He's six. It's a reasonable question. She didn't push it. He was grateful for that. The first day settled into something that wasn't quite ordinary, but was structured in the way that difficult situations become structured when practical people are involved.
Gideon worked the ranch in the morning while Mara rested. Came in at midday and made food without commentary, went back out. Toby, left largely to himself after the first hour of hovering anxiously at his mother's side, began to follow Gideon. Not asked, not invited, just trailing at a respectful distance the way a child does when they're interested in something, but haven't decided if they're allowed to be interested yet. Gideon noticed him the second time he came to the barn and didn't tell him to leave.
He didn't speak to him for a while either. Just worked. And Toby stood near the entrance with his hands in his coat pockets and watched. Eventually, what are you doing to her leg? The mayor.
Her fore leg, which he'd been examining, checking for heat. When a horse's leg is hot near the joint, means there might be swelling inside. You feel here and then here, and compare. He held his hand against the spot without looking up. A silence.
Then Toby appeared at his side and pressed his own small hand against the mayor's forle where Gideon had indicated very seriously, like someone taking a test. It's warm. Toby said a little. Not bad yet. She just favored it some.
Probably stepped on something. He moved his hand higher. Feel the difference. Toby did. His face went through a series of expressions that ended somewhere in the vicinity of concentration.
That part's not as warm, right? So, it's not spreading. That's good. Toby stepped back and looked at the mayor's face. The mayor looked back with the profound indifference of a horse that has survived enough winters to have opinions about very little.
What's her name? The grey one's bell. The bay is Marjgery. Toby looked at the bay with an expression suggesting he found this name less satisfactory than he was going to say. How old are they?