My brother Colby and I live with our father in a cabin in Montana. My name is Coleson. We've lived in the cabin all of our lives with our parents until about five years back when my mother passed away because of pneumonia. That just left us three. My father, Allen made a living as the game warden here in the Forrest where we lived. Colby is fifteen, three years younger than myself I'll be nineteen in July. Colby was a short muscular boy. He finds excitement the same way as me and my father. We all love nature and everything about it. We take weekly hunting trips together for whatever is in season although my brother has never fired a killing shot and seems just as happy as if he could. The snow falling in his long brown hair gives him the same look and brightens his green eyes as if the biggest buck in these woods has walked right out in front of him. The older I have gotten the less interested I am in hunting. I still love to go but I have found enjoyment in other things in life. My family doesn't use grocery stores very often and if we do we don't get meat or vegetables from it. We kill our own food and grow our own vegetables. We mostly live off the land. School has never been an experience for us our father taught us everything he knows. I have found most of my enjoyment with my girlfriend Rebecca. She is a short blonde headed girl with a smile that can push away the rain clouds and make the sky as blue as her beautiful eyes. I met her when my father had fallen sick with his condition. She is the doctors daughter and rode out to the cabin with him a few times. My father doesn't have much time left according to Dr Jake. He said the bronchitis is pretty serious. Colby and I walked into dads bedroom to check to him every morning when we woke up. "How you feeling dad?" I had asked that morning. "I'm fine son, the freezer is getting low though. Keep an eye on it you boys may need to take a deer soon" he replied. "Yes sir, I'll send Colby out this afternoon I have to meet Rebecca at the doctors office before she leave for college tomorrow. I should be back around 10" I said. I looked at Colby and told him what needed to be done. "You need to drop us some food this afternoon. Use the land at the north side of the house the wind is blowing south" I demanded. "How long should I stay out Bubba?" He asked. "Just be back before dark. Be careful and watch for wolves. You got this. Make dad promise and bing back some meat. I'm going to see Rebecca, she's leaving for California tomorrow to start college." I replied. I went to the truck and filled it with gas out of our pump by the barn. Dr. Jake's office was three hours away in town. I finally arrived at the office at 6:30. "Hey gorgeous, how are you?" I asked when she ran out to meet me. "I'm good, how is your dad? She asked. "He's doing good. The bronchitis is really working him hard though." I replied. "It must be hard on you, taking care of him and your brother. Keeping the fences up and fixed through this tough weather, keeping food on the table, and keeping up the garden. That's not including the time you make for me and the repairs you do around here for my dad." She claimed. "I'll be fine. I can get through it. I had to put aside a little work to come see you before your off to California but it's worth it. I've gotta see you on your last day here. I'm gonna miss you Becca." I answered. "I'm gonna miss you to you big brown eyed boy." She said with tears in here eyes. I'm 6'2 so I'm a giant to her standing only 5'0. "Don't cry sweetheart you'll be home for visits every semester and your doing great things. Be happy. Maybe I'll catch a break and come see you in California." I said trying to comfort her. I really didn't want her to go. She kept me happy through these horrible times but she has to do what she has to do. She doesn't need me pulling her down. "I see you still got that beautiful ring you asked for." I said "yes, of course. I didn't expect it to be an engagement ring though" she said with a smile on her face. Rebecca is twenty so I made the big decision to propose on her birthday last year. "I know and trust me girl I was nervous." I said jokingly to cheer her up "Yes and about that I've been thinking.... Why don't we get married when I come home for my first visit. That will give us time to plan and hopefully be soon enough for you father to experience it with us." She claimed. "Yea, that would be great. I will call you tonight and we can make plans. I've gotta get going now though, I love you so much and be careful on your trip." I said after I hugged her kissed her. I started making my way back to the truck and headed home. "Did you bring us anything home?" I asked Colby as I walked in the door. "Nope, I didn't see anything" he replied keeping that same smile on his face. I walked back to the bedroom to call Rebecca and make plans. Once we started talking and planning we were on the phone for hours. "I'm sure your dad wouldn't feel like leaving so how about we have it at your cabin?" She asked "Yes that sounds great." I answered. I heard crashing and banging in the kitchen. "Hey babe I have to go something is going on I love you" I said right before I hung up. I got up and ran to the kitchen to find out what it was. It was dad. He fell in the kitchen trying to shoot a deer through the window. "Dad you know you don't have the strength to stand up. Much less fire a gun!" I said angrily. "I know but we are running out of food and I seen a doe standing right over there by the well." He answered. "I'll send Colby back out in the morning while I stay here and fix you breakfast. I'll pack him something to go. You've gotta take it easy. You hear Dr. Jake he said the more you work and strain yourself he more time your shaving off of your life. Let's just take it easy okay? I'm not ready to see you go." I argued. "Son, maybe it's time. I can't do anything anymore and I'm putting more work on you and your brother by having you take care of me. Just let me be and let me live my last little bit of time happy. Hunting and fishing instead of laying in bed all day." He argued back. With tears filling my eyes I agreed knowing he isn't happy with his condition and not being able to go out and enjoy himself. "Colby come here" I screamed to the other room. "Yea?" He answered as he walked in the door. "Let dad be from now on. He wants to go ahead and finish off his time happy. Doing the things