Rebuilding Appaloosa Plains

It was a perfect summer morning for wedding photos: clear, sunny skies and not too hot. Dorothy and Matthew were in the Tevellyns’ backyard, where Dorothy’s friend Sage Oxendine was getting ready with her camera. Bridget had set up an arch made of branches next to the pond, and added flowers around it for extra decoration. Dorothy had to admit that it was a beautiful backdrop for their photos, but she was grateful she didn’t see Bridget much that morning. She wasn’t good with thank-yous and giving compliments. Dorothy looked over at her very-soon-to-be husband; Matthew wore a white dress shirt and blazer with black trousers, black dress shoes, and a dark purple bow tie. He looked handsome in a suit. She would have preferred more of the dark purple in their outfits instead of so much white, but she didn’t care enough about the aesthetic of their wedding to argue too much. Her mother, especially, had rather traditional tastes. Dorothy ended up with a simple but elegant look: a white ...

It was an evening at the Falls like any other. Matthew sat by the water’s edge reading a book, waiting to see if Aasifa would visit. He didn’t come every evening, but he was there several nights a week and usually saw his unicorn friend at least once. He’d hand over the produce du jour and they’d enjoy the quiet crashing of the waterfall for an hour or two. Usually Aasifa would hunt for seeds to munch on and Matthew would read or fish, making the occasional comment to Aasifa or updating her on his life. That night, he wanted to tell her he picked a lot for his ranch. Sure enough, Aasifa quietly emerged from the trees shortly after nightfall. Matthew’s eyes were on his book, but he noticed her familiar hooffalls when she got closer. He looked up and watched her as she walked up to the pond and drank some water. When she looked up at him, he smiled. “Hey,” he said softly. A familiar yet inexplicable sensation washed over him as Aasifa gave him her blessing once again. He was ...