68
.
Zenna lay breathlessly in Matt’s arms, still only partly clothed and under the picnic blanket, the basket rolled a little ways down the hill from their movements. This was the good life, she knew. She didn’t know how she got to be so lucky, but somehow she was – and she was determined to appreciate him every day of their lives together.
He kissed and fondled her, caressing their unborn baby as he did. “Do ya know what I haven’t heard since we’ve been up here?”
“Your mother’s phantom,” Zenna replied, having also noticed the missing presence. “Are we in the right place?”
“Yah. I’ve been up here too, before… dat is where she totaled Sid’s truck.”
Zenna wasn’t sure what to say.
“Dad would say dat my moder is in heaven now, eh. Maybe lookin’ over us. But yer moder believes someteen different, I believe.”
“She believes in reincarnation. She doesn’t think my father’s spirit has ever left her, but she hasn’t felt him in awhile now. She thinks that maybe my father has returned to her now – as her own child. But we won’t know for a couple of years, maybe… Certainly not before he or she is born around Christmas.”
“Maybe my moder would choose to return as my son or daughter, eh. Wouldn’t dat be someteen?!”
“Yah,” Zenna replied. “That would be humbling. I would be most honored.”
“Let’s wait a little while longer, eh. If da phantom don’t appear in da next hour or so, I will conclude dat she has moved on now.”
Zenna took more pictures, finding subjects in the little flowers that grew in abundance on the hill, between the 20-year-old stumps. As they waited, Matt grew more somber, until he decided they’d waited long enough.
“Let’s go,” he said morosely.
Zenna picked up the basket and litter as Matt rolled up the blanket.
“I guess she’s really gone den,” Matt said, as they got back into the Suburban. “She was my only companion fer four years – until ya came up here, dat is, eh. An’ now she’s gone.”
Zenna reached for his hand.
“I wanna put a liddle memorial down on da curve, eh,” Matt said, as they drove back down the hill.
“Go ahead. I’ll help ya,” she replied. “I can’t imagine anything harder than losing my mother – then losing her again.”
“I love ya, my wife!”
They stopped again just below the corner – out of reach of the phantom – out of habit. Even though they had still not seen any sign of her, it still seemed safer to stay out of harm’s way.
Matt found a couple of large sticks and quickly whittled the bark off them, making a stake of the longer piece. On the shorter cross piece, he carved the word, MOM. Then he fashioned them into a cross using some ivy.
Zenna felt helpless as she watched him.
Finally, he grabbed the mallet he had for hammering tent pegs and pounded the cross into the ground, just behind the brand new guard rail.
He stood there for a few minutes, then turned to Zenna, tears in his eyes. She rushed into his arms and held him as he sobbed. “I was only five years old!” he blurted between sobs. “No boy is ready ta lose his mother at dat age!”
Zenna held him, finding no words to say.
“Is it bad dat I’m glad dat Andy died?” he asked softly. “He stole my moder!”
“No… you’re a good man – better than Andy ever was. And our children will grow up to be good too – because you care, Matt. Your mother looked over you when you were out here alone. She made sure I couldn’t leave you… made sure I met you. I’m indebted to her.”
He smiled weakly. “Yah… She did, didn’ she? I told ya dat she’d like ya!” He turned back to the cross momentarily. “Good-bye, Mom.”
They got back into the Suburban.
“Ya don’ tink I’m weak, do ya?” he asked nervously, as they turned onto the highway, breaking the silence that had predominated all the way down from the curve on the hill.
“Of course not,” Zenna reassured. “You have been so strong for me. It isn’t weakness to cry over the loss you’ve had!”
“Yer sure yer not jis’ sayin’ dat?”
“I wouldn’t lie to ya!” she replied emphatically. “But where do you want to go tonight?”
“Not sure… I guess I wanted ta be wid my moder, but she’s not up dat road anymore, eh. Is der anywhere ya wanna go before Sid comes?” he asked.
Zenna thought about it.
“I mean, yer due in, what, six weeks?”
“Three to five weeks,” she replied.
“Have ya ever been ta Isle Royale?” he asked.
“No.”
“How ‘bout dat den?” he suggested.
“Sure!”
“Let’s git all da way ta Houghton tonight, eh – git a room der an’ take da first crossin’ in da mornin’ whadd’ya tink?”
“Ya’ve got yerself a date, husband!”
♥♥♥
THE END
♥♥♥♥♥
We will return to Ash Creek sometime in the future - when we will learn about how Sheriff Sidney Clay finally gets through to Detective Alan Winchester. But next, we will go to Swan Valley in the great state of Wyoming for a pair of Neme'o'ng romances...
Back to chapter 1
Character Info and Notes
Available to purchase (in print) at Amazon. Ebook version coming soon. (As soon as Draft2Digital formulates the link.)
Image Credits
Matthew Nygaard
Genesis 8 by DAZ 3D Studio
Myles Beard by AprilYSH (sold through DAZ)
Adrian Hair by yitao0526 (sold through DAZ)
Hunt Pants by DragonBreath
Native American top by Pusey Designs
.
Zenna Williams
Genesis 8
Mitzy hair
Basic Wear by DAZ
Set
willow trees by Stonemason
fallen tree by Hivewire
grass by Erock 3D
background image from Pixabay
Previous Stories:
Catch up on LBRY.
Location:
Ash Creek is a fictitious town in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I've attempted to keep the spirit of the people as well as make liberal use of the Yooper accent/dialect. Yes, I've heard it spoken, but it's an inexact science, so please forgive me any errors and enjoy this work in the spirit with which I write... with deep love and affection for the area.
Please read my note on romance, teenage intimate relationships and underage sex. I apologize if my understanding conflicts with your sense of morality, but I'm only looking at things realistically, not ideologically. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2105 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
verified author on Goodreads
(Buy my books at Books2Read and at LBRY)
find me on Twitter
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