“Karen tells me you’re going to be trying something called, Aqua Therapy.”

“Yeah,” Justin said, clearing his throat a little. “It’s supposed to make my leg muscles stronger, so when the time comes I’ll have an easier time getting used to walking.”

“Well, that sounds interesting,” Lynn replied.

Justin was nervous. He knew his mother must have known about Sheridan, even though she seemed to be avoiding the subject. Of course, she didn’t know how much Sheridan meant to him now…or how much she had helped him through those first few weeks. All she knew was that some strange girl she had never laid eyes on before, was being recommended to help him in some aspects of his therapy. “Mom,” he began, wanting to tell her about Sheridan before she had the chance to say anything about it.

“Who’s this Sheridan person?”

He was too late. “Uh, well…she’s Karen’s daughter.”

“I’m well aware of that…now that Karen told me.”

She was annoyed. Justin wasn’t surprised. He knew that she felt as if she were being cast into the shadows. He should have told her about Sheridan weeks ago. He knew it…but at the same time he had wanted to keep her to himself. After all, she was really all he had now that everything else had been taken from him. “You’re not mad, are you ma?”

“There’s no room in your life for a girl, Justin.”

He knew she would say that. He almost laughed. Almost. But knowing that his mother wouldn’t find it humorous, stifled his laughter. “It’s not like that.”

“Are you sure? Because it seems strange to me how you wanted to come home so badly…and then miraculously decided that you didn’t want to. Justin, I didn’t send you up there to flirt with some girl…”

“Mom!” he yelled. “Just stop okay? Sheridan and I are friends, that‘s all,” he told her. It wasn’t a complete lie. They were friends…for the moment. “Karen is letting her perform her internship here this summer. And since she and I get along so well…Karen just thought I might be more comfortable doing the Aqua Therapy with her. Mom, you know what happened to me,” he said, and paused for a moment. “Do you really think that I need a relationship putting more pressure on me?”

“I just worry about you,” she said after a moment. “I want you to get better, and I don’t want you distracted. I’ll admit…I was upset with Karen when she told me her daughter had been there all this time. She hadn’t said anything about her before.”

“Does it really matter,” he asked. “She’s family. It’s not like Sheridan is just some girl who walked in from the street. She‘s different.”

“You can’t trust people, no matter how nice, or different they seem” Lynn told him. “You know that better than anybody, Justin.”

She was right, again. People couldn’t be trusted. But it wasn’t like that with Sheridan. Sheridan wasn’t like most people. Justin was sure she wouldn’t go and stab him in the back, or do something to hurt him. In fact, he was more than sure. But getting his mother to understand that was going to be like pulling teeth. She would have to meet her. He knew that was the only way that she would be able to see Sheridan for who she really was. “I know that. But…if you just met her, you would see that she‘s a good person.”

“I have no desire to meet her,” Lynn said. “The only person I’m concerned about here, is you. But Justin, I’m not going to lay down any kind of law or try to persuade Karen to send her daughter away. This is your life, and if you feel you can handle this situation…and you won’t be distracted, then so be it. Just make sure you don’t bring this relationship to another level.”

He sucked in a breath. “Of course not.”

He could hear her roll her eyes. “Promise me.”

“Oh God ma,” he groaned. “I promise, alright? Just don’t worry about me so much. Really, I’m going to be okay.”

“Don’t worry about me, he says,” Lynn scoffed. “You really have no conception of what it is to be a parent do you?”

“I’m gonna go now,” Justin laughed. “Please just try and relax.”

“Justin Randall Timberlake, don’t you tell me to relax,” Lynn barked.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I just don’t want you to be stressed, is all.”

“The moment you get back on your feet, is when I’ll stop being stressed,” she said. “But I’ll let you go, I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to me ramble on and on,” she said sadly.

“Momma,” Justin sighed. “There’s nothing better than talking to you. Don’t be that way.”

“I love you, baby,” she said, her voice cracking a little. “I’ll talk to you in a few days.”

“Alright,” he sighed. “I’ll talk to you then.”

She didn’t say goodbye. The sound of her hanging up, was the only way he knew that she had ended the conversation. He pulled the phone away from his ear, and placed it gently on the desk. He was confused. Was his mother mad at him? Was she mad at Karen? Was she simply upset that he had been gone all this time? He wasn’t sure. Suddenly, he began to think that maybe she was the one who needed him to come home. Maybe…she needed him more than he needed her. He sighed, and placed his head in his hands.

