Frühstück oder Pferdemist

Sofia had asked Jamie if he would return to Spain with her. I was in the stable. They hadn’t noticed me. I held my breath. What would he say?

Jamie: “No. I loved you, Sofia — but differently. I’m not going back. Because of me… and because of her. I’ve arrived. And I’m not running anymore.”

Sofia: “I had hoped you would at least hesitate. But you don’t sound like a man who’s still searching. You sound like a man who has found.”

Later, Jamie and I were fooling around outside the stable. He brushed something off my face.

Gillian: “What are you doing?”

Jamie: “You’ve got something there. Either breakfast… or horse manure.”

Sofia watched us. The way he looked at me… he had never looked at her like that. There was no restlessness in his eyes. No searching. No maybe. Not the fleeting fire of a travel romance — but something calm. Deep. Something that stays. This was no longer a stop along the way. This was home. In that moment, she understood: She hadn’t lost him. He had already arrived. Sofia decided to return to Spain. She would have Majestic picked up once he was ready. We said goodbye. Majestic stood beside her.

Sofia: “The bond between you is strong. I think… we never would have had one like that. Take good care of him.”

The last sentence was meant for Jamie — about Majestic. And for me — about Jamie. Then she left. Later, I met Claire outside her door.

Claire: “She’s gone… isn’t she?”

Gillian: “Yes. And she didn’t leave because she lost. She left because she understood. What she and Jamie had was real. But it belonged to another time. He didn’t leave her — he moved forward.”

At the same time, Rowan was talking to Jamie.

Rowan: “She’s gone… right?”

Jamie: “Yes. What we had was honest, but it wasn’t forever. Sometimes you meet someone because you need them in that moment. And sometimes because you’re finally ready to stay. I searched for a long time. Not anymore.”

Later we met by the outdoor stables.

Jamie: “Come on, let’s go for a ride. We’ll finally have some time for ourselves.”

Gillian: “Yes… we should.”

The mood was quiet. Too quiet.

Gillian: “So? Everything okay?”

Jamie: “Yes. Some chapters matter — but they end. And now I know exactly what I want. The best part is… I got it.”

Oh really? What a ridiculous thing to say. I galloped off.

Gillian: “Oh yeah? If you get everything you want — then try and catch me!”

Jamie: “That’s not fair! You started way earlier!”

Of course, old heavy Foxy and I didn’t stand a chance against Jamie on Epico. We stopped for a break and lay down in the grass. Jamie leaned over me and gently brushed my cheek.

Jamie: “It took me a while to figure out who I really am… and you saw it the moment I arrived here. You took your time — and then you chose me. But I knew from that very first day that my place was here with you. I love you.”