"The horses appreciate it though."
They walked the horses further into the woods until they reached a stream. Tyson watched the dreamy look that crossed Valerie's face. "Ty and I used to catch crayfish right here."
"What's a crayfish?"
Tyson started to flip over the flat rocks in the creek. "Watch for something that scoots backwards when I move the rock."
"Ohh," Londyn squealed. "Right there. Right there."
Tyson reached down and picked up the struggling creature. He held it out to Londyn in the palm of his hand. "That is a crayfish."
"It looks like a tiny lobster," Londyn responded as she stared at it. "Does it bite?"
"I've never been bitten. They just try to look dangerous."
"Can you eat them?"
Valerie laughed. "No. And they don't taste like lobster."
"How do you know, Mommy?"
Tyson bellowed with laughter. "Tell her that story."
Valerie told her how Tyson and his brothers had caught several crayfish and told her they tasted just like lobster if you cooked them right. By the time she knew they were teasing her, she had tried to eat one and it was the most disgusting thing in the world.
Every place they stopped held some sort of memory. Tyson knew he had missed Valerie, but now being back there with her again, he realized that it had been much more than he thought. They laughed, they joked, and for just a bit, they forgot the problems of the world that waited for them.
Londyn fell asleep on the way back to the barn, and Tyson gently cradled her little body to keep her from falling out of the saddle. "I think we tuckered her out."
Valerie agreed. "She's not used to so much fresh air and exercise. It's all smog and concrete back in the city."
"It's good for her to be here." He cut his eyes at her. "You, too."
After they put the horses up, Tyson carried Londyn back to their cabin. "There you go, sleepy head."
"Can we do that again sometime?"
He nodded. "You're the guests, so whatever you want to do is good with me."
"Can we have ice cream for breakfast?"
Valerie swatted at her in jest. "You need a bath, stinky girl. You smell like a horse."
She turned to Tyson as Londyn disappeared inside. "Thank you, for everything. Really."
"It's good to have you back, Val." He spun and headed home. She watched him leave as she admired his assets on display.
She couldn't deny the fact that it was most definitely good to be home.
Chapter Thirteen: Chapter 13 Title
Valerie Blanchette Kenway
As the day ended, Valerie's heart was happier than it had been in a long time when they got back to their cabin. She gave Londyn a quick bath and got her dressed before the girl fell asleep on her feet. As she tucked her in, Londyn wrapped her arms around her neck.
"Can we stay here forever, Mommy? I love it here."
Valerie kissed the side of Londyn's neck. "I don't know, sweetheart. We'll have to wait and see what happens."
