Opal

by Lauraine Snelling

  ‘‘Sort of, if you will help prop the pillows behind me.’’

  Opal did and, after settling her sister, stopped at the cradle at the bottom of the bed to watch the baby sleep. ‘‘How come animal babies are cuter than human babies?’’

  ‘‘Opal!’’ Ruby spoke around a mouthful of potatoes.

  ‘‘Well, calves and colts would be running around, chicks would be feeding themselves, and baby pigs would be lined up nursing. She’s just laying here, waiting to be cared for.’’

  ‘‘Lying.’’

  ‘‘What?’’ Opal stared at her sister, then chuckled. ‘‘Oh, all right. She’s lying here.’’

  ‘‘You go on out, and when she wakes up, I’ll bring her out to introduce her to her brother.’’

  ‘‘You sure?’’

  ‘‘If I need help, I’ll call.’’

  Later that evening, after the gifts were opened and the pumpkin pie devoured, along with most of the leftovers, and after Opal put Per to bed, she checked on Ruby, who had never made it out to show off her beautiful baby.

  ‘‘How are they?’’ Rand asked when she returned.

  ‘‘Sleeping. All of them.’’ She looked over to see Atticus smiling at her. For the first time, he looked like he used to. Mostly.

  She tried to remember. Had he ever sat in their house before? Other than for a meal? ‘‘Can I get anything for you gentlemen?’’

  Rand yawned. ‘‘Not for me, thanks.’’

  ‘‘I’d best be finding my way out the bunkhouse.’’ Atticus stood and held out his hand. ‘‘Thank you, Mr. Harrison.’’

  ‘‘I think you can call me Rand by now.’’ Rand stood too. ‘‘Good night.’’ He wandered down the hall.

  Atticus lifted his jacket off the hook. ‘‘Good night, Opal.’’ He touched a finger to her cheek and headed out the door.

  ‘‘Good night.’’ Is this all? He stops here on his way west and this is it? I know it’s not proper to sit here and talk by ourselves, but . . . She thought of yanking the door open and yelling at him to come back. She thought of donning her jacket and boots and tramping after him.

  But those were the actions of the early summer Opal. She leaned her forehead against the door. I know I’ve learned something through all this, but right now . . . Her sigh made her sniff again. She banked the fire and blew out the lamp. For a change she couldn’t hear the wind howling or whining at the edges of the windows. All was silent. She tiptoed down the hall and, after making sure Per was snugly tucked in, went on to her own room.

  With her pillows banked behind her, she wrapped her arms around her knees so she could sit up and think. If she lay down, she’d most likely be asleep before taking three breaths. Atticus had come to visit. He seemed well and pretty much restored. ‘‘God, you did hear my prayers, and I thank you for that. I truly do. In fact, I can’t thank you enough. For that. But what about the rest of it? Two men died and two were wounded. There’s no way to fix that.’’ She rested her cheek on her quilt-covered knees. The beginnings of her coyote blanket covered the end of her bed. Four skins did not a full cover make, but Ruby had sewn them carefully together as a beginning. ‘‘Your Word says you turn things into good for those who love you. Do I not love you enough?’’

  She stroked the fur, feeling the richness, the depth of the pelt. She thought about the verse again. Romans 8:28. ‘‘I know, it says that in everything you work for good. So are you still working? In all this, I mean.’’ She snuggled back down and pulled the coyote pelts up over her.

  ‘‘Are you changing me into something different, as Ruby and Rand did with these pelts?’’ She waited. No sound, no answer. But inside, she knew there was an answer, for God had already changed her.

  The next day Opal rode with Atticus and Rand to the train station. Her heart felt heavy as she stood on the platform waiting to say good-bye. Would she ever see him again?

  ‘‘I’ll be back.’’ Atticus looked into her eyes so deeply it made her shiver.

  Relief flooded her. She nodded. ‘‘I’ll be here.’’

  ‘‘All aboard!’’ The call stretched out like the steam pouring from behind the train wheels. ‘‘Come on, young fella, if you’re going west.’’

  Atticus squeezed her hand and strode off to mount the train stairs. He waved one more time and disappeared into the car.

  Opal sighed.

  The engine chugged. The train wheels squealed. Atticus appeared at a window and waved.

  Opal looked at Rand. ‘‘I offered to marry him.’’ If he’d stay. She turned and waved at Atticus again.

  ‘‘And?’’

  ‘‘He said I was too young.’’

  ‘‘You are.’’

  ‘‘I know. But I think God has something more for me than being a good horse trainer.’’

  ‘‘Oh, I’m sure he does.’’

  ‘‘Let’s go home.’’ She waved at the train until it was so far down the track that only the smoke showed where it had been.

  Funny, but this didn’t feel as much like an ending as a beginning.

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