"hhuun!" The horse exhaled loudly into his chest.

He laughed, and hugged its large head.

He brushed its mane, and the horse pressed further into him. Soon, the other horses began to gather around him. They were excited to see him. So he walked across the stable, and gave love to each of them.

He walked across the area, then began to collect bales of hay for them. They trotted with happiness.

Once they were all eating, we walked to the youngest foal. He reached out, and the tiny animal sniffed his hand.

He smiled.

"Bonjour."

He turned, and looked at the lady in the threshold.

"Bonjour." He greeted back.

She smiled.

"Comment vas tu ce matin?" She asked.

And he rubbed the back of his head.

"Je Bien Ce matin. Comment vas tu?"

She laughed.

"I am doing wonderful, thank you."

He blushed. He was still learning.

She placed something down on a shelf, then walked up to him. She turned to the small foal that trotted about. She leaned down, and stroked it. It nuzzled her.

She gave love to the small animal, then it jumped and pranced to its mother. She laughed, and watched it join with its parents.

The stable was quiet.

They watched the happy family trot and give each other affection.

She finally stood up, and dusted her knees.

She turned to him.

And he looked to her.

"You saved her, and her foal…"

He smiled in embarrassed.

"I… was just helping his mother."

She walked to him, and hugged him tightly. And he hugged her back.

She loved all of the horses. But the one he saved, was special.

It belonged to her father.

She remembered the package. She released him, then went to the entrance to retrieve it.

He knew what it was, and he was nervous.

She stood there, and he approached her.

The morning sunlight illuminated them, and she turned to him.

She offered the package.

He hesitated, then finally took it from her.

He looked down to the manilla envelope. Holding it in both hands. Finally, he opened the flap, and pulled the paperwork out.

He breathed in, and read it.

She stared at him, worried. She gave him time to read, and hoped he said something good.

"Et?"

He looked up.

…

…

"J'ai obtenu la citoyenneté."

"Haha!" She laughed.

And he smiled in relief.

It was finally over, after these past few years.

Surrendering to the state.

Admitting that he had no identity.

No past. No family.

All this time, being searched for any evidence of a personal life.

Involvement with any type of crimes.

Legal and financial troubles.

Thrown between lawyers and immigration.

…

Until he was granted temporary asylum. Then working and paying dues until he was deemed law abiding and taxable.

A weight lifted from him.

Then he felt his sleeve tugged. And he looked to her.

"Dis à ma mère…"

He looked to her, until her words registered with him.

'Tell my mother…'

*chirp* *chirp* *chirp*

She heard clunking on the wooden steps of the porch, and lifted her face from her book.

He stopped before her, and they looked to each other.

She could read him like an open book.

… good news.

So she closed her book, and leaned forward.

He made to help her, but she shooed him away with a smile.

"Je peux m'élever moi-même." She said.

He was always at her beck and call. Worrying about her.

She brought her raised and stiff leg down from the outdoor ottoman.

So he gave her time to right herself.

Finally she stood up, and looked at him.

"Now, you can take me." She said with a grin, holding out her hand.

He smiled, and reached to her.

They laced their fingers together, and he helped her down the porch. They walked slowly, until she elbowed him in the side.

"Hey!" He jumped.

"Dépêche-toi! I'm not broken. It's just a stiff leg, you know that." She chided him.

He looked bashful.

Then she squeezed his hand and leaned into him.

"But… merci."

His smile slowly returned.

They walked along the grass, into the pasture that was lined with trees. They enjoyed the warm sun, and the cool shade from the branches.

So many animals, lived on her property.

Around her home.

… their home.

What was once a house of peace and solitude, turned into a home with life.

The birds chirped their beautiful songs.

The horses she struggled to care for, danced in the fields.

The small critters were no longer afraid to be near the house, but lounged around, fascinated by them.

Even the bees buzzed with an excitement, which caused the flowers to bloom vibrant colors.

They walked hand in hand.

"I never knew how much I loved nature… until you came into my life."

He smiled.

She would shift between her upstate accent, and her French. She would give him both, when she scolded him. Laughed with him.

… spoke softly with him.

They continued, and the ground slowly began to steep upwards, to a gazebo on the hill. Knowing better than to baby her further, he let her lead, and go at her own pace.

From her breathing, he could tell she needed a break. So he guided her to the swing, and she didn't object.

He helped her down, then sat next to her.

Right away, she snuggled into him. And he wrapped his arms around her.

She laid her head on his chest, and looked out to the vineyard that once struggled.

All the acres she bought, to distance herself ,and her daughter, from her troubles.

From a marriage that didn't work out.

A career ending injury that cost her her gold medal.

From a loss of what to do, and where to go.

So she gathered her winnings, and her inheritance from her parents. She bought property the county deemed unsaleable. And had a modest home built.

She inherited the horses from her late husband, not realizing the demand and responsibility that came with them.

And she struggled.

Until he came.

She nestled deeper into him, and he caressed her arm.

A general laborer, that was said to be good with animals. Some skill in animal husbandry. So she walked up to his back at a feed store, and yanked him around to her.

"J'ai besoin de votre aide." She said.

He was jostled.

"I need your help." She repeated.

He looked down to her, and their eyes met.

…

Then he was on her property, working with the horses. Who loved him.

Then things just became… brighter.

Her daughter returned from college, and saw the mysterious man helping her mother.

"You look happier mother… more vibrante." She told her with a smile. "Es tu..?" She looked at her mother sideways, and let the question hang.

She widened her eyes, then slapped the table to her laughing daughter.

Then help on the pasture and the vines, turned to lunches in the yard.

Then afternoons on the porch

And dinners in the evening.

And the city grew out, so she began to see more people. But she wasn't upset anymore. She received letters asking for work on her property. And people she ran away from, began to turn to her with smiles.

And it all started with him.

Even when they met for the first time in the feed store, she could read him like a book.

He wore his heart on his sleeves.

He had scars, that ran under his skin. And when their eyes met, she saw…

A fire… low and almost only embers.

But not extinguished.

He wouldn't give up.

And she had no idea at the time, that she would be the one to fan that flame.

She reached up to her blouse pocket, and pulled out a picture.

His picture.

Of him and his parents.

The last and only thing from his previous life.

He gave it to her.

She stared at it.

At a bubbling mother, whose love was captured by the camera.

A father, strong jawed with his arm protectively around his family.

And a boy, blue eyes wide and full of joy. With no knowledge, that he'd have such a hard life ahead.

She tucked the picture back in her pocket, and lifted herself up.

He made to help her out of the swing, but she grabbed his arms. She smiled and shook her head.

She looked at him.

At his blond hair, that grew darker the years she knew him.

At his tan skin, that was kissed by the sun. From his time working her property… their home.

He looked to her, with his heart on his sleeves. With everything bare. He showed her…

His everything.

…

She laughed, and her ponytail swung in the wind.

"The other day… you told me. What everyone in life, wants to hear. Those three magic words…"

Tears started to pour from her eyes.

"And I ran… because I was scared."

She needed to compose herself, but failed.

"I acted like a child, afraid to have my heart hurt again. But the thought of life without you… I'm not scared anymore."

She raised her hands, and cupped his cheeks.

They were both crying, and smiling.

She looked into his green eyes, and said.

"I love you Garfield, I love you so much."

THE END

Authors note next chapter, if your interested.