Keep Your Chin Up and Your Expectations High
Hope For Better Luck Tomorrow
Author's Note
Hey guys!
I just wanna give a quick shout-out to Jake the Army Guy for requesting this story. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you all like it! I've never written any of these characters before so it was pretty new for me, but I think it turned out pretty well!
Keep it real!
Hope For Better Luck Tomorrow
It was an uncomfortably hot day. That’s not because they were getting close to Appaloosa either. It was brutal heat from the moment they woke up in Ponyville. Sandbar used a hoof to brush his mane off his forehead so he could remove a few droplets of sweat that had built up.
“Gosh,” Sandbar said. “How are you surviving with all that fur, Yona?”
The yak ceased her panting for a moment to respond. “Oh, it not so bad. Yaks built with special coat of fur that protect yak from all kinds of weather!” She panted a few more times. “But it still hot.”
The two had been on the train for a couple hours now, on their way from Ponyville to Appaloosa. It was their first time visiting as a couple and Yona’s first time visiting in general. Summer wasn’t the ideal time to visit such a hot locale, but it was where Princess Twilight wanted to hold the annual Couple’s Dance this year, and there was no way they were going to miss it. She insisted on having a western theme for some godforsaken reason this year, which meant barbecued veggies and square dancing were going to be on the menu.
“I can’t wait until we get there,” Sandbar said, smiling at his wife. “It’ll be nice to get away for a bit, even if it’s only for a night.”
Yona frowned and gently patted Sandbar on the back. “It is okay, my love. Do not worry about what other ponies or yaks say to you. They don’t know what they talk about.”
“Thanks, sweets,” Sandbar said with a smile. “It’s like, sometimes you just seem to know the right thing to say.”
“It’s what Yona is here for,” she replied with a bright smile of her own.
Despite her uplifting words however, Sandbar still couldn’t shake some of the things he heard recently, especially yesterday from Filthy Rich: ‘A true stallion provides for and protects his family, but in your case, it looks like you’d be the one getting protected.” And of course he had to add a little snicker to the end of it for emphasis. All he was doing was buying garbage bags and fluffy socks, why did he have to have his masculinity challenged, too?
It wasn’t just ponies either that gave him trouble. It seemed that almost every time he and Yona left their home in Ponyville to visit her Yak relatives, they had to make a big deal about how he wasn’t strong enough to smash things like they did. ‘Pony not able to smash log?! Why Yona choose to be with this weakling?’ On one hoof he knew that being big and strong was part of their culture and he was eventually accepted as part of their family, but it didn’t quite wipe away the embarrassment he would feel at his own size and strength in comparison to his smash-happy relatives.
Sandbar shook his head to take the next exit off of memory lane, but he still felt that slight pit in his stomach. Was he really a stallion if he couldn’t be the protector of the family like other stallions? He looked down at one of his forelegs and quickly flexed it. He’d made a point to work out more and get exercise, but the results were still imperceptible, at least to himself.
He let out a sigh. “Yona, you know I love you, right?”
She cocked her to the side. “Of course Yona knows you love her, Sandbar. Why you ask?”
Sandbar shrugged and tried to smile, but he could feel his lips slowly sag. “Eh, no reason. Just figured I would remind you, heh. Maybe I don’t show it enough or something.”
Yona immediately gripped him into a tight, borderline suffocating hug, entrenching Sandbar into a ravine of fur and comfort. “You show it every day, my love. Every day Yona knows you love her, like Yona loves you every day.”
Sandbar hummed in satisfaction and reciprocated the hug the best he could. The fact that he couldn’t quite wrap his hooves around his wife didn’t help the situation much, but it was sweet all the same. “Thanks, Yona.”
Despite the occasional breakdown of sanity that was plaguing Sandbar’s self-esteem, the rest of the train ride was largely uneventful. A lot of nothing to see outside and not much to do inside the train led to our couple just sitting in silence, maybe resting their eyes on occasion to help pass the time. It went on that way until the train finally came to its usual screeching halt.
“Attention all creatures!” The conductor shouted, alerting both Sandbar and Yona who may or may not have drifted off to sleep. “We have arrived in Appaloosa! If this is your stop, please exit the train now in an orderly fashion!”
“Hey, that’s us!” Sandbar exclaimed.
