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“Can I ask you kind of a strange favor?”
John raised an eyebrow. Abigail asking for a favor wasn’t that unusual, but he could only imagine what she would consider strange.
“Could you… would you mind brushing your teeth in front of Jack? Lately the boy copies everything you do, but he won’t brush his teeth no matter how many times I ask.”
“You bein’ serious?”
“‘Course I am. Yesterday, when you was out smokin’ by the lake, Jack was there too, not three feet behind you, sucking on a stick. He heard you call someone ‘partner,’ it was all he would call anyone for two whole weeks. Please, John. I been trying not to ask for too much, but this’ll be real quick.”
John thought for a moment before replying.
“He’s been copyin’ me this whole time?”
“At least the past month.”
He tried to hide a smile. Even he had to admit the idea was funny.
“Alright, then. Brushin’ teeth. Got it.” He rose and started heading for his tent. “Send him over, tell him I need him to bring a pail of water, if he can manage it.”
“Thank you, John. This really means a lot. Hard enough gettin’ him to do anything these days.”
He just nodded, unsure how to respond. He guessed he should say something about kids Jack’s age being like that, but he didn’t know any. He amused himself trying to remember anything he’d done recently that the boy could have copied until the flap of his tent rustled.
“Pa? I got the water.”
Jack was holding the pail’s handle with two hands, clearly struggling to lift it but trying to pretend it was easy. John took it from him and set it down on his makeshift nightstand.
“You wanna stay? See how a man gets himself ready for the day? Won’t learn that bein’ with your mama all the time.”
The boy’s face lit up.
“For real? Teach me!”
John couldn’t help but smile at Jack’s enthusiasm. He doubted anyone had even been so excited to wash their face and brush their teeth. Jack had even brushed twice for “practice.” He guessed he should have known that the kid wasn’t going anywhere once their morning wash-up was done.
“What are we doing now? Are we gonna chop wood? Uncle Hosea told me not to touch the axe but I promise I’ll be real careful! Or are we gonna go hunting? I asked for a bow for my birthday. Or are we gonna rob a bank? I can be lookout!”
“We ain’t gonna rob a bank. How about…” he cast his eyes around the camp, looking for something to do with the kid. He had to admit that having Jack actually want to be just like him was flattering, maybe even fun.
“Let’s brush Old Boy. When you get big you’re gonna have your own horse, and you’ll need to know how to take care of it.”
The words had barely left his mouth before Jack was running at full speed towards the hitching rail. Chuckling, John jogged after him. By the time he made it up the small hill, Jack was already pulling a brush off the table, Kieran eying him nervously. John didn’t want the man anywhere near Jack. It wouldn’t be below Colm to take the boy.
“Scram, O’Driscoll. Yeah, I know ‘I ain’t an O’Driscoll.’ Beat it.”
“Mama says I can’t throw rocks at the O’Driscoll.”
“You was throwin’ rocks? Good for you.” He paused. “Maybe don’t tell your mama that I said that. You wanna see how you give a horse a snack?”
They spent most of the day up on the hill with the horses, Jack copying everything John did, right down to when he tripped over a root, fell over, and swore. The boy was smarter than John thought a four-year-old could be, wanting to know about everything from John’s favorite stories as a kid to why his pants had stripes. It was the most anyone had asked him about himself in years, equal parts exhausting and sweet.
The sun was low in the sky by the time they headed back towards the main camp, John carrying an exhausted Jack. The boy had missed his afternoon nap, but John guessed that if it was a big deal Abigail would have come looking for them. As it was, she was sitting with Mrs. Adler near the campfire, looking relaxed in a way he hadn’t seen her in years. When her companion pointed him out, she turned to look. John’s heart melted at the smile she gave him when she saw him holding their son against his chest. It was the same smile he had seen on Jack’s face as they’d shared an apple that afternoon, and as much as he’d loved noticing the little ways the boy resembled him, he was glad that Jack had Abigail’s smile.
He carried the boy to the lean-to, Abigail getting there just as John tucked a blanket around their sleeping son.
“You two have a good day?”
“Yep.”
“There a bounty out on that boy now?”
John laughed softly.
“Not a big one.”
She sat on her bedroll, next to where he was kneeling.
“And you?”
“No bounty on me neither.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. Did you have a good day? With Jack?”
“He’s a good kid. We had fun.” He waited for a response, but didn’t get one. “He’s incredible. It’s like the best parts of me and you all got rolled together.”
“Tell him that. He loves you, John. You’re his hero. He just wants to be a part of your life.”
“Well, maybe I’m startin’ to think I want to be a part of his. If you’ll let me.”
“Of course. That’s your boy, this is your family. I know maybe you ain’t always seen it that way, but its the truth. We’re your family and we love you.”
“I…” He looked into her eyes, begging her to see that he was being sincere. “I love you, too. Both of you.”
It was a brief kiss, but there was hope in it. Instead of getting up to go back to his own tent, John laid down between the bedrolls and closed his eyes. He couldn’t walk away from them. Not now, even if he’d only be going a few yards.
They had both nearly drifted off when a thought struck him.
“Abi?”
“Hmm?”
“Tell you one thing. Boy’s gonna brush his teeth tomorrow.”