the horse i stole

– I hope I’m not incriminating my eight-year-old self with this –

It was around nine a.m. on a crisp April day. I was eight years old, sullenly walking into a Target near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, with my mom. At the time, she was 39 years old. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a red and white long-sleeved shirt with a black hoodie on top. We had come to look for swimsuits, but I just dragged my feet as I walked, complaining about having to leave my toys at home.

That’s when I saw him.