He didn’t know what to think anymore.

“Hey there, Grumpy Bear.”

Hearing the sound of Sheridan’s voice, Justin perked up, and looked over his shoulder. She was standing in the doorway, a small bag in her hand. “Hey,” he said softly, wheeling himself closer to her. “I got up this morning, and Karen said you and Marcy went out.”

“Yeah,” she smiled, handing him the bag. “We went to the mall. I would have asked you to come…but mom said no.”

He frowned. “Oh.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “There will be other times. Just open the bag.”

He did. There was a bottle of cologne inside, and as he pulled it out he realized what it was…and what she had done. “Abercrombie,” he whispered, not taking his gaze from the bottle. He sprayed a little bit into the air. A thousand memories of Trace came rushing back to him. He looked at her. “This is so great, Sher.”

“See?” she said. “I told you it would work.”

“She bought you my favorite cologne?” Trace passed through Sheridan, and looked down upon him. “That’s fucking gay. You don’t need to spray my cologne to remember me. I’m right fucking here.”

Justin glared at him. Why did Trace hate Sheridan so much? He’s not real…stop thinking he is.

“When did it get so cold in here?,” Sheridan spoke up. “Damn. I know mom turned the heat on today.”

His eyes widened, and he looked at her. “It’s not cold in here,” he whispered.

“Yeah it is,” Sheridan persisted. “Like, a minute ago I was fine. But right now…it’s so cold,“ she shivered. “Can’t you feel it? Oh…Justin,” she gasped. “Could it just be me? Could I be sick?”

“You’ve got gonorrhea,” Trace laughed. “Dirty slut.”

Justin felt the rage begin to boil inside of him. “Shut up,” he snapped.

“She’s a dirty slut,” Trace continued. “What the hell do you see in her anyway?”

“What’d I do?” Sheridan asked.

He didn’t hear her. The vision of Trace, pointing and laughing at her was enough to send him over the edge. “Don’t talk about her that way!” He threw the bottle of cologne at Trace. It passed through him of course, and shattered upon colliding with the wall. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Just fucking leave me alone!”

Trace stopped laughing. “You gonna make me J?”

“Listen to me!” he hollered. “Just…leave!”

Trace vanished, but it was if as he were still there. The scent of Abercrombie seemed to have sprouted limbs, pulling Justin inside it, back into that familiar fantasy world that could only be described as another dimension. It was dark…probably around two or three in the morning. Trace was standing next to him…well, more like leaning on him for support.

“I’ll drive.” Elisha was there too, but she wasn’t drunk. She was angry. Angry at them. But why?

“What’s the matter?” Justin asked, but quickly realized it would do him no good to talk. They couldn’t hear him, as always.

“Woman, you ain’t drivin’,” Trace slurred. “I’m drivin’.

“You’re drunk,” Elisha snapped. “And you…,” she said, pointing a finger at Justin. “You’re encouraging him.”

He gasped. This was the night of the accident. He and Trace had been beyond trashed, and Elisha had been putting up with it all night. But neither of them had been able to see how badly they had upset her. They hadn’t been able to pay attention to anything except the damn drinks in their hands.

Now he was reliving the whole thing.

“C’mon baby,” Trace said, staggering over to her. “Just get in the car…Justin’ll drive.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Won’t cha?”

“I shouldn’t drive,“ he stated. It was what he had said that night. It hadn’t worked then, but he was hoping by some grace of God that it would work now. That he would open his eyes again, and everything would be back to the way it once was. “C’mon man…let’s call Tiny.”

“See, Justin says it’s cool,” Trace nodded. “We’ll be all good ‘lisha.”

“Baby,” Elisha said sadly, grasping one of his hands in hers. “You’re too drunk to get in the car. Come on…lets go find a taxi…”

“Bitch,” Trace grumbled, pushing her away from him. “I’m fine.” He took a swig out of the bottle he was holding. “J man is fine too…and wure goin’ back to the casa. Now, you can either stay hurr or come back and fuck me…it don’t matter.” Trace began to laugh, and directed his gaze toward him. “You crack me up man.”

Justin remembered this. He remembered laughing and making some snide remark when Trace had said she could stay or go back and fuck him. He remembered the hurt look on Elisha’s face. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He wished he could say something to take it back…to make it all stop. But he couldn’t, and it was driving him crazy. He blinked his eyes several times, trying to snap out of the memory…but to no avail. The scenery remained the same. Trace was still laughing, and Elisha was still standing there with the same hurt look on her face.

