The first week, he woke before sunrise and reached for his boots, only to remember there were no cattle to feed.
He did not know what to do with his hands.
Then Alice asked him to help with her breakfast.
He made oatmeal.
The next day, he made eggs.
On the third morning, he walked her to school.
Soon he was picking her up every afternoon, making simple suppers, repairing loose cupboard handles, and learning which grocery store had the best prices.
He found a small patch of earth beside the apartment building where the owner allowed him to plant a few vegetables.
The soil was poor.
The sun reached it for only part of the day.
But Elias worked it carefully.
He grew beans, tomatoes, and a row of marigolds because Ruth had always liked them.
Alice helped by carrying a little watering can.
One afternoon, she found him kneeling beside a tomato plant.
“Grandpa, why do you talk to the flowers?”
Elias pretended to consider.
“Because they listen better than people.”
Alice frowned.
“I listen.”
“That you do.”
She sat beside him.
“Tell me something.”
“What would you like to know?”
She pointed toward the plants.
“Do flowers get lonely?”
Elias looked at the marigolds.
“Maybe when they’re planted too far apart.”
Alice thought for a moment.
“Then we should plant more.”
He smiled.
“Maybe we should.”
She took his hand.
“People get lonely too.”
He glanced at her.
“Yes, sweetheart.
They do.”
“Do you?”
The question surprised him.
He could have said no.
He could have told her that he was perfectly happy.
Instead, he gave her the truth.
“Sometimes.”
Alice squeezed his hand.
“Well, you’ve got me.”
His smile trembled.
“Yes, little one.
I’ve got you.”
And for a while, that was enough.
Money was always a concern.
Ben worked long hours, often taking overnight freight routes to neighboring states.
The pay kept their rent current and food in the cupboards, but there was little left after utilities, truck repairs, school supplies, and the bills from their move.
Elias received a small monthly retirement payment.
He contributed what he could and saved the rest in an old brown envelope inside his dresser.
He did not like asking Ben for anything.
If his boots needed replacing, he repaired them.
If the heating bill rose, he wore another sweater.
When Alice needed a new winter coat, he quietly took money from the envelope and bought one without telling Ben.
The coat was dark red, with a hood lined in soft white fabric.
Alice loved it.
She wore it around the apartment for an entire afternoon.
“Grandpa, I look like a princess.”
Elias examined her seriously.
“More like a ranch queen.”
“What’s that?”
“A princess who knows how to feed horses.”
She laughed.
Then she climbed into his lap, even though she was getting too big for it.
“Thank you.”
He kissed the top of her head.
For a man who had lost so much, buying that little coat felt like an enormous victory.
The trouble was that his savings had grown very thin.
And when winter began approaching, thin savings could become frightening.
Ben’s work schedule grew heavier in October.
Some weeks, he spent more nights away than at home.
He hated it, but the family needed the money.
One Sunday evening, he sat at the kitchen table checking his work schedule while Elias washed dishes.
“Got a trip leaving tomorrow,” Ben said.
“Three nights, maybe four.”
Elias turned.
“Where to?”
“Indiana first.
Then over toward Ohio.
Depends on the freight.”
“Weather’s turning.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Alice sat nearby, coloring a picture of a horse.
She looked up.
“Daddy, are you going away again?”
Ben reached across the table and touched her hand.
“Just for a few days, honey.”
“You said that last time.”
“I know.”
She lowered her eyes.
Ben looked at Elias, guilt plainly written on his face.
Elias dried his hands.
“Tell you what, Alice.
While your daddy’s gone, we’ll make those biscuits you like.”
“The ones with honey?”
“Those very ones.”
“And can we tell horse stories?”
“Every night.”
Alice smiled a little.
Ben mouthed a quiet thank-you to his father.
Later, when Alice was asleep, father and son sat together at the kitchen table.
Ben rubbed his face.
“I wish I was home more.”
“You’re doing what needs doing.”
“She misses me.”
“Of course she does.”
Ben looked down at his hands.
“Sometimes I think I brought us here for nothing.”
Elias shook his head.
“You came because you were trying to make a better life.”
“Doesn’t feel much better.”
“Give it time.”
Ben leaned back.
“You miss the ranch.”
“Every day.”
“Then why don’t you go back for a while?”
Elias looked toward Alice’s closed bedroom door.
“Because my work’s here now.”
