January 9, 1901

Bisbee. 

“I remember everything now!” I exclaimed as I ran into the saloon at the end of Ma’s gig. 

“Natalie have you seen the quiet man any more?” Jimmy asked. 

“Natalie, you remember my friend Jinxy from Canada?” Ma asked me. 

“Jimmy why didn’t you wake me???” I asked him. 

“You looked so comfy, I not want to wake you,” Jimmy said. 

“Hi miss Jinxy! Course I remember! I remember everything now!” I exclaimed. 

“Natalie have you seen the quiet man any more?” Jimmy asked. 

“Hi Miss Natalie…” Miss Jinxy reached down to scoop me up. “Oh so good to see you little one!” 

“Nope, Not seen mister Joe yet. Not since he helped me.” I shook my head and hugged Miss Jinxy tight. “Hi Miss Jinxy!” 

“It’s so good to have you here, Jinx,” Ma told her. “You said Adrian showed you around?” 

“Yeah we can show you if he didn’t! I remember where everything is!” I exclaimed. 

“Yes he did… quickly,” Miss Jinxy said. 

“So glad you got your mind back sister.” Jimmy chuckled and ran over to hug me tightly. 

“Well my coach is waiting and I fear the chaperon will leave .. I need to stop by the farm house I am interested in buying,” Miss Jinxy said. 

“I always had my mind, bro, it just took a um... vacation.” I giggled. 

“Definitely. Well we’ll catch up and you can meet Thomas soon hopefully, since he wasn’t with us in Canada.” Ma nodded to her. 

“I so understand that situation,” Miss Jinxy said to me. 

“Yeah pa was snoring loudly upstairs when I come down… I couldn’t take a nap,” Jimmy said. 

“That would be lovely… I can’t wait..and Trin you sound just as beautiful as ever,” Miss Jinxy said. 

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Ma chuckled. “Thank you hon.. meant a lot you could meet my cousins as well.” 

We continued to talk with Miss Jinxy and then went to see the stables as Ma headed home and Miss Jinxy went to settle in at her hotel. 

We went to see if Shira could come with us and she came over to lick our faces and was excited about the idea of walking. 

Tombstone.

We walked over to the stables and I hesitated nervously. I looked around to make sure we were alone. 

“Sis you sure you are ready for this?” Jimmy asked. 

“No, I ain’t.” I shook my head and he held my hand gently. “They’re just so big.” I said as Shira licked my hand. I continued to pet her, trying to get my confidence back. 

“It’s okay sis… We don’t have to go in unless you feel up to it. I know it’s hard…” 

“I jes… I remember loving to ride. And I always used to ride Velvet. Now that I remember her I miss her. But I’m scared too.” 

“She will be there when you are ready sis. I make sure to take good care of her.” 

“Thanks bro, she don’t deserve me desertin’ her.” I started to walk into the stables slowly, holding Jimmy’s hand. 

“Take your time sis,” Jimmy said. 

I nodded and looked around, taking a few deep breaths. The sight of the big horses filled me with fear and I started to cry, remembering the accident. Shira whimpered a bit beside me and nudged my side, looking to Jimmy. 

“It’s okay sis. You don’t have to go any further,” he said as he put an arm around me as I started to cry more. 

“It ain’t fair, Jimmy! It ain’t fair!” I cried and hugged him tightly. 

“It’s okay… just relax..” 

“If there was a little horse... away from the big ones... like at Irish’s stables..” 

“I don’t know any little horses sis… but I am sure there are some around here,” Jimmy said. I turned away from the stables and looked over at Jimmy as Shira barked at the horses. “You know, she has always barked at horses… maybe she knows something we don’t.” 

“Great. Our dog’s braver than me.” I frowned. 

“Awww, sis…. you can’t help it… you got hurt, it that had happened to me, I would be afraid too I am sure.” 

I watched the horses wander over to Jimmy and backed up a bit as we saw horses outside of the stables. There was a big horse and a little horse. 

“Aww… it looks like a parent and its little one,” Jimmy said and we stepped closer to the horses, but I was still nervous. 

“I think that’s its pa. Like Thomas is our pa,” Jimmy said about the big horse. I backed up as the foal came closer and trembled a bit as Jimmy said, “Sis its just a baby horse… see…” He walked closer and pet the foal’s neck. 

“Is it a boy or girl…?” I asked curiously. 

“It’s a boy,” Jimmy smiled and rubbed the horse’s head gently. 

“Are you sure it won’t... hurt me…?” I asked, watching Jimmy and stepping closer to the smaller horse. “He likes you, Jimmy!” 

“Touch it sis…” Jimmy said as he pet Shira and the foal. “He is such a nice looking horse… just like its pa.”

I reached out cautiously and touched the little foal and pet its main. “I ain’t gettin’ on him though.” 

“Well no… I wouldn’t either sis… the daddy horse there might not like it… but he seems ok with us touching the foal…” 

I jumped a bit as the horse shook its mane and looked into its eyes, as if it were looking right into me and seeing my fear. 

Jimmy went into the stables and got an apple and then came over to me. “Here sis, feed him this. I bet he will love it. He wants you to pet him sis.” 

The foal rubbed his head on my leg, butting me for attention. I took the apple from Jimmy and looked at the foal, watching the big horse move cautiously. “You want this?” I asked the foal. He sniffed at the apple and looked away. The foal nickered and lipped at my dress playfully and I swallowed hard, my hand freezing on his mane. 

“Aww, I guess he ain’t able to eat these yet…” Jimmy said and brought the apple out to the big horse. 

“How come he don’t eat apples?” I watched him and said, “Jimmy! Careful!” 

“He may still be too young sis… I am sis… I promise.” 

The foal started to hum at me and I grinned, petting the foal again as he nickered and leaned against me. “You sing too horsey?” 

Jimmy kept petting the big horse and Shira, and I backed up as the big horse came closer to me. I felt a little better as the little horse followed me away from the big horse and told the horse, “Sorry horsey your pa’s too big.” The foal sneezed and trotted over to the stallion and I frowned. “No.. I didn’t mean go back to it..” 

“I don’t think it understands our words sis. But he is a pretty horse.. his pa must be proud.” 

“You think pa horses are proud like human pa’s?” I asked, watching the stallion sniffing the foal as the foal rubbed against the stallion, then wandered over to Shira. Shira watched the horses and set her paws on the ground as the foal sniffed at Shira, pawing the ground playfully. 

“I think so...horses are like us… they got ma’s and pa’s just like we do,” Jimmy said. I watched as the foal pounced the ground and Shira pounced too, then growled. “Shira! Be nice to the foal… he just a little fella.” 

“The foal looks like he’s gettin’ Shira going. It ain’t Shira’s fault,” I said and watched as the foal reared and I backed up, remembering being reared off the big horse in Canada. 

“I think the foal just wants to play… but Shira don’t know any better,” Jimmy said and put his arms around me as Shira came over to me and the foal retreated to his father. 

“Maybe we better go home.” 

“Yeah I think so too sis… ma will be getting worried if we stay gone too long.” 

“Yeah. I feel a bit better bein’ around the little horse though. Come on Shira,” I said and led them home.