Dreams Come True

cantered into the air and turned a loop-the-loop. Lauren whooped out loud in delight.
    All too soon, Lauren realized it was time to go back home. ‘If we’re much longer, Mum and Dad might start getting worried,’ she said to Twilight.
    He nodded and they flew back to Granger’s Farm.
    Twilight landed in his paddock. Lauren dismounted and said the Undoing Spell. There was a bright purple flash as Twilight turned from a unicorn into a small, grey pony.
    ‘See you tomorrow,’ Lauren whispered. She gave him a quick hug, then raced back to the house.
    Her dad was in the kitchen. He glanced at the kitchen clock. ‘You’ve been out a long time,’ he commented.
    ‘I was just playing with Twilight,’ Lauren said, her heart pounding.
    To her relief, her dad smiled. ‘I’m glad you’re enjoying having a pony so much,’ he said. ‘Life here in the country sure beats life back in the city, doesn’t it?’
    ‘Totally,’ Lauren agreed happily. It was only a week ago that her family had left their house in the city to move to Granger’s Farm, so that Mr Foster could follow his dream of becoming a farmer. But already Lauren felt completely at home.
    As Lauren passed her brother’s bedroom, she heard laughter. She pushed the door open. Her brother, Max, was in bed and Buddy, Max’s Bernese mountain dog puppy, was standing on his hind legs with his big white front paws on the covers. His pink tongue was hanging out and he seemed to be trying to lick every inch of Max’s face.
    ‘Honestly, Max, I think he’d get into bed with you if I let him!’ Mrs Foster exclaimed as she pushed the black and tan puppy down. ‘Buddy, you’re a pest,’ she scolded, but she smiled as she spoke.
    Buddy came gambolling over to Lauren. Not managing to stop in time, he skidded into her legs.
    ‘Oof!’ Lauren exclaimed. ‘Buddy! You weigh a ton!’
    ‘You wait till he’s fully grown,’ Mrs Foster said with a laugh. ‘Now you’d better get ready for bed too, honey. You and Dad are expected at the Cassidys’ house at nine-thirty so you’re going to have to be up early to get Twilight fed and groomed in time.’
    Lauren nodded.
    ‘I hope you and Mel Cassidy get along,’ Mrs Foster went on. ‘It would be great for you to have a friend to go riding with.’
    ‘Yeah,’ Lauren agreed. ‘I hope Mel’s nice.’
    As she went to her bedroom, she thought about the next day. Would Mel want to be friends with her? Would she want to be friends with Mel? She hoped so.
    She got her pyjamas out from under her pillow and walked to her bedroom window. She could see the Blue Ridge Mountains towering up behind the house and, best of all, she could see Twilight’s stable and paddock.
    ‘Goodnight, Twilight,’ she whispered, looking at the little pony’s shadowy shape grazing by the gate. ‘I hope tomorrow’s going to be OK.’
    Twilight looked up. Lauren was sure she saw him whicker. Blowing him a kiss, she smiled and closed the curtain.

Two
    ‘ B uddy! Here, boy!’ Max called, crawling under the kitchen table as Lauren ate her cereal the next morning.
    Mr Foster was standing by the door talking to Hank and Joe, the two farmhands who helped look after the Fosters’ herd of dairy cows and the ten pigs. ‘I want to move the calves to the bottom pasture this morning,’ Mr Foster was explaining.
    Mrs Foster was on the phone. ‘Yes, we’re finally getting sorted out,’ she said, one hand pressed to her ear to shut out the noise in the kitchen.
    Lauren got up and put her empty cereal bowl in the dishwasher. ‘I’m going to get Twilight ready,’ she announced.
    The April sun was shining as she stepped outside and the new leaves on the trees looked green and fresh. Lauren breathed in deeply and ran down the path that led from the house to the paddock. Twilight was waiting at the gate. He whinnied when he saw her.
    ‘Hi, fella,’ Lauren said, climbing over

    the gate. ‘I bet you’d like some breakfast.’
    Twilight nuzzled her. Snapping the leadrope on to his head-collar, Lauren led him up to his stable and fetched him some pony nuts in a bucket. As he ate, she looked at her watch. Eight-fifteen. That meant she had an hour to groom him before she and her dad had to leave for the Cassidys’ house.
    Half an hour later, Lauren stepped back to admire her handiwork. Twilight’s scruffy grey coat was looking much cleaner, his hooves gleamed from the hoof oil and his newly washed tail was almost dry.
    ‘You look loads