April 19th 2021

Chapter 109
Our Opening Into Arrivals

Much as the upcoming Family Day loomed large in its potential for chaos, they had something else to concentrate on in the days that preceded it, something in a completely different mood. Walt may not have been leaving his farm just yet, but if arrangements could be made for the horses to be moved sooner rather than later, he actually preferred it that way. For one thing, everyone would be pretty busy out there in the run up to his departure, and for another… Well, he cared more about seeing them settled in their new lives, to see that they were going to be alright without him.

It would be a few days more before they could get the six horses bound for Sullivan Stables out into their new lodgings, but right now they were able to move the two that were headed for Sanderson Farm, so that was what they'd do.

No one had been more excited than Missy Sanderson, to absolutely no one's surprise who knew her and had seen how much she'd cared for Trooper and mourned him when he passed. The morning after the arrangements had been made between Lucas and her family, the girl came into her first period art class with the look of someone who'd had a couple cups too many. She wanted to know everything that Maya knew. Had she seen them? What breed were they? What did they look like? How old were they? Did they have any specific needs? Ailments? What were their names?

All she could answer out of all of those were the names. Andromeda and Orion, the last remaining of Walt's daughter's 'constellations' as she'd been growing up. That small bit of information had already been something Missy was thankful for having, and she spent the whole period after this with a sort of dreamy look distracting her. Maya eventually had to task Kai with getting her to focus again, so she wouldn't have to go over there and do it herself… anymore.

They'd had a few more of those days, and then finally it was time. Saturday morning rolled around, and they were going to get the horses. So, naturally, Missy Sanderson could be seen walking up the lane even as Maya and Lucas were up with Marianne in their room.

"Spotted, one very springy teenaged girl," Maya gave her best subdued announcer voice. Marianne batted her arm toward the window and made a noise, "I know, she is moving fast," Maya told her. "We should get down there before she wakes up your aunt." There was no part of this scenario where Granny Lizzie wasn't already awake downstairs and possibly working on breakfast. After she'd moved in, the joke had become 'well now we know where Sam gets it.'

Lucas got there ahead of Maya and the baby, and so he was able to open the door even as Missy was walking up. She had come dressed for the day, he could tell, and she'd also brought a few items from the farm, to provide for breakfast, as though she needed a peace offering for showing up like this. As excited as she was, there was also a definite air of professionalism about her, and for that they could appreciate the early arrival. She was here today so that she would be part of the move that would take Andromeda and Orion from the place where they'd spent their entire lives to the one where they would spend the last of their time on Earth. Their constants, once they got there, would be Lucas and Missy, so it was only fair that they should be the ones to go out to get them.

They had breakfast, all of them except for the still sleeping Cara, and finally Lucas and Missy took off. Doctor Alvarez would be waiting for them at the ranch, and once they got there, they would switch vehicles, the better to have the needed transportation for the horses. The whole way to Walt's farm, Lucas told his young neighbor stories of growing up, visiting his uncle and the horses. The very first horse he'd helped deliver had been one of his, and he was proud to say that one of the six headed to the ranch was born of that foal when it was grown, both easy to be identified for being called Lucky and Lucky II.

"Did you name him that?" Missy laughed.

"Yes, I did, but to be fair, my mother put the idea in my head that morning, and when I saw him for the first time the name did feel right, so who was I to get in the way of that?" he explained, wondering how long it would take before the story got back to Maya. She was going to love this, wasn't she?

Walt and his daughter were waiting for them when they arrived, and they were directed to the stables where they would find their two passengers. Lucas had known the two of them before, of course. They'd been there already before the day Lucky the horse was born, though they'd been much younger. They were just part of that whole, the image he could conjure up in his head whenever he thought of this place. To Missy though they were new, and she took great care to introduce herself to them with respect and caution. Lucas couldn't say whether it was just that they were on the whole very trusting, or just that they sensed something that made them feel safe around her, but they eased to Missy's presence in no time. There would be none more constant than her, and they were lucky to have her there with them.

