Because of You

Prologue

Born and raised in the deep South, 33 year old Jenipher Aldean, who went by her nickname Jen, wasn't one easily kept down when life caused her to stumble. She could even live off the land if the situation called for it. Her daddy taught her to shoot a rifle when she was 3 years old, and she was an expert marksman of small arms at the age of 10. She even knew how to correctly use the bow with precision.

Living in the country backwoods of Southern Alabama, she grew to respect nature and all she had to offer. She loved animals of every species, caring for the wounded, sick, and abandoned and helped them with rehabilitation when they needed a little extra TLC. She completed veterinary school and training to become an established vet, for she didn't trust anyone with her animals or their well-being. She did have one close family friend that was a seasoned vet to call if she ever needed his help.

Jenipher was particularly close to her two horses she has had for 10 years; she would often turn to them when she needed an ear or a shoulder to lean on. Blizzard was a 12 year old mare; a dark silver, snow flake dapple, tobiano Gypsy Vanner that stood 16 hands high. Maddoc was a 10 year old stallion; a dark liver chestnut tobiano Irish Cob that stood a whopping 18 hands high.

These magnificent creatures were her best friends. She talked to them when she felt lonely, they consoled her when she cried, and she road each one like a pro. She would ride one out into the fields as the other followed, then she would ride the other home. It was a routine they had grown accustomed to together, and it was therapeutic for Jen as well.

After her parents' deaths, she inherited the 12 acre ranch she lived on at the age of 24. Keeping up with the chores was quite taxing, as she tried to make ends meet at the farmer's market. There, she sold the eggs her chickens laid, what small crops she could produce, and the little milk she could offer from what few dairy cows she possessed. All her inherited savings went to the limited hired hands she was able to keep, and all the supplies needed to keep her small family farm up and running.

For ten years, she kept pace fairly well with all the demands of country living, but it became more and more difficult for the young farm girl as time went on. In recent months, the demands were becoming more frequent, and Jen was having a hard time keeping up with them.

Jenipher loved her cozy little hometown near the salty, white-sand shores of the Gulf of Mexico, but wanted desperately to see how the Northerners lived. The North seemed to call to her when the wind whistled through the trees and hay fields; specifically, New York City. The city looked vibrant and full of life in what few films she got to see, and she had always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty.

One beautiful autumn afternoon, Jenipher was in the barn feeding oats to Blizzard and Maddoc while she brushed each of them, one after the other. As the bristles whisked across Blizzard's dark silver flank, her mind began to wander.

She stepped in front of Blizzard's muzzle to check her feed bag and asked the mare, "So, Blizzard. What do you think about possibly movin' to New York? Huh?"

Blizzard's ears came forward as she chomped on her feed, and she gave a low nicker into her bag as if she was answering Jen's question. Jenipher smiled as she pat under Blizzard's neck.

Maddoc heard her question and approach her with a nudge as she removed his feed bag, and chuckled, "Would you like that, too boy?" She asked with sparkling eyes.

Maddoc answered with a quick approving blow as he pushed his nose into her hand. "Yeah, I think it'll be a nice change for the three of us," she inquired as she removed Blizzard's empty feed bag.

Jenipher continued her colloquy with her best friends, "I've been lookin' at land and farmhouses outside the city, with enough room for y'all to run. They have some good sized properties out there, and I think I may've found one that we all would be happy with. What do y'all say to that?"

Both horses whinnied in unison, and Maddoc blew happily as he nodded his head up and down. Jenipher grinned in contentment as she placed her horses in their stalls for the evening and bid them goodnight. She had a long night of thinking to do, and the difficult decision to make of selling the small farm.

As she made her way to the house, her steps became slow and precise. She looked back at the barn with a sigh. Selling the farm means no turning back. She knew she would never be able to return to the only home she's ever known. She also knew that once she walked away, all she'd take with her are the memories that were left behind; but, the brokenness would never heal.

You leave home; you move on, and you do the best you can. She could only hope that all would work out the way it was supposed to. The sun had set, and Jenipher finished her prayers. She crawled into bed; her emotions in a stir. She had no idea what lay ahead of her, but she was determined to make the best of it.

In a few short weeks, Jen had sold the farm to an uncle who offered to buy it and promised to keep the farm from the clutches of the corporate world. He brought in his own livestock as well. A handful of farmhands elected to accompany Jen on her journey North. They were loyal to the Aldean family, and didn't want to work for anyone else, so they chose to leave.

Jen decided to take with her only a dozen chickens and her two horses. As she loaded Maddoc and Blizzard into the trailer, she took one last look at the ranch. Tears began to fall as she said good-bye to her home. It was a bittersweet moment she would hold in her heart forever.

She drove away with her head held high, and memories of happy times. A new chapter had begun with a fresh start. With each passing mile, the sorrow turned into excitement. Will she find what she is looking for in the Big Apple, or will her heart set her on a new course?