Leah did not know the rules of raising a good man. She had doubts about how much influence any mother had on the heart of her son, but seeing Elmer and Bobby made her wonder how much influence any father had, either. She wondered how much of Andy she would see in her boy as he grew, whether Tyler would have the charm and youthful sweetness that had drawn her to Andy in the first place, what else would turn out to be innate to the boy, rigid, unmalleable.

The osprey nest had been above the high-water mark. The twig configuration of the nest was disheveled but intact. “Look, Tyler,” Leah said, “do you see the nest?” She pointed at the tree. Tyler, enthralled with Bobby, with the deep splashing thunk of the rocks in the ditch, ignored her.

Bobby smiled, shrugged. “Kids, I guess.”

There was no sign of the birds, not the parents or the juveniles. There was no way to know whether they had migrated into the storm, flown themselves free and clear, or been caught in the rushing misery, waterlogged, pulled into the churn and flow and press of the water. She didn't want to have to witness it alone. She didn't want to be the only one who wondered.

Leah lifted her boy, turned both their bodies toward the tree, and pointed again.

“There it is, son,” she insisted. “Look. It's still there.” Tyler turned away, refused to look in the direction she pointed. Leah gave in, wrapped both arms around Tyler, drew him close into herself, felt the tickle of his still-fine baby hair against her cheek. She began listing, silently, everything she could see was still standing, so much easier to bear than a list of everything that had washed away.

Lost Gun, $1,000 Reward, No Questions

To: Mom

From: Charley

Subject: Project Gold Rush

August 18, 2016

Dear Mom,

Yesterday, Chris and I received a contract to install our hybrid hydraulic braking system in a national long-haul trucking fleet based here in LA. Also, we received a note from our former long-haul trucker of a father that read:

Boys—I'm out on a mining claim near Tonopah. Dying. You want to see me? Be quick. If I were you I wouldn't. But I'm not you. —Del

I said, right away: Not our circus, not our monkeys, brother.

Chris shook his head. He said we should first consider carefully, as always, the price versus the cost of the situation.