Was my future any more certain than hers? And did I not depend for my life upon a man bound to me-at least in part-by desire of my body? A faint wind breathed through the trees, and I hitched the blanket higher on my shoulder. The fire had burned to embers, and so high in the mountains, it was cool at night. The moon had set, but it was very clear; the stars blazed close, a net of light cast over the mountains' peaks. No, there were differences. However unknown my future, it would be shared, and the bond between my man and me went much deeper than the flesh. Beyond all this was the one great difference, though-I had chosen to be there.
The narrator reflects on the uncertainty of their future compared to another woman's uncertain fate, questioning if their lives are equally contingent upon their relationships. They acknowledge the physical connection to a man tied to their existence by mutual desire, yet they recognize a deeper bond that extends beyond mere physicality. As they sit in a tranquil mountain setting, they contemplate the night sky and their experiences.
Despite the uncertainties, the...
