September in Missoula has a quality of arrival.
Not the end of summer — Montana summer ends earlier and more decisively than that, doesn't wait for September to make the announcement. September arrives already knowing it's autumn. The mountains confirm it first, the peaks getting their first serious snow while the valley is still warm enough to eat dinner outside. The aspens start their turning. The river changes register slightly, quieter, more considered.
Maya notices all of this because she has become, over seven months, someone who notices Montana.
