Longmire: Second Chances

Chapter 8: Return

Two Months Later

Cady had gladly accepted the role as a go-between with her father and Vic. Vic and Walt didn't talk on the phone with each other, and that was by mutual consent. If things were going to become cordial, both felt that, at least for the time being, it was better for them to simply email each other once a week, simply talking about their daily lives and not about their past.

Slowly, the thaw started to happen between them. Vic realized, when talking to Cady about Walt's therapy in depth, that he had gone through a ferocious struggle to return to being the man he was before Martha died. Vic had seen Walt as a decent, caring man before he began to fall apart, and she finally realized that maybe she should cut him some slack for the way it had ended. Walt had told her in Boston that he loved her, but his mind was simply not where it should have been at that time. Vic started to understand that and began to accept it.

Not that the hurt would go away immediately. It wouldn't, and they both knew that. But they began to view each other not from mere suspicion and anger, but simply has two people who had dealt with some very terrible situations, both professionally and personally, especially the last three years Vic was a Deputy.

Vic called Cady one evening, keeping up the normal once or twice a week conversations that had become routine. It was a way for Vic to slowly reconnect with the area, and, she hoped, eventually, her friends in Wyoming.

"I'm signing up for the fall term this week, Cady", Vic said matter-of-factly. "I enjoy the courses in Pre-Law. I think I'm headed in the right direction."

"I think your just re-signing to keep riding that kid you've been seeing", Cady said, teasing her long-distance friend.

Vic laughed. "Yeah, he's fun to ride, girlie, I can't deny that. I think we've about run our course as far as that goes. He's been a good friend when I needed one. I won't simply forget about him, and I hope we keep in touch when we go our separate ways."

"Softie", Cady teased, but then became serious. "I guess it's true-there's a time for everything in life. I guess that's what you needed at that time."

"I did, Cady", Vic admitted. "Maybe it's a bit shameless, but I needed to begin feeling something after the baby died. It has jump-started my heart again. I wouldn't want a long-term fuck buddy like that, but it has made a difference for me."

Cady had forgotten about Vic's use of colorful metaphors, but she smiled hearing the f-bomb. It was Vic, and it's what made Vic so much fun to be around.

"When do classes end?"

"I think my last day is around June 5th. Can't wait for summer break."

Cady smiled, getting the opening she had wanted. "Why don't you come out here and visit your old friends for a while?" The young lawyer knew she was probably pushing it a bit, but both she and her father needed to push a little more so they could put the past completely behind them.

Vic paused, conjuring up the images of her former stomping ground: Cady, Henry, Ferg, Travis, Zak, Eamonn, Ruby, Mathias-even Omar and Lucian, and Walt. That part made her smile. But the other side of it: Chance and Ida Gilbert, Sean, Ed Gorski, Walt...

She stopped and realized in that nanosecond that she had Walt in both the good and bad memory category, suddenly realizing, finally, that there had been a lot of good times not only with the others, but with Walt as well.

She just wondered if she was mentally and emotionally ready to go back to Wyoming, even temporarily.

She sighed. "That's a tempting offer, Cady, but I don't know if I'm quite ready for that yet. But I don't want to simply turn it down. Can you give me a few days to ponder over it?"