Chocolate Horse by Bonnie Bryant Page A

said.
    “Not at all,” Stevie’s mother said. Then she turned to Stevie. “We’ll be leaving in about an hour to bring Alex home. Will you be ready by then?”
    Stevie found herself almost a little surprised. Of course, she knew Alex was coming home today, but she’d forgotten about it temporarily. She’d been having such a nice time with Lisa and Carole that all her sadness and confusion had been swept under the table. But here it was again. Alex. Alex was coming home.
    “I don’t think so, Mom,” she said. “I think I’ll just wait here. Do you mind?”
    “Uh, no,” said Mrs. Lake, clearly more surprised than upset. “I just thought, well, there’s going to be a lot to carry, flowers and everything, you know.”
    “Chad and Michael can help, and don’t we have fourteen zillion cousins here now?”
    “Three today,” said Mrs. Lake. “Just three.”
    “I’d rather wait here,” Stevie said.
    “Okay, sure,” said her mother. “I understand. You have something special planned for him, don’t you?”
    “I’ll be here,” Stevie said again, avoiding her mother’s question.
    The door closed, and the three friends were alone again. Stevie spoke first.
    “You know, Carole, I think you’re right. The last time Topside was being fussy, I actually started giving him orders, and he followed them until I figured he’d forgotten what it was he was being fussy about. I guess I’ll stick with that technique.”
    They were back to their favorite subject: horses.

C AROLE AND L ISA stayed for another hour, and then they had to return to Lisa’s house because they needed to change into their riding clothes. They were going to do some chores at Pine Hollow because Max had said if they got enough done, they could go for a trail ride later. They asked Stevie if she’d like to come along, but she said she thought she probably shouldn’t. They understood. Stevie told them to have fun and thanked them again for her wonderful surprise breakfast.
    Then everything was quiet in her room and in her house. Everybody else had gone to the hospital to get Alex. He’d be back here in a little while, and Stevie found that unsettling. She’d almost gotten used to herroutine of going straight to the hospital after school, finishing her homework, and then coming home. That’s what seemed like normal now. Did that mean she’d have to get used to a new normal?
    She decided to worry about that later and found that decision comforting in itself. It was very much like Stevie—the real Stevie—to put off a decision.
    In the quiet of the house, Stevie’s mind wandered back over the events since Alex had gotten sick. She recalled her trip to the hospital with Mrs. Reg and the rambling tale Mrs. Reg had told about the two horses who’d been separated. The trick to Mrs. Reg’s stories was to figure out what they were really about. In this case Stevie thought she knew. Mrs. Reg was telling her that it was important for her to be with Alex—that she was a better person when she was with Alex. At least, that’s what she
thought
Mrs. Reg’s story was about. Sometimes, of course, they weren’t about anything. They were just stories.
    A car pulled up in front of the garage, then another one. Car doors started opening and slamming shut. Alex was home. So were the rest of the Lakes and the visiting cousins. Quiet time was over.
    A part of Stevie thought she ought to be running down to greet her brother, to carry his suitcase, his flowers, his get-well cards. She should turn down his bed,bring him a pitcher of water, put his favorite comic books by his bed.
    She stayed in her room, sitting on her own bed, thinking. She heard voices, cheerful, relieved, welcoming, just the way they ought to sound. She even heard Alex’s voice, saying how glad he was to be home.
    “Where’s Stevie?” he asked.
    “Somewhere,” Chad answered.
    “I think she has something special planned for you,” Mrs. Lake said. “She’ll show up soon, I know.