Trip the Runner - Andrew Rolston Page 0,1

of the whole experience had made it even more like a dream. A dream from which he had never wanted to wake up.

“Trip? You up?” His mother’s voice shattered the lovely vision and brought him back to his tiny bathroom.

“Yeah, Mom. One minute.” He stepped out of his pajama pants and boxers and noticed that the pants had a hole worn in the crotch. Shoot. He’d have to go shopping.

He stepped into a scalding hot shower and smiled again. It always gave the locals a thrill to see him in places like the department store. He would have to bring some headshots with him in case anyone asked for an autograph.

*****

Across town, Rose Barrington blinked and opened her eyes. She was looking straight up to old wooden slats that let in slices of soft blue sky. It took her a moment to realize she’d fallen asleep in the barn.

The goats! The memory made her sit up in a heart-pounding panic. She looked all around and spotted it — the little white newborn that had given its mother so much trouble the night before. The little thing was curled up on a blanket she had put out and was flicking its tiny tail as it slept.

Rose fell back into the pile of straw below her with a big sigh of relief. A new goat was good news; she could add it to her flock and sell a male and female to a local farm in need of more animals. Also, a new mama meant more goat’s milk, and that meant more business.

The click of hooves caught her attention, and she turned to see Violet, the baby goat’s mother. Violet flicked her ears at Rose and tilted her sweet face at the unusual human in the hay. Rose rolled out of the hay and down onto the barn floor at Violet’s feet.

“We had quite a night, Violet,” Rose said, her voice struggling to make words. She could feel that familiar, tired ache deep in her bones, but she knew today was not a day to lie around the house. She had work to do. Rose rubbed her face and pulled her fingers through her long, hair. The goat bleated at her and flicked her ears again.

“I know, I know. I’m up.” Rose stood and brushed straw from her jeans and shirt. She rubbed the goat’s muzzle. “I suppose if you’re so chipper after bringing life into the world, I can handle a little work.”

The mother goat went and stood close to her new kid. He stood on wobbly legs and pressed his soft nose up to her udders and began to suckle, making little satisfied grunts as it did. Rose watched them for a moment, her heart warming at the sight. The mother goat looked at Rose and almost seemed to smile. The act of feeding her child appeared to give her deep satisfaction.

Rose left the two to have a moment to themselves and stepped outside. The sun was already rising, and the birds in the big tree outside the barn were hopping from branch to branch, scolding her for sleeping so long. She continued on to the little farmhouse where she could see her father, Phillip Barrington, moving behind the windows. He was sipping from his old, metal coffee cup and staring off at nothing. Rose pulled open the screen door and stepped in, catching his attention.

“Morning, Dad.” Her father bent so she could give him a kiss. Even so, she still had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his cheek. When she put her hand on his back, she could feel his farm-tough muscles under his work shirt.

“Good morning, my one and only.” He blushed a little and gave her a soft side hug. They let each other go, and Rose walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee.

“So,” her father inquired, “Do we have a new life to celebrate this morning?”

“We do,” Rose confirmed, smiling. “A little boy. All white, just like his mother.” She shook her head, wondering at the miracle of the morning. “Isn’t it incredible, Dad? One minute, it’s just us on this earth. Then the next, we have a whole new being, a new member of the flock right here.” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that. Boom. Everything is different.”

Her father nodded. “Yup. I suppose.” He downed the last of his coffee and rinsed his cup in the sink. His morning ritual fulfilled, he nodded at his daughter and went out to