Dr.

Quinn, Medicine Woman

The Scrapbook (A Pictorial Story)

by Debby K

"Joey," Katie stood beside her parents' bed. "I'll help ya climb
up."

Forced to be indoors on a rainy day, the children decided to

entertain themselves upstairs. She hoisted her little brother up,
and using his climbing abilities, Josef was able to rise to the top. Katie sifted through her mother's books
beneath the nightstand.

"Found it," she pulled out a scrapbook of photographs.

"Tell stowy, Katie?" he begged.

She placed the album on the bed and stepped up to join him, "We can look at the pictures, an' I'll tell ya about
'em. Okay?"

"'Kay," he nodded enthusiastically.

He opened the front cover of the beautifully decorated scrapbook. Michaela had filled it with photographs,
mementos and descriptions dating back to her first months in Colorado Springs.

"I don't know much about this stuff," Katie skimmed the initial pages. "An' I don't know how t' read real good."

"Tell me," he stopped her page-turning and pointed.

Katie decided that what she did not know for sure, she could certainly come up with an answer to her little
brother.

"What this?" Josef tapped the picture.

"Well," Katie studied it. "That one? Look real close, Joey. That's Mama's ring."

"Wing?" he was puzzled.

"Ring," she clarified. "On her finger. That must be when Poppy asked her t' marry
him."

"Mama sad?" he noted her expression.

1
"Sad!" Katie exaggerated. "No! She was real happy. I think she's not smilin' 'cause she's thinkin' about the
weddin'. They had a lot t' do. Mama an' Poppy got married a long time ago."

"We there?" he was curious.

She laughed, "No, Joey. A LONG time ago. I'm thinkin' maybe a hundred years ago."

"This one?" the little boy indicated another page of the scrapbook.

"Can't ya see what they're wearin'?" she asked. "Mama's got a veil on."

"What veil?" he queried.

"That's a white thing on her head so the husband can't tell if his wife's pretty or not," she
surmised. "He's stuck with her when she takes off the veil, no matter what she looks like."

"Mama pwetty," Josef asserted.

"Yea, but Poppy was already married t' her by then, an' he was real lucky that she turned out pretty," she
explained.

Josef placed his finger beside another photograph, "Weddin'?"

"Ah," Katie giggled. "See? Poppy's glad Mama turned out t' be pretty under
the veil."

"Kissin'," Josef chuckled.

"In case ya haven't noticed, they do that a lot," Katie nodded. "I think that
might be how they start t' make babies, but they won't tell me for sure."

"Make babies?" Josef's eyes widened.

Katie turned the page, "Yep, 'cause next thing ya know, they were expectin' me."

"Tuwkey," Josef recognized what his father was carving.

"Thanksgivin'," Katie recalled her parents' telling her the story. "That's when
Mama told Poppy they were gonna have me."

************

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"Sully," Michaela looked up from her book. "The children are being terribly quiet."

"Ain't that a good thing?" he joked.

"Are we talking about OUR children?" she teased.

"I'll go check on 'em," he headed for the steps.

As he walked down the hallway, he could hear their hushed conversation. He paused outside the bedroom door
to listen.

"Baby," Josef smiled at the photograph.

"That's me," Katie smiled. "I was real little then."

"Pwetty baby," Josef commented.

"They had me outside," she knew the story. "Mama was leanin'
against a big tree an' Poppy helped me come out."

"Outside?" he wondered.

"See in the picture, Poppy's holdin' ont' Mama so she don't drop
me," the little girl fabricated. "I was their first baby."

"When me?" he tilted his head.

"Not for a while yet," she turned the page.

************

"Michaela," Sully kept his voice down.

"Are they sleeping?" she hoped.

"No," he shook his head. "Ya gotta come see."

"What is it?" she noticed his expression.

"They're lookin' at your scrapbook," he set her book aside and helped her up. "Katie's tellin' Josef a story about
each picture."

"She is?" Michaela was amazed.

"Well, she's makin' up some stuff," he winked. "But come on, let's go listen."

************

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"Now in this one, Poppy's steerin' the wagon with one hand," Katie resumed. "Joey,
don't EVER do that."

"Why?" he was puzzled.

"I think it's dangerous," she cautioned. "But Poppy.... he can do it cause he's big an'
strong. See how Mama's leanin' against him? She wouldn't do that if she didn't trust that
Poppy could drive the wagon with one hand."

"I do it," Josef stated. "I big boy."

"You'll get in trouble if ya try," she warned.

"I big an' stwong," he asserted.

"Are you gonna listen t' me, or not?" she raised an eyebrow.

He thought about it for a moment, "Okay."

"Promise me ya won't try it, Joey," she put her arm around him.

"I pwomise," he replied.

************

"Sully," Michaela turned to her husband. "They're adorable."

"I know," he slipped his hand around her waist. "An' they got some imaginations."

She warmed at his touch, "Like their father."

He pulled her close and tenderly kissed her, "I can imagine all kinds o' things."

She tapped his side, "Shhh. They'll hear us."

************

"I like this picture," Katie smiled.

"Me, too," Josef agreed. "Why?"

"'Cause I like it when Mama an' Poppy hug," she explained.

"Why?" the little boy persisted.

"Joey," she rolled her eyes. "You ask 'why' too much."

"Nest," he turned the page.

