The smell of alcohol was still fresh on my breath when the horse-drawn carriage made its way down the ice embellished path to my homestead. I threw on my winter coat, stuffed the bottle of whiskey I had recently sipped dry back under the old floorboards of the house, and strode over to the door. The sound of horse hooves soon reached the hitching post out front and I shoved a revolver into the front of my jeans. That's when her voice echoed on the other side of the cabin door, "Johnny, it's me, Delilah!" Delilah and I had grown up together, we used to play cowboys and indians when we were younger, but recently the cold had taken her mother and little brother, just as it did both my parents.
I struggled on the frozen lock, fighting to get the door open. The lock broke loose and the wooden barricade between us flung open, Delilah flew through the doorway to embrace me. I held her tight for a moment, then the space between us returned, cold and unfamiliar. Once the door was slammed shut once more I turned to her, "Johnny where have you been? Father and I are the only ones left of my family, this winter has taken me to hell and back and of all people I counted on you to be there for me! You can imagine how surprised I was when I returned to the school house and you never showed up for class."
I gave her a guilty shrug, shoved my fists into my pockets and replied, "Yeah Delilah, I know that the blizzards have hurt you, they've taken both my parents."
She gave me a look that had 'sorry' written all over it, then crossed her arms over her corset and said, "You're still a 17 year old boy, you can't just disappear. I understand that you are grieving but, I miss you." At the sound of those words my mind was flooded with flashbacks of our last summer night spent together, our bodies colliding, her lips on my skin, we had made love, and in that moment I truly did love her. That night seems like years ago, but yet only a few months had passed.
With a slight hesitation I whispered, "I've missed you too." She took my hand and her touch pulled me out of my fantasies, I looked at her, she seemed different from the last time I saw her, there was a glint of desperation in her eyes.
"Johnny I want to stay with you," she whispered nostalgically as her grip on my hand loosened.
"Delilah, I like being alone, besides I am running out of food, there's hardly enough rations for one person let alone two, the water isn't filtered well enough, what if you get sick, the.."
"But Johnny, I feel so alone, please." She reached out to me and I stepped away from her embrace, walking over to the door I jiggled the latch once again.
"I think it's time for you to go back home Liliah.." the door swung open and the heavy wind blew the fabric of her dress tighter around her figure. I looked at the floorboards to avoid her eyes, knowing that they must be filling with tears.
"But..I.."
"Just go." I felt her warmth as she walked past me and through the door, I could've sworn I heard her whimper. Then I watched her lift up her gown and trudge back through the heavy snow, she lifted herself into the stage coach and I closed the door once more, before she had time to look back.
