to shake him more t

matted hair, a gesture o

," he said, more to

han," I said, turning away, busying mys

task calmed m

night, our wedding

e was answ

ashed back

mmers, vast

in every local rodeo, partners in misc

then, a wild streak

he open range, dreaming of fut

atch us sometimes, a shadow in his own

ng gone, a whisper in

r and scraped knees, an unspoken unde

tails, I' d push

n, there was

fer a hand up, his eyes

ned, replaced by something el

he stars, naming constella

h him, stories of wor

ate teens, som

ear disaster, hushed words ab

nch hands called them, b

the easy laughter replac

dimmed, replaced by

ut there was a distance,

became a heavy thing, fraug

new, but of what,

th