On The Other Side

Chapter Thirty-Two: Hard Choices

I smooth my skirt over my stomach, smiling a little. My unborn child is finally announcing itself, just a small swell, but I’m over the moon with excitement.

            Corky pats my belly, a grin wreathing his face, “Mom, am I gonna have a brother or sister?”

            I tousle his red hair, tapping a finger to his nose, “We won’t know until it’s arrival. These little ones like to surprise us.”

            I look in the small hand mirror, tucking a pin into my blond hair, I’ve curled it and pinned it up for Declan and Claire’s wedding today.

           Maddy, from The Big house, surprised me last month with a few yards of fabric. A beautiful yellow gingham print. I was able to sew myself a dress, Corky a shirt, and Harry a bowtie.

           My skin seems to glow against the yellow color, my cheeks rosy with contentment. Harry comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, smoothing a hand over my gentle swell.

            “You’re stunning, Miriam.” His soft kisses on my neck has my eyes closing, “These past few months together have been the best of my life, I love you.”

            I turn in his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his, “I’ve never been as happy as I am now, Harry. And having a baby?” I kiss him again, pressing closer, deepening the kiss, “Nothing could make me happier.”

            Harry smiles against my lips, murmuring, “I have a surprise, something that will hopefully keep that smile on your face.”

           I pull back, “What is it?”

          “I’ve spoken to Daniel, my cousin in Montana,” Harry’s eyes are brimming with excitement, “He’s found a place for us to live, a small town that needs a teacher, that needs good families, like ours.”

           I catch my breath; joy and fear course through me in equal measures. Tears prick my eyes, “It’s like a dream, being able to move where we want.”

          Harry fingers a tear away, “Then why the tears, love?”

         “I’m excited to be out of New York, move to the country, the fresh, healthy air. It will do us all good, but it breaks my heart to leave our friends, they’ve become like family to us.”

            Harry nods, “I know, I know. It’s a hard choice to make, staying here amid close friends and familiarity would be just fine, we have a good life here, Miriam.”

            My chest hurts with the choices we have to make, do we stay or go. But thinking about something brand new, an adventure, that’s something I’ve never been on. I only know New York, the people piled on top of people. The foul smells, the rodents, the sewage streaming through the city gutters like a disease.

            Just the thought of leaving Claire, my only true friend, pains me. But I know in my heart moving to Montana is what we’re supposed to do.

            I turn to Harry, whose playing blocks with Corky, “I think we need to do it; I want to move to Montana.”

            Harry grabs Corky up, their laughter floating across the room, wrapping around me. “Did you hear that Corky? We’re going on an adventure to the wild west.”

            I laugh at their antics, Harry getting on his knees, our son on his back, galloping around the room like a horse.

            This is a good day, Claire and Dec finally marrying, Montana in our future. I apply the red lipstick Milly gave to me as a goodbye gift before leaving for Colorado a few months back. I miss Milly, but her letters are full of good news about her boys, her grandchildren.

             She’s become the teacher to her grandchildren and a few of the neighboring children. I can hear the happiness in her words dancing off the pages as I read them.

            This is what life’s all about, growing, moving forward in life, even though it’s painful, leaving people we love behind. I feel peaceful about Montana, about the direction our life is taking.

            As we ready ourselves for the wedding, taking place in the back yard of the store, I straighten Harry’s bowtie, kissing his lips gently, whispering, “I’m so happy we found each other.” I smooth a lock of hair off his forehead, loving the softness of it.

            He takes my hand, kissing the center of it, making me shiver. “I’m excited to spend the rest of my life with you, what a grand adventure it’ll be.”