Love and Trust

Housty seemed surprised when she walked through the door on Friday, like she didn’t expect to find me here; leastways not sitting in a chair, drinking coffee and reading a book.

‘I didn’t think you’d be back yet,’ she said, once Nameless had done slobbering over her. ‘Where did you disappear to?’

‘An old friend took sick. I didn’t know how bad he was till… well, you know how it is. I’m just glad I was with him at the end. I’d have told you if you hadn’t been fast asleep but there was no time to lose and…’ 

‘When did you get back?’

‘What?’

‘You know, here. How long have you been home?’

‘Yesterday, why?’

‘Just asking. So you haven’t been home long enough to go sniffing around where you ain’t supposed to, and getting into trouble?’

‘Me? Course not. I’ve been right here, waiting and wondering, and pining for you. So where have you been?’

‘My mother’s not been so good. We thought we were going to lose her but she pulled through, thank God. Friends and family, huh?’

‘See any injuns?’

‘No, why?’

‘Just wondered.’

‘Have you missed me?’

‘Ain’t a day passed that I ain’t missed you, Nameless too. He couldn’t sleep last night till I read him a bedtime story.’

‘Oh that’s sweet! You don’t know how much I’ve missed you both. Oh, it’s good to be home. I hoped and prayed you’d be here. Levitt… would you like an early night?’

Good thing Housty got home when she did; if I’d got any skinnier I’d have snapped in the breeze. Steak and onions with potatoes and plenty of gravy, sweet bread, bacon, corn fritters, crackers and cheese, blueberry pie, gingerbread sticks… I ain’t eaten so well in weeks. Hell, if I was the cynical kind I might think she had a guilty conscience. Anyhow, sure feels good to have her cooking and cleaning, and fussing over me again. Three days and we ain’t had a bad word yet. That’s love, I reckon. We might have shied away from a truth or two but with the understanding we have, well, like the fisherman said; never tug the line when the hook is under your ass.