Arthur Morgan x Reader

Arthur

4 years later

"Mama! Look at I made you at school." Arthur runs up to me with a piece of paper. I kneel down and take a look. It was me, Arthur and.. "daddy? Who's daddy?" I ask confused. "Josiah." I look at him and back at the paper. "Is everything alright mama?" I give back the paper, "Let's go home, I want to show you something." We quickly made our way home and I sat Arthur down on my bed. I take out a photo album and sit down with Arthur. I open it and point at Arthur, his father. "This is your daddy. Handsome devil ain't he?" Arthur nods his head and smiles, "Mama since you're showing me this, where's daddy?" I looked into his eyes and I didn't know if I should've told him. I didn't want my boy to be heartbroken but I wanted to tell him the truth. "He's.. he's overseas and it'll be a while before he could come back." Yes, I lied but I will tell him when it's time. Now is not the time.

Arthur at 16

"Mother I just don't want to talk." Arthur goes in his room and slams the door behind him. Arthur has been very distant his grades aren't dropping but he hasn't talked a lot to me. "Arthur honey, can we please talk? I'm worried." He opens the door and signals me to come in. "Where is dad?" I close my eyes and prayed that this moment didn't come. "Arthur sit down." He sits down with his arms crossed, "Honey there's no easy way to say this but.. a month before you were born your father passed." My boys eyes water up and he shakes his head, "Mama you said-"
"I know what I said and yes it was wrong that I lied but you were too young. I didn't want you to be heart broken." I get up and go into my room. I go through Arthur's suitcase and take it with me. I head to Arthur's room and  opened the suitcase and handed him the letter. "What's this?"
"It's a letter from your father he gave it to me before-" I caught myself and I was trying to remember but I couldn't. Where did he go again? I don't remember what happened. "He went somewhere and we laid low for a bit. I miss your father so much." I place my hand on his gunslinger jacket and feel it. "Is that his?" I nod my head, "can I have it?"
"It's actually yours. Everything in here." Arthur takes out the jacket and puts it on him. "How do I look Mama?" He turns and extends his arms out, I smile weakly. "You look just like your father." Arthur checks out the jacket and says, "I think this is going to be my favorite jacket."
"That was your daddy's favorite jacket." Arthur smells it, "is that him?" He offers me to smell and I inhale deeply, "yup.. that's him." I wanted to break down and cry but I needed to stay strong. "Thank you Mama." Arthur hugs me and I hug him back. "So.. how about that letter?" He sits down, opens it and reads out loud.

"Dear son or daughter,
First off I just want to say how sorry I am. Sorry that I couldn't be there for you growing up. I bet you're really handsome or beautiful. Either way I just want to say that you're the best thing that's happened to me. I wish I could've met you.
Another thing that I wanted to tell you was to take care of your mother. She's all you got and it'll mean a lot to me. I hope that you become something. A doctor, a police man, or a secretary. I just want you to not do what I did. The outlaw life is not worth it, if I could go back and change things I would. I got sick because it back fired on me all the mean and ugly things I did, it finally came back.
I love you kid, I'll be watching over you and I know you'll be making me proud.

Love, your daddy.

Arthur's wipes his tear on his cheek and hugs me. He breaks down and starts wailing, "Mama, what was he sick of?"
"Tuberculosis." I have a flashback of when I found out. "Is everything alright?" I nod my head and I wipe away his tear. "Your father would've been happy if he found out you were close to finishing school." He nods his head and his blue eyes met mine. "Mama, can I keep a picture of him?" I grab the photo album and give him two pictures. One with me and Arthur then one with just Arthur. "I love them."

Arthur's graduation

"Mama my suit is fine."
"I know, I just need to make sure everything is perfect. Okay let's take a picture of you." I grab my camera and Arthur stands tall.

Click.

"Josiah were going to be late come on!" Josiah comes out and he has his three piece suit on. "Alright let's get ready to graduate!" He says excitedly. "Okay before we go I want to take a picture of Arthur."
"No mama you took a picture, remember?" I look at him blankly, "I did?"
"Yes.. we should go before I don't graduate." I tried to remember if I did take the picture while we were heading out.

"Arthur Taylor Morgan." The announcer said and I cheered loudly. "Yes! That's my baby boy!" Arthur smiles and shakes hands with the man before taking his picture.

"Congratulations honey! I'm so happy for you." Arthur hugs me and when we pull apart a person taps his shoulder. "Hey Jeremiah! Congratulations, it's so good to see you walk to stage. Mama this is my friend Jeremiah." He was a colored man and it made me happy to see that Arthur isn't judgmental about race. "Congratulations on graduating Jeremiah. What do you plan to do?"
"Would like to become a policeman but I don't think they'll accept me." I think for a minute, "I want you boys to remember something whatever it is you want to do, don't give up. You will fail at first but keep trying and if you don't succeed you have the right to say you tried. And if I'm being honest Jeremiah I don't understand why this country is segregated. It's quite frankly foolish to me." Jeremiah smiles, "Arthur your mother is a good woman." Jeremiah shakes our hands and says goodbye. "Mama I've decided what I want to do."
"What's that?"
"I want to be a doctor and practice on patients that have TB." I smile at him, "you're doing it for your father.." Arthur nods and smiles weakly remembering what was told to him. "I think that's great honey." We hug and I close my eyes wishing him the best.