That morning, while he shared coffee with Lettie, he’d never been so close to telling her he loved her. The words were so close to coming out, resting on the tip of his tongue. But at the last second, he’d backed down and told her he cared for her. The words sounded empty, even to him. Of course, he cared for her. Like a shamed dog, he’d made a quick escape. He knew what he had to do. Under the cottonwood, one of his favorite places to go when he needed to clear his thoughts, he had a talk with Mellie. Well, as much of a conversation as one could have with a dead person. It was more like sorting out his thoughts, talking to a pretend friend, though he liked to think she was looking down from Heaven, listening. He’d told her about Lettie. About her ability to continue on against any obstacle, her strength in standing for what was right, even her mood swings. Once he started talking about her, he couldn’t stop. He was completely crazy about her.
