Ezra stirred on the cot and slowly opened his eyes. After blinking several times, he was able to bring Nathan into focus. The healer was slumped beside the bed in a rocking chair, snoring softly. Ezra stared quizzically at the chair... Nathan never had a rocker in here before. Feeling a strange tightening in his chest at the sight of the chair, he turned his gaze away and looked over at Buck sleeping in the bed.
Instead of easing the unfamiliar emotion he was experiencing, it only intensified it. Glancing back at Nathan and seeing that he was still sound asleep, Ezra eased himself off of the cot and slowly moved toward the bed. In the dim glow of the lamp on the nightstand, the gambler could see how pale and drawn Buck looked, and he knew the gunshot had taken more out of him then he'd let on earlier.
Ezra tried once more to recall the shooting incident, but it was just a dark shadow in his mind and trying to bring it into focus only increased his confusion. Staring at Buck lying in the bed, Ezra began to feel an incredible, uncontrollable urge to climb in beside him... somehow sensing that he would feel safe if he did so.
What's wrong with me? Why do I feel such a need to be near Buck all of a sudden? Ezra's heart pounded as he tried to understand what was happening... as he tried to convince himself to return to the cot where he belonged. But some longing deep inside of him kept him beside the bed... a reluctance to lose the soothing feeling that swept over him as he stared at the ladies man.
Buck moaned softly and reached up to rub a rough hand across his face. His eyes fluttered open and he jumped slightly as he noticed someone was standing beside the bed, staring at him. Buck stared blearily up at the figure and realized it was Ezra.
"You okay, Ezra?" Buck saw the tears glistening in the emerald gaze and knew the gambler was having some kind of flashback. He saw the younger man shiver and shifting over in the bed slightly, pulled back the covers. "Why don't ya lay down here with me for a little bit, ya look awful cold standin' there."
Ezra hesitantly shook his head while taking a small step back from the bed. "No... I... I can't... I just... I just wanted to... to make sure you're alright." He swayed slightly as a wave of dizziness washed over him... he really did feel awful. The fever from the cold was burning hotly and his whole body ached. Ezra still had no idea why, but he wanted nothing more than to climb in beside Buck and be comforted by his closeness.
Buck had a feeling he knew what Ezra needed, but could see that the younger man was totally confused by the emotions and urges that had drawn him over to the bed. "Come on, pard... there's plenty of room here for both of us. I know how hard that cot is, an' ya don't look like ya feel too good... lay down here an' get warm for a little bit... it ain't gonna hurt nothin'."
Ezra glanced back at the cot and Nathan and then back at Buck... he moved a little closer to the bed and finally allowed Buck to reach up, gently take his hand and pull him down beside him.
Ezra lay down on his side, facing Buck... his eyes never leaving the older man's. Buck slowly tucked the blankets up over Ezra's shoulder and then withdrew to his side of the bed. "Close your eyes, pard... ya need to get some sleep. Nothin's gonna hurt ya while you're here with me."
Buck watched as Ezra gradually relaxed... his eyes growing heavy with sleep as he felt an unexplainable peace fill him. The gunman chuckled softly when he saw Ezra's thumb slowly slip into his mouth as his eyes closed for the final time. Once Buck was sure the Southerner was actually asleep, he allowed himself to drift off.
Dawn was just beginning to lighten the clinic when Buck woke back up. He was relieved to find Ezra still sleeping since sometime during the night, the smaller man had maneuvered himself across the bed and was now curled up in Buck's arms.
The ladies man eased himself out from under Ezra and slowly stood up. Reaching down, he pulled the blankets back over him and gently eased his thumb out of his mouth. Buck knew how confused and embarrassed Ezra would be if he woke up snuggled in bed with him, sucking his thumb, and he wanted to spare him that.
After allowing himself one last loving touch to Ezra's forehead... carefully smoothing the sweat-dampened curls back... Buck made his way slowly out of the clinic.
Chris pushed through the bat wing doors of the saloon, sipping gingerly at the mug of hot coffee he carried. As he drank, his gaze wandered across the street to the clinic, and he was startled to once more see Buck seated out on the landing... elbows on knees, head disconsolately cradled in his hands and bare shoulders again shaking uncontrollably.
Experiencing a nasty sense of deja vu, Chris turned back into the saloon, retrieved another mug of coffee, and headed over to see what had happened now. He had a bad feeling he knew what it was this time... he'd been expecting it. Buck was coming to terms with his Little One being gone... and it was obviously tearing him apart.
