The Long Ride Home Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Marsha Hubler
sweetie,” Millie said.
“I’m sure Mom and Dad Chambers will do all they can to help us,” Skye said. “They’re really super.”
“I can tell you really love them, Skye.” Millie pulled the album in front of her. “And it’s very obvious that they love you just as much.”
“Did I tell you that Morgan’s a foster child, too?” Skye asked.
“No, you didn’t,” Millie said, paging through the book as though she were looking for something. “What happened to her parents?” She stopped and looked at Skye.
“All Morgan knows is that her parents got divorced about four years ago and her dad went to California with another woman. Morgan’s mom has a bunch of other kids and lives near Philly. She just couldn’t handle Morgan’s special needs, so she gave Morgan the choice to go to a ‘facility’ for kids like her or to go into foster care. Morgan’s mom comes to see her only once or twice a year, which really tears Morgan up inside. Mom and Dad Chambers are really the only parents she’s known for the last three years, and she thinks it was the best thing that ever happened to her.”
“Hey, Skye!”
Skye turned and saw Morgan wheeling toward her from the kitchen.
“Hi, Morgan,” Skye said. “You’re not finished with work already, are you?”
Morgan eyed Millie and Emma as she approached the table. “Nah, I just took a five-minute break. I wanted to meet your cousin.”
“It’s nice to know you,” Emma said. “I’ve already heard a lot about you from Mom.”
“Skye and I have been best friends for a long time, so I’m interested in what’s happening with her right now.”
Hmm, she almost sounds too interested, Skye thought.
“Well, we’re really glad that Mom met Skye at the diner,” Emma said.
“And we’re glad to know you, too,” Millie said.
“Right,” Morgan said, starting to wheel away. “Well, gotta get back to work. See you later, sis.”
“Yeah, later,” Skye said.
“She seems really nice,” Millie said.
“Yeah,” Skye said. “She’s really cool.” But I’m wondering if she’s missing her mom with all this going on with my family.
“Mom, show Skye what you looked like when you were a kid. Those pictures are a riot.”
“We can go through the book from cover to cover if Skye wants,” Millie said.
“I’d really like to,” Skye said. “We have a lot of time to catch up on.”
“And we want you to tell us all about you, too,” Emma said.
All afternoon Skye talked with her aunt and Emma. While Skye examined every last picture in the photo album, Millie and Emma filled her in on the Eister household and what had happened in their lives for the last eleven years. They talked about school and their jobs and how so very proud both of them were of Private Dennis Eister, U.S. Marine Corps. Millie also shared all the details about the day Skye was born and how cute she was as a toddler and how hard it was to give her up.
Then Skye had her turn to talk. As fast as her lips could move, she told them about all her foster homes, Keystone Stables, her horse Champ and her best friends—especially Chad. She also made a point to tell them about Jesus and how important he was in her life. When Skye glanced at her watch, she could hardly believe how the time had passed.
“Wow, it’s already four o’clock,” Skye said, standing. “I’ve got to get down to the barn and help cool down the horses. They should be back just about now from their long trail ride. I think Champ’s the only one who got the day off.”
Millie shuffled through the album, looking for something. “Wait a minute, Skye. I have something very important to show you.” She pulled a small stack of envelopesfrom the back of the album. “Oh, here they are. I knew I had stuck those letters in here.”
“What letters, Mom?” Emma asked.
“Skye,” Millie said, “on Friday evening when I was driving home from the diner, it dawned on me that I might have something that’ll
“I’m sure Mom and Dad Chambers will do all they can to help us,” Skye said. “They’re really super.”
“I can tell you really love them, Skye.” Millie pulled the album in front of her. “And it’s very obvious that they love you just as much.”
“Did I tell you that Morgan’s a foster child, too?” Skye asked.
“No, you didn’t,” Millie said, paging through the book as though she were looking for something. “What happened to her parents?” She stopped and looked at Skye.
“All Morgan knows is that her parents got divorced about four years ago and her dad went to California with another woman. Morgan’s mom has a bunch of other kids and lives near Philly. She just couldn’t handle Morgan’s special needs, so she gave Morgan the choice to go to a ‘facility’ for kids like her or to go into foster care. Morgan’s mom comes to see her only once or twice a year, which really tears Morgan up inside. Mom and Dad Chambers are really the only parents she’s known for the last three years, and she thinks it was the best thing that ever happened to her.”
“Hey, Skye!”
Skye turned and saw Morgan wheeling toward her from the kitchen.
“Hi, Morgan,” Skye said. “You’re not finished with work already, are you?”
Morgan eyed Millie and Emma as she approached the table. “Nah, I just took a five-minute break. I wanted to meet your cousin.”
“It’s nice to know you,” Emma said. “I’ve already heard a lot about you from Mom.”
“Skye and I have been best friends for a long time, so I’m interested in what’s happening with her right now.”
Hmm, she almost sounds too interested, Skye thought.
“Well, we’re really glad that Mom met Skye at the diner,” Emma said.
“And we’re glad to know you, too,” Millie said.
“Right,” Morgan said, starting to wheel away. “Well, gotta get back to work. See you later, sis.”
“Yeah, later,” Skye said.
“She seems really nice,” Millie said.
“Yeah,” Skye said. “She’s really cool.” But I’m wondering if she’s missing her mom with all this going on with my family.
“Mom, show Skye what you looked like when you were a kid. Those pictures are a riot.”
“We can go through the book from cover to cover if Skye wants,” Millie said.
“I’d really like to,” Skye said. “We have a lot of time to catch up on.”
“And we want you to tell us all about you, too,” Emma said.
All afternoon Skye talked with her aunt and Emma. While Skye examined every last picture in the photo album, Millie and Emma filled her in on the Eister household and what had happened in their lives for the last eleven years. They talked about school and their jobs and how so very proud both of them were of Private Dennis Eister, U.S. Marine Corps. Millie also shared all the details about the day Skye was born and how cute she was as a toddler and how hard it was to give her up.
Then Skye had her turn to talk. As fast as her lips could move, she told them about all her foster homes, Keystone Stables, her horse Champ and her best friends—especially Chad. She also made a point to tell them about Jesus and how important he was in her life. When Skye glanced at her watch, she could hardly believe how the time had passed.
“Wow, it’s already four o’clock,” Skye said, standing. “I’ve got to get down to the barn and help cool down the horses. They should be back just about now from their long trail ride. I think Champ’s the only one who got the day off.”
Millie shuffled through the album, looking for something. “Wait a minute, Skye. I have something very important to show you.” She pulled a small stack of envelopesfrom the back of the album. “Oh, here they are. I knew I had stuck those letters in here.”
“What letters, Mom?” Emma asked.
“Skye,” Millie said, “on Friday evening when I was driving home from the diner, it dawned on me that I might have something that’ll