I had the best sleep in a long time. My own bed had never felt better.

I stretched before getting out of bed and choosing what to wear. To be able to choose what clothing to wear was amazing. I really wanted to ride Mimõe, so I pulled on my navy blue riding pants. They were nearly identical to my normal pants, but I had sewn patches of thick fabric to the side of the knee to expand their life just a bit longer. For my shirt, I chose to wear a light orange wraparound shirt. It had small, embroidered leaves and flowers along the collar and cuffs my mum had done for me. I tied a small blue ribbon around my neck in a bow, then slipped a sweater vest over my shirt.

Before leaving my room, I put on my indoor slippers, then went downstairs to breakfast.

Mum had made bread that morning, so I had fresh bread with a blueberry jam. It was amazing. All the ingredients were fresh and well prepared. So much better than even the best food at an army camp.

I thanked my mum for breakfast, then headed out to the stable. Mimõe whined happily at me. I stroked his snout gently before getting his tack and grooming supplies.

When I entered the stable, I put the saddle over the door and the crate of grooming supplies on the floor.

Before I started to groom Mimõe, I ran my hands along his back, checking for saddle sores or tense muscles. I was glad to find that he hadn’t gotten any saddle sores while I had been away, and all his muscles seemed as strong as ever.

I then moved on to checking his legs and hooves. He still had all four shoes. All I needed to do was go through and remove all the dirt. I finished by gently tapping the spot just under his wing to tell him to open them. I checked the length of his wing. All the feathers were in place and were healthy. Calula had done a good job at taking care of him.

Once I was done checking Mimõe. I got a soft bristle brush and carefully removed all the dirt from his back, stomach, and legs. I also got the pick and cleaned the dirt out of his hooves.

I gently stroked his back before placing the saddle blanket across his back. Next, I put the saddle riser on, then finally lifted the saddle up onto his back. I checked both sides of the saddle, making sure it wasn’t digging in anywhere, especially around the wings.

Once I was satisfied with how the saddle looked, I went to the left side and tightened the girth. I did it hole by hole so as not to startle Mimõe.

Moving round to his face, I carefully worked the bit into his mouth and slipped the top of the bridal over his ears. Mimõe moved his tongue around his mouth a few times to get used to the bit.

I grabbed the reins just under his mouth, opened the stable door, and led Mimõe outside.

I took him to the oped area of grass, which had been dedicated to my riding for years. There was a circle where the grass couldn’t grow from the number of times I had ridden over it.

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Once we were in the centre of the grassy area, I looped the reins over Mimõe’s head and mounted on the left side. I gave him a small squeeze on the sides, and he began to walk. I walked him around the area a few times both ways, then trotted both ways to stretch him out.

Once I had finished that, I could finally start flying. I took Mimõe to the edge of the grassy area. I pushed my feet forward and squeezed gently under the wings, commanding his to open them. I then squeezed his sides again, and he began to canter and flap his wings. It took him his usual ten steps to get off the ground.

The moment his feet left the ground, I lent forward. Moving with his body. It felt amazing to fly again. I had missed the feeling.

I flew over the farm. Leading Mimõe up and down and round and round. He followed my commands as easily as if he were part of my own body. He would react to a slight pressure on his side or bit. We had a mutual understanding of one another.

After half an hour, I lent forward and gave a slight pull on the reigns to signal Mimõe to land.

He landed gracefully and perfectly, taking eleven steps to stop. Everything was just as I remembered it.

I patted Mimõe gratefully, then dismounted and led him to just outside the paddock. I untacked Mimõe, then let him into the paddock. He trotted around happily before settiling under a tree to eat some grass. I watched him contently for a few minutes before putting his tack away and heading back to the house.

When I entered the house, Mum looked me up and down. “Go change. You can’t go see the Qi’s looking like that,” Mum said.

That was new. I hadn’t been told we were going to see the Qi’s. “When are we going to see the Qi’s?”

“We aren’t you are. They asked if you would be willing to see them, and I said yes. You told me that you had some of Calla’s things yesterday at dinner. You said you wanted to return them.”

I had said that, but I hadn’t meant I would do it today. “Can I do it tomorrow?" I really didn’t want to face the Qi’s. I was the last one to see their son alive. I was scared they would blame me for his death. Deep down, I knew they wouldn't, but a part of me still blamed myself for his death.

“No, you will do it today.” Mum took me into her arms. “I know it’s hard, but it would mean so much to the Qi’s. You were his boyfriend.” She released me from her grip. “Now go get changed. You smell of horse.”

I nodded. Mum’s power to overrule my free will was truly amazing.

Now I had to choose another outfit. Two outfits in one day was wild, and this one was going to have to be formal. I used to feel comfortable at the Qi’s house, but that was before... well, anyways, now I had to find a formal outfit to wear. This was going to be hard.

I climbed the stairs to my room. Opening my closet, I started the task of finding something to wear. I settled on a white long-sleeved shirt with frilly bits around the wrist and embroidery I had done on the collar. For pants, I choose a reddish orange pair. I put my riding boots back on, tucking the pants into the top of them. I pulled a baby blue vest over the shirt and put my large felt jacket. It had small wooden buttons and embroidered flowers and vines around the hems and collar. The frilly bit of my sleeves stuck out slightly, adding a nice look.

Before leaving my room, I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a bun, securing it with a wooden hairpin. I had nicer hairpins, but I didn’t want to overdo it.

Once I finished dealing with the bird’s nest on my head. I riffled through my army-issued pack to find Calla’s things. When I pulled out the small bag holding his belongings, I felt a twist in my gut and an ache in my heart.

I felt tears starting to form, but I pushed them away. I wasn’t going to break down. Not yet anyway. I didn’t think I would be able to keep it together at the Qi’s house.

Looking at the bag of Calla’s things as little as possible, I placed it in my cross-body satchel before heading down stairs.