Chris walked quietly up beside Buck and handed him the steaming mug of coffee. Setting his own cup down on the bench beside the ladies man, he entered the clinic and reappeared carrying a blanket and Buck's sling. "Better put this on or Nathan's gonna have your head when he wakes up." Chris held his coffee for him while he slipped his arm into the hated contraption and then handed the mug back to him before throwing the blanket over his shoulders.
"Wanna talk about it?" Chris asked, glancing worriedly at his best friend.
Buck shook his head as he wiped his eyes on a corner of the blanket. "Don't think I can... hurts too damn much."
Chris could see just how close to the edge Buck was, and he knew he had to do something to try and pull him back. Sure, he needed to grieve for their Little One... but he didn't have to do it alone. Not when he had his friends there ready to help him and grieve with him.
With a deep sigh, Chris set his coffee down on the floor and moved over to wrap a comforting arm around Buck's shoulders. "I know how hard this is on you, Buck... it's been hard on all of us... but would you give up even one minute of the time we had with Lit'l Ezra just to avoid the pain of him leaving?"
Buck's head shot up and the anguish he was feeling shone brightly in his dark blue eyes. "God no... not a second of it!"
Chris gently rubbed the back of Buck's neck as he tried to give him something positive to hold onto. "Think of it as a gift, Buck... a precious gift that's left us all with a stronger feeling of brotherhood and family. One that's finally allowed us to draw Ezra into the fold. You've seen the difference in him... he's actually allowing us to take care of him a little now... even asking for help when he needs it. He might not be ready to talk about any of these feelings he's obviously having, but you can see it on his face... they're there... tucked away in his heart just waiting for him to discover and accept them."
Buck's eyes filled with tears as he listened to Chris. He knew his friend was right... Ezra's tragic accident had definitely turned into a blessing of sorts... for all of them. The change in the gambler wasn't dramatic... not a complete turn around in attitude... but it was definitely a step in the right direction. Thanks to their Little One, they had been able to take a sizeable chunk out of the wall he kept solidly around his heart. Now it was just a matter of dismantling it brick by brick until he was able to open himself up to their offers of friendship and family completely... with no reservations at all.
And in return, Lit'l Ezra, with his own need to love and be loved, had helped forge them into a tight-knit, caring family... giving them all a new sense of belonging that would stay with them forever. How could they possibly regret any of that?
"I understand all that, Chris... and I agree with ya... we were damn lucky to have our Little One with us for as long as we did. But I swear to God, Chris... it-" Buck's voice shook with emotion and tears began streaming down his cheeks. "It feels like one of us died. I knew it... would be hard when... he left, but... Christ... I never imagined it would hurt... this bad."
Chris blinked rapidly, trying to hold back his own flood of tears as he heard the raw pain behind his friend's words. His arms slipped around the younger man, and he pulled him into a tight hug when he saw him reach out a trembling hand... a silent plea for help from his older brother.
"Oh God... Chris... I miss 'im so... damn... much." Buck's voice was choked by the sobs that tore through him... his grief a throbbing pain in his chest as his heart slowly broke in two.
Chris held Buck while he wept, his own tears escaping and sliding unnoticed down his face. Through a watery haze, the gunslinger could see people passing on the street as the town slowly came to life. Some shot the two men clinging together curious glances, but Chris didn't care... they're family had suffered a loss and they needed to grieve. Just as Buck had said... it felt exactly like one of them had died... and in a sense, one had.
Buck was officially confined to the clinic for the next three days while his wound healed, but after his incarceration was up, he remained to help take care of Ezra. If the gambler thought it odd that Buck never left, he kept it to himself. The ladies man hoped it was because he still felt the brotherly connection the two of them had made while he was Lit'l Ezra.
Ezra surprisingly asked very few questions about what had happened. Nathan surmised that what few flashbacks he was having were leaving him too frightened and confused to want to know the whole truth, so he was choosing to pretend it hadn't happened instead. He did ask how Buck had gotten shot and seemed to accept their story of a bank robbery gone bad. The gambler had no memory whatsoever of the events that occurred in the alley... not even of his uncle Matthew or his mother. At least none that he was willing to talk about.
