The Cuckoo's Song

Chapter Forty-Six

5 Years Later

Anna had always found the passage of time to be such an odd thing. There were certainly times in her life where it had felt unending, when each new day brought only the same slow and painful journey. And yet, since she had met Abe all those years ago, life had passed her by so quickly.

Life in Missouri was blissful in ways she had never expected. Elli was totally settled and had found a new thirst for life. From the moment she met Caleb, she wanted only to protect him; to show him the best way to live life. It gave her the confidence to be herself at all times. Watching Elli and Caleb grow together was the greatest joy for Anna and Abe. Elli was just as feisty as Anna, yet never lost the funny, happy girl she had always been. Caleb was so inquisitive, in every possible way. He was just as likely to ask you a probing question as he was to try to eat a worm 'to see if it wriggled in his tummy'. The bond that the four of them had was what Anna had been dreaming of her whole life, and every day she was grateful. Especially for Abe.

Anna was standing in their kitchen now, watching Caleb run around outside as she listened to the radio. He was pretending to stalk something in the long grass, Anna smiling to herself as he pounced on the invisible beast. He had run out there straight after breakfast, nearly knocking into a groggy Elli who had come to pinch a slice of toast before she went to get dressed for the day.

Anna felt arms wind around her waist, Abe kissing her cheek as she nestled into him.

"Where is he today?" asked Abe.

"The Serengeti apparently," she said, Abe chuckling as she looked up at him.

He certainly got more handsome the older he got. His hair was still fair, but his beard was full nowadays and peppered with notes of grey. He leaned over and turned the radio up, now pulling her into the middle of the kitchen. He spun her towards him, grasping her waist and beginning to dance with her.

"I thought you are supposed to be getting the barn sorted before you take Elli to work?" she said, Abe leaning in and kissing her.

"Yeah but come on baby... it's Nat King Cole!" he said, still swaying with her as she cuddled closer and rested her head against his chest. "Plus I get to have you pressed against me..."

"Last night wasn't enough then?" she teased.

"Never is," he murmured.

They continued dancing, unaware that Elli had just run downstairs and was watching them now. She leant against the archway, grinning as the pair of them stayed lost in one another. They hadn't changed in all their years together, still the same besotted couple they had always been.

As they began to kiss she sighed loudly. "Save it for when the rest of us aren't around," she laughed, both of them looking up.

"And when might that be?" questioned Anna, Elli grinning.

"Fine, well at least wait until I've gone to work."

"What if we don't?" asked Abe, now spinning Anna out and in again. "What if we just do this for the rest of the morning?"

"Then you'll likely miss a lot of things... like your son taking his clothes off in the yard again," she added, pointing out of the window.

"Oh for fuck sake," sighed Abe, untangling himself from Anna and knocking on the window. "Boy! Put your dang clothes on!" Clearly, Caleb was too wrapped up in his game as Abe groaned. "I'll get him."

The girls watched as Abe ran outside, dashing to catch a barely clothed Caleb as quickly as possible.

"Quite the exhibitionist," laughed Elli, Anna rolling her eyes.