Jeremiah, Elsa could do nothing unless she thought it
would somehow benefit her. Sophia knew she should be more upset
than she was, but she just couldn’t be. It was Christmas and for
the first time in a very long time she had a new dress. She couldn’t wait for Nick
to see her in it when he returned.
December made its way into January and
then February and the cold windy weather continued, along with a
lot of rain and snow. Living on the coast, the snow never stayed on
the ground for very long, but that year it lingered. Everything was
so wet and muddy that Sophia dreaded doing the chores every day.
She considered it a good day if she only slipped and fell in the
mud once while retrieving water from the well or feeding the horses
in the barn.
One day in mid-February she was having
a particularly difficult time carrying the water back to the house.
It had rained most of the night and the trail she had worn from
countless trips back and forth had completely washed away. She had
already fallen twice and was so filthy that she knew she would have
to change as soon as she got back to the house. Frustrated, she
wiped at tears that threatened to spill out and left mud smears
across her face wherever her hand touched.
Much to her horror, she wasn’t the
only one on the trail that morning.
“ Well hello, miss. Would you
like some help with that load you’re trying to carry?” the newcomer
said with a hint of laughter in his voice.
Sophia’s head jerked up and her heart
leaped as she saw that the boy she had been waiting for all winter
had returned.
“ Nick,” she
cried.
It was all she could do to keep from
tossing the buckets to the ground and throwing her arms around him.
She didn’t want to appear desperate, after all. She lowered the
yoke to the ground and he bent to pick it up. On his shoulders, the
water seemed nothing more than a few drops. He easily carried it
without slipping in the mud even once. Sophia was shocked at the
difference a few months had made. Nick’s arms were muscled and his
shirt fit snugly across firm shoulders. She was convinced he’d
grown taller, too.
“ It looks like you’ve been
swimming in the mud out here, Miss Sophia.”
She quickly tried to brush the streaks
of mud and dirt from her face, but her efforts only made matters
worse. Nick threw his head back and laughed.
Trying to change the subject, Sophia
said, “Did you just get back?”
“ Yes, ma’am. We left
the Mist Seeker docked in the shipyard north of here with Gus and Paul to
watch her. Your father and I hired a wagon to bring us down here
this morning and we just got in. You weren’t in the kitchen with
your mother and I reckon I knew exactly where you would
be.”
“ The last telegram Father
sent said that he didn’t know when you would be back for sure, but
that it might be spring before you were here. It’s really good to
see you.” She was so happy she wanted to twirl around like a little
girl.
“ We ended up not being able
to take the cargo we had hoped to run down into the Gulf of Mexico,
but I’m fine with that.” He smiled down at her.
She smiled back and they continued in
happy silence until they reached the back door to her parent’s
home. As they entered the kitchen, they could hear Sophia’s parents
talking in hushed tones. The pair had papers spread across the
kitchen table and upon seeing Sophia and Nick, they quickly swept
them up and her father tucked them into a pouch at his
side.
“ Sophia, my dear, how I’ve
missed you.” He gave her an awkward hug.
Sophia wondered why he felt the need
to continue putting on a show for Nick. In all of her memory she
could not remember him ever having hugged her before, but for some
reason he felt the need to prove to Nick that they were a normal,
happy family.
“ Father, it’s nice to see
you. I hope your journey was a good one.”
“ It was just as a journey
should be. In the time we were gone we were able to run three loads
of lumber down
would somehow benefit her. Sophia knew she should be more upset
than she was, but she just couldn’t be. It was Christmas and for
the first time in a very long time she had a new dress. She couldn’t wait for Nick
to see her in it when he returned.
December made its way into January and
then February and the cold windy weather continued, along with a
lot of rain and snow. Living on the coast, the snow never stayed on
the ground for very long, but that year it lingered. Everything was
so wet and muddy that Sophia dreaded doing the chores every day.
She considered it a good day if she only slipped and fell in the
mud once while retrieving water from the well or feeding the horses
in the barn.
One day in mid-February she was having
a particularly difficult time carrying the water back to the house.
It had rained most of the night and the trail she had worn from
countless trips back and forth had completely washed away. She had
already fallen twice and was so filthy that she knew she would have
to change as soon as she got back to the house. Frustrated, she
wiped at tears that threatened to spill out and left mud smears
across her face wherever her hand touched.
Much to her horror, she wasn’t the
only one on the trail that morning.
“ Well hello, miss. Would you
like some help with that load you’re trying to carry?” the newcomer
said with a hint of laughter in his voice.
Sophia’s head jerked up and her heart
leaped as she saw that the boy she had been waiting for all winter
had returned.
“ Nick,” she
cried.
It was all she could do to keep from
tossing the buckets to the ground and throwing her arms around him.
She didn’t want to appear desperate, after all. She lowered the
yoke to the ground and he bent to pick it up. On his shoulders, the
water seemed nothing more than a few drops. He easily carried it
without slipping in the mud even once. Sophia was shocked at the
difference a few months had made. Nick’s arms were muscled and his
shirt fit snugly across firm shoulders. She was convinced he’d
grown taller, too.
“ It looks like you’ve been
swimming in the mud out here, Miss Sophia.”
She quickly tried to brush the streaks
of mud and dirt from her face, but her efforts only made matters
worse. Nick threw his head back and laughed.
Trying to change the subject, Sophia
said, “Did you just get back?”
“ Yes, ma’am. We left
the Mist Seeker docked in the shipyard north of here with Gus and Paul to
watch her. Your father and I hired a wagon to bring us down here
this morning and we just got in. You weren’t in the kitchen with
your mother and I reckon I knew exactly where you would
be.”
“ The last telegram Father
sent said that he didn’t know when you would be back for sure, but
that it might be spring before you were here. It’s really good to
see you.” She was so happy she wanted to twirl around like a little
girl.
“ We ended up not being able
to take the cargo we had hoped to run down into the Gulf of Mexico,
but I’m fine with that.” He smiled down at her.
She smiled back and they continued in
happy silence until they reached the back door to her parent’s
home. As they entered the kitchen, they could hear Sophia’s parents
talking in hushed tones. The pair had papers spread across the
kitchen table and upon seeing Sophia and Nick, they quickly swept
them up and her father tucked them into a pouch at his
side.
“ Sophia, my dear, how I’ve
missed you.” He gave her an awkward hug.
Sophia wondered why he felt the need
to continue putting on a show for Nick. In all of her memory she
could not remember him ever having hugged her before, but for some
reason he felt the need to prove to Nick that they were a normal,
happy family.
“ Father, it’s nice to see
you. I hope your journey was a good one.”
“ It was just as a journey
should be. In the time we were gone we were able to run three loads
of lumber down
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