Work Text:
I’m Always There
1894
By Denise Craig
He threw his worn saddle bags at the foot of the bed and sat down on the lumpy mattress. He was tired, cold and lonely. He missed Jennifer, he missed Melody and he missed Heyes. He hated it when his job took him away from home. He hated it even more when he was gone for extended periods and he had been at it for the better part of a month already. All he wanted was to go home. To feel Jennifer’s arms around him, to hold his daughter in his lap and hear his cousin’s voice.
He made a decision. He would go downstairs and call home. It was an extravagance he knew would drain his dwindling funds but he also knew he needed to do it. He needed to hear his wife say, “I love you, Jed.”
Feeling better at just making the decision, he headed back down the stairs to the front desk. The matronly woman who had checked him in was still there. She had looked into his sad, blue, eyes and noticed the wedding band on his finger, when he signed the register. She had thought it would be only a matter of time before she saw him again, asking if there was a telephone.
Kid approached the desk and opened his mouth, but never got a syllable uttered. The clerk just patted his hand and, with a smile, pointed him to the far corner of the room. Kid returned the smile and headed for the telephone.
After waiting for what seemed an eternity for the operator to connect him, he heard the phone on the other end ring.
His heart quickened.
Another ring. He licked at parched lips.
Again it rang. He began to worry Jennifer was not at home.
A final ring. His face dropped. She wasn’t there.
Then…A musical laugh came over the line as well as the expected, “Hello?”
Kid’s heart skipped a beat as he relished the music of her voice. He closed his eyes and let the sound wash over him.
“Hello? Jed? Is that you?”
He cleared the lump from his throat and finally answered, “Hello, Beautiful.”
“Oh, Jed!” It was just two words, but he heard the longing in them. She missed him too.
Then he heard Melody in the background, begging to talk to Daddy. He wiped at the un-manly tear that had popped into his eye. A little voice came over the phone, “Daddy, Daddy! I love you, Daddy! When you comin’ home?”
He didn’t have an answer for her. He didn’t know how much longer the man he was following was going to keep him away from his family. Once again, he tried to clear the lump from his throat as he said, “Hello Raisin.” He heard the giggle on the other end and a smile passed over his lips. “Don’t you know that I’m not really gone?”
“But…You’re not here,” came the questioning reply.
“Raisin, I’m always there. When the sun shines on your hair, it is me giving you a kiss. When you see shadows in the room, it is me watching out for you. When the wind whispers to you, it is me, calling your name.”
“Oh, Daddy!” Melody laughed. “I pray for you every night.”
“I know, Melody. I know.”
“I have to go; Momma wants to talk to you. I love you, Daddy!” He heard what he thought were kissing sounds, coming from the other end.
Jennifer came back on the line, “Jed…I miss you.” There was silence while she got her voice back under control. “Don’t worry about us…we’re just fine. You just stay safe and come back to us in one piece.”
He wanted to say, “I wish I was in your arms, lying beside you, holding you.” He was hard-pressed to voice any more words than a heartfelt, longing…“Jen!”
“I know, Jed; I’ll be with you in your dreams.” Kid knew the meaning behind her tone and words. They meant, “I’ll gently kiss your lips, touch you with my fingertips, whisper what you long to hear. I‘ll be the beat of your heart and when the moon shines down, it will be me, wrapping you in my arms. You will be able to feel the love that we share. I‘m with you everywhere.”
The line went dead. “Jennifer? Jennifer?” Kid hung up the telephone. He felt lonelier, but better, if that made any sense.
The woman at the desk watched as he took the stairs, two at a time, a smile playing over her face. His shoulders were no longer slumped, he had more energy in his step and she had seen his face. His eyes were alight and the smile, genuine, holding the promise of a secret. He would be fine, she decided.
Kid’s dreams that night were sweet and he awoke refreshed and ready to get on with his day. Marvelous invention, the telephone, he thought as he pulled on his boots. It allowed him to hear things that a telegram just couldn’t communicate. He felt that this was the day he would be able to end this case. He felt it in his bones. Then…He would be home, where he had left his heart.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.