Sofia's Choice

Chapter 1

Bright sunshine poured through the windows of Good Shepherd Community Church, warming the right side of Sofia’s face. Her eyelids drooped, but she forced her eyes open, hoping Pastor Amy wouldn’t notice her drowsiness.

Sofia and her friends Olivia and Ryan were in middle school, so they were expected to stay in the sanctuary for the entire worship service, including the sermon. Pastor Amy’s booming voice and energetic movements usually held Sofia’s attention, but she’d found it difficult to sleep last night, and she’d left the house before sunrise. The horses had to be fed, and the stalls mucked out whether or not she was sleepy.

Ryan jiggled his legs, causing the pew to vibrate with his twitchy energy. Olivia glared and tapped his foot with the bottom of her crutch. Sofia glanced up at their mother, Pastor Amy, wondering if she ever scolded her twins for their behavior during the worship service. If she did, Sofia hadn’t witnessed it.

She looked across the aisle to her great-grandfather. Grampy’s eyes were closed. He was either praying or napping. She suspected it was the latter.

Pastor Amy grinned at the congregation, most of whom still appeared to be awake. She invited them to pray with her, which meant her sermon was ending and they’d be singing one last song before they could go downstairs and socialize. Sofia hoped Grampy would hold off on his snoring for another minute or two.

At Pastor Amy’s invitation, Sofia rose to her feet to join the church members in song. She struggled to follow the unfamiliar tune, hating the sound of her high, wispy voice. Thankfully, Olivia belted the words, drowning out everyone within a twenty-foot radius.

When the worship service was over, Olivia grabbed Sofia’s arm. “Mrs. Smith made peanut butter cookies for the coffee hour. We better hurry downstairs and get our share before the Sunday School kids take them all.”

“I’m on it.” Ryan grinned before turning and sprinting down the side aisle ahead of the grownups.

“You’d better save some for us!” Olivia shouted at his back. It would take her three times as long as her brother to make it down the stairs and into the fellowship hall. She leaned on her crutches. “Aren’t you coming?”

“I want to say hello to Mrs. Smith.”

“Good luck with that,” Olivia said, glancing at the line forming around the elderly woman. “I’ll save you some cookies if Ryan doesn’t eat them all before I get there.”

Sofia nodded. Though her mouth watered at the thought of Mrs. Smith’s peanut butter and chocolate kiss cookies, she wanted to check how Mrs. Smith was doing first. She’d only returned home from the nursing home a few days ago, and her cat, Pumpkin, was still living in Sofia’s bedroom.

Mrs. Smith was speaking with a group of similarly elderly ladies when she spotted Sofia waiting for her turn to greet her. “Sofia,” her voice rang out. “The angel who saved my life.”

Sofia’s cheeks grew warm, but she smiled as she approached Mrs. Smith. “I didn’t save…”

“You most certainly did. If you hadn’t found me on the floor and called for help, I’d be with Jesus in the sweet hereafter instead of in church with you and these lovely ladies.” Mrs. Smith threw her arms around Sofia and kissed the top of her head. “Mmm. Your hair smells of horses.”

“Sorry.” Sofia stepped away from Mrs. Smith’s embrace. “I didn’t have time to take a shower this morning.”

Mrs. Smith laughed. “You and I both know horse smell is the best aroma in the world. How is that lovely palomino of yours?”

“Sundance is doing great. And Anika is giving me a jumping lesson tomorrow.”

“Ah. Your new horse-crazy friend.” Mrs. Smith grinned. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Like jumping over picnic tables? Or cars?” Sofia giggled. She still had a difficult time imagining the elderly Mrs. Smith as a reckless teenager jumping her horse, Patches, over everything in sight. “I think we’re going to practice with cross rails. Boring, I know.”

“Remember, baby steps.” Mrs. Smith put her arm around Sofia’s shoulder. “I know a wise, young horse trainer who has had splendid success with this method.”