The stallion stood up and reached a hoof out to his wife, politely helping her out of her seat. There was a line of ponies stretching down the train aisle, most of them seeming to be couples there for the same event. Sandbar and Yona used the wait to quickly fix up their mane and hair and wipe the sleep-induced drool off of their chins before quickly jumping into the aisle and making their way toward the exit.
“Have fun, you two!” The conductor said as they walked past him.
“Thanks, we will.” Sandbar gave him a soft smile and hopped down the steps to exit the train, his wife in tow right behind him.
Luckily for everyone, the train station was right at the front of the town, so no extra walking was necessary to reach the event. This was largely an informal event, but the two had gone a little out of their way to look nice. Sandbar used his favorite hairspray to hopefully keep his mane in place, although sweat and humidity saw fit to dislodge the occasional strand. Yona, of course, had her braids decorated with her two favorite bows which kept her hair in perfect shape. That being said, if they had to walk any extra steps to get there, her adorable hair styling could be in jeopardy as well. Long story short, both were grateful that they had finally arrived.
It was roughly six in the evening when they arrived and they were standing at the entrance to the town square after departing the train and it was completely decked out for the event. The theme colors this year were red and yellow, probably for some apple-related reason or another, but it looked great.
Yona began vibrantly wagging her tail as she looked around her at the festivities that were commencing. “Oh, look Sandbar! It so colorful and full of fun… and food!” Yona’s eyes were locked in on a group of tables on the right side of the area loaded with everything from veggies and salads to chips and chili.
“Oh, nice!” Sandbar replied. “And look at all the other creatures here!”
Besides the gaggle of pony couples that had shown up, there were buffalo, hippogriffs, gryphons and even a dragon or two. Twilight had gone through great lengths to ensure that every creature was welcome this year. After all, love isn’t limited to one species.
As the two walked a bit further in, their progress was stopped by a very familiar face.
“Hey guys!”
Sandbar had to stop in his tracks to avoid walking right into the hippogryph blocking his path. “Oh, Silverstream! It’s been a little while! How are you?”
“I’m great!” She exclaimed, jumping in place. “Give me a hug right now, you two!” Before they had a chance to even get a word in, Silverstream unfurled her wings and wrapped both Sandbar and Yona into a violently cuddly embrace. “Oh, I’ve missed you two so much!”
After the hug was over and Yona had a chance to catch her breath, she rattled the ground with a few excited jumps of her own. “Yona miss Silverstream, too! Miss you bunches!”
“Yeah,” Sandbar added. “I’m glad you’re doing so well. Say, is Gallus here?”
Silverstream darted his head back and forth. “Yeah, he’s probably hiding because he knows that the square dancing starts soon, the little party pooper. GALLUS! COME HERE!” Her screams were loud enough to make everypony stop in their tracks for a moment before realizing there was no need for a panic as it was just Silverstream being herself again. “Oh, there he is!”
They looked to their left and saw a somewhat embarrassed looking Gallus creeping towards them.
“Babe, could you keep it down just a peg?” Gallus asked. “The fewer creatures that know I’m here the less pressure there will be for me to have to embarrass myself trying to dance later.”
“Sorry!” Silverstream screeched, punctuated by a hop in the air. “But we have to dance later! You’re so cute with your little bowtie on and I wanna show you off to everyone!”
Gallus rolled his eyes but turned his frown into a smile and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Okay, okay, I’ll dance with you. But don’t expect me to be good at it or anything.”
“Deal!” Silverstream returned the favor by giving him a quick peck and nuzzling his cheek. “But look who I found! It’s Yona! And Sandbar too!”
Gallus smiled at the couple and gave Sandbar a quick hoof-to-claw bump. “Hey guys! Haven’t seen you in awhile.”
“I know right?” Sandbar spoke up. “It’s been what, four months now since the wedding and your move to Mount Aris?”
“Yep,” Gallus continued while Silverstream had found sudden interest in poking at Yona’s hair bows. “It took a bit to get adjusted, but I’m lovin’ it now.”
“You still work with the Naval Guard over there?” Sandbar asked. “How’s that been going?”
“Mhm,” Gallus replied. “It’s going pretty great. I have to actually go on a three day leave next week which kind of sucks, but it’s part of the job. We set sail on Thursday.”
“I feel that,” Sandbar said. “My job has me traveling quite a bit too these days.”
