Stepbrother Fallen (18 page)
Read Stepbrother Fallen Online
Authors: Aya Fukunishi
gaze is drawn back to rock on my finger. Even after a year I still
haven't gotten used to the weight on my hand, or the way the bright
morning sun catches the diamond at just the right angle.
Mongolian steppe, empty but for the occasional wild horse all the
way to the distant hills towards the Chinese border. The sun bathes
the landscape in a warm golden light, and a gentle breeze brings
with it the fresh aroma of young grass and clean air.
meat sizzling on the stove. I turn back towards our ger and see the
column of smoke rise from the chimney, and like every morning since
the cravings began my mouth starts to water as I look forward to
breakfast. I begin to drift back towards the close warmth of the
ger, a crisp bacon sandwich and Rafe's smile.
head to nibble on a tuft of grass, nudging aside her nameless
friend (Rafe refuses to name his horse. He says – only half
seriously, I suspect – that a name would steal away its essential
'horseness'). Soon enough I'll be too far along to ride Binky, and
– for a while, at least – I'll let her roam free on the steppe.
She'll come back when she's ready, and when I'm ready to ride
again.
for the first time I wonder how I ever managed to get so lucky. How
did I find myself here, with the cool grass tickling my bare toes,
a little life growing inside me, my books flying off the shelves
back home and a loving husband cooking an enormous breakfast on the
stove? I never imagined I could have any of this. I never thought I
could ever be quite so content.
any more... about the past, the future and how we reached the
present. There's no need for answers, not really. We may one day
return home to the States and leave our wandering days behind. We
might find a new adventure; a new place for the three of us to
explore, discover, and love. We might just stay here, far from the
bright lights and chaos of the world, alone on the endless steppe
with nothing but our cozy little home, our faithful horses and the
big blue sky. It doesn't matter. As long as we're together, nothing
else matters.
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