Silver Lining

Emily put the last bag in the car, giving a small puff as she swung it into the trunk. Why her sister had to pack this much for a week long trip, she had no idea. She pushed the button and watched the trunk slowly lower itself shut. 

“Samantha, are you ready?” Emily called up the stairs, walking around the car to get into the driver's seat. Settling into the seat, she smiled as she heard her sister come clattering down the stairs. She threw herself into the passenger seat, and started fiddling with the radio before she was even buckled. 

“No no,” Emily playfully slapped her hand away. “I drive, I pick the music.” 

Samantha pouted as Emily turned on the country station, but before they were even down the street, she was singing along just as loudly as Emily. 

“Oh, can you pull up directions please?” Emily asked as she turned onto the main road that cut through their small town.

“How you don’t have the route memorized is beyond me. This is what, the fifth summer we’ve gone down there?” Samantha asked as she typed the address into the car’s GPS.

“Um… sixth, actually. And I mean I know the route… I just want to see if there’s any detours or other things.”

Samantba rolled her eyes, seeing right through Emily’s excuses. The GPS pinged as it loaded, and Emily grinned.

“Perfect, we’ll get to the rental just before dark! Do you want to start going over the ponies?”

Samantha had the pamphlet out before Emily even finished her sentence. The cover read “Teddy Cobs 2025 Round Up”. The girls had been going each year for as long as they could remember, starting with their mom bringing them. Every winter, a group of Teddy Cobs was rounded up, and people could try to claim them to bid on them in the auction. The girls had never been successful before, but this year they were determined. A few days before the roundup, a pamphlet was sent out to all the attending parties, containing all of the available ponies. Most of them got claimed quickly, but Emily and Samantha knew that the best were sometimes left for last. 

“Oh my gosh, Em.” Samantha said, holding up a page to her sister. 

“Sam I’m DRIVING, I can’t look. Read it to me.” Samantha rolled her eyes, but she wasn’t surprised by Emily’s rule following.

“She’s this cute little chestnut overo. Wooly, so much hair. Blue eyes and estimated at 14 hands high.” 

As Samantha read, Emily’s eyes lit up more and more with every word. 

“14 hands? That’s perfect!” She exclaimed. The girls both wanted a riding pony, but since Teddy Cobs had such a large height range, neither of them had been too hopeful.

“We’re here!” Emily exclaimed as she pulled the car into their rental house’s driveway. The girls piled out of the car, dragging their luggage behind them.

“If we hurry, we can still make it out to the pasture before dark!” Samantha looked pleadingly at Emily as they put their suitcases in the bedroom.

“Okay, fine. But just a quick look.” Emily gave in.

Arriving at the pasture, the girls immediately noticed the chestnut overo mare. She was the tallest in the herd, and had many bell ribbons tied in her mane. 

“Ready to add one more?” Emily asked her sister, pulling a red bell ribbon from her backpack. Samantha grinned, and they went into the pasture.