“Where do you work again?” Gallus rubbed a claw behind his neck, giving Sandbar a soft smile. “Sorry, I’ve got my mind on a billion different things these days.”
“No worries,” Sandbar said, mirroring the griffon’s grin. “Rarity hired me as a pseudo-regional manager for her stores so she could have more time to focus on designing her clothing line. It’s a great gig, but I have to spend overnights in Canterlot and Manehattan sometimes.”
“Ah, the retail industry.” Gallus paused to look off into the distance, probably thinking about the PTSD he had, which Sandbar could totally understand. Then, when the gryphon shook his head, he chuckled and continued, “Well, sounds like she made the right choice since you’re enjoying it.”
After having sufficient time to be distracted with Yona’s hair, Silverstream entered the conversation again. “So, sweetheart,” she started, tapping her front claws back and forth on the ground. “Can I tell them… you know what?”
Yona cocked her head to the side. “You know what? What do you mean?”
Gallus sighed and smiled. “Well, we were gonna wait but who knows when we’ll get to see you guys again. Okay, go for it.”
Silverstream reared and clapped a few times. “Yay!” She eyed the both of them with a huge smile before belting out the news. “We’re having A BABY!”
“AHH!” Yona screamed, jumping in the air. “A baby! That is such good news!”
“That’s awesome!” Sandbar added with a bright smile. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks!” Gallus added, throwing a wing around his wife. He pulled her close. “We’re both excited.”
“Yep!” Silverstream nodded rapidly as she gently nuzzled Gallus’s cheek. “I laid the egg two weeks ago! I can’t wait for it to hatch. Me and Gallus are gonna be parents and it’s going to be the most awesome thing ever!”
Sandbar couldn’t help but notice how happy and content they looked in their relationship. There was absolutely no hint of discomfort or difficulty with it coming from either of them. Granted, he absolutely loved being with Yona and would never trade that for anything, but why did he have to feel so insecure about stallion-ness so much? Some creatures just weren’t ready to see a yak and pony together yet.
“Well, anyway, we’ll let you two enjoy the party now,” Silverstream said, still adorning her usual bright smile. “But we better see you two on the dance floor a bit later, okay?”
Sandbar and Yona both nodded and spoke in unison, “You bet!”
And with that, Gallus and Silverstream waved their goodbyes and went off to go visit with another couple.
Yona turned to Sandbar. “That was so nice, getting to see old friends. They look so happy!”
“Yeah, they really do, huh?” Sandbar said with a grin. “It’s pretty cool.”
The two of them walked over to the snack table to get some food. Yona loaded up on the salad while Sandbar was making himself a big bowl of chili with crackers. They had a section in the corner with some tables where creatures could sit, eat, and chat, which Yona and Sandbar made a bee-line for. They picked a table near the front so there was easy access to the dancing area when the time came.
They were both a lot hungrier than they thought and absolutely devoured their food. It was quite good to say the least and Sandbar wanted more. He was about to get up to get both of them seconds when Yona suddenly jumped out of her chair.
“Oh, Sandbar!” Yona exclaimed, pointing towards a brown mare with a pink, spiky mane. “She’s one of Yona’s old friends from school. I go talk to her. Will Sandbar be okay for a little while?”
Sandbar waved a hoof at her. “Of course, Yona! Go have fun with your friend. I’m gonna grab some more to eat in the meantime.”
“Not too much,” Yona said with a playful glare. “You don't want to get too full before dancing tonight. Trust me. Yona knows from experience in eating too close to smashing time back home.”
“I gotcha, no worries,” he replied. “I’ll have one more bowl of chili and call it a night.”
“Good boy, Sandbar.” Yona leaned down to give him a quick kiss and then she pranced off toward her friend. Or at least she moved in a motion that was as close to prancing as a Yak could physically do.
Sandbar chuckled to himself, watching her bounce away. He loved seeing her so happy. He loved her in general, actually. They wouldn’t have gotten married otherwise.
Wait a second… Good boy? Great, he was pet-sized compared to her, apparently.
He was broken up from his thoughts by the sounds of hooves approaching the table to his blind side. He turned around and recognized, barely, two faces he hadn’t seen in quite a long time.
“Thank ya, darlin’!” Braeburn said as he sat down at the table. “If it weren’t for you pushing me outta bed this evening, I probably would’ve slept through the whole shindig.”
