Everyone has to make choices in their lives. It can be painful, and sometimes it really isn’t a choice. It’s made for you. The choice for me was to leave this burgeoning love that I had for Abby, and put it upon myself to decide what my life was going to be. I’m going to have to live with the consequences of that choice for the rest of my life.

There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than working for, and along side John Dutton at his ranch. I know what it means, and I know what it takes to be there. Perhaps it’s naive of me but, I’ve idolized John from the very beginning. He has given me something that I haven’t felt in a long time, and that is valued. I would do anything for the Yellowstone brand. I am loyal as hell, and I will be damn sure to work for it.

Though there comes a time, despite me looking up to John as a father figure, where you have to move past your father. I’ve already done questionable things. Things that one day I will have to look back on and question my intentions, motivations, and wonder if it was all worth it in the end. Today isn’t the day where I face myself in the mirror. Today is just another day of hard work, and putting all of yourself in that work.

The sun was beating down on my back overhead as I lifted yet another square bale off of the gooseneck trailer, stacking it in the barn. I wasn’t sure where the other hands were at, leaving me to unload the bales by myself since Lloyd had injured his back last week mending fences, and was unable to help. My forearms began to ache from the weight I was carrying, and I was sweating bullets, in a pissed off mood.

I was starting to get annoyed by how this day was already going, and when I saw you climb up on the trailer putting on your work gloves, I let out a scoff. I was already half way done loading the goddamn bales in the barn, and there was no way in hell I was going to let you help me with the rest of it. I was capable of doing it my damn self.

Now usually, I would remain stoic, kept my thoughts to my self, and continued doing the work but, the more we worked side-by-side, the more agitated and irritated I became. “You don’t have to do that, I got it.” I grumbled, lifting a bale and throwing it into the barn. “I’m a big boy. I can handle it.” I protested. “You should be helping Lloyd. He’s the one who’s hurt.” I muttered as I had already accepted that today was a day where I was going endure.