"Are ya'll ready?" Farmer Lance asked.

The other four smiled as they adjusted their cowboy and cowgirl hats.

Square bales of hay were neatly stacked in front of them.

"Go!"

The four kids raced to see who could move the most bales in a minute.

Heather struggled to run with her's as the brother's ran back to grab their seconds, "This is no fair!" She laughed, "You guys are...well, guys! and you are older than me, too!"

Andrew ran passed her and said with a smile, "It's not our fault if we are incredibly masculine!"

Heather laughed, "Incredibly masculine? Give me a break! I've seen five-year-olds more muscular than you!"

Andrew dropped his hay bale, "Uh, uh, uh, you did not just go there."

"Oh, I think I did!"

"Come on boys, I believe we need to get some revenge."

"Very true, brother," Jeff said as he dropped his bale.

The brothers slowly approached Heather.

"What are you doing?" She began slowly backing away.

"Andrew, get the arms, Jeff, you and I will take her legs," Craig said.

The boys lunged and her limbs.

Heather laughed as the picked her up like a hammock.

"Let's go," Andrew tried to keep a straight face.

"Onward!" Jeff declared as they ran for the pound.

After knocking her hat off, they began swaying her back and forth.

"One, two, three!" They shouted as they threw her in.

Heather screamed as she she splashed into the water. She popped back up easily.

Laughter filled the air.

"Oh no, you ain't getting away this easily," Heather said as she yanked his leg.

"Ah!" Andrew cried as he splashed into the water.

Craig and Jeff died laughing.

"Oh, you wanna play, do ya now?" Andrew threatened.

In a matter of moments, all of them were splashing in the pond.

A couple of hats were lost that day, but it was a small price to pay for the memories made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather brushed her hair and stared into her mirror.

"You know you have your mother's eyes."

Heather turned around. Mrs. Laynie walked towards her.

"Or so I've heard," She waved a small photo that was in her hands, "I was given a box when you came last year, I was told that your parents wanted you to have this." She handed Heather the photo, "That's your mother's senior picture, or so it says on the back."

Heather flipped it over and read the back.

Dearest daughter,

I have been sick for a long time, it is no secret. If you are reading this, then I must be home. I have made it clear that my wish is for you to open this box during your thirteenth year just like you sister did. I do not want my passing to break a family tradition. Your brothers, on the other hand, have boxes from your father that will be opened on their thirteenth birthdays. When you look in the mirror and see those eyes of green, I hope you remember me. I will love you forever and I apologize if I wasn't the mother you deserved, I know I made mistakes, but please remember, I am only human.

Love, Mama

Heather looked up at Mrs. Laynie with tear in her eye which she quickly blinked back, "Thank you, for fulfilling my mother's wish. Giving your child a box of memories either on their thirteenth birthday or during their thirteenth year has been a tradition in our family for years, my mother would be heartbroken if I didn't get mine."

"You're welcome," She smiled, "it's my job to take care of you, I wouldn't dream of not fulfilling your mother's wishes."

Heather gave her a hug.

Mrs. Laynie handed Heather the box and left the room. Heather pushed the door closed and waited till she could no longer hear footsteps. Once she was sure no one was near, she sank against the door. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she clutched the picture.

"Where'd you go?" She screamed at God, "Why'd you leave me?! I thought you loved me! Please, let me see right win! Come back to me!" She hit the back of her head against the door as she cried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner at the Marshall's was quiet. Five seats at the table for six were filled.

"So," Jeff began, breaking the thick silence, "Where's Dad?"

"Oh, he's working late, honey, was there something you needed him for?" Mrs. Marshall asked.

"No, I just kinda wish we had more family time."

Their mother sadly looked down at the table, "I do too," She whispered.

The table went silent again as everyone finished their supper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather held the bottle as a baby calf drank. She smiled as it sucked.

"You like doing this, don't ya? Andrew leaned against the pen.

