Behind - Prologue
The Kansas heat was idling. Spring and Summer had drifted into Fall and Winter, each season colder and more bitter than the last. Behind the vast barley and wheat fields, in the little white house built by the side of the Longton's farm, Olivia James steadied the pan of milk on the stove. The clock to the right of her read that it was nearing one o'clock in the morning, and the thirty-two-year-old had yet to sleep.
She turned her back on the stove and settled beside the mid-century sofa, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. She bit back a yawn and found her eyes wandering toward the loose scraps of paper littering the coffee table. From where she sat, she could make out certain words and phrases. She had memorised these words, these promises, time and time before.
And she picked up the closest scrap of paper, the most recent letter, holding her breath to listen for the tell-tale noise of her seven-year-olds son's breathing in the opposite room.
Liv,
I'm sorry for not writing sooner. Finding work and a stable place on the East Coast has been tough.
The letter went on to explain the reasons for his absence and lack of communication, detailing his experiences with various trades and workshops - explaining his reasons for leaving and his unwillingness to come home. She continued to read until her eyes found the very bottom of the water-marked page, a small sigh tugging at her lips.
Be with you soon,
Clark