Free Golden Filly Collection One by Lauraine Snelling Page B

understand why I haven’t gone to visit my dad.”
    “Well, why haven’t you?”
    “I don’t know.” Trish searched for words to explain her feelings. “I just can’t go in there. It’s like…well…if I go there…”
    Rhonda waited out the silence.
    Trish shook her head. “Rhonda, I’m so scared. I’m just so scared.” She kicked another rock, viciously this time. “What if he dies?” Tears spilled over. She dashed a hand across her eyes and shook her head again. “I just can’t go to the hospital. Dad has to come home.”

    By the time Trish opened her chemistry book that night, she was so tired she could hardly read the print. She took her book into the living room. “David, can you help me with this stuff?”
    David was sound asleep on the sofa; his half-eaten sandwich on a plate on the floor. Trish. Threw the afghan over him and went back to her desk.
    An hour later Marge found her daughter, head on her chemistry book, fast asleep. “Trish.” She shook her gently. “You better get to bed.”
    Trish felt like she was crawling up out of a deep hole. “Hi, Mom.”
    She blinked and turned in her chair. “How’s Dad?”
    “We have some good news. After his radiation treatment tomorrow, I may be able to bring him home. They started with chemotherapy today, so it depends on how he’s feeling.”
    Trish spoke out of her fog. “He’s better then?”
    “Well, we just have to pray the treatments help. We’ll know more in a couple of weeks. Tonight he was pretty sleepy from the anesthetic and the medication.”
    And you didn’t even call him, Trish’s conscience scolded. What kind of daughter am I? she thought. Maybe Mom was right about wondering how much I love Dad. She swallowed against the lump that seemed to be making itself at home right behind her tonsils.
    “You better get to bed.” Marge rubbed Trish’s tight shoulders.
    “I have a quiz tomorrow. Gotta study some more.” Trish stared at the sparsely filled paper glaring up at her. Three problems done out of ten. Big deal. And she had one more assignment after that. And review for a quiz. None of the stuff made any sense anyway.
    “Let David take care of things in the morning. You sleep in,” her mother suggested.
    “Maybe.” Trish picked up her pencil. Why not have David do my chemistry and I’ll work the horses? she thought. Made a lot more sense. Oh sure, and he could take the quiz too, her nagging inner voice jumped back into the act. Trish looked longingly at her bed. Just one more hour. Surely she could study one more hour.

    She flunked her chemistry quiz. The score stood one out of ten. Trish stared at the paper in her hand. She’d never flunked anything before. What if her mother asked how the quiz went? She stuffed the paper into her folder and tried to pay attention to the lecture. All those symbols, how would she ever get them all memorized?
    Trish had a hard time paying attention all day. Good thing it was Friday. She’d be able to catch up over the weekend. When the last bell rang, she bolted for Brad’s car. Give her the horses and track any day.
    “Where’s Rhonda?” she asked as she slid into the front seat.
    “Her mom picked her up so they could leave early for the show this weekend.” Brad backed out of his parking place.
    “Sure wish I could be there for her. Those are nearly professional jumping classes she’s entered. She’s up against the big time.”
    “Be nice if we could all be there.” Brad patted her knee. “But don’t worry, Rhonda understands.”
    “I know.” Trish sighed. I just wish I understood, she thought. Everything is so messed up. Maybe… her thoughts brightened. Just maybe Dad will be there when I get home.
    He wasn’t. No one was. A scrawled note from David said he’d gone to the hospital to see Dad. He’d be back around four.
    “Well, that’s great,” Trish muttered as she changed her clothes. “You could at least have told me what needs to be done.” She gathered up