Inger hummed a lilting tune as she strolled from the dining room table to the stairs.

"Hurry children! You don't want to be late for school!"

She turned back toward the table and sighed. Setting her shoulders, Inger went and took her seat beside Ben. The silence between her husband and their teenage son was deafening. She was thankful that within moments Hoss, Joseph, and Kjerstin came clambering down the stairs. They hastily called out their morning greetings to the rest of the family. The two boys with light brown hair were immediately engrossed in their breakfasts, but seven year-old Kjerstin, the image of her mother as a child, chattered like a magpie between bites.

Ben eyed the threesome and began to grouse. "Hoss, slow down. There is plenty of food for everyone...Kjerstin, please chew up your food before speaking...and Joseph, use your fork, please, instead of scooping everything with your toast."

Though Adam loved his little sister, this morning he was in no mood to sit and listen to her constant stream of questions and drabble or hear any more complaints from his father. He looked at his mother with pleading eyes. "May I be excused, please?"

"Yes, Adam. Will you be home for lunch? I packed an extra bucket for you just in case." Inger gave her oldest son a sweet smile.

"Thanks." Adam glanced at his father. "I'm pretty sure I'll be too busy to make lunch."

He turned and moved toward the front door while Ben remained focused on his coffee cup.

Inger called back over her shoulder to the dark-haired young man. "I know my sons are quickly becoming men, but it makes for a long, lonely day when their Mama gets no goodbye kisses!"

Hoss and Joseph stopped mid-bite when their mother's eyes bore down on them. They gave her sheepish grins as their older brother returned to lightly peck Inger's cheek.

She gently caught his arm and locked onto his hazel eyes. The genuine love radiating from her countenance made him relax ever so slightly and quirk a smile.

After a few minutes passed, Inger announced it was time for the three younger children to be on their way to school. Kjerstin quickly jumped out of her seat and threw her arms first around her mother and then her father. Ben did not even get his eyes out of his coffee cup before she was running to get her lunch bucket."

He called out to the blur rounding the corner. "Have a good day, sweetheart."

"The eyes of the lanky, nine year-old Joseph were full of life and a bit of mischief as he barely touched his lips to his mother's face.

She caught him by the shirt sleeve and put on her best stern face. "Please pay more attention to your studies than you do to the pigtails of the little girl in the desk in front you."

Ben's eyes narrowed at his third son. "Mind what your mother says, Joseph."

Joe's head dropped. "Yes, Pa. See ya Ma."

Hoss lumbered around the table with his eyes downcast. He would have much preferred to stay home and help his father and older brother with the ranch work.

Inger reached out and touched the smooth, round chin of her large son. "Oh why the long face, Eric. Remember every day is a new day." Her eyes and voice were filled with hope and cheer.

A faint smile of resignation crept onto the eleven year-old's lips and he gave his mother an almost imperceptible nod before drifting a kiss across her cheek.

Once the children were out the door, Inger turned to Ben. "Maybe you should go help Adam with the horses for the children."

"I'm sure Adam has handled it. He knows what his responsibilities are."

"Sure he does, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't appreciate some help once in a while."

Ben gave her an embarrassed smile. His wife constantly focused her time and energy on him and their children, but he recognized her ploy for getting him to talk with Adam. Ben rose and pulled her into his arms.

"Why do you put up with me, my love?"

"I am your partner under the yoke. That is what brings me joy..." Inger's eyes sparkled with merriment. "...but that doesn't mean I won't dig in my heels and pull back a bit when I see you slipping down a slope."

Ben threw his head back and laughed.

She took his rugged face in her hands and gazed intently into his warm brown eyes. "You are still the strong, handsome man from my childhood dreams." Inger kissed him and then leaned her head on his shoulder.

Ben wrapped his arms around his wife and placed a tender kiss in her graying blond hair.

Inger tightened her hold on Ben in preparation for what she was about to say. "You had dreams, too, Ben, a dream to come west. Who knows where I would be now if you had not followed that dream. You've seen your dreams come true...Adam, Eric, Joseph, and Kjerstin...the ranch...but Adam has dreams, too, Ben. Have you forgotten all the places you saw and things you did when you were not much older than he is now...He needs to see and learn about the world that's out there. Eric and Joseph's hearts are here. You can see it already. But just because Adam does everything you ask of him and more, doesn't mean that this is what he wants for the rest of his life."

Inger felt Ben stiffen, and then he sighed heavily. "But then he will leave us." His voice trailed away.

Tears were building in her blue eyes as she went on. "Yes, Ben, Adam is going to leave...but better he leaves with our blessing hopefully to return a few years from now than for him to run away and possibly not come back for a very long time."

Suddenly the door flew open and Adam trotted in and up the stairs without noticing that his parents were still standing by the table.

Inger's eyes followed their oldest son. "You know, Ben...today is a new day for you, too...and for Adam."

Ben nodded, his emotions were strangling his voice. He kissed her forehead and walked to the credenza for his gun belt. He was positioning his hat on his head when Adam came jogging down the stairs holding a leather braid.

Ben took a deep breath and grabbed the handle on the door so that Adam could not get past him. He paused and took a moment to really look at his son. The seventeen year-old that already needed to shave daily looked much more like a man than a boy.

Adam stopped at the base of the stairs. His shoulders tensed as he wondered what issue his father would bring up now.

Ben gave him a heart-felt smile. "Looks good, son. Something new for your saddle?"

The tension in Adam's body eased and he moved toward his father. "Uh, yeah, I finished it last night and forgot to grab it when I came down for breakfast."

Ben called loudly enough for his wife to hear him from the kitchen. "Inger, Adam and I will be home for lunch."

Adam and Ben could hear her muted reply. "I'll be ready. Have a good morning." She smiled to herself and began singing one of her favorite songs.

Ben placed his hand on Adam's shoulder and could feel his son beginning to tense up. "I think we, you, your mother, and I, need to spend some time this afternoon talking about your future plans." A look of surprise and confusion came to Adam's face, but he remained silent. Ben arched a brow. "You don't think that's a good idea?"

"Uh, yes." Adam stammered. "I'd like that, Pa." He shook his head slightly unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

"Good, then let's go get those steers counted."

Ben pulled open the door to allow Adam to exit ahead of him. Hearing his mother's sweet singing, the young man hesitated and looked back toward the dining room.

"Something wrong, son?"

"Uh...I...uh...just need to tell Ma something. You go on to the barn. I'll be right out."

Ben left for the barn as Adam walked to the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and Inger looked up expectantly from the dishes she was washing when she heard his footsteps.

Adam stood there, too awkward and embarrassed to say what was in his heart.

"Adam? Do you need something?"

He finally mustered the gumption to voice his thoughts. "I've heard you say for years that every day is a new day...and I...just wanted to thank you."

Inger's head tipped to the side as her eyes began to glisten. Adam hurried to kiss her cheek and then rush by her and out the kitchen door.