The day went by in a flurry of activity. After a full night’s sleep, Lou was full of boundless energy.
“Linc, come see the chickens! We have to get the eggs. I can show you how!” Lou lit up as we spent the morning following Grandpa Ben, taking care of all the animals.
“This cow’s named Betsy. She’s been here forever. She’s nice, but the ponies are my most favorite.”
“Where are they?” Pulling my hand, Lou dragged me to the next barn that held four draft horses. They were large beasts, imposing but beautiful.
“That’s Thunder, and this is Marshmallow. She’s my favorite. I remember when she was just a baby. Grandpa let me feed her a bottle. Now, I bring her apples because they’re her favorite. Isn’t that right, Mellybelly?” Lou cooed as she held a chunk of apple and carrots in her hand. The horse delicately grabbed the apple, then leaned over to nuzzle Lou like, “Finally, someone who understands me!”
“Here! You try!” Lou said excitedly, almost hitting me in the head with a carrot and half an apple in her excitement to pass me the snacks.
“Lay them flat on your hand and hold it in front of her,” Lou instructed, and I followed her every word. The carrot and apple were clearly visible as I held them under Marshmallow’s nose. I swore the horse looked me up and down, then rolled its eyes, turning to nuzzle Lou instead of accepting my offering. Lou’s giggle brought my mood back up, though; her arm was wrapped around Marshmallow’s neck as she laughed at my hurt expression.
“Marshmallow’s picky. She just has to get used to you. Like Pops and Gary.” I snorted at the comparison, although I didn’t disagree. I loved seeing Lou with the animals; the way she lit up, her cheeks red with excitement, hay and leaves caught in her hair. It looked like I would have to talk to Ben about getting her a pony back in KY. I knew she could ride, but she probably should have gotten formal lessons too… New plans developed in my mind, more activities to explore when we got back home.
After a thorough cleanup for both Lou and me, we sat down for a feast, the dining room table covered in all of the family’s favorite dishes like chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, and fresh vegetables. Discussion was lighthearted and casual. I loved seeing Sophie and Lou so relaxed.
Ben shot a look at Norma and reached out to hold her hand. Clearing his throat, we all turned to their end of the table.
“We have a bit of an announcement.”
“We’re retiring,” Mom announced, and Sophie’s eyebrows raised.
“That’s great! How… What does that look like?” she asked with cautious excitement in her voice.
“You know the Pickens family? The property behind us?” he added for my benefit, as Sophie nodded at the mention of the name.
“Their boy, Jasper, got married last year. They’re expecting their first baby. They wanted to stay near the family and gave us a mighty fine offer on the farm. Your mother and I are getting up there. We love this place, and knowing it’s going to a good family who can enjoy it for another few decades is good with us.” Norma nodded along, squeezing her husband’s hand in support.
“That’s great. I went to school with Jasper. He was always very polite and a hard worker. So where are you going to settle down? Are you going to stay in town? Sophie replied with genuine happiness, clearly easing her parents’ anxiety.
“Actually, we did something a little radical, but it just called to us.” The older couple smiled at each other, clearly excited.
“We got an RV! We’re gonna travel around and visit all the places we always talked about! And we can come visit you all more often now. Our only schedule is whatever we’re checking off our bucket list next.”
“I think it’s an awesome idea. My dad did some time traveling cross-country, if you ever need anything. To be honest, though, most of his geography is tied to whatever diner he deemed best in each state.”
“Ain’t no diner anywhere in the country that’s gonna beat my Norma’s cooking. Any good fishing spots, though? Those, I’ll take,” Ben said, as Norma blushed. The couple was still very much in love and happy. They lived their lives in a smooth cadence, a comfortable companionship where they didn’t even have to ask most questions out loud.
Knowing that they would be able to visit more and wouldn’t be bound to the farm was wonderful. I knew Sophie had missed them a great deal and felt guilty for not staying to help them. Reaching out, I grabbed her hand, bringing it to my lips for a quick kiss before resting our joined hands on my thigh.
Sophie’s smile was radiant, excited, and relaxed. I imagined her a decade or two from then, that same expression on her face as she looked at me, Lou’s happy chatter surrounding us mixed in with the familiar voices of close friends and family. Sophie and Lou were my family. It was time to make it official.
Chapter 32
Lincoln
A month after we got back from Nebraska, things had finally gotten back to normal. Sophie and I were both back at work, and I still got my afternoons with Lou. The visit was successful on multiple levels. Sophie and Lou both lit up at the farm. Versions of them I didn’t know existed came out.
Not to mention meeting Sophie’s parents was wonderful. It was an illuminating experience to meet her parents and see the place they had worked so hard to build and sustain. Their love for each other, their partnership, was inspiring. It meant a lot to me that I was able to get her father’s permission. My plans for a proposal were in the works, and I was so nervous, I felt like I could throw up. Anyone who ever said that proposing was easy was a liar.
Or maybe they just didn’t have as much at stake as I did. This wasn’t just about Sophie and me; Lou had to come first. For too long, she had spent time as an accessory or an afterthought. I wouldn’t allow that to continue any longer.
Having finally gotten all my ducks in a row in terms of proposal plans, I just had one important conversation to have before I popped the question. Sitting Lou down one afternoon when it was just us, I was struck by nerves. Clearing my throat, I looked at the little girl who had me wrapped around her finger since the first moment she came bounding into my world.
“Remember when we first met, and you asked if you could ridein the firetruck?”
“Yeah. Why? Are we going?” She turned her expression warring between excitement and confusion.