“You bastard,” she managed. “Fine! Just…just get in the damn car…kill yourselves. I don’t give a damn!” She reached into her bag just then, and pulled out a glass bottle. “Take this shit with you!” She threw it at Trace, but he dodged the object before it could do any damage to him. It hit the cement, and smashed.

Justin smelled it. Abercrombie. He felt his stomach turn.

“C’mon Jerstin,” Trace slurred, shooting Elisha a dirty look. “Yur drivin’.”

“Baby,” Elisha cried. “Don’t leave.”

“Fuck off woman,” Trace rolled his eyes, and staggered over to the passenger side of the Escalade. “Yer pissin’ me off tonight. Maybe I will die…maybe you’ll get your fuckin’ way!”

Elisha was crying now. He remembered that too. He also remembered not caring. Then, as if some sort of powerful force was taking over him, he walked over to the car. His hand shot out, and grabbed onto the handle. “No!” he yelled, desperately trying to pull his hand away. But, it wouldn’t budge…it seemed welded to the handle. A moment later the door swung open, and the same force that had caused him to walk over to the car, made him get inside it. The door slammed shut. “Fuck!” he yelled. He applied all of his body weight against the door, trying to get it to open. It wouldn’t. Then the car started up, and the stereo started blaring loudly.

“Hell yeah!” Trace squealed, guzzling more liquor from the bottle. “This my song!”

“No!” Justin cried, looking over at Trace. “Please! Trace…just…get out of the car!”

“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yea-aahh!” Trace exclaimed. “Take that rewind it back…Trace got the beat to make your booty go clap! Take that rewind it back…J man got the beat to make your booty go clap!”

In the blink of an eye, they weren’t in the parking lot anymore. Now they were speeding down that road, and he was at the wheel…bottle of liquor in hand. His eyes widened, and he tried to dispose of the bottle. But he couldn‘t let go of it. He hand wouldn‘t let it go. He was so confused. “What--”

“Hey boys!” Came a female voice.

Justin looked out the window. There was a convertible…a pink one. Three girls were riding in it…triplets. “Shit,” he gasped. “Shit shit shit.”

He knew what was coming.

“Hey girls,” Trace leaned over him, his elbow jabbing him in the stomach. “Y’all got some room in ’dose jeans fer me?” he slurred.

“That’s depends,” The driver smiled. “Will your friend join in?”

“Say sumthin’,” Trace chuckled with drunken glee, and nudged him hard, knocking their precious bottle to the floor.

“No!”

“Justin?”

His eyes opened. Trace…the car…the triplets…they were gone. He was back in Karen’s house…he was safe.

“Justin?”

He looked up. Sheridan was standing over him, a worried look on her face. “Sheridan…”

She leaned down and placed her hands on his shoulders. “You scared me.”

“Oh,” he got out. “I’m fine now…I just…I…” he tried to explain. He couldn’t. The only way to explain, was to tell her the awful truth. The truth about Trace…the truth about that night…he couldn’t do it. Not yet at least.

“I…I thought you would like the cologne,” she whispered, trying to hold back her tears. “I’m so sorry…”

“It’s not that,” he said. “It’s not you at all.”

She was silent for several moments. “Who do you see?”

He looked away from her. “It’s nothing. I just…I just got upset about something.”

“I’m not stupid, Justin,“ she grumbled. “You were talking to somebody. And if it wasn’t me, then who was it?” she asked him.

He couldn’t tell her about this. This was worse than having to tell her about his accident, which he still hadn’t mustered up the courage to do. If he told her about his random encounters with Trace, she would really think he was crazy. “It was nothing Sheridan!” he yelled. “Just let it go.”

“Oh.” She turned away from him. “Okay.”

This wasn’t how he wanted things to go. But the only way out of it, was to tell Sheridan about what he had been seeing…experiencing, since Trace had flat lined. “Just wait,” he huffed. “Sheridan…I want to tell you.”

She looked back at him. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t feel comfortable telling me.”

“But I should,” he whispered. “I should tell somebody. And well…that somebody might as well be you right?” He smiled a little, but when she didn’t do the same, he let it fade.

“If you feel comfortable doing this,” she began, stepping back inside the room and closing the door. “Then I’m here to listen.”

“You-you can’t tell Karen,” he said, nervously. “You can’t tell anybody.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” She shook her head. “Just talk to me Justin.”

