“I wish I could be there for you.”
“Are you kidding? I’d much rather be attending the wedding with you. You’ll have to FaceTime me from the wedding. I should be done by late afternoon with day one.”
“I’m worried about you, Wren. You look tired.”
“It comes with the territory. It’ll slow down in a few months.”
“And I’ll be there the weekend after the wedding, all right?” I confirmed.
“You worry too much. I’m the toughest girl you know, right?” she chuckled. “How are Carl and Donny doing? Are they taking some pressure off of you?”
“They’re getting there. Coby loves bossing them around, because he’s not the new guy anymore.”
“He sends me videos of he and Benji and Jonah singing in the lunchroom.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “They’re always fucking around in there.”
Her eyes looked heavy, and she blinked a couple of times.
“Hey, you need to get some sleep. I love you,” I said, feeling a heaviness in my chest because I was worried about her.
“Will you sing me the song?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper.
“Of course. Lie down, baby.”
She moved to lie down and turned off the light on her nightstand, so only the light from the moon was illuminating her room.
“‘That’s my Horse Girl, sitting up high. She shines brighter than all the stars in the sky. Soaring through the air, with strength and grace. Try to catch her, and she’ll put you in your place. She’s got big dreams, just watch her fly. In a heartbeat, she’ll pass you by.’”
“Love you and miss you,” she whispered.
“I’ll see you soon, Horse Girl.”
“In a heartbeat,” she said, her voice sleepy.
In a heartbeat.
thirty-three
. . .
Wren
We arrivedin New York yesterday afternoon, and I was still not feeling well. It didn’t help that I’d missed my period, and my mind was reeling.
My dad and Chrissy were here, and my brother had shown up with them, which I hadn’t expected.
My mom had decided not to attend this competition, as she didn’t have any desire to spend the weekend with my father’s mistress turned fiancée.
“Are you feeling any better?” Jillian asked. She and I were rooming together this weekend. “I’m sure you’re exhausted. You’ve been pushing so hard, and then add in the fact that your entire family showed up—that’s stressful.”
I laughed. She knew what was going on with my family, and she’d always been someone I could open up to about this kind of stuff.
“I’m okay. Just a little under the weather.” I cleared my throat and then glanced up at her. “I’m a few days late on my period.”
Her eyes widened. “Well, you and your cowboy spent a lot of time in your cabin when he was here.”
I snorted. “We sure did. But that would really throw a wrench in things.”
