Some People Change (Currently Editing)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Amy dropped Emma and me off at Jason’s around dinner time the next day. We had suitcases with us because of the uncertainty of how long we would be at the stables. Jason seemed to be the only one around at the time.

“You just take all the time you need, Amy,” Jason said. “Emma and Kayla are in good hands.”

“I know they are,” Amy replied. “Girls, behave.”

“We will,” Emma mumbled underneath her breath.

Amy told us goodbye, and then she was gone. 

“Why don’t you girls come on inside the house. We can figure out what we want for dinner.”

“Can I go check on Zaltana first?” I asked.

“Sure. Emma come on. It’s cold out here. Let’s get you inside.”

Emma and Jason went to the house. They had the suitcases with them. I went straight into the barn to Zaltana’s stall. She was wide-awake just like I expected her to be.

“Hey, girl. Told you I wouldn’t be gone for long.”

I reached out for Zaltana. She walked to me and let me stroke her face. Then, I told her I’d be back later and headed to Jason’s house.

Emma was in the kitchen, and Jason must’ve been upstairs. Emma had a pot on the stove with a few soup cans out.

“Jason and I couldn’t think of anything else.”

“Soup sounds good to me,” I answered.

“Yeah, me, too. Oh, Jason wanted to know where we wanted to sleep tonight.”

I thought about that for a moment.

“I kind of wanted to sleep in the barn.”

“In the barn?” Emma said.

“Yeah. I think it would be fun.”

“Where would we sleep?”

I heard footsteps behind me. It was Jason.

“I have sleeping bags. You girls could sleep in the hayloft.”

I turned towards to Emma, waiting for her to make the final call.

“Why not,” she said.

Emma, Jason, and I sat down to have our dinner, and then all of us went out to the barn. Jason had our sleeping bags underneath his arms. Emma and I carried our suitcases. 

“I’ll leave these with your girls. Have a good sleep. Oh, and don’t be scared if you hear a car pull up in the middle of the night. It’s just Ed.”

“Thanks, Jason,” I replied.

Jason gave Emma and I hug, and then returned to his house. 

“What do you want to do?” Emma asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not really tired yet.”

“I’ve slept in the barn once before,” Emma said solemnly. “It was with Freddy. Her idea, not mine.”

“Why were you here for the night?”

“Amy used to work for child protective services. She just had this all-night case or something, so Freddy and I ended up here.”

I had nothing to say. There was nothing to say. I missed Freddy with all of my heart. She should be here right now with Emma and me. She should be alive, but she wasn’t. She was dead.

My eyes began to water, but I turned away from Emma so she couldn’t see. I headed over to the closest horse. It was Angel.

I let myself into her stall and then hugged her, putting my arms around her neck. I buried my face into it until my eyes had dried. Emma was standing on the outside of Angel’s stall when my head rose up again.