𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒅 & 𝑰 - A Billy the Kid western romance

Absence

Like a mirage, he is gone again. I look over to Jane who has fallen silent. Her unruly red hair always looks so pretty in the sunlight. She remains looking between me and where I had been looking.  Waiting for an explanation, but I have none to give. We sit in the empty air for a short span of time. Her eyes slim at me, but she refuses to ask unless I show willingness to speak, as usual. We understand each other well enough to not cross any borders.

An uncertainty of what I saw descends upon me. He has little reason and likely no time to spend lurking around a small town like mine. An equal uncertainty affects me regarding how I feel about him. On one end he saved me, although his intention was likely another, on the other end remains the fact that he was also the cause of it all, bringing hell into an innocent home so unexpectedly. The men could easily have shot us both, had they only been a little quicker. What if Milo had been home? The void in my chest turns into worry and then morphs into some form of anger. Oh, what if he had been home.

My greatest fear used to be that Milo would grow up and choose the wrong path in life, like turning to the gangs. Unfortunately, it wasn't rare for this to occur within the poorer families in towns like mine, and especially orphans. Mother passing definitely impacted me and spurred my fear. Lately however I've calmed down in that regard. Milo is not like the rest of the kids. He is good, from his very skin to soul. I have one real reason to live, and it is him. Without me he would truly be alone. Therefore, thinking of the things that could have gone differently yesterday kills me. 

I knew all about who Billy was already, of course. Word travels. People love to talk, that's for sure. "Billy the Kid" was a name that rang through the town often. I had seen his wanted poster many times, stuck up on the saloon wall. I used to wonder just how accurate the drawing was, and it turns out that is was accurate enough to recognize him the second he burst into my kitchen. Billy was one of the few that didn't need an introduction, ever. Either he knew this, or I was simply just so insignificant to him that he failed to even introduce himself as I wrapped his bullet wound. His image always made my skin shiver. His eyes sent chills down my spine. A dangerous, uncontrollable murder-machine. He had taken so many lives during the Lincoln county war. Everyone wants him dead. The people want all the gangsters dead, of course, but him more than anyone else, because of how dangerous he is. Many sheriffs have tried to hunt him down, but always to their own demise, each time serving as gasoline to the fire that is the hatred of Billy the Kid. 

We look down at the town we call our own. In all its misery and poverty it is relatively homey. Jane then finally opens her mouth to speak.

"Shall we head back?"