He Talked on All through Suppertime bout the Good Prospector's Life
“The great tears sprang to their meeting eyes; for the heart must speak when the lips are dumb.” —Kate Putnam Osgood
Steve wouldn’t admit it, but his feet ached from walking so long.
After Peter’s nap, he had decided he wanted to pretend he was a mustang so he was running circles around Steve and Bucky.
Steve was exhausted just looking at him.
“It’s our tree!” Peter crowed suddenly.
Steve cocked his head at the dead tree with a bird’s nest in it.
Bucky patted the tree’s trunk. “You know what that means.”
“We’re home! We’re home! We’re home!” Peter yelled.
So, this was Bucky’s land?
It was rich and fertile, and it seemed to stretch on forever.
“Da and I planted that tree together!” Peter exclaimed.
“It marks where our land begins,” Bucky explained. “We have a few miles before we reach the house.”
“It’s a land of milk and honey.” Joseph’s voice echoed throughout Steve’s mind.
Sarah sighed. “You are not content here; you will not be content there.”
Growling menacingly, Joseph shoved Steve against a bookshelf and stormed out of their house.
Steve refused to cry.
Pulling Steve into her arms, Sarah kissed the top of his head. “It’s alright, my acushla.”
“I don’t want to leave,” Steve sobbed.
Sarah’s arms tightened around him.
Steve knew just how difficult life was out West. He had expected a ramshackle building or a worse-for-wear homestead. But his eyes bugged at the sight of the great house.
The victorian house looked as if it belonged out East. It didn’t belong to a struggling rancher or an unlucky prospector. No, it belonged to a very wealthy man.
Steve stared at Bucky with a new understanding.
Bucky looked like he was about to say something when a red-headed woman ran out of the house.
“Yasha!”
“Auntie Nat!” Peter screamed. He ran into her arms.
She kissed both of his cheeks. “Peyta!”
Bucky was pulled into a bone-breaking hug next.
Steve stood awkwardly as he watched the intimate family moment before him. He just wanted to feel his mother’s arms around him again.
“Family is forever.” Sarah’s words wrapped around Steve’s mangled heart.
Peter tugged on Steve’s hand. “Come with me!”
Steve allowed the over-excited pup to drag him around the fancy house.
“This is the piano! And that’s the hearth! And this—this is my toy soldier set! And that’s Da’s books!” Peter’s words ran together.
Steve had never seen such wealth. He couldn’t help feeling that he didn’t belong here.
“S-Stevie?” Peter’s voice faltered.
Pups picked up on Omega distress alarmingly fast.
Forcing a smile, Steve looked down at the little pup. “I’m alright; I’m just a bit tired.”
Peter frowned. Hugging Steve’s legs, he whispered, “I’m really happy you’re my new oma!”
Stever sighed and pulled the pup into his arms.
***
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