Crescent Smile ~ John Marston Story

✽.✫☽ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟻 ☾✫.✽

(Edited)
Word count: 2064
{Listen while you read?~I recommend A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes by Shakey Graves}

☽✫.✽✦✽.»»——⍟——««.✽✦✽.✫☾

The next day, Dixie arrived in Armadillo after assisting John and Irish in acquiring the machine gun. She had spent the previous night camping alone, but her weariness dissipated as she caught sight of her father's house.

Tying her horse to a post outside, she wearily made her way indoors. Removing her hat upon entering, she called out for her father, only to be met with silence. Closing the door behind her, she ventured into her father's room, only to find it empty. A deep sigh escaped her lips, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief in the emptiness of the house.

Heading towards her own room, she took off her weapons belt and placed it on the bed alongside her hat. She decided to change her clothes, setting aside her pants and button-up shirt to be washed later. Slipping into a simple skirt and a lightweight shirt, she tucked it into the waistband and put on her worn boots. As she walked outside towards her horse, she took the opportunity to redo her disheveled braid.

Mounting her horse, she rode slowly into town. Her first stop was the station, where she collected the mail. She then checked the jailhouse, briefly interacting with a nameless deputy. Not finding the usual three suspects, she turned her attention to the general store, purchasing some food and new items. With everything in tow, she returned home and brought everything inside before stepping back out to take her loyal steed to the small stables in town for care until she needed it again.

Walking back home, she felt a sense of calm, lost in her own thoughts. She contemplated all the tasks she needed to complete before receiving word to go to Fort Mercer. The first thing on her mind was a relaxing bath and a good book. Once she stepped through the door of her home once again, she wasted no time in indulging in those simple pleasures.

☽✫.✽✦✽.»»——⍟——««.✽✦✽.✫☾

After the water in the bath turned cold, Dixie reluctantly stepped out, wrapping a delicate robe around her bare body. She made her way to the kitchen, intending to cook a simple meal for herself. As she prepared the food, she sifted through the letters they had received in the mail. Among them, she discovered one addressed to her, written in her father's unmistakable handwriting. With furrowed brows, she carefully opened the letter, inspecting his beautiful penmanship.

"𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒟𝒾𝓍𝒾𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔,
   𝐼𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓋𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒, 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓈 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒹𝒶𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝒸𝓊𝓂 𝒟𝒾𝒸𝓀𝑒𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝒮𝑒𝓉𝒽 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓅𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓅𝓈 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒥𝑜𝒽𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓉𝓉𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝓉 𝑀𝑒𝓇𝒸𝑒𝓇, 𝐼'𝓁𝓁 𝓈𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝐸𝓁𝒾 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒥𝑜𝓃𝒶𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒸𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓌𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒹, 𝓈𝒾𝑔𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝐿𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽 𝒥𝑜𝒽𝓃𝓈𝑜𝓃."

Setting the letters aside, Dixie let out a sigh of relief upon confirming her father's well-being. She turned her attention back to the simple meal she had prepared, placing it on a plate before settling into the chair her father often occupied when he read. With her book in hand, she switched on the light and began to read.