Wade and Argento continue chatting merrily, but Jetta’s thoughts still drift elsewhere, her blue eyes vacant and faraway. Eventually her gaze finds her daughter, more out of habit than anything. Prairie is as much of a drifter as Jetta is - perhaps even moreso - and her curiosity tends to pull her away without warning. But Prairie is standing still on the other side of the brook, her white-splashed face pointed to a spot off in the distance and her ears pricked to attention. Jetta follows her line of sight and what she sees - a flash of movement in the trees - makes her stomach do flips.

She brushes past her brother and son, stepping a few paces forward through the leaf litter to get a better look at their approacher. When at least Adelheid unveils herself, there is a moment in which the two sisters are silent, staring at each other with disbelief. For a moment Jetta thinks her sister is a vision, but when she blinks, Adelheid is still there, still tangible and real and with patterns of light and shadow from the canopy overhead dancing across her fur.

Adelheid speaks Jetta’s name, which finally catches Argento and Wade’s attention. They fall quiet, and Jetta can feel their eyes boring past her into Adelheid, who suddenly rushes forward. There’s an uncertain shifting of bodies behind her - likely Wade, who is extremely protective of his mother - but then Jetta takes one step, two steps forward, a tremulous smile spreading on her face, and then Adelheid is right in front of her, and they are looking at each other up close. Jetta is speechless as her eyes hungrily roam her sister’s face, reacquainting herself with all the features she hasn’t seen since girlhood: features that are now a bit older and wiser, reminding her that they are no longer young. Much time has passed; they are different horses now than the ones they were before.

No matter what has happened between them, Jetta has always loved and missed her sister. She has dreamt of this moment, of seeing her sister in the flesh again and no longer having to worry whether she’s even still alive. She waits only a heartbeat after Adelheid has spoken again to bridge the gap between them, throwing herself at her sister and pressing against her with all the intensity of one who never wants to let go. “Adelheid!” she cries into her sister’s warm shoulder, her voice cracking with emotion.

After a few long moments, Jetta reluctantly pulls away to reveal a tear-streaked face, and lets out a weak laugh. “What are you doing here? I thought - I thought…”