By Kirsten
Copyright 1999
All normalcy slowly began to take shape once again in their home. Jimmy decided that he wasn’t quite ready to take on the adventures outside of the station, and life slowly began anew. Rachel continued to play her eloquent role of the mother to everyone, while Teaspoon continued...well, uh, doing what Teaspoon does. In fact you might just say that life was as close to being perfect as one could ever imagine.
But it was on this night that things particularly grew brighter...
“Okay Lou, you’ve been dragging this on long enough, haven’t you?” Kid asked, his love for surprises and suspense were now turning into that low form of sincere and dire frustration.
She smiled coyly and stepped down from the wagon. Her hair was securely fastened around her head with delicate braids and the dress she wore blew tenderly in the wind. Kid wasn’t sure if he wanted to shake whatever it was on her mind out of her, or if he wanted to jump down after her and kiss her passionately. But he decided that the intrigue was half of the fun.
“Well, are you just going to sit there, or are you going to come over and join me?” Lou smiled sweetly as she sat down on the grass and unfolded her skirt around her.
Kid moved without a moment’s hesitation and found his way beside her...making sure not to sit on her dress. It was frustrating to have all of those yards of fabric separating him from holding her.
“So, what’s the news?” Kid asked calmly.
Lou looked off over the ripples in the lake. “Well, on top of being awarded a monetary prize for my work for Pinkerton,” she turned to him, “he wants to see that I get awarded some sort of medal for my service to my country. I guess it‘s going to be quite the ceremony.”
Kid grinned and reached for her hand. “Lou, that’s wonderful! I’m so proud of you.”
Lou pulled away and looked down at the ground. Her face filled with sorrow and anxiety. “But that’s not all.”
He felt his breath catch in his throat. “What?”
Lou thought back on the day when she found out about the news of her baby. And how close she had come to losing it. Fear filled her body as she thought about how he would react and how bringing this new life into theirs would change everything...and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that yet.
“It’s kind of hard for me to tell you, Kid.” She hesitated.
“I’m listening. Take your time.” All he could think of was the worse. This would be it, the confession of what she really went through. Kid could think of nothing good coming from this discussion.
“Well, you see, I mean. What do you think about Ruth or Jake?”
Kid looked confused, “I don’t think I know them.”
Lou laughed, happy to have some comic relief for the intensity of the moment, “No silly, not the people, the names.”
He shrugged, “They’re okay I guess, if you’re talking about naming something like a horse. But what was it you wanted to tell me, Louise?”
She scratched her chin, “That’s just it, I don’t think we could ever agree.”
Kid angled his head towards her and pursed his lips. “You really aren’t making sense. Are you sure you’re okay?” He sighed and glared at her. “And what couldn’t we agree on.”
“What to name our baby,” she said as she picked a stray dandelion from the grass and began to mindlessly pluck the petals off.
Kid threw a small stone into the lake. “I’m sure when the time comes we’ll be able to figure it out. But we don’t have to worry about that now Lou. What is it you wanted to tell me?” his curiosity grew by the moment.
“Oh it’s closer than you think,” she said smiling at his basic stupidity sometimes. “Probably about 5 months or so anyway.”
Kid was truly perplexed, “What are you talking about? Why 5 months? What’s with the names?” He stood up and extended his hand to her, “I think I better take you home.”
Lou sighed and threw up her hands sending little yellow petals everywhere. “You just don’t get it...you’re soooo slow sometimes. What I’m trying to tell you is that we’re going to have a baby, Kid. A little life form that’s going to need a name...a name we won’t be able to agree on.”
Kid looked at her almost fearful. “This isn’t a funny joke, Lou.”
“Argh!” she groaned. “You’re going to be a father, Kid!”
He stared at her for the longest time, not saying a word. A small smile perked on the edge of his face and she gritted her teeth, waiting for his response. Kid’s eyes sparkled as his smile grew large.
Kid pulled Lou to her feet and wrapped her in a warm embrace, he kissed her tenderly and whispered all of the sweet tunes a lover should. He promised her he would always be there and that together they would build a life.
Together they stared at the sky, reuniting each other with the love that remained their stronghold, smiling at the darkness of separation that they had once feared until their shadows faded away...