They gave time to Walt and Millie to say goodbye to Andromeda and Orion. Much as this move had become a necessity, it didn't change that the two of them had been there for over twenty years. They had seen so much of the time in their lives, in Millie's especially. She'd been about Missy's age when they'd been born, and since then she'd left home, and gotten married, and had children… No matter what, they'd still been back at her father's farm, but now he was coming to live with her and they… they were going away. She could still visit them, but it wouldn't be the same, and eventually…

Finally, the horses were loaded up to start on their journey, and they set out back toward Sanderson Farm. The whole way, Missy kept wanting to check and make sure that they would be okay, and Lucas would assure her that they were fine.

"Did you ever worry you weren't cut out for being a vet even though you'd wanted it forever?" she finally asked Lucas, maybe to distract herself.

"All the time," he readily admitted, guessing there was a point to this question, and it would circle back to point at itself. "What makes you think you're not cut out to look after the farm?" She stared at him a bit, like she wanted to wonder how he knew but then couldn't really act so surprised as that.

"I heard my parents talking, saying how they weren't sure we should have the horses out there, not with how bad I took it after Troop died," Missy admitted. "They were saying how I always took it hard whenever any of the animals died, and I do, I just…"

"You shouldn't have to feel bad for caring about them. That's always a good thing. It means you'll do everything in your power to see they're well looked after," Lucas assured her.

"I will," Missy nodded, somewhat comforted but still worrying underneath.

"Then you've got nothing to worry about. It's an asset that you have, nothing else. Those two back there, they're going to be right where they need to be, to have a great last who-knows-how-long." Missy smiled, then frowned with a blip of worry in her.

"Wish that winter wasn't coming up so fast…"

"It's only just September," Lucas reminded her. "Winter's not here yet."

Missy's grandparents and parents were joined by the four women and girls of the Friar house as the two horses arrived. They were led out to and over beyond the stables, that they might get a look at some of the land before finally being brought to their new home.

"They look like they're handling everything pretty well, right?" Maya asked Lucas as she approached him and stopped at his side.

"Looks that way, yeah," he nodded, taking Marianne from her as the girl reached for her father.

"So, the other six will be next… That'll be something," Maya commented.

"I just hope it goes as smoothly as this," Lucas breathed out. Marianne patted her hands at his cheeks, and he looked down at her. She couldn't talk yet, no, but sometimes he would look into her eyes and it really would feel as though she was speaking to him. Right about now, her eyes told him not to worry, so he took another breath. She was right, it would be fine. He smiled, pretended to try to gobble up one of her hands, which was guaranteed to make her laugh and squeal and attempt to 'guard' her hand. Then he would try and go for the other one and she would be a giggling goner.

"You know, it feels really weird to be talking about this when those two literally just got here, but you and Missy could keep this going. Just keep taking in horses on their last stretch, give them the kind of last run you gave to Troop," Maya told Lucas as they started back for home later on. Granny Lizzie had already gone back home with Cara and Marianne, so it was just the two of them now.

"Believe me, I've been thinking about that a lot all week," Lucas nodded, which made her smile. "And, yeah, I think we should do that, too. I mean, besides Sullivan Stables, I'm definitely in touch with several other places, other owners, trainers… It'd be easy to get the word out there. Then again, a cooling off period is probably not a bad idea, in between. And we don't know how long Andromeda or Orion will be with us. As long as possible would be ideal."

"Yeah," Maya agreed. Maybe out of some desire to feed the good mood they were in, he told her the story of the naming of Lucky the horse. As expected, it got her laughing, the sound being almost like a full translation of their daughter's laughter, almost like Marianne had been inspired by the sound coming out of her mother. "Do you know what this tells me?"

"That my mother possibly has a much too intense appreciation for me?" Lucas joked.

"I'd say there's no such thing, but I've seen some very weird crime dramas, so I'll amend and say your mother isn't so far off the deep end," Maya insisted, which made him laugh. "What I was going to say was that, whenever we throw in for baby number two, we'll have to make sure she doesn't get in our heads the same way when we're naming that one."

"Always coming in with the jokes," he chuckled.

"What else did you expect?" she grinned. "Seriously though…"

"Whatever comes next, we will have a solid name at the ready, of our own uninfluenced choosing," Lucas promised her."

"Good," she nodded and slipped her hand in his. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"I don't know, Huckleberry, your mom can be really wily. Maybe she already started, and we don't even know it," she whispered in an overly dramatic tone, complete with suspicious eyes.

"You're right, how could we not name our kid Melindo Friar," Lucas grinned, more so at the way she almost tripped over her feet before bursting out laughing.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners