Sara was again dressed in jeans, boots, and a man's work shirt. The sleeves were rolled up and Sara radiated a sweet smile. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail. Roy suspected her outfit was originally clothes her husband wore. When the filly was let loose in the corral, it was love at first sight, as Sally and Molly competed for the filly's attention. Within minutes, the three were running around the corral making a mixture of horse and mule sounds. Abe and Billy got into the mix by chasing the mules and the filly which caused Roy and Sara to start laughing.
"Whew," Roy said stifling a laugh, "I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. My Pop would act just like this whenever our goat would chase me around the place."
"I think it's been long before Olof's death since I laughed this hard."
"Do you miss him, Sara?"
"I will never stop loving Olof. The boy's loved him too. He left a large hole in this family when he died."
"When did it happen?"
Sara sat on a wooden crate near the fence. "It was almost a year after we moved into the place. I was pregnant with Billy and Abe was only two." Sara's expression turned serious. "Olof Johansson was only thirty-five when he died."
Sara turned her head and looked off into the horizon hiding her face. Roy reached out and gently touched Sara's shoulder.
"It's okay to miss him. I still miss my friend Stanley. Sometimes I can hear him talk with me."
Sara nodded, but said nothing.
Roy tried shifting the mood. "How old are your boys now?"
Sara regained her composure. "Billy is five and Abe is seven, but he acts much older. He was forced to become a man too soon in his life."
Sara looked around and surveyed Roy's place. She watched as the boys started climbing the mountain behind the cabin. Sara jumped up and yelled at them.
"Abraham Johansson, you take good care of Billy and watch out for snakes."
"Yes Ma'am," Abe yelled back.
"What? He can call you Ma'am, but not me?"
Sara reached around and lightly punched Roy in the arm.
"Ouch, that hurts."
Sara laughed. "I doubt it."
I like this woman, Roy thought, she's sweet and tough at the same time.
Sara looked at the barn tilting heavily to one side but standing firm despite the angle. The log cabin was old, but Sara could see the porch, windows, and roof were new. The big garden looked awful, but then she observed the family burial plot and immediately stood walking that direction.