Chapter 34 Radiant Sun Bursting Through The Clouds
RADIANT SUN BURSTING THROUGH THE CLOUDS
Here Comes The Sun by Cristina Perry
Natalie
I turn off the main road onto a narrow gravel driveway.
Just by looking at it, I can sense how this place is magical.
Healing Pals appears slowly, unfolding in the background behind white fences.
It sits in the middle of a wide field, a red barn softened by age, with the sun beating down on it, and what looks like a house in the middle.
I park and sit there longer than I mean to, my hands resting on the steering wheel, Bella’s face flashing through my mind the way it always does when I let myself pause and think about everything my girl has been through.
Fourteen years old. Too old to be a little girl, too young to carry grief the way she’s been forced to.
But she’s so resilient and brave. I want to give her the tools she needs so she can continue to heal. I hope Healing Pals is that for her.
I finally get out of the car, the air wrapping me in the smell of hay and warm earth. Before I can even find the entrance, a woman steps out onto the porch of the farmhouse-turned-office building and waves.
“Natalie?” she calls.
“Do you welcome all your new prospective parents outside?” I ask, forcing a smile as I walk toward her.
She laughs. “Only because someone has already called me three times about you coming today.”
I stop short at that. “I promise I didn’t tell him to do that.”
She smiles. “Oh, I know. But I’m excited to meet you, too. It’s like meeting a unicorn. I’ve known Holden for years and have never met a girlfriend.” She extends her hand forward. “I’m Julia,” she says, shaking my hand. Her grip is steady, reassuring, and friendly. “Welcome to Healing Pals.”
“Nice to meet you.” Girlfriend? Did he call me his girlfriend?
“Come on. I’ll show you around.” As we walk, a golden retriever ambles up and nudges my leg.
“Hi there,” I whisper.
“That’s Sunny,” Julia says. “He thinks he owns the place.”
“Oh, but you would be the cutest owner, huh?” I murmur, scratching behind his ears.
Inside, the building feels warm and cozy. Soft couches. Big windows. Photos lining the walls—kids with animals, teens pressed against horses, adults smiling. It’s homey.
“This is our main gathering space,” Julia says. “We have group sessions here, and it’s where we do fundraisers or community-wide outreach.”
My gaze catches on a photo of a teenage girl resting her forehead against a horse’s cheek, eyes closed. She looks so peaceful, so serene. That’s what I want for Bella.
“In the form you filled out, you said you were interested in therapy for your daughter?”
I nod, not taking my eyes away from the picture. “Bella,” I say, my voice quieter now. “She lost her dad a few years ago.”
Julia doesn’t rush me. She waits, her expression gentle. “I’m so sorry,” she says. “That kind of loss reshapes everything.”
I swallow hard. “She doesn’t talk about it much.
She talks about her dad all the time. She actually talks to him.
It’s a little weird, but it works for her, you know?
I want her to get some tools to heal. We tried play therapy, cognitive therapy, and she didn’t click with either. So I wanted to try something else.”
Julia nods.
“She doesn’t do well with pushing or anything like that. She marches to the beat of her own drum, if that makes sense.”
“Horses help with that,” Julia says. “They don’t need explanations. They respond to what you feel, not what you say. So even if she doesn’t want to talk much, there’s so much good work she can do here.”
She leads me toward the barn, and the moment we step inside, something in my chest loosens. The scent of hay, the soft sounds of animals shifting—it feels grounding, like my nervous system recognizes safety before my mind catches up. I know instantly she would love this.
“This is Maple,” Julia says as a chestnut horse leans over the stall door.
I reach out instinctively, my fingers brushing her warm nose, as emotion surges, fast and unexpected.
“She’s beautiful,” I whisper.
“She’s part of our teen group,” Julia says. “We work mostly with adolescents who’ve experienced grief or trauma. Bella is at the perfect age to start.”
“What do they do?” I ask.
