Inside, the body heat from the animals crowded into the stall warmed the area considerably. She called quietly to Benati, and the goat nuzzled her hand. She whistled as she began to milk. Even after their resolution to continue as they had been, it felt different. Marlee’s face warmed at the thought of Tyris’s kiss. How could they pretend nothing had changed? The only thing holding them back was her fear. Could she let it go? Could she find a way to hope again after all the disappointment? Could she let Tyris go without even trying to make it work? Marlee squirted the last of the milk into the bucket, no closer to a solution. But she wasn’t upset. The answer would come to her when the time was right. As she straightened her back, something made a noise behind her. She ushered the goat back into her pen. Putting down the bucket of milk, she looked around the barn. Noise greeted her on all sides. Sheep bleated, chickens clucked, animals moved around the barn. She tried to filter them out, listening for a sound that did not belong here.
