The Waiting Circle: #6 (Where Sage Meets Sky Series)

The rescue spouses and partners had a system, Ash learned. It had evolved organically over years of shared worry and waiting. When Sarah's team got called out for a difficult rescue - this time a multi-day search for lost backcountry skiers - the support network activated immediately.

Mattie opened Mountain Time after hours as a gathering space, providing endless coffee and understanding. The back room became their unofficial headquarters, complete with maps tracking the search areas and a radio tuned to rescue frequencies.

"The waiting is the hardest part," Tom, another rescuer's husband, explained while showing Ash how to read the search grid patterns. "But it's easier together."

Maria, whose wife had been on the team for twelve years, brought her famous stress-baking supplies. "Keeping hands busy helps," she said, teaching Ash her secret recipe for rescue team cookies. "And they'll need good food when they return."

The bookstore crew stepped up too. Ash's staff kept Second Story Books running while she divided her time between the shop and Mountain Time's back room. They created a special display of rescue-themed books and donated the proceeds to the SAR team's equipment fund.

River and Howell stopped by with technical insights about the search area's terrain. Cosima and Kody sent sustaining food for the waiting group. Brynn played quiet evening sessions at Mountain Time, her music somehow making the waiting more bearable.

During the long hours, Ash learned each partner's story:

- Tom met his rescuer during a climbing accident

- Maria's...