The moon was full above, a bright white glow, the only light she remembered afterward. Evening had bled into night so fast; where had the hours gone?

He walked beside her, keeping her safe, and maybe doing his best to steal just a few more minutes of her time before she disappeared onto the highway and was gone. There was no promise for her to return, to make him smile. Every second had an expiration date.

She wanted to stumble so badly, for the chance to reach out and grab his arm, and see if he felt as strong as he looked. She wasn’t that kind of woman; her imagination filled in the blanks.

“Check it out… horses!” he pointed. The stable was full, waiting for a rodeo. They sneaked inside and greeted the beautiful beasts with big smiles and soft hands. Even her imagination couldn’t have written the ending to this day, and she knew that she was the only girl in the world to have this moment.

Before she ducked into her car, he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

He was so strong.