The telegraph from Lom was short and to the point, just like all the other's but this one...this one was different.

J Smith and T Jones
Head to Cheyenne immediately. Deal with mutual friend has been signed.
Lom

The two ex-outlaws read it once and then read it again.  Heyes read it to Kid and then Kid read it to Heyes.  It said the same thing every time.

Brown eyes looked into blue eyes.  They both suppressed a smile.  Fear of letting the hope take hold.  They stepped out of the telegraph office in to the late afternoon sun of a small, dusty Arizona town.

"Heyes, do you really think...?  I mean - how long we been waiting..."  Kid could feel the happiness, the joy of knowing something good was about to happen, it swelled inside of him.

"It's been too long Kid."  Heyes had a far off look in his eyes.  "Sure does feel right."

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A week later they sat outside the Cheyenne train depot waiting on the train.  The governor had finally come through with his end of the deal and in a small, quiet ceremony had handed the boys their amnesty papers.  With winter coming on the boys decided to head back south, maybe New Mexico or Texas, while they decide on what to do.  All the plans they had laid out in their heads waiting for this just didn't seem to fit anymore.

A grey-muzzled dog ambled up to Heyes as he sat with his eyes half-closed, lost in a swirl of thoughts.  He reached out and ruffled the dogs ear.  The dog placed her snout on his knee and let out a small puff of air.  Heyes smiled.  Life could be as simple as that.

Kid had been thinking about all the time... a long ago time with family, the hard time at the school, a time learning to be an outlaw, the time waiting for the amnesty, every time had moved him into the present and now into the future.  He was snapped out of his reverie as he watched a woman step on to the train platform struggling to contain the two children she had in tow.  One was a fair-haired boy, the other a red-haired girl.  The girl reached out and snatched the ball from the boy and ran off down the platform towards them.  The boy gave chase.  As he grabbed hold of one of her pig-tails she let the ball drop and it rolled towards him.  This was it, everything he had hoped for - a home, a wife, kids - came rolling at him.  He reached down and picked it up, staring at it.  The boy scampered up, "Mister? Can I have my ball back."

Startled by the boy's voice he looked up, smiled and handed it back.  The boy smiled, "Thanks Mister."  he ran back towards his sister with his tongue sticking out at her.  She snatched it again and with a squeal of laughter headed off the other way.

The train whistle could be heard well before it got to the station so all the passengers gathered at the edge of the platform.  They hung back and as the last of the passengers boarded and the train gathered steam to pull away the boys pulled themselves aboard.

Heyes, hanging on by the rail, leaned out looking forward then back.  He pulled himself on.  The pinks and oranges of the setting sun danced across the blue-grey sky.

"Kid, I feel it."

Kid looked over at his partner and  best friend - he too had a knowing deep down inside.  He placed a hand on Heyes' shoulder and nodded.

Heyes took in a deep breath of the gathering night air and slowly let it out.  "I feel like we are standing at the edge of forever."