“Hurry and get dressed, Shelly,” Mom said. “The sun is shining. Let’s go riding!” Her cheerful voice went through the closed door to my room.

Mom knew I was on the phone with one of my friends. The last thing I wanted to do on that Sunday afternoon was ride a horse with my mother. “Why can’t she just stay out of my life?” I thought. She came to every one of my volleyball games. She even taught at my school. Wherever I went, there she was. When I was little, I liked it when Mom was protective and when she took part in my activities. But now I didn’t like it. I was sixteen years old now! I didn’t realize that I came to an age when a teenager could easily rebel (叛逆).

That afternoon after hanging up the phone, I was sitting there thinking, “What is all this horseback-riding business? Mom isn’t even a horse person! She just wants to know what I’m doing every minute.”

Halfheartedly, I pulled on my riding shoes, and then went over to the bedside table. My hand touched the necklace that Mom had given me for my last birthday. “I’d better wear this, or she’ll ask where it is,” I thought. Although I wasn’t interested in it, I picked up the necklace marked with words: Sweet Sixteen. Then, I put the necklace around my neck.

By the time I got to our farm, Dad had already put a saddle (马鞍) on our horse, Charcey. And Mom was climbing onto the horse’s back. “Mom, what are you doing?” I said. “You’ve never ridden Charcey before! She is a big horse.” “I cannot believe her!” I thought. “She’ll do anything to be part of my life. And I just want her out of it!”

With great efforts, Mom finally climbed onto the horse’s back. Before Dad could give her guidance on how to ride, Charcey was out of control and suddenly ra n away. Too frightened and inexperienced, Mom couldn’t control Charcey.

The horse ran faster and faster.

Then, Mom flew high into the air, and landed on the ground.

In July, my dad, mom and I flew to Whitehorse to care for my sick old grandfather. We planned to spend two months in the town of my youth.

A few days before we arrived, my grandfather called to say he was being flow n to Vancouver for another operation. My dad and mom had already booked the air tickets and their leave from work, so even though my grandfather wouldn’t be there, we made the trip north anyway.

Grandfather kept a puppy. It was the only companion of my grandfather while we were not in Whitehorse. He had adopted it from a local shelter(two years earlier and renamed him “Scruffy” because it looked untidy. Its fur was messy. Its ears were like two wings when it ran.   While we were alone in my grandfather’s house with nothing to do, Scruffy saved us. The dog needed to be walked. Those walks were chances to re-visit where I’d grown up. I had left that small town behind as soon as I finished high school and had rarely visited home. Scruffy and I took my family to the school, where my picture still hung. We walked through the forest where I once rode my bike. With no one to talk to when my parents were occupied with their own business. I found myself chatting with Scruffy. He was too excited to see me. I gave him many nicknames: Scruffster, Scruff-man, Scruffmaster. He would happily respond to them all.

By the fall, we were back in Toronto and my grandfather was back in Whitehorse. My mom and her brothers took turns flying up to take care of him.

Shelly was a teenage girl full of energy and curiosity. She found herself in a familiar yet exciting situation as New Year’s Eve drew near. Her parents, busy doctors in the emergency department, were eager to spend the festive occasion with family at her grandparents’ house. Jason and Judy, Shelly’s loving grandparents, were excited to host the joyous celebration.

In the midst of the busy preparations, Shelly found herself alone in the attic(阁楼) , filled with old trunks and forgotten relics. As she searched through the dusty relics in the attic, her eyes caught a bronze item among the forgotten treasures. It was a Scout badge(童子军徽章) , her father’s from his youthful days as a Scout. This badge held a profound meaning, symbolizing her father’s adventurous spirit and dedication to service.

Eager to share her find, Shelly carefully put the badge into her pocket and rejoined the celebration. As the evening progressed, she proudly showed off the badge to her friends in the neighborhood, sharing tales of her father’s Scouting adventures. However, time flew by with laughter and joy. It was then that the badge slipped unnoticed from her grasp, disappearing into the dark night.

Panic stricken and heartbroken, Shelly quickly searched for the lost badge, checking every corner she had been. But the badge was nowhere to be found. Tears streamed down her face as she knew how disappointed her father would be if he knew she had lost his precious Scout badge. The loss of the badge was not just a physical loss, but a symbol of the connection she felt with her father and his past. Shelly’s world felt incomplete, and she prayed that somehow, she would find the badge and restore the broken bond. She decided to search the neighborhood again.