Chapter 10 #2
A few minutes later, they gathered near Della’s fire while twilight deepened over the wagon train. Oren fed more wood into the flames while Della passed around fresh biscuits wrapped in cloth to keep them warm.
Theda sat quietly beside the flames with a cup of coffee warming her hands. For the first time in days, things almost felt…normal.
Jem sat across from her, speaking occasionally with Oren while Della fussed over whether everyone had enough to eat. The firelight flickered across his face, softening the sharper edges of his features.
Then, another familiar figure approached from the darkness.
“Well,” Phineas said as he stepped into the circle of firelight, “this looks considerably more pleasant than scout duty.”
“The biscuits convinced you, didn’t they?” Della asked knowingly.
“Absolutely.”
“I knew they would, which is why I sent you word that they’d be ready.”
Theda laughed at her friend’s jokes.
“How are things looking?” Theda asked her brother.
“They’re okay but not like I’d like. At least there’s no rain tonight.
” Phineas spoke slowly, as if it took a bit of an effort.
Theda noticed how much he was struggling.
His shoulders were slumped forward, and he had circles under his eyes.
He’d been putting himself in the rain, in the hardest positions, to help everyone in the wagon train.
Phineas accepted a cup of coffee with obvious gratitude before settling onto a nearby crate. His gaze swept briefly over Jem before relaxing slightly.
“How’re the ribs holding up?”
“Still attached,” Jem answered again.
Phineas barked out a laugh.
“That’s twice now you’ve given me that answer.”
“It still seems accurate.”
Even Theda laughed quietly.
The conversation drifted easily after that, moving between trail conditions, weather, and small stories from earlier in the day. Oren described nearly getting kicked by one of the mules, while Della scolded him for being careless.
Theda found herself listening more than speaking, content simply sitting there while laughter and firelight filled the evening air.
But even as she smiled, her gaze occasionally drifted toward the darkness beyond camp.
Toward the river waiting ahead.
The closer they came to the crossing, the tighter the unease in her chest became. She tried to ignore it, tried to focus on the warmth of the fire and the voices around her, but the fear lingered stubbornly beneath the surface.
And somehow, when her eyes met Jem’s across the flames, she wondered if he could already tell something was troubling her.
The warmth of the fire did little to settle the unease growing inside Theda.
As the conversation around her continued, her thoughts kept drifting back toward the river ahead. She could almost picture the murky water rushing past the wagon wheels, strong enough to drag a person under in seconds if something went wrong.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her coffee cup.
Finally, she looked toward her brother. “Phineas?”
He looked up, meeting her gaze. “What is it?”
Theda hesitated.
“When are we crossing?” She knew that there was no good answer. The longer they waited to cross, the easier it might be, and the safer it might be. But the longer they waited, the more danger they would be exposing everyone to.
The easy mood around the fire dimmed slightly. Everyone exchanged worried glances. Theda knew she wasn't the only one with the question, and she knew it was unfair of her to bring up the topic so publicly.
Phineas leaned back against the crate behind him and let out a slow breath.
“Tomorrow.”
Theda's stomach dropped. She'd hoped that she would have a few more days to prepare herself before she had to face the muddy, uncertain waters.
“So soon?” What good would it do to wait any longer? Maybe she was only delaying the inevitable by wanting to wait to cross.
“It’s gone down enough for us to make the crossing,” he explained carefully. “Not all the way shallow, but manageable.”
“That doesn’t sound reassuring.” Theda glanced at Jem. “Are you sure we should cross tomorrow? Maybe we should wait a few more days, let it go down more.”
“It’s the best chance we’ve had in days,” Phineas said gently. “And if we wait much longer, we’ll lose the advantage entirely. More rain could push the water right back up again.” His expression grew more serious. “If that happens, we could be stuck there for a long while.”
Silence settled briefly around the fire. He was right. She knew it, and he knew it, but maybe he’d also been holding back on crossing the river because he knew how afraid she was of doing it.
"I can ride in the wagon with you, driving the horses if you'd like," Jem spoke up, and Theda's eyes went wide and Della raised her eyebrows in Theda's direction.
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that," Theda spoke up before her brother could put in his opinion.
If she did have to cross the river, she didn't want to do it alone.
Her brother would be busy leading the wagons across.
Having Jem with her, maybe it would help her to be a bit calmer.
Theda stared down into her cup, trying to ignore the cold knot tightening in her chest.
Beside her, Della reached over and squeezed her shoulder once.
“You’ll be all right,” she said softly.
Theda nodded.
“Of course.” She forced a smile, though it stretched thinly across her face.
She was still terrified of crossing the river, and Jem being beside her brought little comfort.
She’d still be in the middle of the wild water, at the river’s mercy.
She only hoped that she would be able to trust in God when the time came, to keep her safe all the way across.