Coming of Age

When Sarah heard her father had given permission for Will to be in the company of Leah she reacted and went to complain to her mother. James told both sisters they needed to grow up and they both rounded on him in anger. After all they were two years older than their brother so who was he to question their maturity. Joslyn laughed at her daughter’s strange reaction then spoke.

“If you have an interest in any young man, you’d better follow your sister’s path and get your man to know your dad so he can size them up. Ethan’s family is his life and he’d die to protect any of us, so he needs to be assured whoever you choose as a partner for life Sarah is likely to treat you with respect and love the rest of your life rather than a temporary whim to be discarded when the novelty wears off. I totally agree with him on that point. Too many people marry young and divorce when the novelty wears off.

Eventually you’ll have to make that decision yourself as you get older but as of now you are both young enough for your father to take responsibility to look your suitors over and check on their family history for your own protection.  And even when you are senior enough to make the decision and ignore our input if your chosen husband were to treat you badly in any way your father would not be responsible for what he did to him regardless of the legal cost and I’d be by his side with that as you children are precious to me too.”

Sarah got the giggles and eventually controlled herself.

“I know mom and really, I’m glad to belong to this family though it may not always seem like I do. That little lecture of yours makes me feel secure to have a mom and dad like you.”

She sped off after completing her chores to put some finishing touches to her latest painting before the sun went down to take with it all those vibrant colors she was building into the painting. Her paintings were beginning to fetch higher prices from the tourists now and Sarah hoped someday to have her own studio where she could have the satisfaction of earning her own way in life. Maybe she was not ready for marriage anyway now as she had too many other things to interest her.

A few days later a Sunday morning Sarah was deep in the woods and concentrating hard on the painting in front of her. Her scenes from the national park were now becoming appreciated far afield as tourists took their treasures home and interest was being disseminated in her paintings. A voice close behind her caused her to jump as she was used to the solitude of the woods, a must for her creative spirit to be aroused. She spun around on the defensive.

“You startled me! Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“I’m the new doctor partner in town and my name is Graham Wolf which naturally holds significance in our shared history. Your mother Joslyn was at the clinic in the past week, and I detected Cherokee ancestry in her. I’m from the Cherokee Nation side in Oklahoma originally but have always had an interest in medicine and now having finished studies and residency I answered Dr. Lindsay’s advertisement to join his practice. I visited your home this morning because of our distant connection and a chance to find friends with a similar connection and meet your family. Joslyn said you’d be out here in your usual secluded spot and to say hi to you before I returned to town. Sorry to have startled you. I’ve seen some of your paintings in town and they speak to my heritage, so I was curious to see you in action. I won’t disturb you further but just stopped by to meet the last member of the Landa family.”

Sarah relaxed and smiled.

“Sorry to be so abrupt with you but you really scared me.”

Graham laughed.

“With Cherokee blood in you I would have imagined you could hear grass moving and twigs under my feet as I approached. Sorry about that. Anyway, I’ll be on my way and leave you to it now.”

He turned to leave.

“No, stay and chat for a while. My concentration has been broken now.”

Sarah got off her portable stool and sat on the ground and Graham followed suit. They chatted animatedly for a while. Sarah marveled at the fact she’d agreed to leave her painting. It was her life now and it was increasingly profitable. She could see the dream of owning her own studio was achievable with the money her paintings were fetching and while she reveled in the warmth of being with family saw that someday she’d have to branch out on her own as they left home one by one, and her parents reached the end of their life.

She discovered this man loved the wilds and hiked whenever he could be released from his duties at clinic and hospital. This caused her to study him carefully and the more she looked the more she felt drawn to him. This was another amazing transformation. She noticed Graham eyeing her off appreciatively and her heart raced at the chemistry starting between them so quickly. Eventually he excused himself to continue his intended hike and involuntarily Sarah asked him if she could join him. She quickly apologized as she realized he may have taken this the wrong way but instead he beamed with pleasure and nodded his head.

“I need to return my painting gear home and that’s not far away is that OK?”

Graham helped her carry the painting materials, stand and stool home and Joslyn smiled happily seeing them together and chatting animatedly. She’d liked this man on her visit to the clinic for a regular checkup and was glad to see her daughter liked him too.

Ethan raised his eyebrows when he learned this new doctor he’d just met this morning would be accompanying his daughter on a hike but had to concede she was a levelheaded young adult and he had to cut her some slack. Sarah rushed inside and returned prepared in her hiking clothes and Graham tried to suppress his pleasure in looking at this beautiful young woman who he now had to himself for a couple of hours. They hiked the hill trails with only intermittent conversation but all the while chemistry between them was building in intensity. They arrived back at the homestead sweaty and tired and just before they entered the road leading up to the house Graham turned to her and spoke.

“Sarah I’ve enjoyed your company very much today and want that contact to continue. Would you consider letting me call on you whenever I have time off and we could hike together or do whatever you like to do. I’m not into dancing or movies but if you liked that I’d be willing to take you.”

Sarah took his arm.

“Graham I’d like that very much and really, I’m a simple person who likes the solitude of the woods and my painting, but I’d like to share that with you now when you have time. Thank you for taking me with you today. I had a wonderful time.”

Graham beamed with pleasure as he hiked back to his apartment by the clinic in town. His heart was beating to a new rhythm and this young Landa woman was the cause of his palpitations.

To be continued.

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