The others were in and out constantly, checking on his condition... which was a bit rough for a few days while the cold worked its way through his system... and passing out as much comforting as Ezra would allow
While he slept off his illness, they discussed the various gifts they'd given him and removed the ones they knew would cause him confusion. Adam's book of fairy tales was returned to the shelf in Chris's closet. JD's gift of the fishing pole was decided unfit for the nature-hating gambler and was also removed. Both were replaced with the original presents the two men had intended to give Ezra... a book of poetry from Chris and a fine linen shirt that JD had seen the Southerner admiring in Eagle Bend. The other gifts were deemed acceptable and maybe even beneficial in helping him to remember some of the emotions he was able to feel when they were first presented to him.
The only gift they weren't sure of was Buck's pocket watch. The timepiece itself was fine... it was the inscription they were having trouble with. Ezra's questions about his period of amnesia had been pretty basic and relatively easy to answer up to that point and they didn't want to do anything to change that. So far he had no inkling that he had assumed the personality of a five year old, and they were afraid the sentiment engraved on the watch might jog his memory enough to bring that rather frightening fact back to him. But at Buck's and Josiah's urging, they finally decided to leave the watch there in hopes that it would help the ladies man honor his promise to Ezra... to make sure he remembered how much they had come to mean to each other.
It was on Buck's final required night under Nathan's care when Ezra finally got the courage to broach the subject of the new relationship the two of them seemed to have. Earlier in the day, Nathan had seen Ezra staring down at the words etched on the watch and then looking contemplatively at Buck, and had decided the gambler needed an opportunity to speak to the older man alone. So while Ezra napped that afternoon, Nathan told the others what he suspected and they agreed to clear out for the evening so Buck could try and get the reticent gambler to talk to him.
Buck fixed himself a mug of coffee and Ezra some of Nathan's tea dosed liberally with honey, while discreetly keeping a watchful eye on the younger man. Buck had insisted after the first night that they let him swap places with Ezra. He argued that the Southerner was much sicker and needed the comfort of the bed more than he did. Now he lay propped up on a pile of pillows, stealing nervous glances at Buck.
Buck carried the tea over and carefully handed it to Ezra, keeping a light hold on it til he was certain the gambler was going to be able to manage it. "Ya got it?" When he nodded, Buck settled himself on a chair beside the bed and sat quietly drinking his coffee. He wasn't going to push Ezra... he knew when he was ready to talk he would.
After a few moments of strained silence, Ezra cleared his throat nervously and looked at Buck. "Mr. Wilmington... um... Buck... I've been... curious about something."
Buck raised his eyebrows at the gambler questioningly as he sipped at his coffee and waited for him to continue.
Ezra glanced over at the watch lying on the night table and then at the ladies man, his eyes reflecting the confusion he was feeling over the gift. "I was... wondering about the inscription on the gift you gave me... it... I don't-"
Buck smiled, trying to appear calm while he frantically tried to remember the explanation they'd decided on... one that they hoped would satisfy the gambler and not scare him. "My ma scratched that on there 'fore she gave it to me... she... um..." The older man faltered and began to doubt his decision to let Ezra keep the watch.
Ezra set his tea down and picked up the watch, running his fingers lightly across the inscription before smiling softly up at Buck. "Your mother called you her Little One?"
Buck's nervousness worked in his favor now, giving Ezra the impression that he was embarrassed about the pet name. "Well... only when we were alone."
The Southerner nodded and looked back down at the watch. "Why did... um... why did you give it to me?"
Buck's features softened as he stared at Ezra and realized that none of the feelings he'd had for him as his Little One had faded. All the same urges to protect and care for him were still there... along with the closeness they'd felt. And he was pretty sure Ezra could still feel it, too... he just didn't know what it was yet. He shrugged as the younger man looked back up at him. "Yours got broke when ya fell... I just figured ya could use a new one."
Ezra's brow furrowed as he tried to understand. "But it must have an immense amount of sentimental value for you... why didn't you... couldn't you have just gotten one from the General store to give me? I'm not sure I should allow you to..." He hesitated, staring down at the words again, his eyes watering as he felt an unexplainable tug at his heart.
Buck leaned forward and rested a gentle hand on the gambler's arm. "I wanted you to have it, Ezra... it's a gift... can't ya just accept it?"
Ezra nodded, but kept his eyes on the watch, not daring to look up for fear that the tears he was battling against would finally fall. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wilmington... I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. Of course I'll accept it... thank you very much for entrusting it to me. I'm quite... moved... by your generosity."