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"Aw, Joey, this is from Christmas," she grinned.

"Where me?" he leaned closer to look.

"That was before ya were born," she explained. "Can ya name who's in the
picture?"

The little boy took his time and identified each member of the family, "Mattew,
Bran, Papa, Coween, Mama, you!"

"Right," she kissed his cheek.

"Why hands up?" he indicated her position.

"I don't remember," she scratched her head. "But it was prob'ly 'cause Poppy was ticklin' me."

Josef leaned back and laughed.

************

"Sully," Michaela squirmed. "Don't tickle me."

"Shhh," he kissed her. "Don't wanna disturb the kids."

She ran her fingers through his hair, "Then don't...."

He kissed her again, immediately stirring her. Their kiss began to deepen as they lovingly caressed one another.

Breathlessly, Michaela pulled back, "Sully...."

"I know," he kissed her neck. "But it sure feels good."

"May I take you up on this delightful offer later?" she cupped his face between her hands.

"It's a promise," he snuggled close as they again turned their attention to their children.

************

"I tell," Josef insisted.

"You wanna tell what this picture's about?" Katie chuckled.

"Yep," Josef nodded enthusiastically.

"Go ahead," Katie smirked.

"One 'pon time, Mama an' Papa outside," he initiated a story. "Woh
find 'em."

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"Wolf?" Katie was puzzled. "Wolf's not in this picture, Joey."

"Uh huh," he insisted.

"Where?" Katie inquired.

"Here," he pointed below the photograph.

"That's not IN the picture," she shook her head. "Look. Mama's got her hand on Poppy's chest."

"Why?" he returned to his favorite question.

"She likes t' feel his heartbeat," the little girl imagined. "She does that a lot."

"Me, too," Josef pretended. "Nest page."

"They sad," Josef interpreted.

"I don't think so," Katie pondered. "They just look serous."

"What serous?" he repeated.

"It means they're thinkin' about somethin' grownup," she detailed.

"Like money or somethin'."

"I got money," he looked up with his blue eyes.

"Joey," she tickled his side. "Ya got a dollar."

"Yep," he was proud. "New picure."

"Now, they must've had a lot o' money there," Katie smiled.

"Happy," Josef agreed.

"That's how they looked in that Thanksgivin' picture when they were expectin' me,"
she remembered.

"Espect me?" he pointed to himself.

"Good thinkin', Joey," she grinned. "I bet it's

when they were expectin' you. An' see the next
one? That's Mama an' Papa with you."

"No. You, Katie," he disagreed.

"No," she insisted. "It's you."

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Suddenly, the little boy slammed the book shut.

************

In the hallway, Michaela was disturbed, "Sully, they're arguing."

"See if they can work through it," he held her close.

"But...." she feared it would escalate.

************

"Josef Michael Sully," Katie repeated what her mother often called the little boy. "Ya don't need t' get mad."

His voice was teary, "You fust baby, Katie."

"Does that upset ya?" she put her arm around him. "Just 'cause I was first?"

"Love you fust," he was becoming irritable.

"You know what Mama an' Poppy told me when they were gonna have you?" she consoled the little boy.

"What?" his tears began to ebb.

"They said they got a lotta extra love t' share with another baby," she recalled. "An' I'm glad they had ya, Joey.
You're my best friend."

"I fwend?" he warmed to the thought.

"Yep," she kissed his cheek. "Now, don't be mad, okay?

"'Kay," he turned up the corner of his mouth.

"You look like Mama when ya smile," she touched the corner of his mouth.

Reaching for the scrapbook, Josef opened it again, "This one, Katie."

The little girl studied it for a moment, then sighed, "I think
that's when we lost our baby. Do ya remember?"

"I 'member," he sadly noted.

Katie sighed, "I wish we could've had our baby brother."

"Me, too," he did not fully understand.

"Maybe Mama an' Poppy will give us one someday," she said
wistfully.

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"Maypee," he yawned.

"We better stop now," she closed the book.

Josef rolled onto his side and shut his eyes, "Sweepy, Katie."

"Me, too," she set the scrapbook on the end table. "I don't think Mama an' Poppy would mind if we took a nap
here."

"Nope," cuddled beside his big sister.

"Joey," she ran her hand through his hair. "I think we're real lucky."

"Why?" he lifted his head.

"'Cause we got Mama an' Poppy," she told him.

************

Michaela brushed back a tear, "Oh, Sully."

"When ya hear 'em talk like that, it's hard t' believe they can sometimes be so ornery," he joked.

"They're angels," she insisted.

"Next time Josef throws his food or Katie gets int' your books, I'll remember ya said that," he teased.

"Angels with crooked halos," she amended.

"I think their Mama's a little bit prejudiced," he ran his hands up and down her arms.

"Perhaps that's because their Mama is so in love with their Papa," she kissed him.

"Good reason," he framed her face in his hands.

"I shall always love you Sully," she peered into his eyes.

He recited a line of poetry to her:

"I would love infinitely,

And be loved!"

"Was that Shakespeare?" she ventured a guess.

"Robert Browning," he kissed her again.

"Do you think our children would mind some company?" she glanced toward the door. "Perhaps a little nap for
us, as well?"

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"Sounds good. I can't think o' anythin' I'd rather do than wake up next t' you an' them," Sully clasped her hand
and led her into the bedroom.

THE END