*** Rose…Before…

“Food would be soooo of the good, food keeps Chris from trying to eat brains.”
I laugh and she laughs and she is sending me all sorts of cute stickers in chat and I’m blushing and I’m sending some back.
And we do that for a while going from… “I’ll see you soon.”
To… “You hang up.”
“No you hang up.”
“No you hang up.”
And that went on until I hear her phone beep. “Oops gotta go, plus I really got to go pee.”
“Okay, this was fun Chris…I really had another good day.”
“Me too.”
“Thanks Chris… you made my night.”
We hang up and I let her go offline too and I put my laptop on my coffee table and pulled my knees up and hugged myself around the knees for a good minute before quietly raising my arms up over my head in a pronounced victory… “YES!!!”

*And Now…

*Before….

Nicole takes us past to the bursars office and I have some pay there.

Which was actually unexpected and it was really nice and I actually leave some of the “found” coin with her and I get myself a decent brace of the local coin mostly in coppers and a silver pennies at Nicole’s suggestion and I leave a respectable amount in my holdings there.

I’m far from rich really but I have some monies, some.

It’s a weight off my mind that I didn’t know was there.

We leave together heading out with some others who are on liberty tonight too and we share a wagon ride from the gates into the city and one of the places where people are getting dropped off and I can’t help but to be excited and to smile with all of the folk around and shops and things are lit with electric illuminations and it’s busy and exciting.

Nicole tugs on my sleeve and we’re heading first thing for some confection shop.

*And Now…

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

Steve is safe and the murderers are in jail. Certainly this is not the end of the story. There is the matter of the disposition of Ben Martindale’s estate. Also, what are Mannie and Steve going to do with the rest of their lives? You gotta do what you gotta do.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

The weather takes a major shift and Mannie decides to catch up at the local beauty parlor. Once home she finds she just missed Steve who was going to meet with his friends in town. A series of phone calls makes her realize Andy Bennett has kidnapped him and probably intends to kill him. It’s not going to be easy, but Mannie is going to do her best to rescue him.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

Someone sabotaged a bunch of Andy Bennett’s trucks and frack water trailers. They also stole one of his trucks. Andy got a shot or two off at the saboteurs. Steve and his friends show up at the ranch. Steve’s been shot.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

In spite of a previous comment, the story continues.

It was the bike. He saw it and recognized it immediately. What he discovers after that wasn’t quite the surprise some would have thought. Mannie tells Steve about her uncle and what she suspects. Sheriff John is not happy at all about this tree hugger cutting in on the woman he fancies.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

Now the opera begins. Mannie meets with Sheriff John Craig. He is smitten immediately. He is nice but his heart is not in the same place hers is. He’s also about 20 years older than she is.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

Mannie does not hesitate one bit. Each step just makes her that much surer that she is doing the right thing. Of course she is going to transition, and the details aren’t that important in this story. Let’s just say it was a wonderful three years, and then tragedy.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

It doesn’t take much to get Manny to seek out the psychologist Maria recommended. Manny is very impressed and opens up with her. She explains his options. Doing nothing is always an option.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

Maria tells Manny it’s time to go forward, that going nowhere is not the right solution. She gives him the name of a psychologist in Fort Smith.

Introduction: What is discovery? Perhaps it’s finding something that you didn’t know existed. Maybe it’s finding a hidden treasure. Maybe it’s finding out something about yourself that many were aware of but you just didn’t know it.

Manny takes four days to make the trip to his uncle’s ranch. He listens to Sirius-XM most of the way; however, it’s mostly background music. His mind wanders over many things including something Maria, the wife of his uncle’s foreman said to him years before. She had said he was “Two Spirited”. He had done some research and learned what it meant. It bothered him a bit, but then, it didn’t.