Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“He keeps breaking into the goat pen and eating their food,” she explained, sighing. “And he knows I want to catch him to stick him in his own pen for being such a menace.”
The turkey in question stopped near the trees to pick at something on the ground.
“He’s a pig,” she added. “You must be Lolly. I would shake your hand, but, well,” she said, waving down toward where her hands had left dirt marks on her hips. “I’m Ria. And who is that?” she asked, her voice going into a coo as she looked at Edith.
“Edith.”
“Edith! Love that,” Ria said, beaming. “My girls are currently guarding the ducklings with their lives as they play in the pond. But I will introduce you guys later, so you’re not afraid and they know you’re our people now.”
“Thank you,” Lolly said, her eyes going misty again.
“Of course. Welcome to the homestead,” Ria said, her tone light and chipper right before she leapt at the turkey, wrapping her arms around him as he kicked his feet and warbled.
“I’ve never seen someone carry a turkey around like a misbehaving child.”
“Shit gets wild around here.”
“They don’t… you know… process the turkey, do they?”
“Nah. Don’t worry. Everyone here gets to live a long, happy life. They do collect eggs for eating, selling, and baking, but Kit and Ria could never slaughter. That’s not their thing. Actually, Kit wouldn’t eat turkey at Thanksgiving last year, saying that now that she had pet turkeys, she couldn’t.”
“You guys coming? I have mint lemonade!” Kit called.
“Coming,” I called back, but caught Lolly looking at me. “What is it?”
“I think I’m really going to like it here.”
That should have made me happy.
Yet all I could think was how unfair it was that Kit and Ria would get to see her every day and I wouldn’t. When she came all the way to Navesink Bank for me.
But that was crazy fucking thinking.
So I pushed those thoughts aside.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lolly
It was the first time in a long time that the sun shone on my face in the morning, and I was happy to wake up.
Hell, I was up before Edith, who was still snoozing soundly after I took a bracingly cool shower.
Kit and Ariah claimed that the water would get warm. But that they’d always just been too impatient and dealt with the cool water instead.
The cool showers and the composting toilet were the only big adjustments to my new life, though, and they were hardly a sacrifice at all if it meant I got my freedom.
I walked up the center of my new home, smiling at the little touches the girls had obviously put on the place when they’d been living there. They had replaced the built-in dining area with something cuter and more feminine. The driver and passenger seats had covers on them. A soft hair tie was still stuck around the shifter. There were decals on some of the windows. I was sure they lent privacy, but I was equally as sure the aesthetics came into play as I watched the little rainbows sprinkle the walls from the sun shooting through the decals. They’d even painted the ugly dark (faux) wood cabinets a much less oppressive off-white and used pretty green and pink vinyl tiles on the floor.
There were a few personal items stored away with all the practical things too: Kit’s Sunnydale High School Survivor sweatshirt and Ria’s buttery soft cashmere throw, and a collection of mismatched earrings in both their styles, and little beach passes from all up and down both coasts.
Edith let out a little woof to let me know she was awake and couldn’t jump off the bed. I was going to have to rig something up for her. Luckily, the girls had all kinds of wood lying around for ‘future projects.’ I was sure I could snag some. Though, whether I would know what to do with it or the tools I’d need to make something was another thing entirely.
“Gotta go potty?” I asked, reveling in the freedom of being able to just let her out the door.
But the step was blocked.
By a cute little pink and white cooler.
I picked it up so Edith could head out, then brought the cooler inside so I could pull off the note.
Lolly - Just some essentials. Figured you’d want something to eat in the morning. Eggs are from our chickens. Fruit and veg from our gardens. And Ria made the mozzarella. - Kit
God, I couldn’t seem to stop crying lately.
I had no idea if it was just the relief of being free, the kindness from virtual strangers, or, you know, the pregnancy hormones.
Maybe it was all three.
Reaching inside the cooler, I pulled out a sauce container of balsamic glaze, half a dozen multicolored eggs, a bunch of tomatoes, lettuce greens, cucumbers, herbs, potatoes, strawberries, grapes, a small loaf of sourdough bread, and one perfectly round mound of homemade mozzarella cheese.