“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
After our walk in the park, Seth left again for his cattle ranch out in the country. We were apart for another week, but Seth called me every other day to catch up. I looked forward to his evening texts: “Want to chat?”
One afternoon he sent me two photos – a “Before” and an “After”. They were images of a rattlesnake he found in his woodcarving shed. Seth normally kills snakes with a shovel, he told me, but he shot this one because of how it was positioned on some old boards in the shed. No wonder he was so calm when we crossed a four-foot snake during our walk together. Indiana Jones has got nothing on my man.
Late one evening during our time apart, Seth called to ask about my day. I started telling him about choir rehearsal and dinner with Ashley, but there was a loud noise in the background on his end that was both distracting and keeping me from being able to hear what he said in response.
“What are you doing over there?” I called into the phone, projecting over a thunderous metallic sound. The noise immediately stopped.
“Oh, sorry,” Seth’s voice came clearly over the line. “I was sharpening my ax.”
“Um, what?” Sharpening your ax?
I visualized Seth’s nonchalant shrug as he explained himself, “Yeah, I have to cut down some mesquite trees in the middle of a field tomorrow. I use a chain saw for most of them, but there are some I figure would be better taken down with an ax, so I want to make sure it’s sharp.”
I’ve dated athletes, musicians, engineers, photographers and doctors of various heights, weights, ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses, but before now, I never could have said that I have dated a genuine cowboy. He doesn’t just drive the truck and listen to country music. His pearl snaps aren’t made at Hollister. Seth is the real deal, and he has the callouses to prove it.
The first day of April, I answered my phone to hear Seth’s low drawl in my ear. Even across the miles, I could hear the smile in his voice and the weight of his words as he acknowledged for us both the significance of this day. “Happy Q2, Aurora.”
And I smiled back. “Happy Q2.” 🙂
Authentically Aurora
Authentically Aurora 