Counting Miracles

I

Jasper sees a report about the white deer on the news. He fears it will draw too much attention to the deer and further endanger it. He takes out an old forest map and marks where he thinks the deer might be. Then while making coffee and breakfast, he thinks more about Audrey. After she left for college and he lost his job, Jasper started working as a contractor. Meanwhile, he began cultivating pear trees and planting them throughout the region. By May of 1962, Jasper had significant savings and Audrey had graduated from college. They married in 1963 and moved onto Jasper’s property. Within a year, they had their first child and Jasper was still having success with his pears.

II

Jasper takes Arlo and his map out towards the Uwharrie. He drives around, marking the deer’s range and parking on Scenic Road to wait for poachers.

III

Jasper waits in the truck until dark. Finally he returns home and lies in bed thinking about his past. He and Audrey named their first child David. They later had three more children, Mary, Deborah, and Paul. He remembers each child and how their lives unfurled as they grew up.