Heather nodded.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Heather put down the bottle and turned to face him.

"Do you know God?" He asked.

She bit her lip, contemplating her answer, "I used to."

He nodded, "I really don't know if I ever did."

"What do you mean?" Heather asked.

"I don't know," He sighed, "I've gone to Church my whole life, but God hasn't really been my best friend. It's just like..."

"He left when you needed Him?" She said, more to herself than to Andrew.

"Yeah."

"I sure know how that feels," She whispered.

"You know, your not half as bad as I act like you are."

Heather smiled, "You're not half-bad, yourself."

"Thanks."

Heather drew a breath as if she were about to say something but then re-thought it, "Did something happen to you? I mean, that made you lose faith?"

"Heather, everyone has a story, a past, I know bits and pieces of yours, and one day you'll know mine. Just not today."

Heather nodded, and that was the end of the conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday morning rolled 'round and Lily ran down stairs in what her grandmother called, "Her Sunday best."

She ran into the kitchen to find her mother, father and brothers at the table.

"Guys, it's time to leave for Mass, is that what your wearing?" She asked.

Jeff turned around and gave her an odd look, "Why are you going to church?"

Lily looked at him confused, "Why aren't you?"

"The family doesn't go anymore not in like a month, Lil, haven't you noticed?" Andrew asked.

"Okay, I guess I'll go alone." She muttered.

"Bye hon!" Her mother called.

"Bye, Mom."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ding dong. The door bell went off. Heather ran down the stairs and pulled it open.

"Hi Heather! You may not recognize me but I'm-"

"You're Lily," Heather interrupted, "Yeah, we met...last month?"

Lily was taken by surprise, "Golly, I didn't expect you to remember me, I've always been, sorta, insignificant."

"You? Insignificant? No, you're really bubbly."

Lily smiled, "Well, that's a change. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come to Mass with me?"

Heather stared at her feet and shuffled them.

"Oh, are you not Christian? Or are you just not Catholic? I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked, I'll just be going now," She stammered.

"No, Lily wait!" Lily turned around, "I am a Catholic Christian, I just haven't attend any type of service or Mass in awhile, that's all."

Lily's face brightened, "So, would you like to come with me?" She asked.

"Sure, I'd love to," Heather smiled, "Do I have time to change?"

Lily glanced at her watch, "Church starts in 20 minutes, do you think we can change in 10?"

"Of course," Heather said. A smirk spread across her face, "I'll be down in 5."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Mass ended the girls made there way to the doors of the Church.

"So, did your family go last night?" Heather asked.

Lily fell silent.

"Did I say something wrong?" The urgency was clear in her voice.

"Oh, no, it's nothing you did, I'm the only one who comes out here anymore."

"Not even your brothers." Heather's eyebrows scrunched.

"No, they stopped a few years after my parents did."

Heather's head spun. What was going on here? She couldn't imagine Jeff and Craig not attending church, Andrew maybe, but the other two?

"Oh, well, I guess I'm in the same boat as them," Heather said.

"Will you come back with me next week?" Lily asked, "It'd be great company for the walk."

Heather grinned, "Sure, and thanks for asking me. I needed that."

"You're welcome. Thanks for coming with me!"

"No problem."

Heather finished her walk home waved goodbye to Lily, and headed inside.

She grabbed a photo that was in the small box her mother gave her and stared at it.

"I don't get," She said, "Everyone at church acted like You always prevail, so what happened to my life? Huh?" She put the picture of Jesus back in the box and closed the lid, "People always talk of second chances, but I have given You many more than two."

Author's note: A new chapter :). Have y'all got any ideas for upcoming chapters? I'd really appreciate it. Of course, I do have some, but it'd be nice to have extra opinions. I know this chapter wasn't my best writing, sorry! I went through it again an I couldn't figure out what to fix, but I really liked what was happening. Hopefully the next chapter will be written better! God Bless!