“Daija! Open this door now,” my dad’s stern voice called from outside my bedroom. I opened the door, and my parents filed in. I took a seat on my bed and prepared myself for the worst. It felt like forever before someone spoke.

  “Your mother and I talked, Daija,” began my dad. “We are incredibly concerned with the choices you’ve been making lately. You’ve given us reason not to trust you, and that is the worst part about all this.”

  Dad went on, “Considering you have shown us that riding is not your top priority, your mother and I planned on pulling you from the show team.” I felt the tears well up in my eyes again.

  “However, since Ms. Julie has already invested her time and resources into giving you a successful show season, it wouldn’t be fair to her to remove you from the team. We will let you finish the season, but you will have new rules to follow.”

  I sat on my hands to keep from wriggling with excitement—I could still ride!

  “While you recover from your fall, you will come straight home after school. You will complete all of your chores and have no cell phone or laptop access for the next three weeks.”

  My face fell as I listened to my parents rattle off the rules. No cell phone for three weeks? How would I talk to my friends?

  “If you step out of line again, riding is finished. Do you understand, Daija? You have one more chance to prove that you can follow the rules and handle the responsibilities that come with riding. We won’t have this conversation again. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” I said, before handing my cell and laptop over to my father’s outstretched hands, and watching my parents leave. “If you need these for homework, ask either me or your mother, and we will supervise your use.”

  No cell phone, no laptop, and so many people disappointed in me. For the first time, I questioned if my friendship with the barn kids was worth all this.

  Chapter 9

  Back to Basics

  “Daija! You have five minutes to be in the car, or we are leaving without you!” my mom yelled up the stairs. “Make sure you have all of your homework with you.”

  I grabbed a pair of socks from my drawer before slipping on my pink cowboy boots. My parents had pulled me from school early to spend a few days at my grandparents’ farm in Stony Creek, Virginia.

  “Coming!” I called from my room as I frantically stuffed my books into my backpack. I grabbed a sweatshirt and my cowboy hat from my closet before racing down the stairs and out to the car, where my dad was already in the driver’s seat, buckled up and waiting. A few minutes later, my mom took her place in the front passenger seat and shut the door to our forest-green minivan. As our car pulled off toward the highway, my heart filled with anticipation.

  I used to spend my summer vacations on the farm, but we hadn’t been back to visit in two years. I was always excited to spend time with my grandparents, and with things still tense around our house, I was looking forward to seeing them even more. My grandpa used to give me endless pony rides on his old mare, and I couldn’t wait to show him how much my riding had improved! That’s if Mom and Dad would even let me near a horse after what happened last week.

  “I’m glad we found some days to take this trip,” my mom said to my dad. “I really need to see how bad it is.” My ears perked up—what was so bad? The familiar pang of worry shot through my stomach as my dad pulled onto the highway.

  Five hours later, our van rolled up the gravel driveway toward the familiar Williams Farm sign that was now being illuminated by the stunning pink sunset. As my dad stopped the car, my grandparents emerged from the house’s front door. Grandpa Joe stood much taller than Grandma Sheila, his face shaded by his straw hat, but his bright white smile was still shining through. Grandma Sheila had her silver curls slicked back into a neat bun and wore a long dress with a white wrap around her shoulders. She waved frantically as I jumped out of the car and raced across the lawn to hug her.

  “Look at how tall you are!” exclaimed my grandma as she folded me into her arms. “Soon you’ll be taller than me!” After a week of having my friends, parents, and Ms. Julie being so upset with me, a warm hug from my grandma Sheila was exactly what I needed. After saying our hellos, we all went into the house, and I could smell, and almost taste, Grandma Sheila’s home cooking.

  “I’ve got baked macaroni resting on the stove; chicken, greens, and cornbread are warming in the oven. You all go put your bags in your rooms and wash up while I set the table so we can sit down to eat.” I took the stairs two at a time. Ten minutes later, we were all seated around the table as Grandma Sheila piled our plates high. After I sat down and we said grace, I dug into my macaroni and cornbread.

