The Mare

Velvet

Lexy came riding out of the arena smiling because she knew she was great and people clapped for her. She looked past me like I wasn’t there. Amber rode in, people cheering for her. I knew — I was alone. I was alone with my horse in a place no one but us could ever be. Like it was when she came back to me and lipped my hair and let me lead her to the fence. When I mounted her bare back and the sky touched me. Yes, I was alone with her in the hurricane, and it was beautiful. It didn’t even matter when they called her “fugly” again; Pat said, “Go,” and I rode her into the storm.