The Storm Before Dawn

Chapter 25 The End

The bell rang for my final class of the weekend. I was jumping Dawn in her first jumping class ever! Well her first one with me anyway. Over these three days Gunner had gotten 2nd in his Dressage test and 1st in his jumping course. Onyx place over all at 3rd in her TDE classes. Flash had received a 1st and 2nd. So far on Dawn she had received a 2nd in dressage.

As I turned Dawn to the first jump I counted the striding and then we soared over it. We continued around to the second jump, where we cleared it with inches to spare. In a similar way we cleared the third jump.

The course contained ten jumps and by the fifth one we were in our focus. Each jump we flew around and by the tenth jump we were making the best time and still with a clear round.

As we approached the last jump I half halted Dawn to slow her down, then went into my two point at the right time and we took off.

As we soared through the air I felt so free. Dawn was perfect underneath me and she had so much strength. She was a completely different horse than when we first found her. Together even over just a few months we grew so much.

As we landed, I was crashed out of my thoughts and back to reality. We passed the finish line, and I look towards my mom. She smiled at me a gave me a thumbs up. And sitting next to her was someone I never thought would be supporting me.

Sitting next to her was MY DAD.

I walked out of the ring and dismounted. I started to run my stirrups up before my mom found me. She gave me a big hug and promised that they would explain later. They left to go get some food, and I waited for the rest of the riders to be done before they announced the scores and placings.

My mom (and dad?) came back and handed me a soda. Because I don't like to eat when I am at shows. The soda made me feel slightly less confused and made things seem better now that I wasn't thirsty.

The loud speaker crackled to life and I sat up straighter.

"Hello everyone and thank you for coming to this show," there was a pause before the speaker continued.

"All of you did really good, and now the results are posted by the announcing booth"

Zœ walked over to me and hugged me. I had forgotten she was here in all of my craziness.

We waited for the crowd to thin out before we went over to the results. As we finally walked over people kept telling me 'nice job' and 'congratulations.' I said thanks.

I didn't know what they were talking about. I just assumed they knew about my horse from the news and were happy she was found.

It wasn't until I looked at the results I fully understood.

I was in first place! Dawn came from a skinny horse with bad lungs to a horse that won her first jumping show! I was so proud of her. I ran to the trailer where she was standing tied, and threw my arms around her neck. The wind made her mane fly in the air, and I whispered into her flying mane,

"Your my special girl, nothing can replace you." And in my heart I knew that there was nothing that could change that love. Because that bond I created with Dawn, that bond, was unbreakable.

They gave me a ribbon for around her neck and I got to do a victory lap. We flew around the ring like there was no one watching us, because in our world there was only two living things. 

Dawn and Me.

Later that night as I was settling into bed my mom came into my room and explains a lot about my dad. She told me his story of where he was for almost seven years and that he wants to live with us again. My mom also said that she wasn't fully trusting him yet, but she was giving him his last chance.

But that story can wait for another day, because today is the last day of seventh grade and I was excited for summer. My first summer with a full family in almost seven years. This summer was going to be perfect. And in my heart I hoped with all my might that would be true, but if I had known what was coming, all of my hope would have shattered and crashed to the ground. Dawn and Peppermint would save what was left of my hope

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