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way she
looked at him, and she seemed to care for him, which was even
better. While most people granted him the respect associated with
his standing, only his mother, aunts, and the chief genuinely liked
him. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin his relationship with
Onawa.
    The day would come soon enough when he
could go home and be with her. He just needed to remember to watch
what he said around her. Then everything would be
alright.
     
    ***
     
    “ I still can’t believe the
chief made Citlali leave to seek a vision,” Woape said as she
combed her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter’s hair. “You’d think
the chief would give a newly married man more time to get
acquainted with his bride.”
    Onawa looked up from Woape’s youngest
daughter who was sleeping in her arms. The baby was content, and
she couldn’t help but think she might be holding her own child
before the year was up. All the women in her lodge were fruitful.
It was one of the things Citlali’s clan and the chief found
desirable when they looked to pair him up with a wife. She wanted
to please him and the chief with a baby. Then they would know they
didn’t make a mistake in choosing her.
    “ The chief has a serious
matter to consider,” Onawa told her sister. “Citlali is concerned
for the tribe. I wish to support him.”
    Woape sighed as she braided Penelope’s
hair. “I hope he’ll make you happy.”
    “ He already does.” She bit
her lower lip, considered her words, and then decided she might as
well tell her sister the good news. Leaning forward, she added, “He
said he loves me.”
    Dropping the beaded ribbon she was
ready to put in her daughter’s hair, Woape stared at Onawa. “He
actually said the words?”
    “ He did. Isn’t that
wonderful?”
    “ I didn’t think he could
feel love.”
    “ Of course, he can feel
love,” Onawa replied with a giggle. “He’s human, isn’t
he?”
    “ I don’t know. Sometimes he
doesn’t seem like it.”
    “ Well, of course, he’s
human. He experiences emotions like we do.”
    Woape picked the ribbon back up and
wove it through her daughter’s braid. “If you say so.”
    She refused to let her sister’s
disbelief ruin her good mood. In four days, Citlali would return to
her—hopefully with good news from his vision—and he could hold her
in his arms and tell her he loved her again. She couldn’t wait for
him to be back. Being married to him was so much better than she
thought it would be.
    Someone entered the lodge and she
looked up to find Julia and Erin entering the place, each carrying
one of Julia’s two-month-old boys. After they exchanged greetings,
Erin sat by Woape and Julia sat by Onawa.
    She motioned to the baby in Julia’s
arms. “Tate?” she asked, wondering which of the twins this one
was.
    Julia shook her head.
“Dakota.”
    Onawa glanced at Tate who rested in
Erin’s arms. How she loved babies. She really couldn’t wait to
present Citlali with his son or daughter.
    “ Cold outside,” Erin said,
her Mandan stilted.
    “ Yes, it is,” Woape
replied. “I’m glad to be inside on days like this.”
    “ How is Chogan?” Onawa
asked Julia.
    Julia smiled at the mention of her
husband’s name. “Good.” After a moment, she asked, “How is
Citlali?”
    “ Good. He says he loves
me,” she replied, careful to use words Julia knew.
    Julia smiled. “Yes. Good!”
    Glad that Julia was happier for her
than Woape seemed to be, Onawa’s grin widened and her initial
enthusiasm returned. “We speak English, if you want?” She knew it
was easier for Julia to speak in her native tongue, and since Woape
taught her English words, she felt she was getting sufficient at
speaking them.
    “ I need Mandan,” Julia
replied in Onawa’s language. “Good to learn.”
    Onawa nodded. She glanced up as her
father entered the lodge. His gaze went to Erin before he went over
to Onawa and knelt between her and Julia.
    “ I haven’t seen you since
the wedding,” he told