Maisie was up walking the farm most of last night, staying close to the fences because the rows had been ploughed and the baby seeds rested as they waited patiently to grow. She'd walked around and around, and only stopped when she saw Aggie's bedroom light on in the Lonsdale house so far away. She sat then, near the big willow where Aggie and her would play as young girls, peering out at Aggie's lit window through the split rails of the fence, seeing them as prison bars holding her captive and away from her love. She knew Aggie was lying in bed reading a book, and knew – that like her – Aggie missed being with her and longed for Maisie to be laying beside her so she could read to her. Maisie loved Aggie's gentle voice.
As she sat, Old Willow began to tell Maisie the story of how her and Aggie had met. How they each were curious about the little girl who played alone on the other side of the fence. How they both had big brothers who were sometimes mean to them, how one girl's daddy was a farmer and the other girl's daddy an orchardist. How one daddy had horses and the other had chickens, and in their minds none of those things were very far apart or strange.
Even though Maisie knew the story because she lived it, she felt an aching sentimental love as Old Willow told the story of the girls playing under its wide limbs, its drooping branches and the lace of its leaves forming a perfect round little house that was all their own. Of how Aggie liked it when she lay on her back and read aloud as Maisie rested her head on Aggie's belly, feeling her breathe, feeling the warmth of her body, and soothed by the sound of her voice. When Old Willow got to the day Maisie hugged Aggie just a little too long, and Aggie's breath caught her throat as they came up nose to nose and Maisie said "I love you" for the very first time and Aggie kissed her long on the mouth, Maisie felt a yearning inside her that made her eyes blur with tears.
When Aggie's light finally went off, Maisie continued to sit and send Aggie her love, hoping she could feel her arms around her like they should be, feel her lips on hers like they should be, and feel her breath on her ear as she whispered "I love you" again and again.
