Southern Sunshine (Southern 8)

"I’m making chicken potpie for dinner,” I say over my shoulder when I walk away. “There may be a serving for you." He smirks.

"I’ll see you soon, then." He watches us get into the truck, and only when we drive away do I see him walk back into the barn.

"So how was your day?" I ask her, looking into the rearview mirror.

"We had so much fun,” she says with her hands raising up in the air. “I rode Caramel by myself," she tells me. “And then I wanted to go fast fast." Her voice is so full of life I can’t help but smile with her. “So Uncle Reed came on the horse with me, and we went super-duper fastest,” she says, clapping her hands.

I pull up to the house, and she’s already out of her car seat and jumps out of the truck when I open the back door. "In the shower,” I say as I open the door, and she nods at me while she kicks off her Rubber boots. I kick off my ballerina shoes and follow her up the stairs to the bathroom while she is going on and on about Caramel. I start the shower for her and then walk back to the bedroom and pick up some shorts and a shirt for her.

Dressing her and combing out her hair, I braid it for her, and she asks to go sit on the couch to watch television. I set her up and walk back to the kitchen, putting the chicken potpie into the oven to bake.

“Momma!” I hear her yell my name. “Do you think Caramel is going to miss me?”

“Yes,” I say, smiling. “But I’m sure she’ll be fine."

"Stay here and build something amazing with me." I can hear Savannah’s voice in my head. I couldn’t even say a word to her when she told me that. All I could see is getting up every day and walking into the shop, greeting people who I knew when I was a little girl. It was the whole reason I wanted out of this town, but now having Sofia here, I wonder how much she would flourish living here. Seeing her at the barbecue with the kids was everything. Seeing her with Billy and Charlotte was enough to make me burst into tears. They love her, and they don’t even know that she’s theirs.

My mind lingers, trying to think back to when we are at home. Surely, there was a time when she was as happy as she is here.

She has never smiled as much as she has here. Coming here, I knew it would be hard on me, but even I have had more smiles than I think I did at home. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. I love our life. But after being here for three weeks, I have to admit something was missing.

I was going through the motions every single day, but I was empty inside. It was a routine—wash, rinse, repeat. I would go to work because that was my job, but I wasn’t over-the-moon excited to be there. In my head, that was how it was supposed to be. No one really loves what they do every single day.

Cutting the lettuce and then tossing it into the bowl, I think of the last time I woke up with a sense of dread. I haven’t had to force one smile since I’ve been here. It’s all been natural. I haven’t had to give myself pep talks either or bribe Sofia once to do anything.

The knock on the door has me turning, and Sofia gets up, looking at me. “Can I open the door?” I nod at her, thinking that I would have put her behind me back home and walked to the door to see who it was before I even thought of opening it.

She turns the handle of the door, and it’s not even locked. "Uncle Reed,” she says, and I look over at him as he stands there with two bouquets.

"I brought you flowers," he tells her, and her eyes open wide. “From Caramel and me." He hands her the small bouquet of daisies.

She takes it and walks to me with it. “I got flowers," she tells me, and I put my hands on my hips.

"Isn’t that special?" I tell her, and then she hands it to me, turning and walking back to the television.

I look over at Reed, who just stares at me and then comes in. “Somehow, in my head, that was going to have more fanfare than it just did." I laugh at him now. “She was happier giving Caramel water."

"I’m sure she loved them both the same." I try to make him feel better.

"These are for you,” he says, handing me the bigger bouquet.