Oma nodded sympathetically. “Delays are never easy, especially when you’ve got your heart set on something,” she said.
Capri simply nodded, grateful that Oma didn’t press further. Some things were better left unsaid.
16
Capri parked her truck at the Lupine Meadows trailhead, one of her favorite spots in the Grand Tetons. The early morning light filtered through the towering pines, casting long shadows across the ground. She took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air, the scent of pine and earth filling her lungs. The world was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant call of a bird. It was the perfect place to clear her head before heading to work and a full day of raft tours.
She slipped off her sandals and reached for her running shoes in the back seat. After lacing them up, Capri grabbed her water bottle and bear spray, tucking both into the side pockets of her running vest, before setting off down the trail.
The path ahead wound through a thick forest of fir and aspen, the underbrush dotted with wildflowers in shades of purple and yellow. The Lupine Meadows trail was well-worn, a familiar friend she had run countless times before, leading up toward a lake with a majestic mountain backdrop that could take one’s breath away.
She needed that today—to focus on the grandeur of creation. Somehow, it made her concerns feel small.
The trail started to incline, and Capri pushed herself harder, her breathing growing more labored as she powered up the hill. The morning sun began to rise higher, dappling the forest floor with patches of light. She reached a bend in the trail where the trees thinned out, giving her a stunning view of the Teton Range, their jagged peaks still dusted with snow even in early summer.
She stopped, leaned over, and placed her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Seconds later, she straightened and absorbed the beauty of the scene—one she would never tire of gazing upon.
Capri continued down the trail, the solitude of the backcountry wrapped around her like a comforting embrace. Out here, with nothing but the sound of her footsteps and the whisper of the trees, the chaos of life faded into the background, leaving her with a rare, peaceful clarity and resolve.
Sure, she had faced plenty of losses lately, but she was determined to be resilient. She’d spent enough time sniveling like a heartbroken teenager, and that wasn’t who she was. Despite the emotional upheaval of the past few weeks, she knew she was far stronger than that—a woman who could endure any storm with her head held high and her heart unwavering. It just took her a little longer this time to regain her footing, that’s all.
Her feet pounded the ground a little faster as that thought took hold.
As Capri rounded another bend in the trail, the smell of sizzling bacon hit her nose, making her stomach rumble. Just off the path, a group of backcountry campers had set up their site, a small fire crackling as they cooked breakfast. One of the campers, a guy with a wide-brimmed hat and a friendly smile, lifted a hand in greeting.
“Morning!” he called out, flipping the bacon in the pan.
Capri returned the wave, offering a brief smile as she jogged past. The scent of bacon lingered in the air, mingling with the fresh pine and earth, a comforting reminder of simple pleasures.
As Capri continued her steady jog, her mind began to churn with thoughts from the day before. The conversation with Jake about the delay in getting building materials replayed in her head, and the frustration threatened to bubble up again.
She quickly tamped down her rising irritation and forced herself to focus on the rhythm of her breathing instead.
As she settled into her stride, Capri’s thoughts drifted to the crack in the cinderblock wall at work. It wasn’t a major issue, but it was a reminder of how things had fractured around her. But this—this she could fix. Determined, she resolved to take care of it the moment she got there, one small thing she could chalk up to a victory.
Capri’s legs burned as she pushed herself beyond her usual pace, the pounding rhythm of her feet matching the intensity of her racing mind. She welcomed the physical strain, letting it clear her head and ground her in the moment.
Suddenly, the path beneath her feet gave a slight tremble. Capri stopped in her tracks, heart pounding, as the earth shuddered briefly. It was a small aftershock, but strong enough to dislodge a few rocks from the nearby slope. She watched as they tumbled down, bouncing off the trail with sharp clatters before settling in the brush below.
Capri stood still, her pulse quickening, waiting for any sign of another tremor. When the ground remained calm, she exhaled slowly, feeling a renewed sense of resolve settle over her.
The aftershock was done, and so was the moment of hesitation.
With her mind clear and her resurrected conviction firmly in place, Capri resumed her run, letting the rhythm of her steps propel her forward. By the time she reached the end of the trail, she had a plan. She knew exactly what needed to be done.
She drove straight to work, determination fueling her every move. As she arrived at the building, her eyes immediately sought out the crack in the cinderblock wall. Without hesitation, she grabbed her tools, ready to take care of it herself.
Capri knelt beside the cinderblock wall, the mid-morning light casting long shadows across the rough surface. The crack was narrow but ran jaggedly along the length of several blocks, a small yet visible reminder of the recent tremors. She ran her fingers along the gap, feeling the uneven edges, her mind already calculating the steps needed to mend it.
Grabbing a trowel and a bucket of mortar, she set to work, mixing the mortar with just the right amount of water until it reached a thick, paste-like consistency. With steady hands, she began applying the mixture to the crack, smoothing it over the damaged area with careful, precise strokes. The repetitive motion was calming, grounding her as she filled in the open space, her mind focused solely on the task at hand.
As she finished the first layer, she heard footsteps approaching. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Bodhi walking toward her, his easygoing demeanor evident in the relaxed sway of his gait. He stopped a few feet away, hands in his pockets, watching her work with a curious expression.
“Didn’t know you were moonlighting as a mason,” he teased, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Capri glanced up at him, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. “Gotta be a jack-of-all-trades around here,” she replied, her tone light. “Besides, I wasn’t about to let this crack sit here and get worse.”
Bodhi nodded, looking at the wall. “Need any help?”
