After a few minutes, she pulled back and wiped her eyes. She looked past my shoulder toward the pasture. I took her hand and led her slowly toward the reinforced pen.
Copper was standing perfectly still in the center of the dirt ring. He usually bolted to the far corner when strangers approached the wooden rails.
But as Hannah stepped up to the fence, he froze. He perked his ears forward, his nostrils flaring as he took in her scent.
Hannah was crying silently as she reached her trembling hand slowly through the wooden rails. She whispered his name into the cold wind.
Copper took a slow, heavy step forward. Then another. The massive animal walked right up to the fence and lowered his head, pressing his nose directly into Hannah’s outstretched hands.
He closed his dark eyes, letting out a long, soft breath that plumed in the cold air.
I stood right next to my sister, resting my hand on Copper’s warm neck. Arthur watched quietly from the shadows of the barn, tears glistening in his eyes.