  “We’re excited to have you all here,” said Grandpa Joe, clapping his hands enthusiastically. “The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, so we’ll have some fun.”

  “We’re happy to be here, Dad,” my mom said. “Daija especially couldn’t wait.”

  “Hey, Daija, how would you like to help me with the cows tomorrow, and we can take the horses out for a short ride after?”

  Riding with Grandpa Joe was the reason I loved horses in the first place. He would hoist me up in the saddle with him on his old mare, Felicity, and we would go for a walk around the farm. He’d always tell me I belonged in the saddle and never let me visit without taking me for a ride.

  Since my mouth was filled with cornbread, all I could do was look at my parents with pleading eyes; I knew better than to try to speak with my mouth full. They said it was okay, and Grandpa Joe gave me a wink before taking a bite out of his chicken.

  * * *

  The brightest sunbeams I had ever seen woke me up the next morning. As I peered through my bedroom window, I could see my dad and Grandpa Joe loading hay into the back of his truck. I took a shower before joining them outside.

  “Nice hat you’ve got there, kiddo,” said Grandpa Joe, tapping the top of my cowboy hat.

  I gave Grandpa Joe a small smile. I was happy to be on the farm, but the sting of the schooling show and missing Fieldstone was still on my mind.

  “I figured we could take the old girls out for a trail ride today. How does that sound?”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “Atta girl,” he said in his Southern twang. “Let’s finish feeding these cows and then saddle up!”

  Grandpa Joe, my dad, and I got to work making mash for the cows and filling the feed troughs and water troughs. The sun began to beat down on us just as we finished.

  “Okay, Joe, I’m going to head up to the house,” Dad said as we finished feeding the cows. “You two have fun on your trail ride!”

  * * *

  Despite how tiny he seemed to have gotten, Grandpa Joe lifted me with ease and plopped me onto Roxy’s back before mounting Felicity.

  “Let’s roll out!” Grandpa Joe called in his gruff cowboy voice. I laughed as the horses walked off slowly, and Grandpa Joe began singing one of his old western songs. As we made our way toward the trail, Grandpa Joe asked, “How’s your riding going?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “Just fine? Come on, tell me what’s going on. How was the schooling show?”

  “It was okay. I fell, but I’m fine and so is Captain.” I hoped my answer would be enough, but I could tell Grandpa Joe wasn’t taking the hint that I didn’t want to talk about it.

  “Hmm, well, falling is part of the sport,” he said thoughtfully. “So what happened?”

  “Captain wasn’t very focused, and he didn’t turn into the last line properly.”

  “Did you set him up to turn properly?”

  “Yes,” I said defensively.

  “Now, Daija, what have I always taught you?”

  “We never blame the horse; it’s always rider error.”

  “Exactly.”

  I rolled my eyes as I scratched Roxy’s mane. Grandpa Joe knew me well, and he could sense when I wasn’t telling the entire truth.

  “Maybe I didn’t set him up perfectly, but he also wasn’t listening to me. He was super energetic from the moment I got on, and I knew it wasn’t going to be our best ride.”

  “Your horse having energy is not the issue. Did you lose focus, Daija?”

  I got quiet. Grandpa Joe continued, “Your mother told me that you’ve seemed to be less focused these past few weeks, Daija—skipping lessons, lying, not practicing as hard as you should be. What’s going on?”

  “I just wanted to hang out with my friends. Is that so wrong? It’s hard to be the ‘poor kid’ at the barn. I just wanted to fit in. I don’t always want to have to work. I know that I should’ve practiced harder, and I know I shouldn’t lie, but sometimes I wish I could have my own horse, ride when I want to, and not have to be there an hour early or an hour after my lesson just to afford it.”

  “Do you know, Daija, money isn’t everything? Money doesn’t equal talent. You have natural abilities. You may have to sacrifice some things to be the best, but I know you can do it.”