“Sometimes…” he began. He looked away from her, and took a deep breath. “Sometimes I can see him.”

“Who…Trace?”

“Yes,” he managed.

“What are you crazy?” Trace was back again. He was angry this time. “Don’t tell her that.”

Justin ignored him. He didn’t want to seem crazy at the moment…not when he was sharing something so personal with Sheridan.

“Fine, don’t answer,” Trace muttered. “I’ll just leave…like you said.

Justin narrowed his eyes at him, and nodded.

“Prick,” he muttered, as he faded away.

“How often?” Sheridan said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Almost everyday,” he whispered. He looked down at his lap and began to fidget with his hands. “I mean…I’ve tried Sher…I’ve tried to make it stop.” He paused to wipe a stray tear off of his face. “But it won’t stop. I mean, he talks to me…he talks to me like he never even died.” He stared at her. She didn’t move, she barely blinked an eye. “I’m crazy, huh?”

“No,” she said. “I mean…I don’t think you are. It’s just…oh…what’s the name…right!” She snapped her fingers. “Suppressed memories.”

Justin laughed. “Is that a fancy term for mentally insane?”

“No, no,” she chuckled. “A suppressed memory, is a memory that you’ve pushed out of your mind, that is fighting to break through to you again. I did a paper on it two semesters ago.”

“That could be right,“ Justin shrugged. “But I just don‘t see how. It’s been happening since…that day he died. That night…I couldn’t sleep. I remember, I was crying. I was crying so bad. I think I might have fallen asleep for awhile, and then when I woke up again he was there,” he told her. “And he’s been around ever since. I didn’t want to believe it at first. I kept telling myself that it was my mind playing games with me. But now…now I’m just not so sure anymore.”

She seemed confused. “You’re not so sure? What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he began, drawing in a long breath. “That I think it might be his ghost.”

“No,” she said quickly. “Don’t go telling yourself that Justin.”

He shrugged. “Why not?”

“Because, you’ll only get hurt in the end,” she reasoned with him. “I know you miss him…you miss him so bad that you’d do anything to have him with you again. So in turn, your mind makes it seem like he’s there. It’s like a backup system…so you won’t totally shut down. I read about that…it happens to most people who go through a traumatic experience.”

“You don’t believe me,” he said.

“That’s not what I said.”

“I knew I should have just kept my mouth shut,” he muttered. “Dammit…I just…I thought I could talk to you. I thought you would understand, Sheridan.”

“I do understand,” she said, in a soothing tone. “I’m just telling you the facts.”

“Didn’t anything weird happen to you, after your father died?” he asked.

Sheridan shook her head. “No. And I’ll even admit…I used to sit in my room for hours, waiting for his ghost to come back and haunt me,” she chuckled. “But it never did.”

“So then…what’s going on with me?” He ran his hand through his hair. “I’m crazy…just say it.”

“It’s like I told you. They’re suppressed memories. The only way to get rid of them, is to let them run their course, and try your best to do things that can keep your mind stimulated, and off of Trace.”

He scoffed. “Like what?”

Sheridan smiled. “You can…ride a horse. You can’t help but be focused that way.”

His eyes widened. “Whoa girl. I ain’t getting on no horse.”

“You have to face your fear sometime,” she said.

He cocked his head to the side. “Fear?”

Her eyes widened a little, and Justin knew she probably hadn‘t meant to tell him what she knew in the first place. “Well…Marcy kinda told me you were afraid of them,” she mumbled. “She said you fell off of one once.”

Justin began to laugh. “Damn, she knows her stuff doesn’t she?” Sheridan seemed to be relieved. But he couldn’t blame her. A few weeks ago, he would never have been so light hearted about Marcy telling Sheridan that. Actually, he probably would have screamed at Marcy for it later on. He was glad he had learned to control himself. Now he was coming to understand that it was much easier to be laid back and talk about things with Sheridan, instead of keeping his feelings locked away inside of him.

“She does,” Sheridan nodded. “And I think you should try to ride again.”

He didn‘t understand. How could he get on a horse, if he couldn‘t walk…couldn‘t feel his legs? The idea was crazy. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Come on Sheridan, you know that.”

“You can,” she told him. “This is a rehabilitation ranch remember?”

“What are you gonna do? Strap me to the damn thing?”

She winked at him. “Somethin’ like that.” She turned toward the doorway. “Come on.”

