“Yes. But Uncle A and Wrenny are his family now, and that’s what’s most important.”
“And I’m his family, too, right, Wrenny?”
“You sure are, Mel,” I said.
“Can I ride him?”
I chuckled. “He’s a little too young for that, but he can be your friend for now. And when he’s three or four years old, you can start riding him, and you’ll already know him so well.”
She smiled. “He can be my bestie?”
“He sure can.”
“What is his name?” she asked as she moved even closer.
“Hmmm… we should give him a name, shouldn’t we?” I glanced over at Axel, who was just smiling at us as he stood next to his brother. Just watching two girls fawn all over a young horse. “Should we let Melody pick out the name?”
“I think that’s a great idea. Do you need to think it over?” he asked her.
She put a hand on his cheek and studied him for a few beats. “Hi, Biffle.”
“Biffle?” Axel chuckled.
Melody turned to look at me. “A girl in my class said when you have a best friend for life, it’s called your biffle. And I think I just found my best friend for life.”
“I think Biffle is a fabulous name. You know I named Wrax after me and my best friend, your uncle A. That’s where his name comes from.”
“Biffle Chadwick. It’s got a nice ring to it,” Archer said with a laugh. “But I thought I was your biffle?”
“You’re my best daddy. Biffle is my best friend,” she responded with all the confidence in the world.
“Okay, how about we get you up on Honey for a ride? Are you ready?” I asked as I stood up.
“I’m ready.” She leaned forward and kissed the young colt on the forehead and then spoke directly to him. “I’ll come see you before I leave, Biffle.”
Once I got her up on Honey and walked them out to the small training ring, I smiled at the sight of her up on this giant horse. Melody was in her element out here, and I loved it.
“Wrenny, do you think I can grow up and be a horse girl just like you someday?” she asked as I led them in a circle.
“I think you can be anything you want to be. And guess what?”
“What?” she asked.
“You can figure it out as you go.” I smiled up at her. “Today you might want to be a horse girl. Next week you might want to be an astronaut. And next year you might want to be a doctor. You can be or do whatever you set your mind to.”
“I like that. ’Cause sometimes I want to be a baker or a princess. But mostly I want to be a horse girl.”
I chuckled. “I think you can do it all.”
We finished up our lesson. Afterward, Axel and Archer were waiting for us in the stall with Biffle. She said goodbye to her new best friend and then hugged me and her uncle goodbye. We waved as she and Archer walked hand in hand to his truck.
Once they were gone, I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed Axel. “I love that you rescue horses and give them homes or find them homes if needed.”
“It’s a good life, Horse Girl.” He moved forward as my back pressed against the wall of the barn.
I chuckled as I took his hat off his head and popped it on my own. “It’s a damn good life.”
“Did you put that hat on your head for a reason?”
