She looked at me for a moment, then said quietly ‘Rough… weekend.’ It was the pause before weekend that really hooked me. What was she going to ...ay? Week? Month? Summer? Year? Life? God did I ever know how that pause felt from the other side. I almost sat down on the couch next to her right then, but something about the way she sat, the fact that she was as far away from me as she could get, made me pull up a chair instead. I turned it around backwards so I was sitting facing her with the back. She mulled these things over bitterly as she shoved her key into the door to her apartment and let out a tired sigh as she headed for her bedroom. Her feet caught in mid-stride as she looked down on a handsome young man lying sprawled on her couch, fast asleep. A fond smile crossed her otherwise irritated face. ‘Oz, wake up sweetie,’ she murmured, leaning down to shake him while glancing at the clock. ‘Mummm…’ he half moaned, twitching open deep golden-brown eyes. ‘Babe, what are you doing. And no, sir ... you was right to slap me like you did. I was 'bout to start scream'en and you knocked some sense back in'da me." "'Sides" she went on, "you killed them heathens that killed my Pa, so if that were the cost, I consider it a bargain." Spunky little thing" I thought to myself.Maybe that's why I wasn't completely taken aback when she continued and said "But I'll tell you one thing for sure, Mister. I ain't no kid! I'll hold my own when you take me to Ft. McMurray."As I sat down at. "What about him?"she asked."I bet it's a girl," Misty responded sarcastically.As the debate raged back and forth in the front of the van, I knew I had to do something. I slid open my door, and sprang from the slow moving van, lurching off balance into the dirty and broken fence.At my soft whistle, the dog half charged the fence full of bravado, but but switched to approaching with caution and half inquisitive snarls, in between warning barks. I showed no fear, leaning over the fence and teasing.