Dawnlark Plains then they called me, too

Grayday fell silent at this revelation, mouth hanging open in shock. He felt absolutely gutted knowing his brother had faced this alone. Grayday had lost much, but never a child. He could not even imagine Shale's pain.

His worries, however, were enough to snap Grayday back to the moment. "No," he said firmly. "You've done nothing to deserve this, Shale. It's just... that way. Life. Two women left me with young children before I found Cat. A girl I loved more than anything turned her back on me. I can't pretend to know what those losses must have cost you, but I do know this:" He nudged his brother's shoulder to make sure he was listening.

"There's no one road. There are thousands, and they are all endless. All twisting, all forking. Your story doesn't end until you take your last breath. There is always time to snag a little happiness. Always time to start fresh. Always time to change your mind and your heart."

Grayday thought back to the time of anger and sadness that has lasted him so long. He thought back to his burning obsession with Adeline, back to the way he'd neglected his children. Back to all the mistakes he made. If he could come back from that and find himself blessed beyond all reason, he was sure Shale would receive the same tenfold.

"I won't pressure you to do something you're not ready for. I didn't realize you had this on your heart," Grayday went on, his voice gentler, now. "But don't hold back because you're broken, or because you think you can't love someone the way you need to. Love is a choice - it's in our actions as well as our hearts. And I know you have that in you still."