Jack sighed and looked at Lisa. He couldn't tell from her sleeping figure what was wrong with her. The doctor had not said much, except that he had given her painkillers, that he would be back later to talk.

Jack gazed at his wife's face. There were large cuts all over from the glass when the windshield had shattered. Some of the gashes were deep and had stitches; others a butterfly bandage. Her wrist was wrapped in gauze and there were more cuts up her arm. The doctor walked in behind him.

"Hello, sir."

"How bad?" Jack was blunt with the doctor.

"Your wife is actually quite lucky. She has a concussion, but that is to be expected after a trauma. As you can see, she has various cuts and abrasions from the impact, but other than a twisted ankle and a broken wrist, I would say she is okay. It is a miracle. Her past medical file lists all of these other injuries, and even the injury to the spinal cord she recovered from. She is quite the survivor."

/\/\/\/

Lisa was locked deep in her own jumbled dreams, in a past she never wanted to return to…

Lisa looked back at Fairfield, and then walked down the drive towards Dan's car, her father's strong words still ringing in her ears.

"Get out. You disobeyed me, now get out! And don't ever come back!" her father yelled, slamming the door.

"Dan, isn't she beautiful?" Lisa smiled at her newborn daughter.

"Yeah, sure," Dan mumbled.

"What are we going to name her?"

"Whatever you like," Dan snapped.

"'Julie Colleen'," Lisa said, and looked at her baby girl.

"We should have won that race! But you pulled that damn horse up to be safe after he stumbled a little. What were you thinking? The farm could go bankrupt if you don't win. We can't even afford to hire better jockey!" Dan gripped Lisa's arm harder.

"Dan, let go of me! The reason we are going bankrupt is because you are drinking and gambling all of our money away. Not that we have much to start with!" Lisa snapped.

"Don't talk to me like that." Dan growled.

Lisa's eyes flashed with anger. "I will talk to you any way I want!"

Lisa flinched when Dan's hand struck her face. "Don't hit me ever again," she warned him.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"Oh, real mature! Our five-year-old daughter is more mature than you!"

Dan's hand went for Lisa's face and she instinctively ducked, and Dan's hand hit the stall's wall with a crack.

Lisa was tired. She had had enough black eyes and bruises to last a lifetime.

"Don't bother coming home to night," Lisa started to walk away but stopped and tuned around. "In fact, don't come home, ever!"

"What about my stuff?" Dan yelled back.

"If you want it, check the burn pile, though you had better bring a fire extinguisher. But I wouldn't advise that; you wouldn't want me to call the police."

"Fine! I am gone. But don't call me for anything, ever! Not Julie, and not you."

"Fine by me," Lisa said sarcastically.

"I got a ride for Greg Morgan today. Wish me Luck."

"Good luck, mom," a nine-year-old Julie said.

"I need it since I filed for bankruptcy, and we lost the horses, the house, and the farm already," Lisa thought.

As the horses broke from the starting gate, Lisa had a good start, but another horse clipped hers and her mount went down along with two others. Lisa didn't even have time to tuck and roll like a jockey should to prevent serious injuries.

"There was serious spinal damage and you will never walk again," the doctor said.

"Your daughter is being placed in a foster home," the social worker told Lisa. "With your financial situation and you probably not being able to work again... We have found it best to remove Julie from your custody and place her in a foster home, since your ex-husband is not an option, and your father's illness makes him ineligible as well. They will continue to home school her and do their best to make her Olympic dreams possible."

Lisa adjusted her pillow, propping up her broken arm. "That has been her dream for as long as I can remember, and every twelve-year-old should have her dreams come true. I can't make that dream come true. Besides, if I have to go back to Canada, she cannot be a USA gymnast if she is residing in Canada," Lisa said, not really believing what she said.

Lisa stood up and yelled when the television announcer proclaimed that the USA gymnastics team had won gold. She looked at her sixteen-year-old daughter whom she had not seen in nearly four years. Though she had overcome her nerve and spinal cord injury, she had allowed her daughter to continue her dream and had not contacted her. She had allowed Julie's family to legally adopt her when Lisa had been sure that she couldn't provide for her. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

/\\\\/\/\

Lisa opened her eyes and looked at Jack. "Hey," she whispered.

Jack kissed her forehead. "Hey, yourself."