The Long Journey Home

The Future Awaits

Journal of Andrew Dwight “Dewy” Montgomery

December 1, 1865

The past few days had been most wonderful with the family. Ma made up my bed for me in my room, and before dawn the next morning, Pa had me up milking cows and collecting eggs. We worked the fallow ground closest to the house and harvested the garden so Ma could put up stores for winter. Not that it gets terribly cold here, but we’ll have plenty of time without much to do. 

Philip, though a bit distant still, is coming around. He sat on the porch on Thanksgiving night with Pa and I, smoking pipes and talking about irrelevant things. He seems to be quite taken with Clem’s little sister, and for that, I am glad. They will be very happy together.

This afternoon, Pa and I went to search out a plot of land for my home. We’ll start building in March if the weather’s good. We don’t expect snow, but one never knows with the weather in Texas. Some years past, we had so much rain that we had to plant later than we wanted. I must say, I am very excited to show Ellisa where we’ll be building. It’s a bit closer to town, but still on Montgomery land. It’s all planned out in my mind, but I want her to have an opinion.

Life in Comfort goes on. The town continues to grow, and those lost are not forgotten. I feel a bit left behind, as life continued while I was away at war. So much has changed.

Sunday after service, we’re having a good old fashioned get together. Pa said he’ll build a fire, and most of the town is invited to come. Not so much to recreate the good times we had, but perhaps we’ll make new memories; memories to last a lifetime.

~~~~~

“Andrew! Andrew, wake up now, son. We’ve chores to tend to.” Gaius knocked on the door of his son’s room. He felt, with Dewy’s presence, a liberation from the burden he’d carried for those years of his son’s absence. Really, he felt it as soon as he set eyes on the boy.

The biggest change he’d seen was in Philip. He was coming over every day at noon and staying until late into the evening. How he ever accomplished any work was beyond Gaius, but he’d leave that to Philip. He was his own man.

“I’m up, Pa. I’ll be out in a moment.” Gaius heard Dewy from the other side of the door. Tilly walked out of their room at that moment, drawing her hand slowly across his lower back as she passed to go to the kitchen. Gaius caught her hand, kissed it, and pulled her back toward their bedroom.

“Dewy, I’ll be down in a bit.” 

“This early dear? Dewy’s home … and …” Tilly blushed, thinking of her husband’s intentions.

“And he’s a grown man. He can handle the chores. I have other…” a small laugh escaped, “things to tend to this day.”  

“What about breakfast?” Tilly argued, even as her husband shut the bedroom door.

“He’ll be alright, love. Come back to bed for a bit.” Gaius cooed quietly; the sound of his voice both soothing and sending pleasant shivers through her body.

“You’re incorrigible.” 

“That I am, but you like me this way.” Gaius whispered as he rained kisses on his wife.

“I do. I love you exactly like you are: Stubborn, stuck in your ways, and very good as kissing.” Tilly smiled and Gaius picked her up like she was his new bride, carrying her to their bed.

“Good, because I don’t plan on changing this late in life.” His whispers continued.

~~~~~