he loves instead of being stuck in the house all the time. Ask him to go hunting with you in the morning. I'm gonna surprise Rebecca in the morning before she leaves. I need to talk to her and clear my head. You know she always helps." I claimed. "Yes sir" he answers with tears rolling down his face. He just looked at me crying so I pulled him to me and hugged him "it'll be okay Bubba. He will go out happier this way. It's what he wants to do." I said trying to comfort Colby. He didn't respond he just got up and walked to dads room. I heard him ask dad to go hunting with him in the morning. I couldn't sleep so I got an early start on breakfast and left before they woke up. I pulled up to Rebecca's house while she was packing her truck to leave. "Hey you, what are you doing here? And why have you been crying?" She asked. I told her what dad had said the night before. "It's okay. Everything will be fine. There is no telling with this type of thing. It could be another six months before he's gone even if he does what he wants" she said. She's a smart girl when it comes to doctor stuff. She went to a small university here to get her license and decided to further her education in California for more money and to be a doctor there. We sat and talked for hours until she had to leave. "Your gonna be late. "You better get going." I said as my phone started ringing. It was Colby "hey what's up Bubba." I answered. "You need to get home, fast. Please hurry! Dads dying. He was to weak to climb the tree stand and he had fallen off before I could help him. He wouldn't let me help him" he said with fear in his voice. "I got to go Becca, dads dying. Ask your dad if he can come over as soon as possible please. Have a nice trip I love you." I said as I was running to my truck. I didn't give her a chance to reply before I was gone. I pulled up at home and raced inside. "Where is he?" I asked Colby who was sitting on the porch crying. "In the bedroom" He answered quickly. "Dad, dad are you okay?" I asked "I don't have much longer. I'm ready to go. Don't worry about me. When I was laying there on the ground I seen your mother. She was calling for me. She was telling me to come home. My time is here son we have to accept it. I'll be happy I'll be with your mother again" he said with a shaking voice. I grabbed his and and looked at him crying "don't go dad. We need you here. Dr. Jake is on his way." I said. "I love you too son just keep your head up. It'll be okay. Stay stro...." he was gone. Right there in my arms he was gone. "Colby!" I said trying to get the words out under through my sobbing. I met him on the porch. "What is it? Is everything okay?" He asked as he started sobbing with me. "He's gone! He didn't make it!" I cried. We heard a truck coming down the driveway. It was Dr. Jakes truck. I raced out to talk to him but it wasn't him in the truck. It was Rebecca. "What are you doing here? Your gonna be late" I claimed "I was gonna talk to you about this but your brother called. Before we moved here we lived in Colorado. My dad also has his medical license there. He seen that Allen's time was running low. He talked to me last night and gave me his office. He told me to take over his practice here that he wanted to go back to his brothers in Colorado. He left late last night. I'm staying Colby. I though if it was okay I could sell the office and buy another spot somewhere closer to home." She ranted to me. "Where is home?" I asked. "I wanna stay here with you. I wanna help out around here and take some stress away from you and your brother." She said with a smile on her face. "That would be great babe. I'd love that" I chuckled. "No wait you didn't let me finish. I called the city counsel and told them your fathers situation. They wanna hire you to take over his position as game warden. I told them that if anyone knew this land as well as him it would be you. I'm gonna hire your brother for repairs around my office. I've seen his work. He learned from his big brother so he must be the next best handyman around! Besides. We will have a great place and plenty of money to support the four of us." She said smirking. "The four of us?" I asked. "Yes. I've been waiting for the right time to tell you but it's starting to feel like there will never be a right time. I'm pregnant Colby! I took a test last week" she said with a big smile and tears in her eyes. "That's great! I wish my father could meet our baby though. He would love his pop pop." I said trying to hide the tears from both emotions at the same time. "He?!. Who said it was gonna be a boy." She laughed "well not or girl I hope she's have the man daddy was. I love you Rebecca. Thank you for being here through this." I answer with a half smile on my face. "I love you too. I told you I'm the beginning that you wasn't going through anything alone. Stay strong. For Colby." She comforted. We walked to the house and told Colby the news. He was grateful and sad at the same time just like I was. He left later that day and didn't tell anyone where he was going. We went searching but couldn't find him. He stayed out all night and finally came home at 830 the next morning. He was dragging the biggest buck I had ever seen. "Dad sent him for me" Colby said. "The freezers aren't empty anymore." He followed up with his previous comment. "That's great Bubba I've never seen a deer that big. He will feed us for months." I congratulated him. "I will always remember the first kill as dads gift from heaven." He said as he looked to the sky. Dads request when he found out about his condition was to make sure his grandkids knew about him so I made that happen. I kept all of dads pictures up in the house. Baby Allen came in December. December 12th. Just like his grandfather. I was right it was a boy. We mounted and hung Colby's first kill above the fireplace. Colby started his own taxidermy business when he turned nineteen. He named it TFL taxidermy. He always told me that it meant The First Kill in memory of our father. We miss him often, Love him all the time, and most importantly we are all happy together with him watching over us. Rebecca and I got married and spent the rest of our lives in the cabin building on to it and making it her dream home. Everyone was happy and the cabin stayed in the family for many generations. Allen's first kill was shot out of that tree stand where daddy had died. He was only 8 years old.
