vivian 8

“well look at you Mrs. Fancy pants. You look like me!” I exclaimed as Tempy walked out of her bathroom in her silks. She did a little turn. “your smokin’ Castiel is going to be droooolin’!” I say and she models. “I should be in horse gazette.” She says and I laugh, thinking of my appearance in horse gazette for silver foot’s win. “it’s about time to go.” I say checking my phone for the time. “temp let’s go!” her mom called and I smiled shooing her down the stairs.

 

            I whooped and hollered as Tempy finished at 17 seconds, 1.32 seconds faster than the leader. She had won. I rushed down to the stables and found her at the stall, sponging down Liam. “Chica you did awesome! Congratulations on the win!” I said hugging her hard. She hugged me back. “it’s the only thing I don’t have you as competition for. If you were out there you’d smoke me.” She said smiling. I shook my head no. “nah. I’m no good at western.” I said and pinched her softly. “that’s you!” Cas came up behind me and before Temp could warn me, he grabbed my sides hard. I jumped. “hey sis, fancy seeing you here.” he says smiling. “you know I wouldn’t miss it. Anyway you two are going to leave me tomorrow. Even Lane. And Lynn too!” I said speaking of my third best friend, who was going to counsel at a basketball camp. Cas frowned. “I’m sorry sis. I wish I could take you with us, but we only have room for one extra...and...” he looks at temp then back at me. I held my hand up to stop him. “I’m fine I’m fine. Anyways I’m training for the winter races. And lane will be back after a week.” I say and Temp smiles. “a whole week without us to bother you and Lane.” She says winking at me. “shut up.” I said. They laughed. “see you tomorrow guys. Vivian is leaving the building.”

 

The next day

            I sat on my favorite spot on Temp’s bed and tried not to cry. “I’m really going to miss you Temp.” I say. But she just bent over and got her duffel bag. After she packed it up she looked back at me and smiled. My tears welled over.

            “Hey now. Don’t cry. I’ll be back by august and Lane will be home before then.” She sits down next to me and puts her arms around my shoulders, hugging me tightly. “Just hang in there okay sis?” she says. I try to choke back tears as she smiles over at me. “I know but it’s going to be awful with out you, lane, Cas, or Lynn dropping in constantly.” I say as another tear rolls down my cheek. A michevious smile spreads across her face and before I could protest she had me picked up, spinning around and around until she flung me back on the bed. I blinked back tears. “I’m going to miss you.” I say wiping my tears away. She pulls me up to my feet and hugs me again. “I’m going to miss you too Vivi. But you still have your horses.” She says and let’s me go. I nod in agreement. I heard the crunch of gravel and look out the window. Cas and Lane pull up in Lane’s truck, since their father used his to bring up the horse trailer two days before. “Oh Cas is here...take Care Viv miss you!” she calls over her shoulder as she hurries down to meet him. I laugh and follow.

           

When we reach the driveway Lane mounts Ella, and before I climb up behind him I call over my shoulder. "Bye, Temp." then gave a sad smile and got up on the horse with lane. Castiel threw his hands up and  looked up at me. "What no farewell for me? The term metaphorical brother has no impact whatsoever on you, does it?" He asked. No  sooner he said a word as I was down off Ella and bear hugging him. “Miss you Cass, bon voyage!” I chirped after releasing him, leaving him gasping for some air. “Geez!” he gasped. “Suffocate me why don’t cha?” he wheezed. I laughed and reached for his neck, “Sure!” She said teasingly. He stepped back. “You don’t know sarcasm from crap do you?” he asked. I laughed out loud. “Sure I do, I just choose to be a blonde about things.” I  say and toss my strawberry blonde mane over my shoulder. He laughed and ruffled my thick mess of hair. “Sure do.” he said and hugged me tight. He released me as Lane hopped down off Ella. He slipped an arm around my waist and defensively said to Cass, “I agreed to let you borrow my truck, not my girlfriend.” Cas shook his head. “Maybe we should with drawl from metaphorical siblingness Vivi, Pretty boy here can’t take it.” He teased poking me. I laughed and playfully hit Lane on the chest. “Yeah Lane, geez you jealous beast.” I say laughing then plant a kiss on  his cheek. “Awww!” Temp cried. I smile-frowned at her and said “Shut it!” in a warning tone. We all laughed. Cass checked his watch and said to Temp. “Well we better get going or we’ll miss the plane.” He said. she nodded curtly and turned to Vivian.   “Miss you Viv!” she said and hugged me. I hugged Cass and wished him a good luck, since some of the horses he trained would be running in Saratoga this summer. Temp hugged Lane with a farewell. Lane looked at his brother and said. “Farwell little bro! Good luck out there.” The two exchanged a manly hug and Cass told Lane to give their grandmother a hug and a love you for him. Cas and Temp hopped in the truck and barreled down the drive, leaving Lane and I standing in the dust.

           

“Hey baby?” Lane whispered in my ear a few hours later. I had fallen asleep with his arm wrapped around me, my head resting on his chest. We had been watching Seabiscuit to keep me from thinking about his departure at five.  I stirred a little at the sound of his deep southern drawl. “Hmm?” I asked lifted my head and looked up at him. The credits of the movie were rolling. “We got to get to the airport. My flight leaves in a hour.” He said. I nodded, I felt like I had a stomach full of lead.   My lip quivered, I didn’t want him to leave. He saw this and tightened his grip around my waist, kissing the top of my head. “I’ll only be gone a week baby girl. It’ll be alright.” He said. “I don’t like it when you go away.” I said after a moment, my voice shaking. He sighed. “I know, I wish you could come down with me, but your race is soon, you have to stay and train. Pops would never let you come down with me.” He says and kisses the top of my head again. “But that’s the price you pay being the best woman jockey there is.” he adds. I smile and sit up. “We’d better get you to the airport. I don’t want to derive your frail little old grandma of you for my own selfishness.” I say and he smiles, rewrapping his arm around me and holding me close. “That’s my girl. It won’t be long I promise. And I’ll call you every night.”           He reassures me. I smile at him. “I know.” I say and I shoo him off to get his stuff so we weren’t late.

 

           

One hour later

I was starting to regret taking him to the airport when we reached the gate and the tears threatened to well over again. He set his stuff down and gathered me up in his arms, holding me tightly and burying his face in my hair. “I’m going to miss you so bad baby girl.” he whispers, and a tear rolls down my cheek, followed by multiple more as I answer. “I’m going to miss you too miere.” He pulls away then and cups my face in his hands, wiping away the tears. “It won’t be too bad. I’ll call and we can Skype.” He says kissing my forehead. The pilot calls boarding and he turns back to me. I smile up at him and say “go ahead, have fun in Georgia.” He smiles back and then kisses me passionately. When he pulls away my lips are surely slightly puffy and I know my hair is messed up but I don’t care. I’m too busy crying as he walks away toward the plane waving at me.