Helen, this is my second chance to be the man I always should have been. I promise I’ll take good care of our daughter. I promise that, for as long as I can draw breath, she will have my unconditional love and attention. I’ll make sure she comes through this and goes on to live the fullest life she can, which is just what you would have wanted. And as for me, I shall try to do the same.

Till we meet again, whenever and wherever that might be, you will always be in my thoughts. You’ve left me with the memory of a love I won’t ever find again. You were the woman who turned me into a man, the luckiest man on earth, and I will remain forever grateful that I was the one you chose to share your life with, that it was my hand you chose to hold along the way.

Wherever you are, I hope you’re at peace.

I love you, and I miss you.

Your husband,

Kevin

P.S. Amy says hi.

Kevin folded the pages in half and placed them inside the box. He also took the photo of him and Amy, father and daughter, cheeks pressed together, smiling for the lens, and tucked that inside too. Then, after digging a small hole, he laid the box in the dirt, knelt on the ground, kissed his fingers, and placed his hand down on the tin lid.

“Rest easy, my sweetheart.”53

Life had become a nonstop crash course in horse keeping, and Amy loved every minute of it. Their ranch hand, Zack, had a natural rapport with the horses and made for an excellent teacher. A little younger than her dad, he was quiet and reserved but could explain everything in a way that made perfect sense. The funny thing was, Amy had never once considered herself a “horse person,” yet in just a few short weeks these wonderful animals were already the center of her world. She loved them dearly and couldn’t imagine life without them.

Her best friend, Sam, was also smitten. She had become a regular visitor, driving down every weekend to see Amy and the horses, often staying the night. No matter the activity, whether it was riding or grooming or feeding, she loved being part of the action. She always made herself useful, helping muck out the stalls, doing whatever she could to put off going back home. She even suggested in a vaguely serious manner that she adopt one of the horses as her very own.

“Actually,” Sam said, her eyes glowing as she ran a brush down the length of Snowflake’s mane, “maybe your dad could just adopt me, and I could live here full-time.”

Amy burst out laughing. She was up in the hayloft grabbing a few small bales for the horses’ dinner.