What are the conflicts - external and internal in the short story The Leap by Louise Erdrich?

It is a very short story. It ends with
"I felt the brush of her lips and heard the beat of her heart in my ears, loud as thunder, long as the roll of drums"

To understand the significance of this line it is best to read the story for yourself. It will only take a minute or two. There is a link to an online copy of the story in 'Related links' below.