Five Years Later in the winter
San Francisco, California
Lokni took a moment to study the waves as they rolled into the beach, which wasn’t too far from where she and Brandon had made their home. As he had wished, they had a good view of the ocean, and she had to admit, it was just as beautiful as he had made it sound. She loved coming outside to this view every day. It was much better than the open prairie she had grown up in.
“Mama,” Clint said, taking her hand. “I want to see Papa.”
She turned her gaze to her two-year-old daughter. The wind blew Wilma’s dark hair in her eyes. Lokni let go of Clint’s hand so she could brush away the strands. “Alright. Let’s be on our way to the mercantile,” Lokni said.
Twice a month Brandon took them to the beach, and they were due for another trip in two days. She would get a chance to enjoy the beach then. Sometimes they would have a picnic. At other times, they would sit and watch the waves roll in. It was very peaceful and relaxing at the beach.
Humming a tune under her breath, she led the children to the mercantile.
San Francisco was a good-sized place, and one thing that had surprised her when she first came here was the large number of Chinese people, especially men, who had made their home here. There were some Indians, though not nearly as many as the white people and the Chinese. The gold rush had given a lot of them an incentive to come here, and though it was long over, many of the people remained.
She thought this was a good place for her children. It was by no means perfect. Not everyone was accepting of people who were different from them. That was true everywhere she’d ever been, but she was glad her children would grow up surrounded by different people who brought their own flavor of their culture with them. She was already teaching Clint and Wilma about the ways of her tribe. They would learn about the Chinese and white men’s ways, too.
On her way to the mercantile, she called out a greeting to a couple of people she recognized. Clint was nearly dragging her along at this point. The closer they got to the mercantile, the more excited he got. He knew Brandon would give him a piece or two of candy, and she suspected his enthusiasm stemmed more from that than actually spending a moment with his father. But that would change as he got older and learned the value of family.
Upon reaching the mercantile, she saw the sign in the window announcing a sale for sugar and flour. She might have to pick some up while she was here. Shortly after arriving in California, she confessed to Brandon that she was unable to read the white man’s language. He had taken the time to teach her how to read, and it was nice to know what the words were instead of guessing all the time.
She opened the door and let Clint in first, which might have been a mistake since he made a mad dash over to the counter calling out, “Papa, Papa,” the whole way.
The three patrons in the store turned and chuckled.
“He sure is anxious to see his father,” Mrs. Davis called out.
Lokni watched as Clint reached the counter. Brandon, who was talking to an unfamiliar man and woman, picked the boy up and opened the licorice jar so Clint could have a piece.
With an amused shake of her head, Lokni said, “Every time he comes here, Clint knows he’ll get candy.”
The woman chuckled. “There’s nothing wrong with that. The nice thing about children is that they don’t hide what they want.”
“You’re right. That is nice.” After a moment, Lokni asked, “How is your mother doing?”
“Much better since she got that cane Brandon ordered. She can walk on her own again. I’m glad he suggested it.”
“He saw how well Mr. Wang did after getting one and thought your mother would benefit from it.”
Wilma squirmed in Lokni’s arms. “Papa. Want Papa.”
Mrs. Davis winked at Lokni. “I’ll let you take her over to her father.”
Lokni grinned and proceeded to make her way over to the counter. Clint was standing by Brandon, chewing on a piece of licorice, looking as happy as could be. Brandon gave Wilma a piece of licorice, too, before he turned his attention to Lokni.
“Lokni, I want you to meet Joe and Michelle Otto,” Brandon said. “Joe was the one who dropped me off in the town where you and I met. I was just telling Joe that I hold no ill feelings toward him.”
“I’m glad everything worked out,” Joe added. “It wasn’t something I wanted to do.”
“I know,” Brandon said. “You did it because it was for my own good.” He gestured to Lokni and their children. “As you can see, it worked out. Lokni is my wife, and this is our son, Clint, and our daughter, Wilma. Joe and Michelle are going to be in town for a couple of days.”
“We’re visiting my aunt and uncle,” Michelle told Lokni.
“Did you lead another wagon train here?” Brandon asked.
Joe nodded. “We just dropped everyone off yesterday. We came by here to pick up supplies. I got to tell you, I was surprised to see you working here.”
“Well,” Brandon said as he gave Clint another piece of candy, “I would much rather be doing this than leading another wagon train.” He glanced at Michelle. “Do you really enjoy leading the wagon train with him?”
“I do,” Michelle replied. “In fact, I enjoy it more and more each year. This is our third year of coming down to California. Last year we led a wagon train to Nevada, and another year, we went to the Oregon Territory. One nice thing I love about being south this time of year is how warm it is.”
“We usually keep to the south in the winter months,” Joe added. “We try to make it to Omaha at least every two years so we can see her father.”
“You should tell us about some of your trips,” Brandon said. “Why don’t you come over and have supper with me and Lokni?”
“That’s a great idea,” Lokni agreed. “You’re welcome to come over this evening. I just put a roast in the oven. There will be plenty of food for everyone.”
“Since Brandon isn’t upset with me for dropping him off the way I did, we’ll take you up on your offer,” Joe replied.
“You won’t be sorry,” Brandon said. “Lokni is the best cook in the area.”
Lokni gave him a pleased smile but corrected, “I don’t know if I’m the best.”
“No? Then why did I gain a couple of pounds around the waist?” Brandon asked in a teasing tone as he patted his stomach.
Michelle laughed. “It’ll be nice to get better acquainted. You two seem like a fun couple.”
“I’ll close the mercantile at five,” Brandon said with a chuckle. “Come here then, and I’ll take you over to my home.”
“We’ll be here then.” Joe picked up the box of items he had purchased from the counter and offered a nod to Lokni before he and Michelle headed out.
Brandon gave Wilma another piece of candy. “A part of me thinks I should give Joe a gift because he did drop my sorry butt off in that town where we met. I have a lot to be thankful for.” He smiled at Lokni. “I honestly don’t think a man could do better than I did.”
“A woman couldn’t do better, either,” she replied. “You’re a wonderful father and husband, Brandon.”
With a glance around to make sure no one was watching them, he leaned over the counter and kissed her. “Is it any wonder I love you as much as I do? You make me a man I can be proud of.”
“Papa, can I have another candy?” Clint asked.
“You already had two,” Brandon said. “If you keep eating candy, you’ll spoil your dinner.”
“Just one more?” He clasped his hands together and stared up at his father with sad eyes.
Brandon looked at Lokni, silently asking her if it was fine with her.
“I suppose one more won’t hurt, especially since we have company coming tonight,” Lokni said.
“Alright.” Brandon dug two peppermints from another jar and gave one to each of their children. “You’re fortunate to have such a nice mother.”
She grinned at Brandon and then proceeded to order the staple items she had come to get for cooking. He would take them home with him later that day. She could tell him what she wanted before he left for work, but she liked the excuse to go pay him a visit, and he never seemed to mind.
Plus, on the way back, she got another chance to look out at the ocean and remember the times during their long journey when he had talked about it with a wistful expression on his face. It was during that time they had fallen in love with each other. So maybe it was more than the ocean itself that thrilled her. Maybe the ocean reminded her of his love for her.
She smiled and guided her children home. She had a wonderful life, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.