Wise, young horse trainer. Sofia’s chest warmed at Mrs. Smith’s compliment. The barn owner, Stephanie, had taught her about taking baby steps, but it had been Sofia’s patience and persistence that had helped Sundance to regain his confidence.

“I made your favorite cookies,” Mrs. Smith said. “You’d better get one before they’re gobbled up.”

“Thanks.”

Sofia hurried down the stairs to the fellowship room and tried to push past a group of elementary-age kids who crowded around the snack table. A plate containing fragments of crackers and three slices of cheese sat beside a bare platter. Mrs. Smith’s cookies were gone.

Ryan tapped Sofia’s shoulder and whispered, “Come with me.”

She turned and followed him into Pastor Amy’s office. Olivia sat behind her mother’s desk, holding a paper plate with several peanut butter and chocolate kiss cookies.

“I can’t believe you…” Sofia glanced at Ryan. “How many did you take?”

Ryan grinned. “Our fair share.”

Olivia offered the plate of cookies to Sofia. “Three for each of us. Ryan already ate his, but I was polite enough to wait for you.”

“You swiped nine cookies?” Sofia shook her head at Ryan. That seemed a bit more than a fair share.

“Uh, ten, actually.” Ryan wiped his mouth. “But Mrs. Smith made a lot. And if I hadn’t taken them, the Sunday school kids would have.”

Sofia bit into a cookie, feeling slightly guilty, but not guilty enough to return the others to the empty platter in the fellowship room.

“So,” Olivia said through a mouthful. “You’re going to ask Jess whether we can ride Magic and Rosie, right?”

Sofia held back an eye roll. Olivia had asked her this question at least a dozen times since she’d told her that Mom’s boyfriend, Jason, had a sister who owned two horses. Jason had ridden Jess’s Percheron-cross, Black Magic, on a trail ride with Sofia and her horse Sundance, but she hadn’t met Jess, or her horse, Rosie, yet. “I already told you I would.”

“Yeah, but since you’re going to her house after church, I just wanted to make sure you don’t forget.”

This time Sofia really did roll her eyes. “There’s no way I’m going to forget.” How could she, with Olivia and Anika bugging her constantly?

“Are you going to eat your other cookies?” Ryan asked Olivia.

“You’ve already had four.” Olivia narrowed her eyes and snatched a cookie from the plate. She crammed it into her mouth. “If you keep eating like that, you’ll get too fat to ride.”

Ryan frowned and patted his stomach. “Maybe I don’t care about riding.”

“You’re just a big, fat chicken.” Olivia smirked. “Bok. Bok. Bok…”

Sofia glared at Olivia. Why did she have to be so mean to her brother? He’d fallen from Sundance less than two months ago. He’d even missed the first few days of school while he recovered from hitting his head. Sofia didn’t blame him for being afraid to get back on a horse. She held out the plate of Mrs. Smith’s cookies. “You can have one of mine.”

Ryan shook his head and walked away.

Sofia’s heart pounded as she considered confronting Olivia. How many times had she ignored her friend’s hurtful comments to Ryan? Fifty times? A hundred? More? Ryan was Sofia’s friend, too. She put the paper plate back on Pastor Amy’s desk. “Why do you do that to him?”

“Do what?” Olivia took another bite of her cookie.

“Say mean things to him. Make him feel bad.”

Olivia shrugged. “He’s my brother. That’s what sisters do. He knows I’m just teasing him.”

Sofia took a deep breath before responding. “I’m not sure he always sees it that way. I think you hurt his feelings sometimes.”

“What? About being a chicken?” Olivia jutted her chin. “He’s gotta toughen up. Get back on a horse. The sooner he does that, the sooner he’ll conquer his fears. Which is why you need to ask Jess if he can ride Magic. You said that horse is bombproof. Exactly the horse Ryan needs. And I can ride Rosie.”

Sofia sighed. “I’ll ask.”