Page 37 of Finders Keepers

Sophie gives Jimmy one final stroke before grabbing my hand. “Bye, Jimmy. Bye, Bella,” she calls toward the back rooms, as if the tiny dog might hear her.

“Thank you again for the tour,” I tell him.

“Anytime,” he replies. “And I meant what I said, feel free to stop by whenever. The door’s always open during business hours.”

Ms. Lucy steps forward. “We’ll be sure to take you up on that offer, but for now, these ladies need some rest. It’s been quite the day.”

We step outside and head towards Ms. Lucy’s car, Sophie begins talking about Jimmy and Bella.

I glance back once to see Gavin standing in the doorway waving with a smile, Jimmy at his feet, both watching us leave.

I’m curled up in bed with a romance novel I found on the bookshelf, letting the steady patter of rain against the window soothe my frazzled nerves. Another nightmare jolted me awake before my alarm had the chance to, and now I’m trying to lose myself in this story. I don’t want to give Matt more power over me. Over my moods. Over my peace. So instead of obsessing over the bad dream, I’m attempting to redirect my mind toward made-up stories with a happy ending.

Even though I have to drop Sophie off with Ms. Lucy and head to the flower shop for my first day of work soon I can’t help but steal a few more minutes with my book.

Suddenly, a massive thunderclap vibrates the house. Sophie bolts upright in our shared bed, her eyes impossibly wide and tears already streaming down her face as she clutches Mr. Hoppy close to her chest.

“Mama!” she cries, scrambling over to my side.

“Oh baby, come here.” I set my book aside and scoop her into my arms. “It’s alright, it’s alright.” I stroke her wild hair down. “You know what that sound means, right?”

She shakes her head, burying her face in my neck.

“Well,” I say, pulling back so I can look into her eyes, “that’s just God bowling up in heaven. When you hear that big boom? That means He just got a strike, and all those pins are scattering around.”

Her tears still flow as she processes this. “Really?”

“Really really,” I say, wiping her cheeks dry. “Want me to do your hair?”

She nods and turns around settling cross-legged in front of me on the bed. I run my fingers through her tangled bed head, I can tell she’s still scared, her shoulders are tense as she clutches Mr. Hoppy to her chest.

“Did you have good dreams?” I ask, carefully working out a stubborn knot.

Sophie nods, her little shoulders relaxing slightly. “I dreamed about butterflies, Mama. Big ones with purple wings.”

“Purple butterflies? That sounds magical.” I separate her hair into sections.

“They were dancing in a garden.” Sophie’s voice grows animated as the thunder momentarily fades. “And there was a bunny just like Mr. Hoppy, but real! He was hopping around and eating carrots.”

I smile against the back of her head. “That does sound like a wonderful dream.”

“And you were there too, Mama.” Sophie turns slightly, peeking up at me. “You were growing pretty flowers, and you weren’t sad.”

My hands pause. A lump quickly forms in my throat.

“And there was someone giving the bunny carrots. And–” She stops herself, and my heart clenches.

“That sounds like the best dream ever, baby girl” I resume braiding, keeping my voice light despite the heaviness in my chest.

“Can I draw the butterflies later?” She asks, clutching Mr. Hoppy tighter as another rumble of thunder, more distant now, rolls through the sky.

“Of course you can. Ms. Lucy told me she got some new markers and crayons you can use while I’m at work today.” I secure the braid with a hair tie and kiss the top of her head. “All done, princess. Now, let’s get you dressed and have some breakfast before we have to go.”

She turns and wraps her little arms around my neck. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you more than all the butterflies in the world,” I whisper back, holding her close.

The rain continues to fall outside our cozy little home, but Sophie’s fear has transformed into excitement with each rumble of thunder. Sometimes the simplest explanations are the best ones, and watching her imagination turn something scary into something magical makes my heart full. These are the moments I want to remember, the ones that make all the hard times worth it.

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