,epilogue

,9 ,janu>y #bjjj1 ,i lo/ my "r eye 6glaucoma4 ,"e s9ce ,aconcagua1 ! eye _h
2come worn-\ & 0 2g9n+ 6%r9k & gr[ gray4 ,! sev]e altitude ( ,aconcagua
_hn't d"o m* 6pres]ve ! eye's l;gev;y ei4 ,af ! surg]y1 ly+ 9 ! recov]y
room1 ,i ask$ ,ellie gro7ily1 8,x won't gross y \1 yr husb& hav+ no eyes80

,%e laid h] face on my *e/4 8,i'll alw love y10 %e sd firmly4 8,e ni<t 2f
we g 6b$1 y c take \ yr glass eyes & ,i'll kiss !m gdni<t40

8,if y d t10 ,i lau<$ sleepily1 8y'll alw 2 ! apple ( my glass eyes40 ,& !n
,i regrett$ lau<+ z hot pa9 se>$ my b&ag$ socket4

,=a few weeks afws1 ,i 0 bo7$ d[n 9 depres.n ov] ! loss1 b ) s m* 6be d"o1
s _m possibilities1 "! 0 no room left = sad;s1 & two mon?s lat]1 ) my eye
socket sc>cely h1l$1 ,i climb$ ! ?ree-?\s&-foot v]tical wall ( ice1 ,pol>
,circus1 ! cr[n jewel (! ,canadian ,rockies4 ,i _h le>n$ 6climb froz5
wat]falls 9 ,\ray1 ,colorado1 9 spite (a few exp]ts :o ?"\ ! idea 0 crazy4
8,y h l>ge1 %>p1 metal ice-tools 9 yr h&s1 & y c't sw+ !m 9discrim9ately at
! face10 "o climb] /at$4 8,if y d1 y'll knock (f giant1 refrig]ator-siz$
*unks ( ice : w fall d[n & cru% y40 ,ice climb]s use _! eyes 6"k ": 6sw+2
!y look = deep-blue h1l?y ice v]sus rott5 :ite ice4 ,!y look =! divots1
made 0e>li] sw+s1 = 3cave di%es1 =! slope abv a bulge1 b ,i le>n$ t ,i cd
use my ice tools z ext5.ns ( my h&s & scan !m acr ! face4 ,:5 ,i f.d ! spot
,i ?"\ wd make a gd sw+1 ,i'd tap ! po9t li<tly ag/ ! face1 li/5+ =! "r
pit*4 ,a %all[ t9ny s.d1 l ! tap (a =k ag/ a d9n] plate1 m1nt %att]+ ice2 a
holl[ rev]b],n1 l ! .d;g (a h1vy bell1 m1nt l>ge *unks ( pot5ti,y fractur+
ice1 b a deep .?unk1 l ! s.d ( /rik+ old /ale p1nut butt]1 m1nt a gd /ick4
,"! 7 ^? :o ?"\ y _h 6be a# 6see 6ice climb1 b ,i _h le>n$ well "? ! ye>s t
:5 ,i /rove 6look 2y 3v5;n1 ,i came away "u/&+ t "! >e 9f9ite ways 6climb a
m.ta91 n j "o4

,on ! f9al pit* ( ,pol> ,circus1 ,i hung 0my l1% f two metal ice-screw
an*ors buri$ 9 ! fat ice wall1 wait+ = ,mike ,o',donnell1 \r climb+ l1d]1
6f9i% ! next pit*4 ,2f ,i w5t bl1 ,i rememb] see+ a picture (a climb] f> up
on an ice face 9 ,*amonix1 ,fr.e4 ,he 0 a speck ( color on an 5d.s riv] (
ice t roll$ & dropp$ away 2n hm4 ,z ,i hung1 ,i took my glove (f & ran my
b>e palm acr ! surface (! ice4 ,x 0 z cold & poli%$ z ! surface ( my b$room
w9d[ on a w9t]'s "d1 & ,i _h 6draw 9 a br1? =! %e] b1uty felt "? my
f+]tips1 &=! fact t ,i _h 2come ! speck ( color 9 ! picture1 ! massive r.d$
columns ( ice roll+ & dropp+ away 2n ! r1* ( my h&4

,:5 ,i return$ home 9 ! spr+1 ,ellie & ,i mov$ 6a new h\se 9 ,gold51 locat$
9 ! foothills (! ,rocky ,m.ta9s4 ,ellie & ,i _h tak5 a br1k f unpack+ boxes
6explore "s titles = ? book4 8,:y don't y call x ..,climb+ ,bl3 ,>e ,we ,"!
.,yet80 ,ellie su7e/$1 & f "!1 we ?"\ up o!r titles t wd n"e make x 6! book
cov]4 8,h['s ?80 ,i (f]$4 8..,get ! ,hell (f t ,m.ta91 ,bl .,boy60 & ev5
bett]1 ,ellie's next su7es;n (1 8..,dra7$ 6! ,top ,kick+ & ,scr1m+3 a ,bl
,man's .,j\rney40

