you ride all the way back to Plumfield if I say no?”
Nick rolled his eyes, swiftly climbing up and sitting near her.
“Why did you follow me?” She continued.
“I didn’t follow ya,” he started.
“You didn’t follow me? Then how did you know I was here?” She shot back, rather harshly.
“I thought somebody was takin’ off with Penny. I couldn’t just stand there and hope it was you just in case it hadn’t been ya,” He finished; his own defenses rising.
Jo crossed her arms over her knees and turned away from Nick. A tense silence settled over.
“Jo?” Nick broke the silence a few minutes later.
“Yes?” She asked, still gazing out over the river.
“Why did ya run out like that? Nat was heartbroken.”
Jo stiffened, choking back. “I-I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I just did.”
“Jo, ya don’t just run out like that. It’s not like ya and ya never would have done that – especially to Nat,” he said firmly, reaching up. “There has to be a reason. Why?” Nick pulled her around to face him.
Her lips trembled, and her eyes began to glaze. Jo didn’t say anything for a minute. But then she did. “Fritz,” she shrugged, biting her lip.
“Fritz?” Nick was a bit perplexed.
Jo nodded, reaching up to quickly wipe away a tear that fell down her cheek. “W-with my birthday, and th-that reminiscing night we had, I just… I just couldn’t help but think of him.”
“Thinkin’ a Fritz made ya run out like that?”
She shook her head. “No.”
He didn’t say anything. Jo crouched over, hugging her knees as sobs began to make her body shake the slightest bit.
“Jo…”
“The other night, when I was telling of the time he took me for a ride. He put aside his own discomfort for me, and…All I could do was…I laughed at him, Nick,” Jo buried her face, feeling ashamed.
“Jo, ya weren’t laughin’ at him—” Nick started.
“But Nick, I was laughing. He’s only been gone a year, and I was laughing. Worst of all, I was laughing at him!”
“Listen ta me, Jo. You weren’t laughin’ at ‘im. You were laughin’ with ‘im. Ya said you two had a great time laughin’ about it… Together. Asia said it, too,” Nick spoke quietly, looking over at her.
For a few minutes, the only thing heard was the sound of Jo’s muffled sobs.
“Every year, for my birthday he would bring me breakfast in bed and then surprise me with a picnic in the afternoon. Of course, after a few years, I knew what to expect, but still loved it,” Jo laughed a little through her tears as she remembered her birthday the year before.
“That’s why ya were so down when they brought ya breakfast, and surprised ya with a picnic,” Nick spoke more to himself than anybody. It was all making sense now.
“Look at me, I’m crying like a baby,” She choked back a little, again wiping away her tears. “Fritz has been gone over a year, and I spent all my tears last Christmas. There’s no reason for me to cry now.”
“Jo, grievin’ is a natural thing. The pain of losin’ someone ya love isn’t just gonna go away like that,” he swallowed, suddenly feeling a wave of grief wash over him.
“Believe me, I know. I still miss my family, and they died almost twenty years ago. Sometimes I just wanna collapse and…” He reached up to rub behind his neck, where he could feel the heat.
Jo looked over, listening to what he was saying.
“Grievin’s a perfectly natural thing, and just ‘cause ya cry and let it once, don’t mean it’s be gone forever. Sometimes it takes years to get over, Jo,” he looked down. “I didn’t know Mr. Fritz, but I know he wouldn’t want ya to stop laughin’ ‘cause he’s… He’s no longer here. Ya just laugh a little, cry a little.”
Tears slowly began to roll down her cheeks. “Oh, I miss him so,” she murmured softly.
Nick reached up and gently squeezed Jo’s hand, but didn’t say anything. Jo sighed softly, rubbing a hand across her cheek.
“Thank you, Nick,” she whispered, and slowly scooted over, tiredly resting her head on Nick’s shoulder.
Together they sat, gazing up at the stars as they listened to the gentle humming of the stream.
PART 6
