Dear Emmaline - Epilogue 2
Title: Dear Emmaline
Author: Bud [cwby30]
Genre: au
Disclaimer:
Brokeback Mountain and these characters (except the OCs) belong to Annie Proulx, Jake Gyllenhall, Heath Ledger and others. I'm just borrowing them for a short time. No disrespect intended. I do this for me for fun, and make no money off any of it.
Summary:
A letter forces Ennis to rethink his relationship with Jack, and sends him on a trip to Lightning Flat, where he meets more than Jack's parents.
Author’s Note and/or Warnings: PG13 [M/M situation suggested].
Well, This really is it, the second and last Epilogue. As you might figure out, I wrote most of this for the "Pick a card" Challenge, but never posted it because it seemed to fit in with this story. So, I re-wrote part of it and here it is. Always get this funny feeling when I post the last entry of a story, kind of like watching a ship leave port and wishing it God-speed. No more links to follow... for this one. I appreciate all the comments. See you around the campfire when we swap another story.
Thanks again.
Bud
--Epilogue 2-
The little things cause the most problems.
I mean, hell, movin in together was a big deal, for me at least. Thought everybody and his brother’s uncle looked at us kinda funny-like, and way too much whispering went on at the feedstore if you ask me. Had to put one guy on the ground early on. Funny thing, we got to be friends after that, sticks up for us ever since. Even helps out during round-up each year. Naturally we return the favor.
Things settled down a bit after that. Still took six months before I slept all the way through, woke up with every little noise. Finally decided we were safe enough and settled in, ‘specially with Miss Emmaline and Great-grandpa Patrick watchin over us. Jack slept through it all. At least when he wasn’t waking me up to… well, you know…
Tellin the kids was a big deal, too. We both sweated bullets over that. Told Lureen sittin next to each other across from her on one of the couches in her fancy livin room. Part of me was glad to be there for Jack, the rest of me wished I had stayed in Wyoming. But I never considered lettin him go alone, not after seein that broken face a his on those swirlin postcards back in his room that day. No way. Knew what I had to do and did it. Lureen wasn’t all that surprised, but did use it to get a better deal out a Jack in their divorce. Bobby wasn’t surprised neither, but wouldn’t look me in the eye and stayed away ‘til the next summer. Comes up twice a year now, sometimes more. Brought his wife and their baby last time. I allowed as how that baby boy don’t look a bit like his grandfather, which was a good thing. Had to sleep alone in ‘my’ room half the night after saying that. Now the other half… hmmm.
Well, Junior and Francie were different stories. Francie won’t speak to me. Guess I let her spend too much time alone with Alma when she was little, thinkin she and her sister both would come around on their own if I just gave them enough time. Junior on the other hand hugged me, and said I would always be her Daddy, and hugged Jack and asked if she could call him Uncle Jack. Don’t think I ever saw Jack speechless until then. She invited both of us to her weddin. Alma just about had a cow, but we both went. Jack knew how to handle it, always does. Sat with his mom in the last pew on the back of the church durin the service, but sat between me and his mom at the reception. Francie ignored us. Junior danced with both of us, and Kurt danced with Jack’s mom. And no, we didn’t dance with each other, weren’t ready for that, probably never will be, at least out in public. Different story back in our hotel room. Danced a lot that night. Yeah… a lot...
Um, sorry, where was I? Oh, the little things. Yeah. Like which side a the bed we sleep on. Both of us wanted the left side. Finally split the thing, I got the left side in ‘my’ room, and Jack got the left side in ‘his’ room. That was back then. Nowadays we still keep my room for show, but spend our nights in his room. I get the left side. Most a the time. Don’t really matter so long as it’s next to him.
And like doing the laundry. Not stuffing it in, both of us can do that. I mean takin it out a the dryer and puttin it away proper like. Finally just started dumpin all the clean clothes on the bed in Jack’s room. No fun stuff until we get it all put away. And pushin it onto the floor don’t count. If we’re in a hurry, we use my room. Kinda handy at times, having two bedrooms.
Then there’s doin the dishes and cleanin up the kitchen. Things started pilin up right from the get go. Used to get to the point we had to do em, ‘cause we didn’t have nothin clean to cook with or eat off of. One night in October, or maybe it was November, whatever, that first year I made dinner, Jack wouldn’t clean up. I could tell he was diggin in. So I got up and left the table. He crowed about winnin, ‘til I came back with a deck of cards and spread em out in a line on the table. Told him to pick one, low man cleaned up and did the dishes. He balked at first, so I went ahead and pulled out the nine of Diamonds. He smiled and said somethin about easy pickins, until he pulled out the two of Clubs. Lots a bangin around in the kitchen as I read the paper. Surprisin we still have plates left at all.
Since then, we always keep a deck handy. Never know when we’ll need them cards to settle a disagreement. Even have one on the side table next to the bed. My side. Use it now and then in there. We both win. Every time.
Yep, it’s those little things that make livin with Jack Twist so interestin. They don’t cause much of a problem no more. Not that they ever did, not really, tell the truth. Jack’s just too easy to rile, and it’s hard to pass up the chance a settin off a Twist tirade. Think he woulda figured it out by now.
