Of Falling Stars and Distant Hills

Chapter Nine

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This is not a goodbye, my darling, this is a thank you." – Nicholas Sparks
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Somehow time took hold of the mahogany surfaces, golden lights and clinking glasses, stretching them into a warm blur with no end. Lady was hardly aware of where she was. Tramp's lips must have put a spell on her as she was entranced by his every word, but she wasn't the only one hypnotized. Their conversation was its own little universe, a bubble inflated with bliss but charged with the fear of its inevitable burst.

.They talked about many subjects; how she wanted to be a nurse and her lemon obsession, how he worked for a locomotive assembly factory and greatly admired Charles Lindbergh.Things like her past at the orphanage or his time in France stayed buried, like some unspoken agreement had been made between them. Tramp instead spoke about the many places he'd travelled, like Ontario and Colorado. Lady talked about her parents unusual parenting style, and their trip to Paris where she'd discovered her love of baking.

The only thing that managed to take them from their conversation was the sound of the phone. Leon, who'd replaced Jerry, received each call that came in.When he clicked down the receiver he would then relay the newest update; where and when fights had occurred and who'd it involved. Only when he was finished did Tramp begin to speak again.

As they continued, Lady grew to love how he told stories. He used lots of hand gestures, comical expressions and a plethora of different voices to tell his tales. Stories about mining camps, logging on wintry rivers, train rides over vast plains and, most fascinating to Lady, construction work on a skyscraper. Not a soul could rivet her attention the way Tramp did, or make her laugh in such an unladylike manner.

"You were up that high and you weren't afraid?" She asked.

"I was kinda nervous at first but, boy, those sky boys were fearless. They made it look easy, doing ironwork up there. I'm not the type to wanna be outdone so I just followed suit."

Lady studied him and smiled thoughtfully. "It's fascinating, you've led such an adventurous life compared to mine. I've only been to one country outside of my own and that was years ago."

"It had its benefits, especially for a restless person like me. But it's not perfect by any means." He shrugged. "An everyday life is something I don't know how to navigate, though I'd be lying if I said I don't envy it a little."

"Just like you said, it's not perfect either. It can be comforting but it's much more monotonous than you'd expect."

He chuckled. "So then what's your take on this little "adventure" we had tonight?"

"It was...terrifying." She admitted, starting to feel bashful. "But not all of it was terrible. Meeting you and Peg is something I bet wouldn't have ever happened had it not been for this, and I guess I'm sort of...grateful in a way."

It was Tramp's turn to study her. "What a funny little bird.You really are so different than I'd ever expected."

"What did you expect?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes, I'd prefer it."

"That you'd be sheltered and a bit snobby, that's about it. But you've surprised me a lot."

"Well I—"

Ba-ring! Ba-ring!

They both turned to see Leon pick up the phone. He firmly nodded several times, muttered a few quiet words and set the phone back down before walking over to the two of them. "It's over for tonight." He rumbled. "They've all gone back to their territories for now. Buster just confirmed it."