Summary: Adam receives news that his heart’s desire is within his reach. Will he grasp the opportunity?
Rating: G Words 1415
Written for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar

Bonanza
~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
* Day 9 

Heart’s Desire
In Absentia series #6

My dear Adam,

I trust that this letter and the packages for you and your brothers have arrived without incident.  It would be doubly blessed if they arrived before Christmas.

You’ve certainly been through a lot in the last year. I had reconciled myself to your father’s death, but his return and the story of his absence are so astonishing, I am still in some confusion and awe.

First things first – your Christmas present.  I hope you don’t mind that I am about to spoil the surprise for you. It was terribly difficult, as you might imagine, to choose something for the man whose father has recently returned from the dead.  After a great deal of thinking and hours of useless shopping, I took to plundering your mother’s room.  I’m a bit embarrassed to tell you that it hasn’t much changed since she passed away. Somehow, leaving it as it was made her leaving me a bit easier.

Anyway, I searched though the boxes of old letters and journals (and saw a few entries about your father that made my eyebrows jump!), the cupboards, and trunks until I found something suitable for the season. My housekeeper helped me wrap it up – I’m all thumbs at that sort of things. But I believe you might appreciate this memento.

Elizabeth loved winter which was fortunate, to say the least, considering Boston weather. One of her favorites parts of the season was the holly which has been planted in abundance around the city.  She used to trudge home with baskets full of holly branches with the dark red berries clinging to the limbs. She and her mother would spend hours constructing wreaths and various folderol to decorate the house for the Christmas season. You know women. Despite my unassailable logic in pointing out that shrubbery belongs outside where it’s been planted, they merely laughed at me and continued with their fun. Lord, how I miss them.

As I said, holly branches and berries were my daughter’s particular favorite.  I never realized until I went through some of her personal things how much she was taken with them. To make a long story somewhat shorter, I have boxed up a few small items she created—two handkerchiefs embroidered with holly berries and a small canvas my Elizabeth painted of our mantel adorned with a holly wreath. My girl was a talented lass.  I hope you like them.

All these words! I will admit, Adam, I am dithering a bit. This next part is important, and I want to make sure I say it right. As you know, your father and I have been corresponding. What you might not know is that we have been corresponding about you.

When your father disappeared, you made the difficult decision to give up your plans for college to care for your brothers and maintain the ranch in hopes that your father would return one day. Your courage and love of family humbled me, Adam.  As it turned out, you were right. Your father did return, and against all odds your family was restored.

For the past several months, Ben and I have been discussing how you might regain that dream of college after all.  We’ve been quite busy putting together what we hope will be a Christmas gift you will appreciate.

I have renewed an old acquaintance, Philip Moberly, who leads a Boston architectural firm that is well regarded throughout the city. He is a fine man, Adam, and was very interested in your story.  He would like to employ you as an apprentice in his firm. Moreover, he has taken it upon himself to speak with the dean of the college program you were forced to pass up eight years ago. The dean agrees that your acceptance into the program may be renewed, and you may attend classes in the upcoming year.

Your father assures me that your passage back to Boston and maintenance during your studies and apprenticeship are well taken care of.  You would stay with me, of course!  In fact, you would stay in your mother’s old room and perhaps get to know her in some small way.

I know you, Adam. You’re already sputtering, “I can’t . . . I can’t.” Self-sacrifice is an old habit of yours. I can’t and won’t make this decision for you. Just, please, dear boy, don’t let this be a decision made from habit or fear.

Best wishes of the season!  I hope to hear from you soon.

Loving regards from your grandfather,

Abel Stoddard

With slightly shaking hands, Adam withdrew a small wrapped parcel from the box of gifts his grandfather had sent. Leaning back on the settee, he unknotted the cord, and the wrapping fell open revealing a small box containing the items Abel had described. He stroked the vibrantly embroidered holly berries worked into delicate linen handkerchiefs. The water color picturing the fireplace and wreath was charming, displaying considerable artistry. A talented lass, indeed, his mother.

“Hmmm . . . already opening presents?”

“Pa? No, not really . . . well, yes sort of . . . it’s just that I read grandfather’s letter.  You don’t have to smile like that.”

“Sorry, no smiling at Christmastime.”

“Ha, ha. Do you know what’s in this letter?”

“I know what your grandfather and I discussed.”

“It’s all very wonderful . . . and you two went to a lot of trouble. But, of course, you know I can’t go.”

“Ah, you’ve lost interest in college?”

“No, never! It’s just that you’ve only been back home a year, and Joe is a handful, and the ranch is growing, and there’s just so much to do . . .”

“I see.”

“You do?”

“Yep. I was always a very responsible man myself. Plenty of things needed to be done before I could get to the things I wanted to do.  In fact, eight years ago, I felt like I needed to go to California about a rumor of Spanish land grants when I wanted to stay home with my boys and mend the relationship I’d damaged after Marie’s death.  Funny thing, doing what I needed to do instead of what I wanted to do led to seven wasted years.”

“Come on.  This isn’t the same.”

“Wasted time is wasted time, son. Putting aside your desires when necessary was a tremendous sacrifice . . .”

“It wasn’t a sacrifice. I couldn’t leave them.”

“I know.  Heavens, your hand is cold.  Are you saying you never missed going to college?”

“Well . . .”

“There was a great deal of courage in that decision all those years ago.  Everyone is grateful for it.  I don’t know whether you’ve thought about this, but sometimes it takes courage to reach out and take your heart’s desire when it’s offered. What are you afraid of?

“You see right through me.  What if . . . this is hard . . .  what if I can’t do the work?  What if I fail at school?  What if something happens and you need me here? What if Joe and Hoss resent me leaving?  What if . . .”

“Yes?”

“What if no one here needs me anymore?  Joe will be seventeen when I’d get back—I’d miss seeing him grow into a man. Good grief, Hoss could be married by then!”

“Woah, boy!  You’re getting all worked up.  Sit down before you pace a rut into the floor.  Who do you think first brought up the idea of sending you to college?”

“Hoss and Joe?”

“That’s right. And it’s not because they want to be rid of you. It’s because they love you, and they want to return the favor you did for them eight years ago.  They want you to have something you want just because you want it.”

“I think I would miss you all too much.”

“We would miss you, too, of course. But we’d know that you were doing something you love, and knowing that would make us happy for you. And, . . . I’m not sure I should tell you this . . . Joe thinks that by the time you come back from college, he’ll be able to beat you in a duel with an epee. There, I thought that would make you laugh.”

“I’m just not sure.”

“Adam, really?”

“You already know what ‘m going to decide, don’t you?”

“I hope so.”

“There’s a lot to do before I can head to Boston. Will you help me?”

“Always, son. Merry Christmas.”

XXXXXXXXXX MERRY CHRISTMAS XXXXXXXXXX

Written for the 2022 Advent Calendar series.

My prompt was “holly berries”.

Primary character: Adam

Secondary character: Abel Stoddard

WHL for Elizabeth, My Love

Link to the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar – Day 10 – Steadfast (by Belle)