My Short Short for the Day

 His arrival was expected but he was running late.  The dark was settling down around the tiny house in the woods.  A stream of smoke wafted into the sky, leaving a white trail behind. 

Ma sat in her rocking chair knitting a blue and green scarf.  The chair creaked softly, and the knitting needles clicked as her fingers deftly looped and tugged the yarn into place.  The scarf would be warm for little Johnny and it was his favorite colors. 

Pa sat in his rocking chair moving slowly back and forth and smoking his pipe.  His eyes were half closed as he hummed quietly to himself.  From time to time he would poke at the fire to stir it up. 

Ellie sat on the rug near the hearth playing with her rag doll.  She talked to the doll, making up a fantastical story in which the doll was a princess and had to go fight an evil monster to save the kingdom. 

Johnny was sound asleep in his bed in the next room.  It had been a struggle to get him out of the barn earlier and wash him up for bed.  The calf was a few days old now, but Johnny insisted he had to be there to make sure it was safe.  A few cookies finally coaxed him into the tub.

Mary was sitting at the table with her book open, trying to read but her nerves wouldn’t let her.  She wanted to get up and pace across the worn floor but didn’t want to answer to Ma and Pa’s questions.  So she sat still staring at the pages but not seeing a word.

A firm rap on the door silenced the room.  All eyes turned towards the sound.  Pa set down his poker and took the pipe from his mouth.  He gently patted Mary’s shoulder as he walked past her to the door.  “Edward, good to see you.  Come in.”

Edward stepped into the room and Mary blushed as their eyes met.  His smile warmed her heart. She walked over to him, wanting to hug him but restraining herself.  “Hello.”  She said.

Edward bowed.  “Hello Mary.  I’m deeply sorry for making you wait.”  Then he looked from Pa, who had returned to his chair, to Ma and spoke again.  “I apologize for being so late.  The weather was not agreeable and caused a delay on the train.”  His eyes returned to Mary and he took her hands in his.  “I would have exited the train and run all the way here if I could have.”

Mary laughed at his foolish remark.  “Don’t be silly. You would have gotten lost in the dark.”  She looked at him for a moment more before leading him to a couple chairs Pa had set near the hearth.  They sat and talked by the warm fire, never letting go of each other’s hands.