Billy in the Maron Valley, snippet

Melissa smiles and the boy relaxes and he smiles at her too. She puts her hand on the rear railing and swings herself out of the truck to land in the dirt underneath. A little wind whistles through the grasses nearby and Melissa looks toward it, wild oats bending with the breeze and the rigid sage brush moving too.

“I’ll take you to him.” She reaches out a hand to the boy and he takes it in his. She smiles again but the boy this time looks at the ground and then away and simply follows along at her side.

“Thank you.”