  I tried, but I couldn’t stop myself from crying.

  “Oh, Daija,” Grandpa Joe said as we stopped riding. “I know it’s hard to balance responsibility with fun, but if anyone can figure it out, it’s you. We all mess up and lose our way sometimes, but we can always get better.”

  One thing I loved about Grandpa Joe was that he always made me feel like I could fix things when I made a mistake, and he never loved me any less.

  About half an hour later, Grandpa Joe and I turned around the creek and headed back home. The sun was shining brightly as we walked across the field toward the barn, and Grandpa Joe instructed me to wait for him in his office while he put the horses back in the paddock.

  While I looked for the light switch in the dusty office, he entered and pulled out a photo from one of the file cabinets in the corner. Grandpa Joe wiped off the frame and handed it to me. There was a man pumping a beautiful chestnut horse over a giant oxer.

  “Who is this?” I asked, tilting the frame to get a better look at the photo. Before Grandpa Joe could answer, I exclaimed, “THAT’S YOU!”

  “Do you recognize that horse?” he asked.

  I squinted and realized that the small white star on the horse’s head looked familiar.

  “Is that Roxy?” I asked in disbelief.

  Grandpa Joe smiled and said, “That is Roxy’s mom.” Roxy and her mom looked almost identical, although Roxy was much thicker, and her forehead had grayed out a lot in her old age. But Grandpa Joe’s forehead had tons more lines now than it did in the picture.

  “That was my very last grand prix. I won first place against forty other riders and was offered a shot to ride in the Olympics. Your grandma was pregnant with your mom, and riding professionally didn’t pay the bills, so I gave it up to take care of my family. But riding is in your blood, Daija.”

  I stared at Grandpa Joe in awe. I couldn’t believe he had ridden professionally! I always thought that he rode for fun. Then he pulled out something else from his cabinet.

  “This is my grand prix first-place ribbon. I want you to hold on to this, and whenever you get frustrated, insecure, or worried, I want you to remember that you are a champion.”

  I took the old ribbon and turned it over in my hands. It was faded, and the gold lettering that said “first place” had lost its shimmer, but it was the most beautiful blue ribbon I had ever seen. I held it gently and looked up at Grandpa Joe.

  “Our mistakes do not define us, Daija. If you want to get back out there and continue to show, I will help you, but what I need from you is to promise that you will give it your all. I know you’re missing out on a show right now, but we can practice and get you ready for the next one. I have faith in you, Daija, but I need you to have faith in yourself. Deal?”

  My grandpa Joe was a strong man, but as I looked at him in that moment, he didn’t look so strong. I noticed how much weight he had lost and how his usually bright brown eyes were a little cloudy. I wanted nothing more than to win a blue ribbon on Captain to show Grandpa Joe that he was right about me.

  “Deal!” I exclaimed, high-fiving him.

  * * *

  “Rise and shine, cowgirl! Time to get to training; meet me in the barn!”

  I heard Grandpa Joe’s voice echo from the other side of my bedroom door. I opened my eyes and jumped out of bed excitedly. I rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth before changing into my riding clothes and heading downstairs.

  As I approached the back door, I heard Grandma Sheila’s voice from around the corner say, “AHT-AHT, no riding on an empty stomach, young lady! Breakfast is in the oven; fruit is in the fridge.”

  Even at seven in the morning, Grandma Sheila had an entire spread prepared. I grabbed an apple and gave Grandma Sheila a kiss on the cheek before heading out the back door and running down to the barn.

  Grandpa Joe put Felicity and I through the course he’d set up—flatwork and ground poles—many times before he set up a few jumps. I could feel my breath catch in my throat when Grandpa Joe told us to go, but I thought about my family, Captain, and all the people who were rooting for me. I squeezed Felicity’s sides with my calves and picked up a canter. As we rounded the first turn, I sat up, grabbed Felicity’s mane, and exhaled as she beautifully soared over the first jump. A few more jumps later, and I was feeling great! I couldn’t wait to practice these with Captain.

