On Belle’s first trip home to the mountains, I took her to see where Mamaw was born near Bryson City. We spent the whole day exploring Swain County. While we rode around, I shared the stories Mamaw used to tell me about her family. Those stories acted as our navigation – and eventually led us to the Road to Nowhere.
I’m a porch sitter, y’all. I always have been. When I was little, I’d sit on the back porch after dinner with Papaw to listen to the creek and watch the cattle graze. After I moved to Wilmington, I’d sit on mama’s front porch to star gaze. It’s something I’ve never grown out of.
Last night, when Brandon laid down on his pillow, he discovered a hard lump. To him, this was no big deal. He readjusted his feather pillows and laid back down. But a subtle dread settled over me. I laid in bed long after he’d fallen asleep, thinking of death crowns.
