[center][h2]”The Courtesy of a Reply…"[/h2][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/2KDIbF6.jpg[/img] [/center] “Gorram it.” The draw weren’t feelin’ right, like her whole body done fergot how. Truth be told, Abby ain’t had practice in a coon’s age, and brother, did it show. She’s still fast, leastways to her own thinkin’, but with each draw before her mirror the deckhand conjured just how much she’d left the muscle to atrophy. Her right shoulder’s dippin’, one of the worst tells to anyone might choose to square up with her some day. [i]Gotta calm that la shi right down,[/i] she pondered as Daddy’s Colt slipped back inside the holster. [i]”Ye gotta be loose, Chick Pea.”[/i] Uncle Bob told her that a thousand times. [i]”It’s like what them monks an’ nuns call meditation. Ye gotta clear yer head til they’s nothin’ left but yew, yer pistol, and the fella done been stupid enough to call ye out.”[/i] She waved her arms a spell, slippin’ ‘em out like she’s balancin’ on a tightrope. Abby crooked her neck, tryna summon the sort of limber she knowed she had. ‘Cept it weren’t comin’. [i]Meditation…maybe I should ask Sister Lyen about that, [/i] Way she figgered, gettin’ ‘er head right was tha whole sitchiation. And it weren’t no mystery what had her nickers in a twist. [color=00FFFF]: Hey, can we talk?[/color] After so long silent, seein’ his message at first robbed all common sense outta her. She opened it soon’s her cortex pinged its’ arrival…before remembrin’ he’d git word she done seen it. Abby’s still cringin’ over herself when Thomas’ next wave hit. [color=00FFFF]: I miss you.[/color] She let two days pass with no reply. Not that she ain't wrote one…or three…or six, afore deletin’ each. She wanted to rage, tear inta him with a buzzsaw of harsh words. She wanted ta hear him apologize, tell ‘er how wrong he was fer goin’ silent so gorram long. She wanted tah remind him that she’s a growed woman and she’d make ‘er own choices, thank yew very much. But underneath it all, Abby wanted most to hear his feelin’s. He said he missed ‘er. Well, that was kinda goin’ the direction she hoped. But no way was she just gon’ go runnin’ back now he had a mind tah pallaver. First she thought was tah make him wait a spell. Seemed only fair, after all tha weeks an’ weeks he done left her waves hangin’. But as days went by, she come tah conjure she couldn’t know how her silence measured on him, but it sure as hell was playin’ Merry Hob with her equilibrium. [i]That, and Alana,[/i] the girl reasoned as she slipped outta her gunbelt. China Doll just seemed all dumbstruck by the doc’s passin’. Nobody talked about ‘er, leastways not in sense of some kinda memorial. It’s jest like she’s never a part of tha crew tah begin with, and deep down, that weren’t sittin’ right with Abby. Folk come an’ go in tha ‘verse. How many times had she held ‘er own feelin’s in check with that old sayin’? She weren’t thinkin’ tah argue tha wisdom of it, seein’s how she could count plenty folk left China Doll over the two and a half years she worked aboard. Pen left tah reunite with ‘er pa. Rex joined the bikers what had kidnapped her. Hook? Man had demons tah smoke out. [i]But they’re all alive,[/i] she mused. [i]Alana’s gone forever…and it’s like nobody’s allowed to say goodbye or feel sad about it.[/i] It was then that one of them connections snapped home in Abby’s head. [i]So I’m not talking,[/i] she realized, [i]about Alana, or to Thomas…and all I’m doing is hurting me.[/i] The truth of that couldn’t be denied. She sat down on ‘er bunk, beside tha pistol and gunbelt, her mind connecting the dots between issue and resolution. As she thought on it, her eye traced them captures of ‘er fam’ly taped onta tha bulkhead. They was all there, tha folk she loved, mem’reis and bonds explained through a rainbow of colorful chalk connections. It was then she got her idea. [i]Don’t need to talk about Alana,[/i] the girl’s expression brightened, [i]not when there’s a better way to remember her.[/i] With a freshening resolve, Abby took on her next vexation. The cortex reader slipped into her hands. Her thumbs went to work on a fresh response. This time, she sent it. [color=FF1493]: What do you want to talk about?[/color] This time, Thomas didn’t make her wait. Weren’t more’n a minute before he banged out a fresh wave. [color=00FFFF]: About how I’m a real idiot for puffing up and trying to tell you how to manage. When you shared the pic of all your bruises I just went all ‘male gorilla.’ I’m really sorry, Abby.[/color] “Puffin’ up.” Seemed like the first time in forever that Abby smiled. She dashed off a response. [color=FF1493]: I conjure you were feeling protective. Next time, let me tell you when I need a hero?[/color] [color=00FFFF]: Shiny. My sister said the same thing while she was whacking me with a dead mackerel.[/color] That got Abby gigglin’. The Jinks fam’ly must be out on another fishin’ run. [color=FF1493]: Tell her to hit you one for me.[/color] [color=00FFFF]: How about we save future assault and battery for the next time you’re back on New Melbourne?[/color] [color=FF1493]: Deal.[/color] She checked the time. ‘Bout three hours left til they docked at tha Skyplex. Her chores was all done, an’ the passengers was just fed, so Abby had some time tah kill. Judgin’ by tha way he’s tryin’ tah catch up, so did Thomas. As she traded wits an’ stories with him, Abby come tah realize that her world was brightenin’ right up.