Her parents kind of stopped paying attention to points.
They didn’t matter, and I knew that, but since they had end-of-the-year awards banquets where they gave us chairs, embroidered saddle pads, and massive ribbons the size of our heads, I paid a lot of attention.More than I should have, really.I almost always won grand champion for whatever division we were showing in.Natalie usually got reserve, or sometimes she’d take third overall.But one year, as I was obsessively checking my points, I realized that they had forgotten to include Vanessa’s points from one show.It was a show where she had, surprisingly, beaten Natalie, taking reserve to my grand.It was noteworthy because it rarely happened.
And they didn’t record her points for it at all.
I emailed the points person to notify them of the oversight, and she thanked me.That should have been that.
Only, it wasn’t.
When the year-end awards were posted, they hadagainleft Vanessa’s points off.She was not listed as receiving any awards when she should have gotten sixth overall thanks to her one really good show.
I emailed the lady again, this time almost irate.
She apologized, and she vowed to send out an email notifying everyone of the error, most critically the girl who was erroneously posted as winning sixth.But when I read that, I had an idea.
Vanessa had thought nothing of not being on that list.
She was never on the list.
But every year, everysingleyear, she came to the end-of-the-year banquet and cheered us on with the biggest smile on her lovely face.How muchmoremeaningful would it be if she were surprised with the news when she got there?I emailed the lady back and asked her to notify the girl who was posted wrongly, butnotto email everyone else.I wanted Vanessa to be surprised, if possible.
That omission was technically a lie, but seeing her face, the look of absolute shock, and then the split second in which it was transformed into complete and utter joy...it’s a memory I will forever cherish.
We all cried that day.
I’d have been absolutely wrecked if I had taken sixth overall.I might have refused to attend the stupid banquet, but when Vanessa’s name was announced as sixth overall?She ran to the front, and when she sat back down at our table, she sobbed with joy.
Sometimes lies have their place.
“Alright,” Vanessa says, bursting through the main door of the barn.“What’s this tragedy you needed to show us?”She stops so fast that Natalie runs into the back of her.
“Whoa, there,” Natalie says.“What died?”
I laugh.“I saddled both your horses up, so you don’t have an excuse.”
“I’m not in riding clothing.”Vanessa folds her arms.“So there.”
“You can ride in jeans and a t-shirt,” Natalie says.“I intend to.”She’s already grabbing her boots off the wall rack.“Thanks for saddling Drew for me.He’s my absolute favorite.”
“He’s finally responding to the Cushing’s medicine, and he was frolicking two days ago.I lunged him yesterday, and he looks great.I think a nice, easy trail ride would be the perfect way to start him back.”
Natalie’s beaming.
“That’s not Foxy.”Vanessa’s glaring at Teagan like she might bite her.
“But she’s the tiniest horse we have, and you’re just small enough to ride her.I’d like her to have a few more trail rides on her with solid riders before we start putting paying children on her, and I think you’d be the perfect one to help her get some extra miles.”
A purpose.That’s what Vanessa needs.
She bites her lip, and I realize that I have her.She hems and she haws, but in the next five minutes, we’re all on our way down to the River Blackwater.The changing leaves of the elms, the sycamores, and the oaks are such a beautiful contrast with the evergreen trees sprinkling the small forested areas between our estate and the river that I snap a few photos.
“Alright, you have to tell us about how it went with Cillian,” Vanessa says, wisely seeking some kind of diversion.Her hands where they’re gripping the reins are totally white, so I know that in spite of Teagan’s size, she’s nervous.
“It was fine,” Natalie says.“I would have said it was amazing, except...”She sighs, her shoulders slumping, uncharacteristic for someone with perfect equitation most of the time.
“Except?”Vanessa prods.
“He has no kids,” Natalie says.“Which is nice—fine, even.But because of it, his priorities are kind of different than mine.He kept going on and on about how he likes to go to Waterford for dates, and how he spends all his money on sports cars.”
