𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 ⋆ 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘹 𝘰𝘤 ⋆ 𝘳𝘥𝘳2

Chapter III: Thomas Downes

  "Papa, you have to eat something. You'll get sick. " I try to convince my father but he just chuckles as he coughs lightly. 

  "You mean sicker?" Papa jokes but I can't seem to find the humor in it. I sit down the plate I prepared for him, it is filled with deer meat I got from the butcher and a baked potato I cooked from our garden. It isn't much, but it will keep him fed. 

  "Please Papa," I start, he looks me in the eyes for a second. "Please."

  Papa takes my hand in his and rubs his thumb over the top of my hand.

  "I don't got long Delilah. " Papa reminds me, I shake my head and look down at the floor. I hate talking about this. 

  "You have done plenty for me, too much almost... but I am forever grateful for all you have done. You did what you didn't have to do." Papa begins to speak. His other hand cups my cheek and turns my head slightly to look him in the eyes. "After your brother and your mother- I was a mess. If I had known from picking up that first bottle would bring our lives to this, I wouldn't have even looked at the damned thing. " 

  "Papa, the doctors don't know if it's because-"

  "I know. I know it is because of the liquor. God is making me pay for my sins, I just hope He forgives me in time before I face my judgement with your mother and Clayton standing right by His side." 

 I smile lightly to try and ease his mind. "Well you better not be plannin' on leaving so soon, I want you here as long as I can have you. "

  Papa begins to rub his thumb along my cheek making my sink further into his loving touch. We just sit there for a few seconds before a knock at our front door snaps me out of my trance. 

  "At least try to eat somethin'. " I ask of Papa before I leave our room and towards the front door. I open the door to see Uncle Thomas which makes me instantly smile.

  "Uncle Thomas! How are ya?" I ask him warmly as I open the door wider for him to walk inside, he gladly takes the offer by stepping inside while removing his hat from his head. 

  "Good, well as good as I can be... but I'm getting by. " Thomas replies while I shut the door back firmly.

  "And Edith? Archie?"

  "All great. Archie's working harder than ever on the ranch. " Thomas replies as he sits down at my dining table, I sit down across from him.

"How's your Pa?" Thomas asks with a hint of sadness filling his words. I shrug while I let out a sigh. 

"Good, well as good as he can be. " I smile after reusing his words, Thomas nods slowly as he glances at Papa's door which is slightly open.

Our family goes way back with the Downes'. Papa had met Thomas while working to help build up Valentine, they actually helped build the stables along with the jail, bank and the saloon where Papa met momma. Papa and Thomas actually met my mother at the same time while she was the saloon's star singer.

Momma always said that even though Papa had dirt all over his face, arms and hands along with thick mud on his worn out boots... she knew he was the one. She remembered serenading him with her songs while the piano would play jazzy toons behind her.

They fell in love the first night they met, then ten months later I was living proof of the product of their love. Thomas legally bounded Momma and Papa shortly after I was born, right where Clayton and Momma are buried at this very moment.

Thomas still came around even after I was born, he would have dinner with us every single night up until I was around four, when he met Edith. After Thomas and Edith got married and Archie was born, our families were still wrapped around each others fingers.