,we 7 lau<+ hy/]ic,y :5 ,ellie 2came sil5t1 & ,i cd s5se %e 0 smil+4 8,i "k
h[ y cd 5d ! book10 %e sd s(tly4

8,h[80 ,i ask$1 v 9t]e/$4

8,)a v special ev5t10 %e sd4

8,:at d y m1n80 ,i ask$4 ,ellie sidl$ up next 6me & :isp]$1 8,we're hav+ a
baby40

,emma ,l\ise ,weih5may] 0 born on ,june #ba1 ye> #bjjj1 at #c3eg a4m4 ,"!
is s m* 6le>n ab p>5thood4 ,"s"ts 2+ a "f is ab z 9t5se z climb+ ,d5ali1
,kilimanj>o1 & ,aconcagua1 all 9 a "d4 ,2c ,i'm bl1 ,i tri$ 63v9ce ,ellie t
,i cdn't *ange diap]s1 b = "s r1son1 %e didn't buy x4 ,ell5 & ,i al 4cov]$
t ,i ne$$ 6develop "s k9d ( sy/em = dress+ ,emma4 ,app>5tly1 p9k socks
don't mat* well ) h] orange plaid dress4 ,! rew>d1 h["e1 is grt] ?an any
summit--feel+ h] t9y delicate f+]s wrap >.d my =ef+]1 he>+ h] bab# )
happi;s :5 ,i s+ 6h]1 feel+ h] r.d p]fect *eeks1 q (t5 dimpl$ 0a smile4

,x 0 a p]fect ,colorado morn+ :5 ,i /rapp$ on ,emma's front pack1 : 5a#d h]
6re/ ag/ my *e/4 ,i fum#d ) all ! 3fus+ /raps1 f/ 3nect+ a %\ld] /rap 6!
wai/ clip &! wai/ /rap 6a %\ld] clip1 r1liz+ my ]ror & unclipp+ & reclipp+
x all ov] ag4 ,i l[]$ ,emma 96! pack1 guid+ h] wi7l+ feet "? ! leg holes4
,) ,emma hang+ f my *e/1 h>;s+ up ,seigo 0 a *all5ge4 ,i cr\*$ d[n & /ret*$
my >ms1 wre/l+ )! buckles & loops z ,seigo twi/$ 8 h1d >.d1 try+ 6give
,emma a kiss4 ,la/ly1 ,i se>*$ = h] bonnet1 crawl+ >.d ! c>pet "u ! ta# ":
,i ?"\ x _h be5 dropp$1 ) "o h& cupp+ ,emma's h1d &! o!r scann+ =! ll hat4
,f9,y all ! ele;ts 7 9 place & ,i took a /roll 6! c(fee %op d[n ! /reet
6br+ ,ellie a slice ( banana br1d4 ,! sun's w>m? %"o "? ! crisp / air1 z
,seigo1 ,emma1 & ,i navigat$ d[n ! n>r[ sidewalk4 ,a bran* bru%+ ! top ( my
h1d gave me ! sign 6turn "r1 a %>p decl9e &a ve] 6! left told me we 7
approa*+ ! 9t]sec;n4 ,! 5d (a gravely pat* ( gr.d &! *att] (a spr9kl] let
me "k :5 6jog "r 96! p>k+ lot4 ,on ! way home1 3troll+ ,seigo ) my left h&1
hold+ ,emma's h1d ) my "r1 &) two slices ( banana br1d re/+ 9 ! crook ( my
>m1 ,i pass$ ! ele;t>y s*ool1 he>+ ! hi< lau<+ %\ts ( *n at play4 ,a ll boy
yell$ ov] 6his fr1 8,hey1 look ov] "!40 ,i wait$ = hm 6f9i% ) 8at t bl man
) 8 dog40 ,b 9/1d he %\t$1 8,look at ! ll baby40

8,seigo10 ,i sd1 8we've be5 replac$10 & lau<$ ) full a3ept.e4

,br1?+ 9 ! pung5t hi< des]t smell ( wild grass & sage & feel+ ! w>m wei<t (
,emma ag/ me1 ,i _h "ey?+ ,i cd possibly ne$4 ,"s h sd1 8,if y cd only see1
yr life wd 2 s m* easi]40 ,easi]1 def9itely1 b m excit+1 m satisfy+1 ,i'm n
sure4

8,x's all 5\<10 ,i sd 6,emma1 runn+ my f+] s(tly acr h] *eek4 ,!n ,i /opp$
on ! sidewalk & held h] up 6! we/1 t[>d ! ,rocky ,m.ta9s4 ,emma's *u2y >ms
wav$ & batt$ 9 ! air4 8,"s": al;g ! way1 y may lose "s?+ y ?"\ 0
important10 ,i sd1 8b "ey?+ y ne$ 6fulfill y is 9side y or "r 9 front ( yr
eyes4 ,y j h 6r1*4 ,x won't (t5 2 easy1 ll angel1 b x w alw 2 a grt
adv5ture40