Sandbar looked around to see who Braeburn was talking to and that’s when he noticed the large buffalo approaching the table. Was that his partner?
“Of course, hun,” the buffalo said, opting to sit on the floor next to her partner. Given her size, sitting on the floor worked out fine.
Without trying to look like a creep, Sandbar couldn’t help but notice how similar their relationship was to his. A pony with a creature much bigger than him. He noticed they were both wearing hoof bands so he assumed they were married, like he was, but Braeburn seemed so comfortable about it. Not a care in the world. He didn’t know the buffalo personally, but she seemed extremely content as well.
“Oh, Brae?” the buffalo asked.
“Yeah, Strongheart?” Braeburn replied.
“I’m going to go chat with some pony friends before the dancing starts, if that’s alright.” She smiled at him and pointed to a group of ponies near where Yona was standing.
“Of course!” Braeburn replied with a bright grin. “I’ll hold down the fort here. Have yourself a good time with your friends. You don’t need my permission.”
The buffalo, named Strongheart apparently, nuzzled him on the cheek and dashed off towards the aforementioned group of ponies on the other side of the square. Thus, only Sandbar and Braeburn were left, and Sandbar did not want to waste this opportunity to catch up with an old acquaintance of his own.
“Hey, Braeburn, long time no see!” Sandbar said, waving to get Braeburn’s attention.
The stallion in question had just stuffed a fork full of food in his mouth as he turned to see who was reaching out to him. He quickly swallowed his bit and rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on him.
“Sandbar?” He asked. “Is that you?”
“You got it,” Sandbar replied with a smile. He got up and made the short trip over to Braeburn and respectfully nodded his head. “I’m just a few years older is all.”
“Hey, great to see you, friend!” Braeburn got up too and gave him a quick hoof bump. “I haven’t seen you since you were graduating from the friendship school. Now look at ya’! All grown up and out in the real world with the rest of us.”
“Yep,” he replied. “I’m still learning something new every day, though, and those lessons you taught us back in school when you visited really help. I mean, subjects like work ethic and not making excuses were fun and really helped me. I still remember them.”
Braeburn smiled and sat down again. “I sure am happy to hear that. I was never much for teachin’, but I guess Twilight was right when she said I knew a few things that could help you kids. Why don’t you have a seat over here and we can catch up a bit?” Braeburn pointed to an empty chair at his table.
Sandbar gladly took it and sat down with his hooves resting on the table. “So how have you been, sir? I like your beard, by the way. I kinda wish I could grow one, but it’s not happening yet.”
“Heh, thanks. It took me a full year to grow it out.” Braeburn pridefully gave his thick beard a few strokes. “I figured it was high time to try something new with the look. But to answer your original question, I’m doing absolutely wonderful! The city is in great shape, we still have good relations with the buffalo and best of all, I got myself a beautiful wife and our love is as true as ever! A stallion can’t ask for much more than that.”
“Oh, I agree!” Sandbar exclaimed. “I remember you mentioning once or twice back in the day that you were seeing somepony, but it wasn’t my place to ask or anything. That buffalo that was here a second ago; was that your wife?”
“You bet!” He said, pointing her out with a hoof. “Her name is Little Strongheart, a traditional buffalo name. Of course, she ain’t so little these days. But yeah, she’s my one and only and with any luck it’ll stay that way the rest of our lives.”
“That’s awesome, Braeburn.” Sandbar always loved hearing others talk about what makes them happy. “I’m glad everything is going so great for you.”
“Mhm,” Braeburn said. “Now how have you been doing since graduating?” It took only a second for Braeburn to notice the gold band decorating Sandbar’s right hoof. “What? Don’t be tellin’ me you went and tied the knot, too?”
Sandbar beamed at him. “Yep, you got it! Got married last year and I couldn’t be happier.”
“Well, congratulations, son!” Braeburn reached over and gave him a hard pat on the back. “I guess it figures you were with somepony since we’re here at a couples party, but I’ll tell you what, it took me a lot longer than you to find a willing marriage partner, haha.” He chuckled a bit to punctuate his sentence. “So, who’s the lucky lady?”
“You actually probably remember her from the school, too.” Sandbar pointed out his wife with a hoof. “Yona, the yak right over there.”
