She landed with a thump and a scream… followed by “ohmygodohmygodohmygod” repeatedly as I rushed to her side… unable to tell where the pain was coming from.
Turns out… I’d never seen someone with the wind knocked out of them. Never felt it myself. Her writhing was her attempt to get a breath… it took awhile before she could stop gasping.
Nothing broke.
Nothing bruised.
I put her to bed propped up with pillows and ice on her sore back… let her stay up too late watching tv in my room… eating skittles… getting sugar crumbs throughout the sheets.
I left her alone… and panicked where she couldn’t see. Just for a moment.
She loves these horses.
Posters throughout her room of galloping, frolicking, nuzzling ponies. Every horse stuffed animal and toy imaginable. Horse t-shirts, story books, dictionaries, notepads, blankets… everything horse.
She breathes them.
And they take her breath away.