“Not any worse is a good sign,” Stevie said. “It’s kind of like being in remission if he had cancer. We’d be tickled with that news, right?”

“I suppose so,” Mia sighed again, “but I still believe and hope for a miracle.”

“You got one when you met Beau,” Stevie told her.

Are you talking to her or to yourself again? Her mother’s tone seemed to be happy.

“Amen to that,” Mia said.

“Where are you going tonight?” she asked.

“We are going to Sonic in Sherman,” Mia answered. “I’m having a double bacon cheeseburger, double fries, and a chocolate shake, and then we’re going to see that new spy movie that just came out last week.”

“Sounds like a perfect date. What made you choose a spy movie?” Stevie asked.

Mia finished chewing another carrot before she answered. “It’s about kick-ass women spies, and I like action films.” She checked her phone again. “Beau isn’t the type to be late, and I’m ready to go, but I should brush my teeth. I don’t want him to taste carrots when he kisses me.”

“Have fun.” Stevie started to serve herself some cobbler, but then decided to wait and have dessert with Cody.

*  *  *

Cody drove the mile from the bunkhouse to the other side of the ranch where his folks now lived in the old foreman’s house, a small two-bedroom frame house. He found his father and mother sitting on the front porch swing bundled up in coats. Sonny even had a blanket around his legs.

“What are y’all doing outside in the cold?” Cody called as he got out of his truck, went up onto the porch, and hiked a hip on the railing.

“We’re celebrating,” Sonny said. “Today is the anniversary of our first date all those years ago. I wasn’t allowed to take your mother out in my old pickup truck, but her daddy said I could sit on the porch swing with her and we could talk. Every year, we do this to remember that we fell in love that night.”

“We sit on the porch swing for one hour,” Pearl said, “because that’s how long my father said we could spend together, and then Sonny had to come inside the house and visit with my folks the rest of the evening.”

“Our hour is up.” Sonny pushed the blanket to the side and used his cane to steady himself as he got up from the swing. “Let’s go have coffee and some of that apple pie your mama made today.”

Cody folded the blanket over his arm and followed his folks into the house. “Mia brought peach cobbler to the bunkhouse, so I’ll pass on the pie, but I would like a cup of coffee.”

“What’s on your mind this evening, son?” Pearl asked.