Serenity Falls(68)

“Yes,” she answers, still not looking at me.

“Did you paint or draw something, or did you build something?” My eyebrows raise as I smile at her.

“I painted.”

“And what did you paint?” I ask, but she doesn’t answer.

Yesterday, when Sarah and I helped Mrs. Sandy grocery shop, we spoke about Isabel’s Asperger’s Syndrome. Sarah said that she rarely made eye contact with anyone or held a conversation, but she loved petting and helping feed the horses. Remembering that bit of information, I ask, “Isabel? Would you like to come with me to get a bag of apples? You can help me feed Autumn in the barn.”

That gets her attention.

“Yes! I love Autumn. She’s such a pretty horse,” she gushes with a wide, toothy smile.

I stand up and extend my hand to her. She takes it, and we set off for the barn. I know I should wait for Sarah to come back, but I know when she sees that we’re not here, she’ll come looking for us. As Isabel and I pass by a group of kids in a circle listening to Mrs. Sandy tell a story, I spot Jackie walking with her kid whom I still haven’t met. Our eyes meet, and I nod at her with a sad smile. I hate what happened between Jackie and me this past Saturday, but I can’t let her think that it’s okay to talk to me like that either. When she doesn’t acknowledge my subtle greeting, I know things between us are still on the rocks. Choosing to tackle that subject later, I push forward with Isabel, and leave Jackie’s and my issues alone. Isabel and I round the corner and run into Bailey and John.

“Hey guys,” I say, stopping. “What are y’all up to?”

“Hey, Kenleigh,” John says excitedly.

“John wanted to come in here and look at the horses,” Bailey says with a shrug as she stands next to him.

With his hands on the wheels of his wheelchair, John rolls himself back and forth a couple of times. “Man, Kenleigh, I went to the mall this weekend with my dad, and you should’ve seen how many girls were looking at me.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah. I knew these flames were going to be a chick magnet. It’s ‘cause I’m so hot’,” he says, sweeping his hands up and down his body like ‘what’s-not-to-like’. Boys and their hormones.

“Ahh… a Casanova.”

“No. A chick magnet,” he retorts as he shakes his head. He looks up at Bailey with his eyebrows dipped, nose scrunched, and lips twisted. “Casanova? She don’t know what she’s talking about.” And with that, we all burst into laughter. Well, all of us except for Isabel. She just looks at us as if we’re crazy.

After a minute or so, I gain control of myself. “If you need me, Bailey, I’m going to be in here with Isabel.” I point in the barn. “We’re going to feed Autumn some apples,” I say, looking at Isabel who’s openly staring at John.

I gently squeeze her hand, garnering her attention. “I’ll see y’all later.” I wave at Bailey and John over my shoulder as Isabel and I disappear into the barn.

Against the wall across from Autumn’s stall sits a large, brown, wooden barrel full of apples. A brown, leather satchel hangs on a hook above the barrel. I remove the leather bag. “Would you like to help me fill the bag?” Instead of answering, she starts to pick up apples, counting one by one, as she places them in the bag.

Once she counted out twenty-five apples, she grabs my hand and skips her way across the breezeway to the stall. I sit quietly on a bale of hay and watch in fascination as Isabel feeds Autumn. Isabel, much like me, may not be very social, but she shares the same connection with Autumn that I do. I see it in both of their eyes. I watch as their eyes meet and both of them immediately calm. At first, I can’t tell that Isabel is nervous about being with me. But now, I watch as her shoulders relax, and her body straightens as she stands taller, and a tension that I haven’t seen before leaves her eyes. The large, strained muscles in Autumn’s back no longer twitch from the extra weight of carrying her foal. A slow smile forms on Isabel’s face as she talks quietly to the horse as she feeds her apples.

I’m not sure how long I sit there just watching Isabel, my mind completely blank.

“She really loves that horse.” I’m startled at the sound of Sarah’s soft voice from behind me.

I crane my neck to look up at her as she leans against the railing outside of the stall. My voice is quiet as I reply, “They’re so relaxed around each other.”

“Where’ve you been?” I ask, realizing that she’s been gone a lot longer than it should ever take a person to use the bathroom. That’s when I see the red flush in her cheeks, and her hair slightly messed up. “Sarah?” I whisper-shout at her.