Page 21 of Kian

Sighing, Gretchen watched as her breath formed a cloud in front of her face. “Alright. Here, take the rifle. But don’t make me come looking for you.”

He nodded as he took the gun from her; his eyes clouded with sadness. “At least someone would,” he muttered, his voice barely audible to Gretchen as he trudged deeper into the woods. She watched him until he disappeared from sight.

Feeling a pang of guilt for leaving him alone, she turned to Lobo. “Go with him,” she said firmly, pointing in the direction Kian had gone. The dog obeyed, bounding off through the snow-covered trees. Gretchen made her way back to the cabin, shivering despite her thick coat and layers of winter gear. If Kian wasn’t back in fifteen minutes, she promised herself that she would go back out to find him.

As she entered the warm cabin, she let out a sigh of relief. She removed her heavy coat, hat, and mittens before hanging them up by the door. Then she walked over to the hearth and placed her hat and mittens on top to dry. After making herself a cup of hot tea, she sat down at the window and watched as the snow fell heavier and harder outside.

“You need to get back here, Kian,” she whispered.

Straining her eyes through the thick snowfall, she finally saw Lobo running toward the cabin followed closely by Kian. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him petting the dog affectionately.

When they reached the porch, she could hear Kian stomping his feet to remove the snow before entering. She opened the door for him.

“Do you want a cup of coffee to warm you up?” she asked.

“Please,” he replied gratefully. He brushed off the snow from his shoulders and hair before stepping inside. She took the rifle from him, and he took off his boots and placed them near the fireplace to dry.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, heading down the hallway. “I need to get out of these wet clothes.”

“Your coffee will be ready when you get back, then I’ll put your sling back on for you,” Gretchen called after him, as she put the rifle back into the cabinet.

“Thank you,” Kian replied.

****

Kian walked into the kitchen and took the mug of coffee from Gretchen’s hand, savoring each sip as he looked out the window.

“You’re trying too hard,” she said.

He let out a sigh and turned to face her. “I know, but you don’t understand how much this bothers me. Thoughts come and go in my mind before I can grasp them.”

“Your family must be worried sick about you,” she commented sympathetically.

“I’m sure they are,” he replied, glancing back at the window. “It’s like I know I don’t have a wife, but deep down, I feel like my parents are still living and a part of me is missing.” He looked over his shoulder at Gretchen. “Does that make any sense?”

“Yes, it does. I wish I could do more to help you,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Me too,” he replied with a small smile.

She walked to the fridge and opened it. “Any ideas for dinner tonight?”

“What do you have?” Kian asked.

“Chicken, steak, soup, frozen dinners,” she listed off with a shrug.

“Steak sounds good to me. I know I like steak,” he joked with a grin.

Gretchen laughed. “That’s a start.”

As he finished his coffee, Kian rinsed his cup and placed it in the sink before turning to face her.

“Why isn’t a beautiful woman like you married?”

“And why isn’t a handsome man like you married?”

Kian raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You think I’m handsome?”

“Just look in the mirror; you’ll see it too.”

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