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She threw her head back and let the wind whip through her hair, making it a tangled mess of amber curls. She hated the mess her hair was always in when she got back but at the moment, as always, she could care less. Every day at this time she could care less about anything, not the truck payment, the leaky barn roof, the dying drier on its last legs...nothing. This was her time and her time alone. Nothing ever made her feel like this, this free this care free. Letting go of the reins, she closed her eyes and outstretched her arms wide, she felt like she was flying. She gathered the reins back and looked at her watch.

“Well Sunny, guess it’s time to head back. Katie will be home soon” Lexi said as she patted the gelding’s neck through his dark, thick mane.

Sunny shook his head up and down knowing what time it was and turned in the direction of home. He took off in a trot and Lexi let him have his head. He knew the way home.

Lexi was in the barn taking the saddle off of Sunny when Katie came bounding through the door.

“Hi Mom!” she bounced with all of her 7 year old enthusiasm, “I’m hoooooooome!”

“Hey honey, let me finish with Sunny here and we’ll go in and test the cookies I made this morning” Lexi said.

Katie turned and made her way into the house as Lexi finished putting up the saddle and taking the bridle off of Sunny then brushing him down. She refilled his water bucket with fresh water and putting some sweet feed in his feed trough as a treat. Sliding the stall door shut, she checked the latch then walked to the house.

On her way in she picked up Katie’s coat and backpack off the floor as she walked in. “That child will never learn” she said under her breath with a chuckle. She went into the big, open eat-in kitchen and pulled two glasses from the cabinet and went to the fridge and pulled out a gallon of milk. She poured her and Katie a glass and put it back. She went over and pulled out a saucer and placed some cookies on it and took the snack to the bar. Katie was already there, watching and waiting for her after school snack. Lexi hadn’t even gotten the plate sat down before Katie’s hand greedily went for a cookie. She stuffed half the cookie in her mouth.

“MMMMMM!! Mom” she mumbled with her mouth full of cookie, “these are really good!”

“Katie, please don’t talk with your mouth full. You just spit everywhere..EW!” Lexie complained.

“Sorry Mom” Katie said.

“It’s ok. So, what did you do in school today?” she asked her daughter.

“Oh same old stuff. Mrs. Newton is almost ready to go out to have her baby. I’m kinda scared of what substitute we will have. If it’s old Mr. Windon I may just shoot myself” she said dramatically.

Lexi listened and laughed at the seriousness and the over dramatics of her daughter. Oh to be so young and carefree where the only thing to worry about was who your teacher was going to be. Life had not turned out the way she had planned. Oh no, she had not planned on being a single mother struggling to raise her daughter on her own with no support. She had family but they had had a huge falling out after her sister had passed away. Her and her mother we’re not on good terms and have not spoken to each other in over 3 years. So now, here she was, single mother struggling to raise her daughter and follow her own dreams as well.