Heather Angell

And the last gasps of autumn were turning the fields like this dull gold.

And everybody was there.

And by that point, nobody was like, why is that old farmhand here?

Like, I was part of the family.

And the nurse that night was, her family, friends owned a farm, and she said, everybody's out picking today because the frost is coming tonight, you know?

And it gave us all this sense of urgency, but also this sense of peace.

And the next morning, I woke up before sunrise and took my dog outside.

And the frost had come in the night, like silent and crisp.

And I knew he was gone before I even got the call.

He was a really good farmer till the end.

He knew when it was done.

And the night before at the hospital, right before I left, I gave him a kiss on the forehead.

He had these big, meaty hands that I held.

And I said, hey, he's in the barn, old man.

The field is empty.

I'll meet you there.

Thank you.