Ennis was in the barn bending over a scrawny calf. The calf took a snuffling breath, but Ennis decided it would be well enough tomorrow to turn out to spring fields blanketed green with fresh grass shoots, rather than remain in the shelter of the dark, rancid barn. From outside, Ennis heard in a girl's laughter and reminded of when he had Junior and Jenny once a month on weekends. He raked the barn floor, in a hurry to get the work finished. He had a three hour drive to Riverton ahead of him.
As he turned round the side of the barn go into the house and towards the house, a teenage girl darted in front him looking behind her, not seeing Ennis until she nearly collided with him. She was skinny with blond hair tied up in purple scrunchie. She stopped abruptly and took a step back. Ennis said, "Whoa there Miss, where did you come from?"
The smile vanished from her face. She stared up at him, wide eyed and said"Hi ".
Bobby ran up behind her. "Ennis You remember Angie."
Ennis remembered Jack's friend Mitch from the neighbouring ranch whose daughter Bobby had spent so much time with before he left to go to school in Texas, and whose land Jack had bought.
'Your folks come over to help with the branding?" Ennis said, and she nodded.
As Ennis stood at the sink washing, he could hear them in the kitchen.
Bobby poured them both a glass of lemonade, "You want one Ennis?"
Ennis said, "No thank you. I ain't got time."
Ennis cupped his hands with cold water, as he splashed his face, he heard Bobby say, "I hated it. There's more to do up here. I can hang out with you for one thing."
"I don't know how long we'll be here, Mom said we might be going to live in Billings with my Aunty. She owns a beauty parlour.."
Bobby said "You never said nothing about that.
"Mom told me today."
How long will you be there for?"
"Just something mom told me might happen. She said she is tired of living here. Looking forward to getting away from the ranch and moving to the city. Me and her can get our hair done, get a French manicure. She said her nails get ruined doing ranch work."
"When will you be leaving?"
"I'm not sure. You're not going to tell anyone. It's meant to be a secret. I'm getting tired of listening to them argue anyway."
The finished their lemonade. As he looked out the window, Ennis saw Bobby riding round the yard on an old bicycle with Angie on the handlebars.
Jack's mama came and stood next to him, and smiled. "It's nice that Bobby's found a friend. It's good to hear him laughing"
"I heard her saying that she might be leaving. It sounds that her folks may be splitting up and her mama's taking her to live in Montana."
"That's a shame. Angie was one of the reasons he wanted to come back, but it doesn't surprise me. Its no secret they're struggling."
Upstairs, Ennis kicked off his worn boots, jeans, combed his hair back. He pulled a jacket out of the closet, he'd bought some years back that he kept for best. He again looked at his Jack's shirts from Brokeback hanging at the back of the closet, and pulled them out from the dark, and could see grass stains and grime from decades ago clearly. He felt for the button that had been ripped off was still on the shelf. He hung them over a hook on the closet door, to remind himself to sew the button back on later.
As he was about to get into his own a truck, another truck drove into the yard, took a sharp turn spraying dust from the wheels. Mitch got out and said to Angie, " Girl, you're needed. Get up in the truck. You got chores to do back home.
"Mom said it would be alright."
"You listen to me, not your mom." He turned to Ennis and added half to himself "Once they get to a certain age, they think they can do as they like."
Ennis said,"Once they get to a certain age, you can't stop them doing what they like. I got to two girls."
Angie picked up her sweater, hugged it round herself, pouted and got into the cab of his truck.
Bobby said "I'll see you round."
Seeing Mitch looking around the yard, Ennis said, "Jack's gone back to Texas for a while."
"Jack's always been one to come and go as he likes. Few of us have that luxury." Mitch climbed into his truck without another word.
Before Ennis left, he went back in the barn to take another look at the calf, and found the old man there.
The old man said, "Who was that?"
Ennis said, "Mitch. He sounded none too happy,"
The Old Man prised the calfs jaw open and stuck a feed tube in its mouth, "I reckon he's sore because he had to sell us that land."
"Looks like that place might fold. It ain't no good him blaming us, he let it get run down."
"I know what he's goin through. Last year, I thought I might have to sell up myself. Nothing worse after lands been in the family for years."
Ennis reached Riverton at six. Parents were milling around the entrance of the school hall. He blinked against the chatter and movement.
"Why, Ennis del Mar. I haven't seen you for years." He turned and saw a woman who may have been a neighbor from when he and Alma had lived above the Laundromat.
"I moved up to a little place near Gillette."
"I ran into Alma just the other day. She said you'd met someone and living there with them. After her always saying she never thought you'd marry again."
His heart beat faster, wondering what else Alma had said about him. "I still ain't married. Waiting for the right time."
In the hall, people were already seated, the hall lights were dimmed the stage lit up, fresh flowers hung in baskets on the walls.
Ennis walked up the aisle trying to find an empty seat, and he heard a voice whisper up to him. "Ennis. I didn't think you'd get here." He looked down and saw Alma sitting next Monroe and two little boys.
"Why don't you sit here,"Before him as a chance to speak, she moved over from him.
"Jenny didn't expect you to make it."
Monroe said to him, We're having a party for her afterwards, it's all catered for. Will you be joining us?
As Ennis looked Monroe, and noted that he'd never really seen him. His small, dark eyes set in a pudgy face glinted with loathing. The band started playing. They stood up and the ceremony began. In the midst of a trail of flowing dark gowns, Ennis recognized Jenny. Under her cloak, her bright yellow dress swished as she confidently stepped across the stage. The last of the certificates were handed out. The choir sang. The soloist's voice set against the silent hall was sweet, but sure.
Alma leant towards him and whispered, "She always had such a lovely voice, you never come to hear her when she sang in the church choir. I don't where she gets from."
Ennis realized the soloist was Jenny. Her face glowed as she sang. He whispered back to Alma, "My mama, of course. Mama could sing."
The lights went up and Junior appeared. She said, "We were sitting down the back cause we got here a little late. Kurts outside. Why don't come and meet him
Relieved to see her, he said "Sure darlin"
As he quickly stood up, he felt an Alma's hand on his arm and heard her say. "Ennis. There's something I need to talk to you about."
Outside Junior led him to a young man leaning against a red sports car. When he saw Ennis with Junior he started forward, stretched out his hand to Ennis. They shook hands, "Pleased to meet you," Kurt said, then gulped and looked uncomfortable. There was silence. Junior said, "Kurt just finished his shift at the oil field."
Ennis said, "They say that's where the money is."
"I'm a weekend cowboy. My folks have a little place up by the Tentons"
Junior looked round the grounds, "Jenny should be around somewhere."
She pointed and said, There she is." Ennis saw a group of teenagers still in their graduation gowns, laughing and talking. A boy noticed him staring over and nudged a girl with her back towards him. She turned round, looked over to Ennis, and said, "Hi, Daddy."
