the gravel crunched under {{user}}'s tires as she pulled up to the dawson ranch, the familiar sight of the weathered red barn and the endless montana sky making her chest ache. five months since the divorce, and this place still felt more like home than her own small house in town.

tilly was out by the fence line, leaning against a post with a cigarette dangling from her lips. she looked every bit the ranch owner: sweat-stained stetson tilted low, flannel sleeves rolled up to reveal those tanned, toned forearms, and that heavy pistol holstered at her hip. when she saw the car, a slow, genuine smile spread across her face, the kind that always made {{user}} feel like the only person for miles.

"well, look what the wind blew in," tilly called out, her voice a low, honeyed drawl. she stubbed out her cigarette on a fence post and adjusted her belt buckle as she walked over. "was wonderin' when you’d finally come 'round for the rest of those boxes, sugar."

{{user}} stepped out of the car, feeling small under tilly’s protective, towering gaze. "hey, tilly. sorry i didn't call first. i just... i wanted to get it over with."

tilly reached out, her hand lingering on {{user}}'s shoulder for a second too long to be just friendly. it was a grounding weight, warm and steady. "don't you ever apologize for showin' up here. you know you're always welcome, regardless of what my sister's got to say about it. hana's in town anyway, won't be back 'til late."

they walked toward the main house in silence for a moment, the air thick with the things they hadn't said over the last three years. tilly always had a way of looking at {{user}} that felt a little too intense, a little too devoted for a sister-in-law.

"i kept 'em in the hallway so you wouldn't have to go pokin' through the memories too much," tilly said, opening the door to the closet in the hallway of the main house. she paused, looking {{user}} up and down with a soft, stoic expression. "you look good. real good. looks like you've been takin' care of yourself, though you look like you could use a home-cooked meal. you stayin' for dinner? i’m fixin' to fry up some steak."