Buck chuckled and patted the younger man's arm before sitting back in his chair. "Now see, Ezra... that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Ezra was finally able to blink away the tears and looked up at his friend, a wistful smile on his face. "No... no it wasn't. Not nearly as painful as I thought it would be." His expression turned serious again as he stared at Buck. "Could I ask you something, Buck? And would you please be honest with me?"
Buck's heart skipped a beat when he looked into Ezra's brilliant green eyes. Traces of the tears he'd fought against still glittered on his lashes, and the older man could clearly see the confusion that had caused them. "Sure, pard... you can ask me anything... you know that." He watched the Southerner swallow convulsively, his eyes dropping to the bed, his fingers once more plucking nervously at the covers... and wanted nothing more than to be able to draw him into a comforting hug and assure him everything would be alright. But this was the adult Ezra, not his Little One, and he knew he would be instantly rebuffed if he tried it.
"Did something... happen... while I was suffering from the amnesia? I mean... um... between you and I?" Ezra's voice shook as he spoke. He was almost afraid to hear Buck's answer.
Buck couldn't resist his impulse any longer... he reached out and placed his larger callused hand over Ezra's, stilling the nervous movements of his slender fingers. "What makes you ask that, pard... something you're rememberin'?"
Ezra heaved a ragged sigh and shook his head, but he didn't try to pull his hand away from Buck's. The older man was pleasantly surprised that he allowed the comforting touch to continue. "Never mind... I'm just a little tired. This cold's just left me feeling a bit out of sorts."
"Ezra..." Buck tugged on the smaller man's hand when he wouldn't look at him. "Come on, pard... it's just you an' me here. You know ya can talk to ol' Buck... we're friends... remember?" He smiled when Ezra finally looked up at him. "You answer one question for me, and then I'll answer yours... okay?"
Ezra hesitated and then finally nodded, his eyes showing the apprehension he felt as he waited for the older man's question.
"Do ya feel like ya need to be close to me? Maybe safer if I'm here with ya?" Buck saw the relief wash over Ezra's features as he heard the ladies man express his feelings exactly.
Nodding slowly, Ezra tried to speak around the lump that had formed in his throat. "But why do I... why am I..." He shook his head angrily and looked away as he felt the tears he hated so much threatening again. What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I get a handle on my damn emotions?
Buck squeezed Ezra's hand gently. "Take it easy, Ezra... you've been through a helluva lot in the last week an' ya can't expect to get over it in just a couple a days. The accident, not knowin' who the hell ya were, bein' sick with this rotten cold... it's all just kinda takin' it out of ya an' it's gonna take a little time for ya to feel a hundred percent again."
"I realize that, Buck... it's these strange... feelin's... that I don't know how to deal with." Ezra stared at the ladies man as he tried to find the right words to express exactly what it was that he was feeling. "Of course, we were friends before my... accident. I may never have spoken of it... it's just not my way... but I do consider you to be a very... close... friend. But now... it's... changed, different somehow... it's more than just..." Ezra groaned and leaned wearily back against the pillows. "I can't explain it, Buck... I just can't find the right words."
"Whew... that's gotta be a first..." Buck stopped and gave Ezra a lop-sided grin of apology when he saw the gambler glare at him. "I'm sorry... I know it's nothin' to joke about." Buck sighed and looked down at the floor, trying to figure out how to explain so that Ezra would understand what had happened between them and yet not be frightened by it. He decided on just the shortest version of the truth, with no mention of his little visit to his childhood. "It's nothin' complicated, Ezra... I just happened to be the first one ya laid eyes on when ya woke up. An' since ya didn't remember who ya were, an' were kinda lost feelin', ya latched onto me. For some reason, I made ya feel safe."
Ezra stared up at Buck hopefully, his face losing some of the fear and confusion that had been threatening to overwhelm him. "Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that we had been friends."
Buck nodded, relieved that Ezra seemed to be accepting his explanation, and that it seemed to be easing his mind some. "That's probably it, pard... an' because I made ya feel safe, I stayed with ya the whole time ya were... um... sick." Buck squeezed Ezra's hand and returned the conversation to the feelings that the gambler had been trying to express earlier. "These feelin's you're havin'... ya said it was changed... that it was more than just-" Buck stared into Ezra's eyes as he pushed him a little. "More than just what, Ezra? More than just friends? Maybe more like... brothers?"
Ezra couldn't quite hold the tears back this time and a few slowly trickled down his cheeks as he nodded. Buck had hit on what he was feeling exactly... brothers. He didn't just think of Buck as a friend anymore... he was a brother... something Ezra had always longed for.