“Sheridan,” he said softly,

She looked back at him. “Come on Justin…just try this okay? I promise, I won‘t make you do anything that you feel you can‘t do.”

“It’s not that…” he said. “I just…I just wanted to make sure…” he trailed off. Didn’t she realize what he had told her? Didn’t she realize what a big step it was for him to admit that he both saw, and talked to his dead friend on a regular basis?

She laughed nervously. “Make sure of what?

“I just don’t want you to be weirded out by what I told you. If you are, please just tell me now…so I don’t have to find out later on.”

“I’m not weirded out Justin,” she reassured him. “I mean, sure it’s different…but it’s nothing you can’t overcome with a little help. I’m going to get this glass cleaned up, and then we can go outside, okay?”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t help but feel awkward. He didn’t think he knew what Sheridan’s true feelings were towards his situation. She was being so…professional about it. She never acted that way with him. What was the reason for her sudden change of attitude? Maybe…she really did think he was crazy. Maybe she wanted to tell her mother about it. Suddenly, he wished he would have listened to Trace, and kept his mouth shut about all of this.

“Justin, look at me,” she whispered.

He did.

“There’s nothing for you to be worried about okay?” she said, as if she could read his mind. “I don’t think you’re crazy…and I’m not going to go run and tell Karen about this. This is our secret, okay?”

Immediately, he felt as if a great pressure had been lifted from his shoulders. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

*******************

She was worried about him.

“I…I can’t get on that thing.” Justin’s eyes were wide, and full of fear. The very thought of getting on the horse, seemed to be scaring the hell out of him.

“Justin, stop doubting yourself.” Sheridan rolled her eyes, and finished putting the saddle on Benny. “You can do anything you want to do.”

“Can not,” he pouted.

“How can you say that? You…a person that has done so much in his lifetime. What did Marcy tell me…you won two Grammys?”

He was silent for a moment. His brow was furrowed, and for a moment, he seemed deep in thought about something. “So what if I did?” he said finally. “That was before…all of this happened.”

“If you can win two Grammys, you can get on a horse,” Sheridan nodded.

He shook his head. “I…I don’t want to.”

“Justin!” she whined. “You said you would try.”

“That was before I realized what I was getting myself into,” he muttered. “I can’t do it…and I won’t do it.” He crossed his arms in front of him, and made a face at her.

“Oh lord, you’re such a baby. But I’m sure you have you’re reasons for being so damn stubborn. I’m not going to try and force you to do this, if you really don’t want to.”

“Good,” he snarled.

She didn’t say anything to him. She was annoyed. Annoyed, and worried. Annoyed because he was backing down from something that she knew he could do, and worried because…well…

Because it all made sense now. It made sense that he was talking to himself the day she met him…it made sense that he randomly shouted “Shut up,” and “Leave me alone”, when she hadn‘t even said anything to him. It made sense because he had just explained himself to her. She was proud of him for finding the strength to share something so personal with her. But at the same time, she was afraid for him. What if he simply refused to believe that Trace was nothing more than a memory, fighting to stay alive? What if he continued to convince himself that Trace was really a ghost?

The results would be devastating. Sheridan knew that if the wrong people found out…like her mother…his family…that they would drug him up quicker than he could tell Trace to fuck off. It wasn’t an option in this business. If you were talking to yourself, and acting out as Justin had with the bottle of cologne, there was no other choice. You were considered a danger to yourself and others.

Sheridan remembered a patient that had come to the ranch while her father had still been alive. She didn’t remember much about her. Only that she and her sister had been involved in bad horsing accident, and her sister had died because of it. Sheridan was too young at the time to realize exactly what her problem was. All she knew, was that sometimes she would catch her talking to somebody…except there was nobody there.

Then, one day something happened…the girl tried to throw herself down some steps. She would have succeeded too, if Sheridan’s father hadn’t been there to stop her. After that, Sheridan remembered…the girl would always be in her room…never participating in any of the group therapy activities that her parents conducted with the other patients. And when she was out of her room…she would always seem so out of it. Sheridan had always thought that the girl was sad. But she was too young to understand what was really wrong with her. Now though…she was old enough to see that it was medication that had made her so lifeless…so drained. And if for some reason Justin took a turn for the worse, she knew that the same thing could very well happen to him.

But hell would freeze over before she would let that happen.

“Sheridan.”

She looked over at him. He had a sorrowful look in his eyes, as if he were sorry for backing out on her. “Yes Justin.”

“I…look…I’ll try it okay. But only because it means so much to you.”

