blink his eyes. Tears streamed down his face, and Sophia felt tears start to streak her cheeks too. She threw herself on the ground beside him and lifted his body toward hers. His pale blue eyes stood out against the bloodshot background of fear in them, he put his hand over his mouth and looked away from her as he choked. Sophia held him close as he choked back sobs.
"Hey, are you ok?" Shouted Annie as she came running back with two of the older ranch hands, Tom and Kenny.
Sophia looked down at her dress on the river-bank, and then at her wet clothes, and suddenly she was embarrassed to be so exposed among the men. Annie could sense this and ran to get her dress and wrap it around her. As Gene was helped to his feet by the older of the two men, he stared at Sophia. "Thank You, maam." He stuttered, choking back words as much as he was choking back river-water."
"We better get you back up to the house," Annie said to Sophia, "you should have a cup of hot tea and sit by the stove." Sophia looked at Gene as he walked away, his weight still slumped against Tom's body, and she was overcome with a feeling of tremendous relief. Tears sprung from her eyes again, and as she wept Annie just ran her hand along her hair. "There, there Sophie, I know how disapointed that we werent able to find 16 tadpoles, but we will find something else on the way." Sophia loved that about Annie, her best friend, and almost-sister, knew that the tears were not about the catch of the day, or ruining Annie's birthday streak, but she wanted to lighten the mood, and she succeeded. "Would sixteen big old crocodile tears count?" asked Sophia. "Nice try Sister, but I think we may have find something else, something warm and dry and closer to home."
Sophia leaned against Annie and the girls wrapped their arms around each other as they began the two-mile walk home. Annie thought about the possibility of losing Sophia to those cold river waters, and she hugged her tighter, and Sophia wondered why, suddenly, she was so sure that she could never let anything happen to Gene. She never wanted to see that look of fear in his eyes again, but she couldn't help but think she would love to be staring into them again right now.
"Hey, are you ok?" Shouted Annie as she came running back with two of the older ranch hands, Tom and Kenny.
Sophia looked down at her dress on the river-bank, and then at her wet clothes, and suddenly she was embarrassed to be so exposed among the men. Annie could sense this and ran to get her dress and wrap it around her. As Gene was helped to his feet by the older of the two men, he stared at Sophia. "Thank You, maam." He stuttered, choking back words as much as he was choking back river-water."
"We better get you back up to the house," Annie said to Sophia, "you should have a cup of hot tea and sit by the stove." Sophia looked at Gene as he walked away, his weight still slumped against Tom's body, and she was overcome with a feeling of tremendous relief. Tears sprung from her eyes again, and as she wept Annie just ran her hand along her hair. "There, there Sophie, I know how disapointed that we werent able to find 16 tadpoles, but we will find something else on the way." Sophia loved that about Annie, her best friend, and almost-sister, knew that the tears were not about the catch of the day, or ruining Annie's birthday streak, but she wanted to lighten the mood, and she succeeded. "Would sixteen big old crocodile tears count?" asked Sophia. "Nice try Sister, but I think we may have find something else, something warm and dry and closer to home."
Sophia leaned against Annie and the girls wrapped their arms around each other as they began the two-mile walk home. Annie thought about the possibility of losing Sophia to those cold river waters, and she hugged her tighter, and Sophia wondered why, suddenly, she was so sure that she could never let anything happen to Gene. She never wanted to see that look of fear in his eyes again, but she couldn't help but think she would love to be staring into them again right now.
