Later, when she saw little Emmie arrive in the passenger van, Anna hoped she might be assigned again as her side walker. She wondered once more why the little girl did not speak. Was it that she couldn’t, or was something else keeping her from doing so? Gabe had once mentioned she’d stopped talking when her mother died. Emmie moved normally and seemed to understand everything that was spoken to her, with eyes that were bright and focused and even an occasional faint smile.

It turned out that Dottie asked if Anna would like to help Emmie groom Promise again, and Anna jumped at the chance. At one point while she and Emmie moved their brushes over the pony, Emmie leaned her head against his flank.

“Aw, you like him, don’t ya,” Anna said in Deitsch, and Emmie turned to look unwaveringly at her. “He’s so gentle and sweet . . . like you.”

Then Anna began to talk softly to Promise, as she liked to do, and Emmie resumed brushing, her attention back on the shining black pony.

After the session, Anna helped get Emmie’s right foot out of the stirrup and waited for Katie to help her on the left. Then, reaching to lift Emmie out of the saddle, Katie set her down. The girl stood back from the pony, as all the riders had been taught, waiting patiently for whoever was in charge of picking her up and taking her home.

Eventually, Emmie approached the front of the pony and stood practically nose to nose with him, patting him gently. “I think Promise likes that,” Anna said softly, only observing and not moving toward Emmie.

The pony dipped his head at Emmie just then, and she broke into a big smile.

“See? And Promise likes you.”

After Emmie and the other children left in the passenger van, Gabe came over to help Anna remove the bridle and saddle. “I couldn’t help noticing you with Emmie,” he said.

“She seems really taken with Promise.” Anna ran her hand through the pony’s thick, dark mane.

“Well, I think Emmie likes you, too,” he said more quietly, lifting the saddle off the pony. “She’s very fond of you, Anna.”

“And I love being her side walker,” Anna replied. “I was glad to get the chance again today. She’s such a sweet child.”

“Would you consider being one of Emmie’s permanent side walkers?” he asked, his eyes searching hers, his smile warm. “For the rest of this season, that is?” he added as he walked with her to the tack room.

“Sure,” she said, surprised by his lingering gaze. “Denki.”

He hung up the saddle. Then, turning to her, he added, “I hope we’ll have the opportunity to talk again.”

Later, while driving home, Anna realized she hadn’t looked even once today at the stone wall. Her mind had been completely preoccupied with Gabe’s remark about talking with her again.