Sophia now wished she had not promised to meet Marsha and her other classmates at the skating rink. She would just like to fold into herself like the four-o’clocks, little flowers that end their day at four. She was exhausted. Why was she so tired? she asked herself as she moved up the walk, waving good-bye to a neighbor who had given her a ride from the stable. How many times had she spent the same number of hours with Grit and afterward felt on top of the world? Was it the heat? she wondered. The quiet stillness of her house with blinds drawn against the glowing sun brought back the loneliness she had felt on the bluff with Grit. It was not just the heat, it was her state of mind. If only she could understand what was happening inside her. Her thoughts wandered to how she had heeled Grit into a gallop when she should have gone back to see if Rod was all right. Maybe facing Rod would not have been so difficult on returning from her ride if she had stopped then. On her return, many of the horses were in their stalls and only a few riders were still about.
