.05

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"Honey, you've been out here for hours. You better give Nano a break," my mother says as she walks up to the pen. It's real hot outside today as well.

"I'm waiting for Leo," I say, hopping off Nano and walking up to her. Leo was supposed to practice riding again today. He hasn't ridden since last week when he got on Poppy for the first time.

"Leo and his mother have been here thirty minutes?" Mom says.

"Don't look to me. I don't know where he is."

"Oh well. He's here somewhere." She turns around and heads back to the house. I shrug it off and head towards Nano who is just wandering about still fully tacked.

I take Nano to the cross ties.

"How long you been riding for?" I snap my head around to see Leo leaning in the door frame.

I should really tell him about the yelling 'door' but I have a feeling he will ignore I ever mentioned it.

"I don't know. Forever." I say putting on Nano's halter and walking towards Leo. "Where were you?"

"Just out back watching."

"I- you were watching?"

"Yeah," he shrugs. "Was curious."

I run my hand through my hair as he wanders about looking at things. I get Poppy and start to get him ready as Leo asks a thousand questions of what things do.

This time I have him lead Poppy out to the mounting block. After years of not using it, I'm surprised we still have it, and it's intact. I guide him through all the steps of mounting a horse and spend the next forty minutes continuing where we left off last time.

We stop at around six, when the sun is starting to set. I'm sweating from being in the tight riding clothes all day and summer sun.

"This time watch me untack and I'm going to hand you everything to put away."

He nods his head and waits for me. I explain what I'm doing as I go. After that he goes back to the house and I go to have a shower.


"Hello?" I ask picking up the phone. I put it on speaker so I can put on clothes.

"Yeah hey," Keanu says. "Mind if I come over this weekend? I've been so busy this week with tennis and I haven't seen you much."

"Yeah that works. Aleks and Julian come over Saturday though so can you stand being around them for a bit?"

"Yeah I'll suck it up so I can see you. Although I'm not sitting watching you all play video games."

"We can play football out in the yard."

"Oh wait you won't be able to see them anyway."

"What?" I practically yell as I put on my shirt and hope my phone can hear me.

"Yeah my dad wants to invite you guys onto the boat for a day."

I move to pick up my phone and hold it to my ear. "We've already spent the last two weeks on it, why can't the parents just go?"

"C'mon, I really like that they've become friends."

"Yeah okay I'll go."

"Okay I gotta go," she replies happily before she hangs up.

I head back into the bathroom to comb my hair. It's still wet from the shower, considering I only got out two minutes ago.

I make my way downstairs passing Leo in the living room on his phone. When I enter the dining room the moms aren't there but I spot them on the patio outside enjoying the sunset, drinking tea.

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