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I stood on the front porch in all hts were still on at the Yates place I could see a truck out front thatto Samuel What possible excuse could I coht so I could see hi hihts flicked out and the house was dark Trying not to cry, I walked inside and flipped our front porch light off in dejected response

My dad woke otten called in to work at the plant The supervisor on duty had been in a car accident the night before and they needed someone to cover the early shift I told hio back to sleep I heard him whisper that he’d be home in time for Christmas dinner at Louise’s, and to ain at eight and considered lying in bed and feeling sorry forBut the truth was, I didn’t ured I’d just ht’s feast and listen to Handel’s Messiah as loud as I could blast it I pulled on reen and red striped Christiant reindeer head on it that I had received last year as a white elephant gift I’d pulled the pins out of one to bed, but I really hadn’t wanted to part with hed at my raccoon eyes when I saw my reflection, and decided my makeover had definitely run its course I scrubbed h ood I had just sat doith my plate of food and hit play on the new CD player I’d received the night before, ready to hear the sounds of Handel’s opening movement, when I re exactly likewhen you lived on a farm We never took the Lord’s name in vain or said the F-word, but pretty much damn, hell, and shit were part of the vernacular of most folks born and raised in Levan To tell the truth, those words weren’t really considered sords Last week in church, Gordon Aagard was giving a serht in theon Johnny’s old boots, I trudged out to the corral Yazzie danced his happy dog dance around s as I walked Yazzie loved to visit the horses Dad had built a little lean-to adjacent to the corral, and Joe and Ben greeted me with nickers and bunted me with their noses as I mucked out the lean-to and refilled the feed buckets The water in the trough was iced over and I broke it withit off

Daisy, Dad’s mare, was in the barn, separated from the other horses where it was a little war into the barn, eager to be done withheavy, her back slick There was a little blood on the floor of the big stall, and I dropped the feed bucket I was carrying as I ran to her I’d watched enough foals be born to know that Daisy ell on her way to being a newto happen," I said out loud, rubbing my hand down Daisy’s soft nose, "So nohat do I do?"

I ran inside and dialed the number to the power plant Usually there is always souys on shift Today was Christmas, and the staff was at the bare e ca hours I growled in response and hung up the phone I called Jacob and Rachel’s house and got Rachel’s cheerful voice on the answeringe They were ho their Christ that Jacob get his butt to the farm Johnny was at Sheila’s parent’s home, and I called their number with the same results, only this time I asked a little ood I left him alone

I ran back out to the barn and paced nervously I couldn’t see anything I wasn’t sure I knehat to look for exactly, but there were no little hooves or a head sticking out of Daisy’s nether regions Daisy groaned and a watery gush swooshed out between her hind legs

"Ohout of the barn I ran as fast as my muddy boots would alloards the Yates’s house Don would knohat to do Out of breath and gasping, I reached the front walk and slipped and slidfor Don I’d been so focused on Daisy and the iht by the truck that I’d seen the night before without really noticing it I heard a door open behindaround to see Sa across his handsoot all about poor Daisy He wore a pair of Wrangler’s and a Carhart jacket One foot was planted on the ground in a Justin boot and a black cowboy hat sat low on his head The other leg was still inside the cab of his truck

"Josie? My grandpa’s not here He and Grand They wanted to see the kids open their gifts I’ive hie?" Samuel was so polite and for if I had just iined our past friendship He stared back atfor a response