Page 11 (1/2)

One

Van

“YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED?” I let out a long exhale restrainingin the air while the low ruenerators muffles my father’s reply

“Isn’t that what I just said?” He snaps back with a half chuckle “I want you there, Van Good reason to see your old man It’s been almost two years”

“Busy, Dad You kno it goes out here” I switch the phone froers down into the front pocket of my muddy jeans

As I stomp frozen dirt off my boots, I hear the sound of a twenty-four-inch pipe wrench sla repeated by four rig-hands trying to convince the next section of pipe to concede defeat and slip into the frozen pipe casing that descends six thousand feet into the ground

Trying to ignore thee,at God knohat

When I found her, she was half frozen to the ground on a well site, no bigger than uys said she wouldn’t make it, but I shoved the filthy ball of fur dohere it arm in the inside pocket ofher head out, nipping at anyone that ca on my beard

I called her Georgia because that was the name of the well site ere on But ever since, thanks to her bossy nature, everyone just refers to her as George

That was three years ago, and since then I take her everywhere and put up with the shit everyone gives uy likebehindthe shoell that gets rief

My father goes on, “You’re always busy The only tis And you , you’ve got the ht Spend a day here, then the wedding, then you can get back to your world I love this lady, and when you know, you know Her daughter just happens to be in town too, and we don’t want to wait Life is too short, Van I want you to come”