  “You did wonderful, Daija!” Grandpa Joe said before pausing to let out a deep, scratchy cough. “You know, you have so many people rooting for you, and it’s important to cherish them and apologize when you’re wrong.”

  “Thank you, Grandpa,” I said softly. “I don’t think I realized how hard it would be to balance everything and to make everyone proud.”

  “Everyone is already proud of you, Daija, but maintaining that pride can be tricky. It’s important to know when to ask for help. I won’t always be here. So if you’re overwhelmed, worried, or afraid, you can always talk to your mom and dad, Grandma Sheila, your friends, and your trainer. You never have to tackle anything alone.”

  * * *

  As I wrapped my braids in my bonnet later that night, I was feeling much better. I had apologized to my mom and dad after my lesson, and I decided that a piece of Grandma Sheila’s pumpkin pie and a glass of milk was the perfect reward. As I made my way past the living room toward the kitchen, I overheard my mom and Grandma Sheila talking quietly.

  “Why didn’t he tell me sooner?” I heard my mom say. Her voice sounded as if she was crying.

  “You know your father. He always acts as if nothing is wrong. The doctors say there isn’t more that can be done.”

  I froze as I realized they were talking about Grandpa Joe! It sounded like Grandpa Joe was sicker than he let on. Is this why he was talking about not being around? A wave of worry and sadness washed over me, erasing my appetite. I sneaked silently back upstairs to my room. I climbed into bed with Grandpa Joe’s blue ribbon tucked under my pillow and pulled the covers tightly under my chin as I tried not to think about this news.

  Chapter 10

  Making Amends

  As I walked up the winding driveway toward the stables, I pulled out my cell phone and texted my parents in our group chat that I had made it safely. My family had returned from our visit to my grandparents a week ago, and I was allowed to resume riding today, so I finally got my cell phone back. My parents made their rules very clear: one slipup meant I wouldn’t be allowed to ride for the remainder of the season. I was finally off punishment and doing everything I could to make sure I followed every rule they set. I hadn’t spoken to Anthony, Abby, and Ms. Julie in three weeks. And Kayla still wasn’t talking to me, even when I said hi to her at school. I walked straight to Captain’s stall, buried my head in his neck, and breathed in his familiar smell.

  “Hi, buddy,” I said as he turned to face me and nickered excitedly. Pulling a carrot from my pocket, I admired him as he bit pieces of it from my hand. Captain was the best teacher and teammate, and I had let him down.

  “I’m sorry I slacked off and blamed you. I lost my focus for a minute there, but I’ll do better, I promise,” I whispered to him as he finished his carrot. Then he nuzzled my shoulder as if to say, “You’re forgiven.”

  An hour later, I stepped into the arena. Captain had had a thorough grooming and was as shiny as a penny. I noticed Anthony was finishing up his lesson as I mounted and began my warm-up. He and Ranger looked beautiful as they trotted and cantered around the arena. I had never seen Anthony ride so well before. I suddenly felt very nervous as to how far behind I had fallen. As I walked Captain around the arena, I focused on the skills Grandpa Joe had helped me to perfect.

  “Glad to see you back and ready to work, Daija!” said Ms. Julie as Captain and I trotted by. “Anthony, let Ranger walk on a loose rein and cool out.”

  “You two look really good—even for a warm-up! Sorry for being MIA; my parents took my phone,” I said to Anthony as I pulled Captain down to a walk.

  “Thanks, Daija, and no biggie!” Anthony said while bringing Ranger from a trot down to a walk. “But Ranger and I might have to practice a bit more if this is how you’ll be riding from now on! Glad you’re back, Daija!”

  “Hey, do you know if Kayla is here today?”

  “Yeah, she has a lesson after you. She’s been pretty bummed after you guys had that argument.”

  “She won’t talk to me, and I want to apologize to her.”

  “She’s not mad, just hurt. You two are best friends, and you were pretty rude to her.”

 

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