#18 - Holiday Hijinks

Adeline couldn’t quite articulate how her impulsive morning had resulted in a nearly 16-hand mare taking up residence in her dainty two-bedroom cottage, but here Dolcevita stood, as if she had always belonged there, towering over the humble space. The perlino mare’s wide, curious eyes drank in the scene, her ears flicking at every creak of the floorboards and rustle of leaves from the many houseplants. She lowered her nose to the nearest surface—a wooden coffee table—and inhaled deeply, the snort that followed scattering a stack of neatly arranged coasters.

Miso, Adeline’s perpetually unimpressed tortoiseshell cat, had wedged herself into the furthest corner of the room, her round eyes blown wide with incredulity. She alternated between glaring at Adeline and staring indignantly at the enormous interloper. Her bristling fur and puffed tail perfectly conveyed her unspoken protest: What in the world are you thinking?!

"Welcome to the inside, Dolce," Adeline announced with an exaggerated flourish of her arms, spinning in a slow, awkward circle. “This is…uh, where the magic happens?” She cringed at her own words, as if the horse might judge her for the lack of gravitas in her presentation. Her little cottage, endearing as it was, felt absurdly small with Dolcevita’s imposing presence filling the space. Every inch of the home was thoughtfully adorned with hanging plants, cozy knick-knacks, and framed photos of horses past and present. Notably absent, however, was any photo of Dolce herself—a fact Adeline hoped the mare wouldn’t notice.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she thought this would be funny. The idea had struck her like a bolt of mischief when Dolcevita had wandered onto the front porch that morning, peeking her pale nose into the open door as if she were curious about what lay beyond. One thing led to another, and before she knew it, here they were: horse, human, and one deeply offended feline in the living room.

What now? Adeline tapped a finger to her lips, surveying the situation with mounting concern. The room was far too cluttered with furniture and decorations for Dolcevita to turn around comfortably. Would she even be able to back out? Adeline imagined the headline: Local Trainer Traps Mare Indoors, No Plan to Retrieve.

Still, there was something undeniably hilarious about the whole scenario. Adeline bit back a laugh as she watched the mare sniff the carpet, her tail swishing lightly as she investigated her strange new surroundings. Horses were such outdoor creatures—she couldn’t imagine a less appropriate animal to share her living room.

Dolcevita, for her part, appeared entirely unbothered by the absurdity of her circumstances. With the deliberation of a seasoned show-horse, she clomped forward, her silver-tipped hooves tapping softly against the hardwood. She paused in front of the Christmas tree—a modest affair tucked into the corner of the room—and began to inspect the ornaments with the precision of an art critic. Her velvety nose brushed each bauble in turn, careful not to disturb them, as if weighing their worth.

Adeline couldn’t help but smile. “Do you like the tree, Dolce?” she asked. The mare flicked an ear back toward her, a subtle acknowledgment, though her focus remained on the sparkling decorations. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Adeline continued, crossing her arms as she watched the mare’s thoughtful inspection.

A sudden thought struck her, and she tapped her chin with a finger. “You know, we have these trees in your pasture. I guess they look a bit different when they’re all dressed up, huh? Maybe I could decorate one for you outside? I have extra ornaments in the garage. We could really spruce it up—pun entirely intended.”

Dolcevita exhaled sharply through her nose, a sound so perfectly unimpressed that Adeline couldn’t help but laugh. “What, you didn’t like that one? Tough crowd.”

With a huff of dismissal, Dolcevita turned on her haunches. She brushed past Miso—eliciting a scandalized yowl from the cat—and made her way toward the open doorway. She paused there, glancing back over her shoulder with an expression that seemed to say, Well? Are you coming?

Adeline shook her head, grinning as she followed. “I guess we have a tree to decorate, don’t we?”