In the Silence

Chapter 6

Kara suggests they go for a trail ride one night on the phone. Lena's excited, it's been too long since she's been on a horse. She digs through her closet for her old riding clothes. Miraculously she finds pants that still fit, she doesn't bother with the shirts, they're too fancy and wouldn't fit anyway. Instead she opts for a simple T-shirt. Satisfied, she hangs the outfit on the back of her door and tries to get some sleep.
In the morning Lena can not find her boots anywhere, the closest thing she comes across are her old pink rain boots that are about twenty years too small. She's going to be late so she just throws on her old running shoes and heads out the door.
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She gets to Kara's and Kara is amused, to say the least, by her outfit.
"As cute as they look Lena, breeches and running shoes just aren't practical." She offers her a pair of jeans and Alex's old boots instead. After a quick wardrobe change they head to the barn to groom and tack up their horses for the day. Thankfully Lena's countless hours in the stables at boarding school paid off and she still knows her way around a horse. Though she is secretly grateful later Kara made her change as the branches and thorns tug at her jeans.
Breathing in the smell of the outdoors, and even the horses, Lena feels freer than she has in a very long time.
As the trail through the woods opens up into a clearing Kara nudges her horse and races ahead. Lena's left watching her golden hair flow out from under her white hat, glinting beautifully in the sunlight. Lena chases after her, and is pulled out of her trance as Kara reaches the top of the nearest hill and pulls up her horse.
"I thought we could have a picnic," Kara starts.
"Is this our old spot?" Kara flushes as they both get lost in the memory. Kara and Lena at ten, and twelve, and even fifteen years old, ridding out here on a summer's day just like this, to have a picnic. They would spend hours on the blanket talking and laughing, their horses grazing nearby. This is where they shared all their biggest secrets. Of course it started out more innocent, Kara cries telling Lena she broke Alex's favourite toy and lied about it, Lena had a big fight with Lex. Lena found out she was adopted, and Kara told her she was too. They even planned to run away together one summer, but they decided they'd miss Eliza's cookies too much to leave. As they got older their interests changed, and their world suddenly didn't seem so small. Lena comes home one summer and tells Kara about this girl from boarding school that she really really likes, and Kara doesn't know why she's so jealous of Lena's other friends. One of the last times they came out here Lena told Kara she was going away to college and never coming back.
"Huh.. I guess it is."
"It's beautiful." The view is spectacular, a clear blue sky blankets rolling hills, and the ranch is merely a tiny point in the distance, but Lena's not looking out over the fields. Looking at Kara, so steady and vibrant in her element, it clicks. She hasn't felt this happy in so long. She's missed her best friend. They dismount and leave the horses to graze under a tree, as they set up their picnic.
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"God I forgot how fun this is," Lena says as they're stretched out on the blanket with full bellies.
"What? Laying on the ground?" Lena smacks her playfully.
"Yes laying on the ground, and just everything, the fresh air, the country. You." She turns her head and looks up at Kara who's propped up on her elbows.
"I knew what you meant." Kara smiles. "I feel the same way." There's a beat of silence before the wind picks up and takes Kara's hat with it. "No! My hat!" Kara's hands automatically go to her now bare head.
"I'll get your precious hat, wouldn't want you to go too long without it." Lena jokes as she gets up to retrieve it. Kara just crosses her arms and makes a sound of indignation. Lena gets the hat but instead of giving it back to Kara she puts it on her own head. "How does it look?" She asks before kara can protest.
"Actually it looks pretty good on you! You should get yourself one." Lena snorts at this.
"Ha! The day I start wearing cowboy hats is the day you wear a dress."
"Alright fair point," Kara laughs as she takes her hat from Lena's head and places it back on her own.
The girls pack up to leave their spot, with no big secrets exchanged. Maybe they've outgrown it, or maybe the first time back makes it too daunting to breech. Either way the girls fall silent as they mount their horses and head home without even a glance behind them.