Sawyer knows exactly where her life is heading. The plan for her senior year is full of horses, friends, school, and more horses. She's been working on the family horse farm for most of her life and she couldn't be happier to be there teaching, trai...
"Where does this go?" Jacey asks as she passes me on the way inside.
I glance over to see her holding a box of books. "In the spare room," I tell her. I make my way to the truck, Pippin at my heels, and grab another box; this one full of cookware. I head back in to the kitchen.
"Here," I say as I pass Christine the box, "I think it has cookware and maybe some cookbooks in it?"
"I'll sort it out," she laughs.
"SHIT!" someone yells from the bedroom.
"Can you check on that?" Christine rolls her eyes at me.
I make my way up the stairs to find Dad and Andy sprawled on the floor attempting to put together our new bed. "What was that?" I sigh.
"Nothing," they say in unison.
"I don't believe that for a second. This can't possibly be that difficult," I laugh. "It's IKEA."
"That's what you think! This is impossible," Andy grumbles.
"Did you read the directions?" I ask him even though I already know the answer.
"It's IKEA. You don't need them," Dad says.
"Obviusly," I laugh. "New plan, men outside bringing stuff in. I'll read the directions and Jacey and I will put together the bed," I shoo them out.
It's taken a little longer than I had hoped but things are finally coming together. I've been working with Brooke for a year now and while I'm still not really comfortable riding anyone except for Kenzie, teaching at Brooke's has been going amazingly. Rosie is thriving. It seems like every day she's grown a little more and she's learned something new.
Andy just finished his first year at U.C. Davis and is loving it. The soccer team had a great season and he's been taking a few art classes. Being the saint he is, Andy commuted back and forth to school most of the time; only crashing in his dorm if he had a late game or practice. Although, we did finally decide to trade in my Jeep for a little hybrid because between his truck and my jeep the gas was killing us.
Once Andy finished school in May we started looking for a place of our own and finally found a cute little house with a fenced in yard for Pippin in Citrus Heights. It's only thirty miles from U.C. Davis and about fifteen minutes from Brooke's farm, and about thirty minutes from Dad's house.
Jacey and Grant have been back and forth from Virginia more than usual this year. I keep asking questions thought they swear everything is going okay back home. After quiet a bit of "talk", which I'm pretty sure means arguing, Dad convinced Mom to let the spend the summer in California. It's so great to have them here for the next couple of months!
Mom and I have had little contact other than a few short texts on the holidays. Jacey called me in tears when she found out they eloped, so sadly it looks like Mark may be around for a little while.
Dad and Christine really encouraged me to go to therapy after we moved out here. I wasn't really sure at first but it's been a great way for me to work through the trauma of my senior year, both from my injury and everything with Mom and Mark. I know they say hind sight is 20/20, but it's true. I see so many things I wish I had done differently, but in the end I've come to realize that Mark's relationship with Mom is toxic and abusive. I only wish I could get her to see it as well. For now, I've had to seperate myself from that situation as much as possible so that I can live a healthy, happy life with Andy.
Autumn is loving college. She and I talk every day, sometimes multiple times a day. She is proof that true friends are their for life no matter how much distance separates them. Lately there has been talk of another visit now that we have our own place. That would be great, Autumn, Oliver, Andy, and me together again.
"What the hell?" Andy exclaims when he walks back into the bedroom thrity minutes late. Jacey and I have the whole bedframe put togther just waiting for them to put the matress one.
"Directions go a long way," I laugh.
"If you say so," Andy shrugs.
The next night we cook a big meal for everyone. I can't believe that everyone I love is in this room enjoying a meal and laughing together. I'm not sure life gets any better than this. It's crazy how my darkest times lead me to my brightest days.
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