CHAPTER FIVE
Mira woke up early the next morning to the sweet smell of French toast. She threw on some clothes, grabbed her crutches, and descended the stairway.|”Morning, Sparkles!” Josh sang in a happy tune.

“When did you get here? And please, Josh, call me Mira or Mi.”

“Okay, but only if you call me Daddy or Dad.”

“Well, we’ll have to see about that!” Mira sat herself at the large table.

“Why so many chairs?” she asked.

“What if the company were to come? or Aunt Cassady and Uncle Matarg, and their family? or a party?”

“True, I guess I wasn’t thinking.” Mira dug her fork into her breakfast.

“So…are there any horses around here?”

“Why so many questions? Just kidding. Ah, hor-hor-horses? Did I hear correctly?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said. Listen. I love horses. Are there any around here?”

“Why, not many. The closest is about three, three and a half miles or so. On the way to school for you, there are some, well, yeah, there is a boarding place with about twenty to forty horses there.”

“Oh boy!” Mira said, chewing her food faster.

“Not so fast, young lady…we don’t want you hanging around strange animals.”

“Yes, sir,” Mira said, putting her plate in the sink. She hurriedly grabbed her crutches and headed upstairs to her room. She put some socks on and cowgirl boots and peeked around the corner to make sure no one was around. Coast clear. She grabbed her crutches and slowly went down the staircase. piled a snack in her new bag, which she got just the day before. She checked the mudroom to see if no one was in there. No living creature except her was there. Again, the coast was clear. Now the hard part: going out the door. She slung on her small backpack, which had a horseshoe on it, and crept slowly out the red door. The third coast was not clear! Wait, that was just the mailman. Phew.

She went as quickly as she could, which was like walking because of her broken leg, but was soon past the mailbox, past the neighbors, past the next neighbors after that, past the horse boarding place… whoops, halt. Turn around, and there, the driveway. Wow! Her dream had come true, well, not quite. First, she needed to see a horse and own one, then her dream would come true! She walked up to the big white barn and opened the heavy door, which wasn’t so easy with her crutches, and soon found herself petting horses and making friends with them. Miralee fell in love with a Black Friesian. Its silky nose tickled her hands when it was looking for a treat. Mira looked around and found a groomer with long brown hair and asked her what the black Friesian’s name was.

“Ah, that one is named Midnight. It’s the most popular horse around here.”

“Howdy, Midnight!” Mira said softly as she was petting it. After about twenty-five minutes of meeting sixteen horses – which was only half of the horses –Mira went down the road again, back home. Well, not home quite, a new home. a place that did not feel like home at all. a place where Mira wished she could just have freedom, to go to church, have a horse of her own, and read the Bible without having to be on guard. a place where Mira wished she had a family, that felt like, well, that felt like a real family. Josh didn’t seem much of a dad, and she didn’t like the thought that in just a little while, her mom and Josh would be married and be her parents. She quivered at the thought of it.

* * * * *

“Mira! Where have you been? Miralee Tory Truneard!”

“Sorry, Mom, sorry, Josh, I was at the barn.”

“Sparkles! I told you not to go there!” Josh thundered.

“You told me not to hang around strange animals, and horses are not strange. In fact, they are the total opposite of strange.”

“Mira no more hanging out at—”

“Josh, please stop. Mira always loved horses, and we need to agree that she can go there, but only with our permission.”

“Thank you, Mom!” Mira said, hugging her mom.

That night Mira turned to John 14:15:

“If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Mira softly closed it and went to bed dreaming about her mom becoming SDA. Maybe someday, she prayed.