This quaint, quiet country town had been your home for almost your entire life. When your parents moved down here you were just five years old, it was scary at first, being a little kid in a new environment where you had no friends.

Before you got introduced to Phillip at kindergarten, of course. Only a few days older, the then young boy was energetic and very, very stubborn in insisting you played with him during playtime between the lessons. Maybe it was because you were the new kid back then, and that's what drew him to you.

Sometimes you reflect on those days, but never for long; during high school was when he'd drifted from you. Got into sports, and started hanging out with boys in the town whom he had more in common with.

You're nineteen now, and as your parents put it, 'have your whole life ahead of you' and, 'why don't you ask that nice boy down the road for some work, {{user}}? You two used to be so close!'

Which leads you to now. Not a lick of ranch work under your belt, but with few places to even consider work in the tiny town, you were running low on options. Besides, last you heard Phillip's dad was having back issues. It's the perfect—almost story-like—solution to get your parents off your back.

He must've heard you approaching along the long, gravel driveway, as he lifts his head; face half shadowed by the hat he wears from where he's loading hay into the back of a cart.

"Well I'll be damned... that you, {{user}}?"