First Time for Everything
By: Heidi L. Lane
“But I don’ want you to go, Papa,” Winnie argued, cuddling Bunny.
“I know, Winnie. Look, I’ll see ya tomorra, alright?” Vin asked, kneeling down in front of his daughter and putting his hands on her shoulders.
“No, I want to see you now, not tomorrow,” she replied, frowning.
Vin smiled slightly and hugged her, “I gotta go on patrol. It ain- isn’t fair that the others have had to take my shifts for the last couple of months. It’s time for me to take a turn. I’ll see you tomorrow. Mind your manners an’ obey Ms. Travis.”
“I wanna go with you,” Winnie pouted.
Vin shook his head, “Now, I already explained why ya cain’t go with me. C’n I have a kiss g’bye?”
Winnie kissed his on his cheek and said, “G’bye, Papa.” She frowned and her chin trembled.
“Now, ya’ll don’ needa cry; I’ll be back come mornin’,” he took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. Hugging her once again he whispered, “Be good, eat your vegetables, mind your manners, I’ll see ya in the morning, I love you.”
“I love you too, Papa,” she replied sniffling. She went over and leaned on Mary as Vin went over to mount his horse. With a wave, he rode off.
“Winnie,” Mary said when it looked like the little girl was going to start crying again, “Would you like to help me fix dessert?”
“What will Papa have for dessert?”
“Well, he… won’t have dessert today,” Mary said.
Winnie frowned and asked, “Can we save some for him?”
Mary smiled, trying to reassure her and said, “Alright. We’ll save some for him, for tomorrow. How does that sound?”
“Alright. Papa will be back tomorrow?” Winnie asked, a slight quiver in her voice.
“Yes, tomorrow, early in the morning, he’ll be back,” Mary reassured her. She went into the kitchen and began pulling out the ingredients she needed to make sweet rolls. “Winnie, would you like to help Billy sift the flour?” she asked, trying to keep the little girl occupied so she wouldn’t notice her father’s absence.
“Alright. When, in the morning, will Papa be back?”
“I don’t know exactly when; but very early. You’ll be sleeping,” Mary answered, measuring out the brown sugar. Soon the rolls were ready to be put into the oven. While they baked, Billy played; but Winnie sat quietly by the window, hugging her rabbit.
“Are you alright, Winnie?”
“Is Papa gonna be alright outside inna dark?” the little girl asked staring out the window.
“Your Papa is used to riding in the dark, Winnie; he’ll be fine,” Mary reassured her.
“Mister J’siah says that when we’re worried we should talk to God,” she said earnestly.
“I think that’s a very good idea, Winnie,” Mary replied, pushing the little girl’s hair behind her ear. “Why are you worried about your Papa?” she asked sitting next to her.
“It’s dark outside an’ Papa’s lookin’ for bad people. What if he finds some and they hurt him?” Winnie asked, her blue eyes wide and tearful.
Mary hugged her and said, “Your Papa’s very good at looking after himself, Winnie; and with such a good little girl asking him to watch over her father, I’m sure God will protect him very well.”
Swiveling around to look up at Mary, she asked, “You think so?”
“I know so,” Mary affirmed, nodding. Just then the timer went off to show that the rolls were done. Carefully Mary removed them from the oven. She and the children each ate one, carefully saving aside one for Vin.
When they were finished, Mary made sure they washed their sticky hands and got ready for ready for bed. She combed and braided Winnie’s curls and settled both children into bed. Just as she was preparing to leave the room she’d prepared for Winnie, the child hopped out of bed.
“What’s wrong, Winnie?” Mary asked.
“I forgot my prayers,” she replied, kneeling down next to the bed and carefully setting her rabbit down beside her. Mary smiled as the little girl clasped her hands and murmured, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, Keep me safely through the night and wake me with the morning light. Amen.”
“Good night, Winnie,” Mary said softly.
“G’night, Mrs. Travis,” she said, climbing back into bed and snuggling under the blanket.
Some time later, as Mary was turning down the lights to head to bed herself, she noticed Winnie standing in the hallway, looking out the window.
“Winnie, what are you doing out of bed?” she asked.
“I wanna wait for Papa,” she replied, rubbing her eyes.
“Your Papa won’t be back for a few hours, sweetie. You should stay in bed,” Mary advised.
“I can’t sleep. I miss Papa,” Winnie said tearfully. Just as Mary was about to gather up the little girl to bring her back to bed there was a knock at the door.
Mary peered out the window and saw that it was Ezra. Opening the door she softly said, “Mr. Standish is there something I can help you with?”
“No, Mrs. Travis, I was passing by and noticed that the lights were still on. I thought perhaps you required assistance.”
“Well, I was just going to bed, myself. However, Winnie is having a little trouble sleeping. She’s a little worried about her Papa and misses him.”
“Ah, quite understandable, Miss Winnie. But you do need to get some sleep tonight.”
“I can’t sleep, Mister Ezra,” she lisped, “I’ve tried.”
“Let’s try again, shall we? By your leave, Mrs. Travis.”
“Oh, yes, thank you.” Mary stepped back to allow the man to enter. Ezra picked up Winnie and carried her to her room. After a short while Mary could hear a man’s voice softly singing a lullaby. She smiled and went to her own room. After changing for bed she peered into the hallway and saw that the lights were all out for the night. It seemed Ezra had decided to spend the night.
The next morning, Mary was awaked by a knock at the door. Throwing on a robe she went to the door and found it was Vin. “Hello, Vin,” she greeted.
“Mornin’ Ms. Travis. I hope Winnie wasn’t much trouble,” he said softly.
“No, she just missed you and so she was up a little late. Mr. Standish actually got her to go to bed.”
“Yes, and she’s still asleep, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra said softly, as he entered the room. “How was your patrol; uneventful, I trust?”
Vin smiled and nodded, “Yup. Thanks for helpin’ Ms. Travis out with Winnie. She was real upset about me bein’ out last night.” Vin looked slightly concerned and more than a little guilty.
“Mr. Tanner, it was just fear of a new experience. Winnie’s fine. She’ll get used to this; I assure you.”
“You’re probably right, Ezra,” Vin agreed. “Here she is now. Howdy, Winnie. I told ya I’d be back in the morning,” he said, picking up the child and receiving a kiss on the cheek.
“I missed you, Papa. We saved you a sweet roll and Mister Ezra sang to me and I said my prayers and I remembered them all and …”
“You had a bit of excitement last night, mm?” Vin asked, interrupting the little girl’s recitation of the night’s events.
“A bit. I looked for you but Mrs. Travis said you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning and now it’s tomorrow morning so you’re back and I missed you.”
“I missed you too, sweetheart. If I have to go on patrol again are ya gonna be alright?” he asked, smiling wistfully.
“I think so, now I know you’ll come back. Is Mama comin’ back, Papa?”
“I hope so, darlin’,” Vin replied softly.
“If she does are we three gonna be a family?”
Vin thought for a moment as to how to reply. “I’ll always be your Papa, Winnie, no matter what happens,” he said finally.
Mary and Ezra grinned at him and glanced at Winnie as she said, “You didn’t really answer my question, Papa.”
“I know,” Vin replied, tickling her. Over her giggles, he thanked Mary and took his leave. As he brought Winnie back to his wagon to get dressed for the day, Vin thought about his daughter’s question. When Mira came back, would they live as a family? He just wasn’t sure.
End