Trail of Fog

Kyle gazes into Alice's eyes, so many words going unspoken. "How could I ignore a gift from God like you?" He shakes his head slowly. "I don't know I ever deserved someone like you."

Sighing deeply, he stares down at the piano. "I hope the ends of the earth are better than this. I just... don't know where to go from here. I've worked so hard at not going home... I just... I'm not ready to yet. I haven't... found myself yet." He had... he'd thought he had... and now it had been ripped from him once again.

His eyes focus on the ivory keys. No... he still felt lost. There was nothing now... or was there? His fingers stroke a set of keys. How long would he continue to deny his heart? Words from his grandmother ran in his head. Was he to deny what he felt then?

Picking up Alice's hand, he gives it a soft kiss. "Thank you... I hope someday I give you what you've given me."


Jeff could tell that Katie didn't want to go, and he fought with whether he should really be making her do it or not, but he finally decides to just continue as planned.

It takes him a moment to mount up and get settled in the saddle. He'd purposely chosen one of the easiest-going horses in the barn - an older gelding with a mellow temperament.

Turning the horse towards a side trail, he points ahead. "I don't know... let's try down this way and see where it takes us."

Taking the lead, he doesn't talk much. One might have thought there was something specific he wanted to discuss, but oddly, he remains quiet, simply guiding the horse around a winding trail. The fog was still thick, and one couldn't see very far ahead. Even for someone familiar with the ranch, they might suddenly realize they weren't quite sure where they were. At some point, it seems the trail has been lost and Jeff urges the horse around trees and over logs, seemingly way off course. He still says nothing though.

After an hour, the trees are cleared, and they are going across an open field. Were they in the west pasture? Maybe the north one? It felt a little higher here.

The going is slow, and sometimes Jeff has to stop and just rest a moment to collect himself before moving on. But eventually, the fog seems to be thinning out. They're much higher than one would have thought, and suddenly things come into view. They were above the fog now on an open ridge towards the foothills. It was a secluded spot that was rarely visited because it was rather dangerous, right close to the ridge. But the fog had hidden the danger.

Jeff reins in his horse and stops, staring out towards the ranch that was enveloped in the white-ish mist. For the longest time, he just waits, leaning on the saddle horn, his hat tipped back a little.

Finally, he speaks. "You know... Sometimes in life we never know how close to the edge we really are." He glances back at the disappearing trail, then out over the ranch again. "If we knew, we might be too frightened to keep on walking. But God provides a fog for us so we don't tuck tail and run. All we know we have to do is follow Him because He knows the way. We could be just inches from falling to our death, but if we stick to Him, He won't let us fall."

He pauses, his heart and mind wandering. "If we knew what lay ahead, we might give up. If we could read the future, we might never try new things or go through with what we should. We would want to avoid the pain and sorrow altogether. But... if we did that... if we decided not to take the foggy trail... we'd never end up on a peaceful plateau."

Jeff straightens and spreads out his arms, demonstrating the very place they were. Taking a deep breath, he looks over to his niece. Every fiber in his being was fighting to not give in to his current exhaustion, so that he could keep this time with her.

"You're on that trail, Katie... and you can't see left, right or what's up ahead. You have no idea where you are, even though you thought you were on course. Don't step off the path. God's guidance is the only thing that will bring you to your plateau. It doesn't matter what other people say... it doesn't matter what advice they give, or what they do in their own lives. This is your time... this is your time to close your eyes and let God lead. He's not going to reveal what's up ahead until you've made it there."

Tears form in Jeff's eyes, but his voice remains strong. "You're the closest thing I'll ever have to a daughter, Katie. I know I haven't always been there, and I know lately we've been so far apart. But I just want you to know that I'm proud of you. I'm proud of the woman you've become... in your own life... as child of God. And I know that... that you're going through the fog right now and you feel lost. But if I can leave you with just one thing, it would be my plea to you to keep on walking. I know you can... and I know you have that strength deep down. If I could walk through the pain for you, I would. But I can't. I'm on my own foggy trail that is coming to an end. But you... you've got so much ahead of you. Don't let the world spoil who you've become."

He swallows hard, the sincerity flooding his voice. "I can't... leave... without knowing you'll try. Without knowing that you'll give it your best shot. Promise me, Katie... promise me you won't give up and that you'll walk that trail no matter what happens."