Anythin else you like to know?
Author: Bud [cwby30]
Genre: au
Disclaimer:
Brokeback Mountain and these characters (except the OCs) belong to Annie Proulx, Jake Gyllenhall, Heath Ledger and others. I'm just borrowing them for a short time. No disrespect intended. I do this for me for fun, and make no money off any of it.
Summary:
A letter forces Ennis to rethink his relationship with Jack, and sends him on a trip to Lightning Flat, where he meets more than Jack's parents.
Author’s Note and/or Warnings: PG13 [M/M situation suggested].
Well, This really is it, the second and last Epilogue. As you might figure out, I wrote most of this for the "Pick a card" Challenge, but never posted it because it seemed to fit in with this story. So, I re-wrote part of it and here it is. Always get this funny feeling when I post the last entry of a story, kind of like watching a ship leave port and wishing it God-speed. No more links to follow... for this one. I appreciate all the comments. See you around the campfire when we swap another story.
Thanks again.
Bud
--Epilogue 2-
The little things cause the most problems.
I mean, hell, movin in together was a big deal, for me at least. Thought everybody and his brother’s uncle looked at us kinda funny-like, and way too much whispering went on at the feedstore if you ask me. Had to put one guy on the ground early on. Funny thing, we got to be friends after that, sticks up for us ever since. Even helps out during round-up each year. Naturally we return the favor.
Things settled down a bit after that. Still took six months before I slept all the way through, woke up with every little noise. Finally decided we were safe enough and settled in, ‘specially with Miss Emmaline and Great-grandpa Patrick watchin over us. Jack slept through it all. At least when he wasn’t waking me up to… well, you know…
Tellin the kids was a big deal, too. We both sweated bullets over that. Told Lureen sittin next to each other across from her on one of the couches in her fancy livin room. Part of me was glad to be there for Jack, the rest of me wished I had stayed in Wyoming. But I never considered lettin him go alone, not after seein that broken face a his on those swirlin postcards back in his room that day. No way. Knew what I had to do and did it. Lureen wasn’t all that surprised, but did use it to get a better deal out a Jack in their divorce. Bobby wasn’t surprised neither, but wouldn’t look me in the eye and stayed away ‘til the next summer. Comes up twice a year now, sometimes more. Brought his wife and their baby last time. I allowed as how that baby boy don’t look a bit like his grandfather, which was a good thing. Had to sleep alone in ‘my’ room half the night after saying that. Now the other half… hmmm.
Well, Junior and Francie were different stories. Francie won’t speak to me. Guess I let her spend too much time alone with Alma when she was little, thinkin she and her sister both would come around on their own if I just gave them enough time. Junior on the other hand hugged me, and said I would always be her Daddy, and hugged Jack and asked if she could call him Uncle Jack. Don’t think I ever saw Jack speechless until then. She invited both of us to her weddin. Alma just about had a cow, but we both went. Jack knew how to handle it, always does. Sat with his mom in the last pew on the back of the church durin the service, but sat between me and his mom at the reception. Francie ignored us. Junior danced with both of us, and Kurt danced with Jack’s mom. And no, we didn’t dance with each other, weren’t ready for that, probably never will be, at least out in public. Different story back in our hotel room. Danced a lot that night. Yeah… a lot...
Um, sorry, where was I? Oh, the little things. Yeah. Like which side a the bed we sleep on. Both of us wanted the left side. Finally split the thing, I got the left side in ‘my’ room, and Jack got the left side in ‘his’ room. That was back then. Nowadays we still keep my room for show, but spend our nights in his room. I get the left side. Most a the time. Don’t really matter so long as it’s next to him.
And like doing the laundry. Not stuffing it in, both of us can do that. I mean takin it out a the dryer and puttin it away proper like. Finally just started dumpin all the clean clothes on the bed in Jack’s room. No fun stuff until we get it all put away. And pushin it onto the floor don’t count. If we’re in a hurry, we use my room. Kinda handy at times, having two bedrooms.
Then there’s doin the dishes and cleanin up the kitchen. Things started pilin up right from the get go. Used to get to the point we had to do em, ‘cause we didn’t have nothin clean to cook with or eat off of. One night in October, or maybe it was November, whatever, that first year I made dinner, Jack wouldn’t clean up. I could tell he was diggin in. So I got up and left the table. He crowed about winnin, ‘til I came back with a deck of cards and spread em out in a line on the table. Told him to pick one, low man cleaned up and did the dishes. He balked at first, so I went ahead and pulled out the nine of Diamonds. He smiled and said somethin about easy pickins, until he pulled out the two of Clubs. Lots a bangin around in the kitchen as I read the paper. Surprisin we still have plates left at all.
Since then, we always keep a deck handy. Never know when we’ll need them cards to settle a disagreement. Even have one on the side table next to the bed. My side. Use it now and then in there. We both win. Every time.
Yep, it’s those little things that make livin with Jack Twist so interestin. They don’t cause much of a problem no more. Not that they ever did, not really, tell the truth. Jack’s just too easy to rile, and it’s hard to pass up the chance a settin off a Twist tirade. Think he woulda figured it out by now.
Anythin else you like to know?