Prologue

Prologue…

Willy sank into a pillow of clean straw in the corner of the barn.  The solid wall pressing against her back sent a cool chill through her body.  She imagined the cold March wind gusseting the barn and decided she was thankful for the warmth radiated from the small furnace above her as it chugged out air.  The scent of straw, cows, and the stronger, sweet stench of birth filled her nostrils.  Her watch blipped, ticking off the eleven o’clock hour. She’d been awake and working for going on nineteen hours. She blinked her eyes, trying to get past the gritty feel from lack of sleep that seemed ever present over the past few weeks.  They’d been witness to almost a hundred calves coming into this world, but it took the loss of only one to dishearten a person.

Her eyes wandered to Lee who leaned over the dead calf they’d just pulled from its mother.  Tonight he looked older than his thirty odd years. His normally clean shaven face sported several days’ worth of dark bristly hair a shade darker than the brown hair that topped his head.  She could see wisps of that coffee brown hair curling out from underneath the navy blue stocking cap he’d pulled down tight to keep his head warm.  His face looked grim, and she suspected something beyond the loss of the calf bothered him.  Lee had been her surrogate brother, friend, and more recently her employer, yet after all these years she still found there were times he was hard to read.

“Lee, are you okay?”

With an exaggerated yell of frustration, Lee tossed the heavy chain calf puller away where it banged violently against the side of the building. Willy jumped. His strong reaction spooked her. In the livestock business it sucked to lose a baby, but it happened.  There was more to Lee’s distress than what lay before them.

Willy slowly climbed to her feet and cautiously approached Lee.  He remained frozen in a kneeling position on the heavily bedded concrete floor as if all his rage had been consumed in that one violent movement.  Cautiously, Willy laid her hand on his back.  The hard contours of his back flexed under her hand, and for a moment she considered backing away. 

“What’s wrong?” 

He shrugged.  She felt the pull of his muscles in that movement.  She waited and when he didn’t say anything she rubbed her hand up and down his back willing him to respond.

“The cancer is back.”

Willy’s hand ceased its movement. “What?”

“Dad’s cancer �" it’s back.”

Willy’s heart dropped. They’d been warned that the cancer that Lee’s father had beat over a year ago could and would mostly likely return, but they had hoped they’d have more time. She wanted to scream in denial. She dropped her head against his shoulder, seeking his strength now instead of offering it as she’d intended. 

“I thought he’d beaten it,” she whispered raggedly.

“Apparently not for long.”  He paused before continuing as if speaking to himself.  “He’s just finally started to feel good and get some of his strength back. He’s only been in the saddle a dozen times.  It’s just not fair!”

She put an arm around his back and clung to him. “We’ll get him through this.”  She didn’t know how, but they had no choice.  She couldn’t imagine living without Papa G.  

Author's Note

This is the first time I've used a prologue. Not sure it's write but kind of what I'd like for the first chapter.