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She held up her wrist and I tied hers on.
“I love it,” she said. “And I can’t wait for us to do Just Dance together.”
I snort. “I bought that for you to do. Not me.”
“Mm-hmm,” she said, laughing. “We’ll see.”
She held out a gift bag and I took it.
“Open it,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said. “I wish you’d come back to the house with me. It’s cold out here.”
She shook her head, an expression flitting across her face.
“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching out to tilt up her chin.
She looked so pretty, looking up at me, I leaned in and kissed her. Just one soft brush of our lips, but it was enough to make my chest take flight. When we pulled away, she lifted her fingers to her lips.
“I’m better than okay,” she whispered, a smile taking over her face. “I have to get back, but I’m so glad I got to see you today. I’ll have more time tomorrow.”
I ran home and was so blissed out over our kiss I didn’t even remember to open her present until that night before bed. Inside the bag were two presents. A Super Mario Wii game and a journal that she’d made for me. Each page had a little drawing from her and there were prompts like:
Favorite thing that happened today…
I love it when…
Happiness is…
I still have that thing around somewhere. Probably in a box in the attic. I wrote and drew in it every night, making sure to not look ahead too far so a new surprise from Sofie would be there waiting for me on the next page. I didn’t have the heart to throw it away.
I didn’t have the heart to do a lot of things I should’ve done when Sofie left me. I still have everything she ever gave me.
Fred comes over and stretches out on the floor next to the couch, his tongue lolling as he glances up at me.
“I’m too tired to run,” I tell him.
He only hears the word “run” and perks up, tail thwacking on the floor.
“Oh, all right,” I grumble, getting up.
He does a little extra step in excitement, and I put my shoes back on. I run in the opposite direction of Sofie’s property. I don’t live in the same house where I grew up, but it’s part of the same property. I never wanted to live anywhere but right here in Landmark, with Sofie by my side, but having this skewed version of that become a reality feels like a nightmare, and I want to wake up.
CHAPTERTHREE
SNAPSHOTS
SOFIE
I never dreamed I’d be back in Landmark for good, back in this house where the memories smack me in the face, even as I do the most mundane things.
Pass the kitchen table where my mom taught me how to read.
Open the refrigerator where I once spilled an entire gallon of milk on the floor.
Hover near the mug that was my mom’s favorite, the pink one with white daisies on it. My dad’s Batman mug sits next to Mom’s other favorite, a mug with a horse saying,I’ve fallen, and I can’t giddyup.
Sit in Mom’s chair in the room where we spent the most time at the back of the house, where there are lots of windows, books, plants, and an upright piano that I used to play.