"Is that so bad, pard? I don't know 'bout you, but I've kinda gotten to like the idea of havin' brothers." Buck smiled at the Southerner and continued. "Ya know, we've thought of you as a brother for a while now... we was just waitin' for you to latch onto the idea."
Ezra returned the smile, and pulling his hand slowly out of Buck's warm grasp, wiped away the tears that still clung to his dark lashes. "No, it's not so bad... just may take me some time to get used to the idea of belongin' to a family. It's not exactly a concept I've had much experience with."
Buck's smile slipped slightly as he thought about all they'd learned about Ezra's so-called family. "That's okay, Ezra... ya take all the time ya need. An' you just remember... anytime ya need to talk 'bout what you're feelin'... I'm right here."
"I'll remember, Buck... thank you." Ezra saw a flash of pain in the older man's eyes and wondered what had caused it.
Buck could only nod as he was struck with the realization that he'd just taken the first step toward keeping his promise to his Little One. At the thought of Lit'l Ezra, he felt a sudden warm feeling in his chest and knew he never would be truly gone. All he had to do was think of the time they'd spent together and the little guy would be right there with him... filling a special place in his heart.
Noticing Ezra's slowly drooping eyelids and seeing him unsuccessfully stifle a yawn, Buck stood and eased a few of the pillows from behind the gambler's head. "Looks like it's time ya got some sleep, pard."
Ezra mumbled a weak protest, but it was only a matter of moments before his eyes closed and he slipped into a deep, healing sleep.
Buck pulled the blankets up around Ezra's shoulders and then leaned back in his chair to watch over his newest brother. Buck glanced down at the bed and saw the watch still clutched in the Southerner's hand. He gently removed it from the loosely curled fingers and sat staring down at the inscription... allowing his thoughts to drift back over all the special moments of their Little One's visit. The others returned to find Ezra and Buck both sleeping soundly with identical smiles on their faces, and knew the talk must have gone well.
Smiling at each other, they turned the lamp down so that only a soft glow illuminated the two sleeping brothers and quietly left the clinic.
Chris glanced back at the two men just before closing the door, and felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders at the realization that both his friends were on the road to recovery. It would be slow going and there would probably be setbacks, but they would all be there to get Buck and Ezra through it. After all, that's what family was for.
A week later, Nathan finally pronounced Ezra healthy enough to leave the clinic as long as he took it easy. After carrying his pile of freshly washed nightshirts and Christmas gifts up to his room, he returned to the saloon. Pausing at the end of the hall, he felt a slight twinge of fear as he looked at the place where he'd taken his fall. Ezra gave himself a mental push and continued slowly down the stairs to join his friends.
They indulged in a celebratory steak dinner with the other six men picking up the tab for Ezra's meal, and then spent the rest of the evening playing cards and just enjoying one another's company. Ezra's arm was out of the sling, but the splints were still in place and would be for some time... so as much as he hated to, the gambler was forced to leave the shuffling to the others. Ezra was amazed at the number of people who stopped to tell him they were glad to see him up and about... he'd had no idea anyone would have even missed him.
Several times during the evening, the others saw a puzzled look appear in Ezra's eyes and knew something had probably set off a flashback for him. They followed his lead, and when he didn't speak of the little bits of memory he was experiencing, neither did they.
It was just barely past nine when Nathan, after catching Ezra smothering a yawn, informed the gambler it was time for bed. He tried arguing, but the healer was adamant... his bed or back to the clinic... take his pick. Reluctantly bidding everyone good evening, Ezra slowly climbed back up the stairs.
Ezra entered his room, quietly closed the door and locked it, and wearily sank onto the bed. He'd argued with Nathan out of habit knowing the healer was right, but not wanting to acknowledge his weakness. Now that he was alone, he could admit it... he was exhausted... drained emotionally and physically.
It was with great effort that he pushed himself off the bed and walked slowly over to the dresser to change out of his clothes. After stripping down, he took a nightshirt off the top of the pile and slipped it over his head. Reaching to transfer the stack of gowns into a drawer, he stopped and frowned. How the hell did I soil so many nightshirts in one week? He realized he was just too tired to even think about that one. Placing them in the drawer and shutting it, he turned his attention to the small pile of gifts.
Ezra ran his fingers over the smooth, glossy wood of the chess set and smiled. He, Nathan and Josiah had enjoyed many a game while he was confined to the clinic... Nathan invariably beat him at checkers, but the chess matches with Josiah were split fairly evenly.
