Love's New Beginning (a Love Comes Softly fanfiction)

The True Story

Clark had talked to a few people in town and on the way to it, beginning the process of raising money to attract a doctor who knew what he was doing, and setting one or two people to writing letters to people they thought might be candidates. Then he did the shopping, finding that it went faster on a Friday with fewer people in town ... but that also gave Missus MacDonald a bit more time to talk to him. Gossip being her bread and butter, she loved a good chance to find out what her neighbors were up to. She was tickled pink to be putting together the bundle for the baby, talking about how nice it was that he and his missus were expanding their family. Clark nodded along, not paying especial attention.

He left the store and stopped in to visit at a few more places, talking up the idea of bringing a doctor to the area, and finding a lot of enthusiasm for the idea now that he had gotten it started.

On his way back to where he had hitched the team and wagon, he suddenly stopped short, realizing that Missus MacDonald thought Marty's baby was his child. It hadn't even occurred to him, knowing as he did that was impossible ... and now it seemed to him that it wasn't right to let her think so. He treasured the fact that Missie was Ellen's daughter, that he would be able to share the memory of his beautiful wife with their girl as she grew. Surely Marty deserved the same chance; her baby deserved to know about its father.

Turning back into the store, he waited until Missus MacDonald was available and then set her straight, so that the story she told would be the true one.

He drove home in the cold, glad to be done with the week's shopping and looking forward to a hot cup of flavorful coffee when he got home. He took special care of the team, glad to have them in good health. It seemed likely that there would be a lot of extra trips back and forth over the next few months, in the winter cold, and their sound hearts would be needed.

Once they were taken care of, he hurried inside, his arms full of packages. Missie danced and leaped with happiness at the sight of him. "Daddy here—Daddy here. Hi, Pa!"

Ellen had preferred Daddy, but Clark thought Pa was more dignified and would age better. Still ... it was nice to hear the more affectionate term occasionally. Putting his bundles down, he picked her up and swung her around, laughing with her.

"Pa cold," Missie said with concern, patting his reddened cheeks with her little hands.

"It be cold out," he told her, putting her down.

"Best ya be a warmin' up a bit 'fore ya start the chores," Marty said, pouring a fresh cup of coffee and going for the cream.

"Sounds like a good idea." Clark took off his heavy coat and hung it near the stove, so it would be warm, or at least warmer, when he had to put it back on again. He warmed his hands for a moment before turning to the table and taking the cup Marty handed him. He sniffed it appreciately. She was good at a fair number of tasks around the house, and was getting better at others all the time, but his favorite was still her coffee. Strong and flavorful, it put real heart in a man.

Once he had a few hearty swallows in him, he pointed at the packages he had brought in. "Thet there fair-sized bundle be yourn. Missus MacDonald was right excited 'bout fixin' it up. Think she was a mite confused. Seemed to think it was my young'un. It bein' none of her business, I didn't bother to set her straight." He glanced up and saw that Marty's face had gone white, her hands still, as she stared at him, and was very glad that he had taken the time to make sure the true story was understood. "I got a thinkin' later, though, thet maybe I should have said somethin' so I went back. 'Missus MacDonald,' I sez, 'true, my Missus be havin' a young'un and true I'll be a treatin' 'im as one of mine, but also true thet his pa be her first husband an' thet bein' important to her, I wouldn't want folks gettin' things mixed up like'." His coffee had cooled enough for him to finish the cup, so he did so. "Well, I best be gettin'."

On his way out the door, he noticed that Marty had returned to preparing the meal, her head down as she focused on her task. Something about the way she stood, though, told him that she had heard and appreciated what he said.

It was very cold out, the temperature having dropped sharply just since he returned home. When he came back in, before he sat down to supper, he lit a fire in the fireplace in the sitting room.

"Guess it's time to be havin' more heat than jest the cook stove," he observed, taking his seat at the table.

As he checked on the fire after they ate, and watched as Missie brought her toys in to play in the warmth it gave out, it occurred to him that it would be very cold in the bedroom. If Marty was going to do all the sewing she needed, for Missie and for the new baby, she would need to be spending a lot of time at the machine. She should bring it into the sitting room.

Clark thought about how it would feel to see the shining machine he had bought in such anticipation of Ellen's birthday, and he found that he could handle it now. He was ready.

Poking his head into the kitchen as Marty was finishing the dishes, he said, "It'll be right cold in yer room from now on. Do ya be a wantin' yer machine moved out to the sittin' room? There be plenty of room there for it."

Marty looked at him, choosing her words with care. "Do ya mind seein' it a sittin' there?"

He appreciated the thought, and did his best to answer as honestly as he could. "'S'pose I do some. But it's not as hard now as it was at first sight of it, an' twould only be foolhardy not to put it where it can be of use. I'll get used to it." He nodded at her and went to go start moving the machine before he could think about it any further.