Sheridan felt herself smile. “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re gonna be a great doctor,” Justin decided. “You’re so damn persuasive. Like…Doctor Quinn.”

Sheridan laughed out loud. “That show is ridiculous.”

“Yeah. But when you’re stuck in a hotel room for hours on end…you’ll find anything entertaining,” he winked. “Come on, help me onto this…beast.”

“Benny isn’t a beast,” Sheridan pouted, giving the horse a light pat. “He’s a good boy.”

“Sure. He’ll be great, until something freaks him out and I end up breaking my neck.”

“Oh stop,” she rolled her eyes. “That’s not going to happen. Have a little faith in me, Justin.”

“How the hell are you getting me on this horse, Sher?”

“If you’ll give me a damn second,” she said, moving them onto the platform that rested beside them. “Then you’ll see.” She pressed a button, and like magic, they were boosted upwards. Now they were level with the saddle.

“Damn,” he said. “That’s pretty fucking cool.”

“Isn’t it though?”

“Hey guys!”

Sheridan whirled around just in time to see Marcy charging toward them. She laughed a little. She was a sight to see in her belly shirt and capris. “Only Marcy can pull off an outfit like that and still look good,” she giggled.

Justin waved at her. “I gotta give the girl props for being so confident. It’s kind of a turn on,” he winked. “If you know what I mean.”

“Justin!” Sheridan exclaimed.

He began to laugh. “Well it is!“

She wanted to frown at him for being so cocky, but found that it was impossible. She couldn’t be mad at him. She opened her mouth to continue her speech, but Marcy reached them before she could.

“Where’d. You. Go.” Marcy panted. “I got out of the shower, and you were gone.”

“Justin is gonna ride,” Sheridan informed her.

Marcy gasped. “Really Justin?”

“Really, really,” Justin sighed. “I’m just hoping I don’t get thrown off this time. You know that whole story Marcy,” he winked at her.

Marcy blushed, but didn’t say anything.

“Marcy, will you help me?” Sheridan spoke up, as she slipped the steering harness over Benny’s head. “I don’t think I can get him on there myself.”

“S-sure,” Marcy stuttered. “What should I do?”

“See those steps over there,” Sheridan said, pointing to a small staircase on the other side of the horse. “Go up those and stand on the other side of Benny so you can stabilize Justin when he gets on.” She watched Marcy run around to the other side, before focusing her gaze on Justin again. “You ready?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

He was scared. She could tell. “If you really don’t want to do this…”

“I said I would,” he interrupted. “I’m not going to back down now.”

Sheridan sucked in a breath. “Alright.” She let him wrap his arms around her neck, and with a little bit of a struggle, she slid him onto the saddle. “Marcy get his leg strapped in!” she called out.

“Okay!”

“Whoa,” Justin said, after a moment. “This is…so weird.”

“You‘re okay right?” Sheridan asked him, as she finished securing his leg. “You’re not gonna flip out or anything are you?”

“No,” he said softly. “I…kinda like this. It’s a change from that damn chair,” he nodded. “How do you steer this thing?”

Sheridan let out a sigh of relief. At first she thought she had made the wrong choice. After all, she hadn’t asked her mother if she could do this…not that she would have cared anyway. Her mother trusted her around him, and knew she wouldn’t make any decisions that were out of her range. Now, seeing him on the horse…so cool and confident, she knew that she had made the right decision.

He wasn’t afraid anymore.

“It’s like driving a car,” she said, finally. Use that bar to turn him the way you want to go. You can pull the bar once to make him go or twice to make him stop. He’s trained for it.”

Justin followed her directions. Benny began to walk in the direction Justin commanded. “Hey!” he exclaimed. “Look at me…I’m riding a damn horse! Who woulda thought huh, Marcy?”

Marcy blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl.

Sheridan smiled. She thought she might cry. He was so happy now…when just moments ago he had been so distraught. It was because of her, and she knew that. Nobody else could have made him snap back from such a horrible mood so quickly.

Nobody else knew how.

“Yay Justin!” Marcy clapped. “You’re doing it!”

Justin smiled. “You think I could win the Kentucky Derby?”

“I think you can do anything you want to,” Sheridan said. “I’m proud of you.”

“I think we should have ice cream,” Marcy blurted out. “To celebrate.”

“Ooo,” Justin said, his eyes wide. “Yeah!”

“Marcy don’t encourage him,” Sheridan chuckled.