Thinking of Josiah, he reached up and pulled the preacher's gift out from under his nightshirt and stared down at it. The small figure of a bird was beautifully carved and Ezra knew how much it meant for Josiah to have given it to him. He'd been touched beyond belief when the big man had explained the meaning behind it, and informed him that he wanted a part of himself always with Ezra to watch over him. He'd even allowed Josiah to pull him into one of his special bear hugs and had felt a twinge of memory at the feel of the older man's arms wrapped around him... but before he could latch onto it, it was gone.
He dropped the carving back down the neck of his nightshirt and felt it settle comfortingly against his chest. Next he picked up the harmonica... blew a few notes and smiled at the memory of he and Vin seated on the bed together, playing... wait... when had that happened? Ezra's heart beat a little faster as he tried to figure out where that image was coming from. He could see it in his mind, but realized it couldn't possibly have happened the way he was picturing it... he wouldn't have been kneeling in the bed. Ezra shook his head weakly and quickly placed the harmonica back on the dresser... pushing the memory away as he felt a dull throbbing begin at the base of his skull.
Great, just what he needed on his first night back in his room... a headache. Nathan had warned him they might continue for a few weeks, and apparently he was right. He'd given him some powders to take if one started, but Ezra decided to wait a little bit to see if it would ease up on its own.
Looking back down at the dresser, his eyes came to rest on the watch... Buck's watch... now his. Ezra picked it up and carried it over to the bed with him, placing it carefully on the night table before pulling back the covers and climbing between the sheets. He sighed as his head sank onto the soft feather pillow and after reaching up to turn down the lamp, pulled the covers snugly up around his neck and tried to go to sleep.
But after an hour of tossing and turning, Ezra was still wide awake. He sat up in the middle of the bed, cradled his aching head in his hands and cursed himself for being too stubborn to take the powders when the headache had first started as Nathan had suggested. Now it was a continuous throbbing pain that had settled directly behind his eyes.
Ezra reluctantly left his warm bed and made his way over to the dresser. Knowing that even the soft glow of the lamp would hurt his eyes, the gambler instead fumbled in the semi-darkness as he mixed the powders into a glass of water... the only illumination being the pale rays of moonlight coming through the window.
Drinking the mixture quickly and shuddering at the foul taste, Ezra hurried across the cold floor to return to the comfort of his bed. He snuggled back down under the covers and attempted to find the sleep that seemed to allude him. After another hour he again sat up, heaving a huge sigh of frustration at his inability to fall asleep. His headache had eased, but he still couldn't relax... his mind was too full of vague, shapeless images... hazy scenes that he just couldn't quite bring into focus.
Leaving his bed again, Ezra pulled the quilt off the top of the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders. He retrieved his watch from the table and moved over near the window to check the time. Three a.m. Lovely. If this kept up, Nathan would surely notice the lack of sleep on his face and force him back to the clinic.
Ezra looked back at the bed and decided it wouldn't do any good to try again. So instead, he pulled the rocking chair over near the window and after wrapping the quilt tighter about himself, sat down and began to slowly rock.
As soon as Ezra started the smooth rocking motion, he felt the tension begin to flow out of his body. His heart beat slowed, his mind ceased to race from one fragmented memory to another, and he felt an incredible sense of peace descend over him.
Ezra had no idea why the rocking chair was having this effect on him... it never had before... but at this point, he was just too exhausted to examine the why's and how's... he just wanted to rest. His tired eyes drifted down to stare at the watch in his hand, the burnished gold glinting in the moonlight. Flipping the lid open, he gently ran his thumb over the words inscribed in the cover. "For My Little One"... "You'll Always Be In My Heart."
Ezra felt inexplicably comforted by the loving words as he repeated them softly to himself... their message soothing his heart as the gentle, rocking motion of the chair for some reason, seemed to soothe his soul.
The rocker drifted to a stop as Ezra's head slowly dropped over onto his shoulder. Sleep had finally found him. As the moon made its way across the night sky, the gentle beams of light fell across the gambler's face, bathing the youthful features in a soft golden glow. For a brief moment, it seemed as though the family's Little One had returned... and then the moon shifted once more and he was gone. Only the peacefully slumbering gambler remained, a soft smile tugging gently at his lips as he dreamt of hugs and kisses, and a little boy's softly whispered... 'I wuv you.'