“Well, I’ll be!” He exclaimed with a clap of his hoof. “‘Course I remember her. One of the brightest students at the school. Good natured, too: she was always happy about something.” He turned back towards Sandbar.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Sandbar said with a nod. “She is my whole world, honestly. I hate to sound like a lame record or whatever, but I honestly didn’t know I could be as happy as I am with her. Not to say everything is perfect or whatever, but even the difficult times with her are fun and help us draw closer together, you know? It’s awesome.”
Braeburn simply grinned at him. “And that’s the way love works. I’m real happy for ya’. If you don’t mind me asking’, how old are you now?”
“Twenty-one. I’ll be twenty-two next month. Yona is still twenty, though. Unlike me, she was actually smart enough to join school a year earlier than the rest of us, heh.”
“Well I’ll be,” Braeburn replied. “I spent my early twenties trying to hide from the boss and sleeping in barrels and you’re over here gettin’ married and setting’ up your future for success. You both seem like you have a good head on your shoulders.”
“Thanks for that, Braeburn,” he said. “I honestly didn’t think I would be where I am this early in life, but I’m taking each day as it comes, you know?”
“That’s honestly the best way to do it,” Braeburn said. “You focus too much on the past, you don’t move forward. You focus too much on the future, you get all worried and plumb tuckered out for no reason, but if you focus on the here and now with just a dash of planning, then things will start to work out. It took me a good long while sitting under one of them apple trees to realize that.”
“Well, you’re the one who taught that to us in one of your lessons back in the day,” Sandbar stated. “A great lesson, for sure.”
“So, tell me,” Braeburn continued. “Where do you y'all live? Here in Equestria or somewhere back in her homelands? Strongheart and I decided to take up residence in Appaloosa since it was already near her family, but I imagine your situation was a bit different given that Yaks tend to like it up north in the cold.”
“Oh yeah, it was a rough decision to be sure, but we decided to live in Ponyville,” Sandbar replied. “It’s a bit easier weather wise, plus we both have jobs down here now, me with Rarity’s company and Yona loves her work at the lumber mill.” Sandbar sat back in his chair and let out a sigh. “We have a pretty good life back home. But we do visit her family for the holidays every winter as a compromise. Her family likes to participate in Snilldar Fest every time, and it involves a lot of smashing. Unfortunately for me, pony hooves don’t do too well with smashing, I always end up with a sprained hoof instead. But it’s all in the spirit of tradition.”
“Haha, that sounds about right,” Braeburn said with a laugh. “But I’m glad y'all have been able to have such a good life with each other. Seems like you don’t have too much to worry about at all, at least not on the surface.”
“Yeah, there’s really nothing to complain about,” Sandbar said. However, he couldn’t help but twist his smile into a bit of a frown. “Well, I guess there is one thing. Braeburn, you mind if I ask you a kinda weird question?”
Braeburn shrugged. “Of course, my friend. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
Sandbar cleared his throat and leaned in a bit, trying to speak at a lower volume. “Did you ever get any kind of, I dunno, blowback for not marrying a pony?”
Braeburn rubbed his chin. “Just to make sure I’m understanding you right, you mind giving me an example of blowback?”
Sandbar nodded. “I guess, like, let’s say somepony thought it was weird that you decided to marry a buffalo instead of a pony because of, like…” He let out a sigh. “Size difference. Like, they say you’re not a true stallion because you’re not the bigger, stronger one or whatever. Have you ever had to deal with that?”
Braeburn let out a sigh of his own and gently laid a hoof on Sandbar’s shoulder. “I understand, Sandbar.” He removed his hoof and sat back in his chair. “So, to be honest with ya, I dealt with that quite a bit when we announced our marriage, both from other ponies and some of the buffalo from her herd. They said I wasn’t a worthy mate or that it was too weird for us to get married.”
“Oof,” Sandbar said. “How’d you handle it?”
“Well, I can tell you right now that I didn’t handle it very well at first.” He laughed to himself and shook his head. “No siree. For a while there I even thought about cancelling the wedding or moving us away to some private land out by the Kirin believe it or not, but I’ll tell you what I realized. Or better yet, let me show ya.”
Sandbar cocked his head to the side. “Show me?”
“Look over there.” Braeburn pointed to both of their wives, who were now in a group with a few other ponies, smiling, laughing, and talking amongst each other. “Look how happy our wives are. You see that?”
