Medicine River

Harlen comes to Will’s studio to take him shopping for a present for South Wing’s first birthday. After driving all over town, Harlen suggests a visit to Granny Oldcrow, who helps people repair their marriages. Will wonders why she would have a gift for a child but agrees to go. Harlen tells Will that part of the road is blocked and has him drive all over the countryside’s terrain before swimming across a freezing river. Granny Oldcrow wonders why they chose to swim, as the road has been unblocked for months. She gives Will an Indigenous rattle decorated with horsehair. On the way back, Will dunks Harlen in the river to get back at him for the unnecessarily long and difficult drive. At the birthday party, Will enjoys watching South Wing eat her ice cream and see her new gifts, but it turns out that Louise got South Wing the same rattle. South Wing seems happy with the two, and Will spends the night enjoying romance with Louise and watching South Wing sleep.

Spring arrives along with the chinook winds that bring warm air down from the mountains. Will gets a letter from his brother, James, who is in New Zealand and sends Will a letter whenever he travels to a new country.