The Long Ride Home by Marsha Hubler

almost impossible to find her. Maybe she’s looking for me, too, but nothing’s ever turned up on the locator website. I check it every day.”
    “Lately I’ve been thinking about plugging my name and my dad’s in that website, too,” Morgan said to Mr. and Mrs. Chambers. “Maybe we could connect again.”
    “Go right ahead,” Mr. Chambers said. “That would be wonderful if you could track him down, too. Girls, just remember nothing’s impossible with God.”
    “Could we pray together about our parents right now?” Skye asked.
    “Sure,” Mrs. Chambers said. “Just open your heart to God, girls. He’s ready and willing to help the both of you. “
    “Dear God…” Skye said, and started the family in a special prayer time.
    The summer rolled on with autumn fast approaching, and Skye prayed faithfully as she emailed Millie and IM’d Emma and her father every day. “Father,” she had told Jacy she’d call him. “I know that sounds a little stuffy, but I can’t keep two ‘Dads’ straight in my brain.” Without fail, she also called her father and Ruth once a week, and they shared the latest in their lives with each other.
    Skye desperately wanted her new family to see where she lived, so plans were made for a special family gathering at Keystone Stables. With Denny’s first extended leave coming over the Labor Day weekend, Millie suggested that they all come to Pennsylvania then. Jacy and Ruth agreed and told Skye that nothing short of an earthquake or the Lord’s return would keep them from coming, too. Skye thought she never could be so excited over anything in herlife again until she received an awesome phone call from Millie right before supper on the last Saturday of July.
    R-r-ring!
    Skye put her job of setting the dining room table on hold and answered the phone. Mrs. Chambers and Morgan were busy working on a chicken casserole in the adjacent kitchen, and Mr. Chambers was putting in some extra hours in his computer fix-it shop in the basement.
    “Hello, Chambers residence. Skye speaking.”
    “Skye, this is Aunt Millie.”
    “Hi, Aunt Millie. You’re calling me a day early. What’s up?”
    “Skye, I have the best news you’d ever want to hear. Your mother just called me.”
    “What?” Skye screeched and chills ran up and down her spine. She held the phone away from her mouth and yelled toward the kitchen. “Mom, Millie heard from my real mother!”
    At the stove, Mrs. Chambers turned and gave Skye a beaming smile. “That’s wonderful, Skye.”
    “Cool,” was Morgan’s curt reply as she chopped fresh broccoli at the counter.
    “Aunt Millie,” Skye practically yelled into the phone, “did you tell her about me? Where does she live? Is she okay? What’s her new name? Can I—”
    “Slow down, Skye,” Millie said. “Now just pull up a chair, have a seat, and listen. I’ll tell you everything she told me. Are you ready?” Millie chuckled.
    “I’ve never been more ready in my whole life,” Skye said. “Go ahead. Shoot.”

Chapter twelve
    S kye pulled out a chair and sat at the dining room table. She was convinced that if she didn’t, her wobbly knees would land her flat on the floor. “Aunt Millie, go ahead,” Skye practically yelled. “Tell me what’s happening.”
    In the kitchen, Mrs. Chambers and Morgan worked in silence, listening.
    “Skye,” Millie said, “this is unbelievable. Your mom has wanted to contact you—and me—for years, but she didn’t know how to do that and still keep out of sight from Jacy. She’s not computer savvy, so several years ago, she had a friend go on the same website as you did, but she had plugged in her new name with some scanty information. And it must have been before you entered your information, so she didn’t find you. Of course, nothing ever came of it—until last week when she had someone check again and there you were. When had you put your information on that website?”
    “Just a few weeks ago,” Skye said.