“Groundwork, mostly. Grooming. Leading. Learning trust. Horses reflect everything we’re afraid to say out loud. They learn to lean on each other. It’s the closest thing to magic I’ve ever seen.”
We move through the barn, Julia introducing me to each horse, explaining their personalities. Outside, a large field opens, dotted with simple obstacles.
“This is where we do group work,” she says. “Especially with teens.”
I picture Bella here, and my heart immediately knows this is the right call.
“What do you think?”
I smile. “I think this would be a good fit for her.”
I catch Julia staring fondly at me. “Is there something wrong?”
Julia studies me for a moment. “I can see why he wants to talk about you,” she says gently.
“Who?”
“Holden.”
My heart stutters. “He does?”
“He does,” she repeats. “Even when he’s not sharing with words, he’s different now. And I can see why. You’re light. I can sense it, and so can they.” She points to the horses. “You’re a good mom too.”
Emotion rushes up, hot and sudden. “I don’t always know what I’m doing,” I admit. “I can’t let her disappear into her grief, though. If she keeps burying it, it will come back out to haunt her.” As it does me, I want to add, but this is not for me. This is about her.
She hesitates, her mouth opening and closing, but eventually, she adds, “We also have a parent support group. And volunteer opportunities. We’re very intentional about including parents, so if you want to join too, you can.”
“Right now, I’m mostly worried about her, but thank you.”
As if summoned by the thought of us talking about him, I don’t have to turn to recognize the cadence of the footsteps behind me, my body coming alive with each one.
“Natalie.”
His voice does something dangerous to my composure, and immediately, I feel the heat rising up my cheeks. My body reacts to this man in a way I can’t begin to understand.
I turn, and there’s Holden, smiling softly, like he’s relieved to see me here, just as I am at the sight of him. I’m not used to this giddy feeling, but I welcome it nonetheless.
“You came,” he says.
“I did,” I reply. “You were right about this place. It’s a little magical.”
His gaze flicks toward the horses, then back to me. “I told you,” he says simply.
Julia clears her throat. “It was nice meeting you, Natalie. I can’t wait to meet Bella,” she says with a grin before walking away.
“Thank you, again,” I say finally. He walks closer to me. “For telling me more about this.” There’s nobody else here, and now he’s so close, I can’t breathe.
Holden steps closer, impossibly close. Then, he dips down, dropping a kiss on my lips. “Hi, Beauty.”
“Holden.” I’m speechless, but that’s nothing new. It’s the same every time he kisses me.
He smiles, making most of my worries drift away as he leads me out of the barn, holding my hand. “So what do you think?”
“I think this is the perfect place for Bella. I love that she will be with other kids her age.”
“I’m glad.”
“I want her to be safe, both physically and mentally, you know? I know she won’t always be okay, but I want her to have a safe space to heal. This might be it.”
He brings my hand to his lips. “You’re doing an incredible job,” he says quietly. “In case nobody has told you lately. Bella’s lucky to have you.”
That’s it. Tears spill before I can stop them. Why are my eyes like waterfalls every time this man shows me kindness? I don’t know if it’s that my emotions can change at the snap of a finger, or if it’s that I feel so safe around him, but crying is totally normal.
“Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?” he asks, walking us back to the main office.
I shake my head. “A few things to do at home, and going to play which store might have a formal dress that fits me game.”
His eyebrow lifts in surprise. “Oh?”
“I mean, I have a gala to attend in a few weeks, right?”
He smiles, and oh, it’s like the radiant sun bursting through the clouds after a thunderstorm. It warms my face, I feel it deep in my bones, and it’s all for me. Just for me. “You’re coming?”
I scrunch my nose. “I can’t believe I didn’t say yes before. I’m sorry. But if the offer still stands?”
“Yes. Yes. Please.”
“Okay then.” I drop his hand, walking away from him. I can feel his searing eyes on my back, but without turning, I raise my hand in the air and shout, “It’s a date.”