Sandbar kept looking and nodded. “Yeah, for sure. Yona’s always happy and Strongheart seems to be the same way.”
“Exactly,” Braeburn continued. “And that right there is what true masculinity looks like. It ain’t about how big you are or how strong you are. It’s not about how much money you make or what kind of harvest load you can carry in by yourself.” He shook his head and locked eyes with Sandbar. “It’s about how you treat the ones you love and most importantly… how happy you make them. Anypony can get strong. Heck, there’s tons of big, strong stallions out there, but they’re not better than us by a long shot. You see, to be a true stallion means you have to take care of your own, you gotta love your partner, your friends, your kids, and you’ve gotta do right by them. If you can do that, then who cares what others think because that means you’re doing your job as a stallion just fine, regardless of what they say. It took me a bit to learn that, but I’ve been so much happier since.”
Sandbar took a moment to process his words and let them all in. He then looked back at Yona across the way who was still laughing and wearing that big, beautiful smile of hers…
He was enough.
He was enough because he made her happy. He was enough because he loved her. He was enough because he did his best to do right by her. And that’s what real stallion hood was measured by. Why didn’t he think like that before?
“So,” Sandbar spoke up finally. “You think I’m stallion enough?”
Braeburn shrugged. “I’d say so, but remember, it don’t matter what I think because only you know if you’re giving it your all to love her and make her happy day in and day out. If you are though, then yes sir, you’re a real stallion.”
Sandbar almost felt a tear well up in his eye, but quickly pulled it back and instead smiled. “Thanks Braeburn, that makes a lot of sense. I guess I’m never too old for another lesson, huh?”
“Heh, none of us are ever too old to learn something new,” he retorted with a smirk. “Just keep being you Sandbar and keep doing your best every day and you’ll see that things work out. Trust me on this one. And heck, one day you might be able to grow a beard, too. Who knows?”
The two erupted into a small fit of laughter that lasted for a few solid seconds. However, it was soon interrupted by their wives showing up and getting them back into the present.
“You two seem to be having fun,” Strongheart interjected before turning her attention to Sandbar. “And I take it your Yona’s husband, Sandbar?”
“Absolutely,” he replied, standing up to give a respectful nod. “Sorry if I took your seat or something.”
She shook her head. “Of course not. I prefer the floor, honestly, at my size. But I just had the privilege of meeting your wife, Yona here. She said many nice things about you.”
Sandbar smiled at Yona. “I’m glad you got to make a new friend, babe. By the way, you remember Braeburn, don’t ya? He used to teach at our school occasionally.”
Yona hopped in the air with excitement. “Of course Yona remembers Mr. Braeburn. His lessons always great! Very yak-worthy.”
“Nice to see you again, Yona,” Braeburn said with a toothy grin. “Sandbar and I were catching up with each other. You both seem to be real happy. It’s a blessing, wouldn’t you say?”
Yona smiled and gently nuzzled Sandbar’s neck and cheek. “Yona very, very happy all the time with Sandbar. That never change.”
Sandbar reciprocated and planted a kiss on his wife’s cheek. “I’m very, very happy with you too, Yona. I always will be. Like you said, I don’t think it’ll ever change, at least not if I have something to say about it.”
Before any creature could say anything else, a loud announcement rang out via megaphone.
“Alright everycreature, are y’all ready for some good old-fashioned square dancing?!”
Everybody present, with the exception of maybe Gallus, cheered in response.
“Of course ya’ are! It starts in five minutes so now’s the time to stretch out a bit and get ready for some fun! Yeehaw!”
Sandbar and Braeburn both stood up next to their wives to get ready for the rest of the night’s festivities. It was going to be a fun one for sure.
“Yona?” Sandbar asked, making a point to bow with extra fanciness. “May I have the pleasure of having you for a dance partner tonight?”
Yona gigglesnorted with a hoof in front of her mouth. “Of course, Mr. Sandbar. I would be, ehh, how did Yona say it before… ever so grateful to dance with you tonight.”
He grinned. “Awesome!”
Sandbar released a sigh of relief as the words from Braeburn were still settling in. Who needed to be big and strong when you had love and care in your relationship? He was good enough just the way he was and he could learn to be happy with that. It might take time, but with the love of his beautiful wife and care from his friends…
…there was no way he could fail.
