This chapter is thanks to the idea from KelcieKampschrroeder, thank you!

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All I can say is that my sophomore year flew right by. Blake can agree that his last year of high school disappeared too.

A lot has changed, some for good some for the not so good. Blake has decided that he is going down to Georgia for basic training this summer. He’ll be gone about three months. When he gets back he’ll have about two weeks at home until he ships out to the fort that needs help the most. Meaning he could end up at the one across town or the one across the states, we won’t know until after the summer.

Fast forward to Blake’s graduation, it was overall a really happy day for everyone. Well except for me. I had only made friends with Blake’s friends, which are all seniors and all graduating this year with him. None of them are sticking around; they are either living on campus or going in for basic training, like Blake is. I never took the chance to make friends in my grade and am stuck on the outside looking in.

Blake is going to be gone all summer long and I won’t have anything to do.

Blake: “Hey come on Leah it’s only three months I’ll be back to see you when your rodeo comes back home.”

Oh I forgot to mention I am going to be busy all summer I was accepted into the Wrangler National Rodeo Girls, for barrel racing. They gave every rider a tricked out Wrangler Nationals two horse trailer and a custom decal for their trailering trucks. I will be traveling the states practically for free.

I had talked to my Momma about it and she said I’d be stupid to pass it up. That following weekend my riding coach and some of the other barrel racing girls dropped off my trailer and it’s been sitting in my driveway ever since.

Me: “I can’t believe I almost forgot about that.”

Blake: “How could you forget, you are going to have so much fun this summer!”

Me: “I know!” I smiled because I couldn’t contain my excitement.

He always had the way of doing that, making me feel better without even trying.

As a one last hoorah before everyone went their separate ways all 18 of us piled into Blake’s truck and truck bed to go mudding together. Since there were so many of us sitting in Blake’s truck bed he threw them a tie down strap to use a makeshift seatbelt.

Cindy: “You guys be careful!”

We all laughed and promised her we would be. Blake gunned his truck and drove through his backyard and into the trails that connected him and me to the mountains.

Once at the top we all started a fire and hung out for the night. None of them were driving home and it is the night of their graduation so I volunteered to be their sober driver. Around midnight we worked together to put the fire out. I drove them all back down to Blake’s house where everyone slept in Blake’s living room.

I kissed Blake goodnight and whispered goodnights and goodbyes to all of my friends. I tiptoed out and walked through the woods back to my house. No worries though it was just a short pathway in between our houses.

I made into my room a few minutes later and instantly fell asleep. My alarm clock is set for 4am. I have to feed the boys, pack my trailer and give them baths then leave for my trip to Tennessee, where my first rodeo is taking place this coming weekend. I can’t believe it’s already here. Like Blake said ‘How could you forget about something as big as that?’ I had been counting it down for months now and it’s finally here.

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4am rolled around really fast. Dutifully I woke up and made my way downstairs for a bowl of cereal. I got dressed and went out to my barn to feed the boys. While they ate I wiped my driver’s side truck door clean and placed my Wrangler Nationals decal on it, and the same one on the passenger door. I let the boys out to their pasture while I cleaned and packed all of their tack and spares of everything onto my new trailer.

Around noon my Momma came outside to see how things were going.

Me: “Hey I’m almost all set.”

Momma: “I can’t believe my baby girl is leaving for most of the summer.”

Me: “I had to do something I couldn’t just mope around waiting for Blake to get back from basic training.”

Momma: “Well I guess that’s true. It’s just hard letting my only baby leave and go explore the world without me.”

Me: “Aw Momma!” I jumped into her arms, as she started sobbing onto my shoulder. “I won’t be gone long and I’ll always be only one phone call away.”

Momma: “I know honey.”

She went back inside and I took my boys back inside to get them cleaned up. It ended up being a little chilly and I didn’t feel like giving them baths. I took my time and brushed each of them really well.

When I finished my final task of braiding their tails loosely for travel, I left them in their stalls with some hay and water. Now I need to pack my clothes. I ran up to my room and folded everything stuffing it all into four huge boxes. I took a few trips and stacked them across the back seat of my truck.

I am all set to go.

One last thing is to go and say goodbye to Blake! I couldn’t forget to do that.

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