Sophia and I spoke a bit more about her parents, and it wasn’t all bad, of course. Among her many cherished memories of them, the most special ones were when they looked at her with love, as if she were their own daughter, forgetting about their shame. Like the time she was discouraged about participating in the spelling bee, and they stayed up all night encouraging and working with her on the eve of the big day. Things got pretty tight toward the end, and everyone was nervous. Soon, the only two left standing were Sophia and Katie Jones. When Katie left out the third N in tintinnabulation, Sophia’s parents jumped to their feet and cheered before the judge even announced Sophia had won. A big hug and adulations awaited her when she climbed off the stage. It was a nice story, but I still had a very heavy side eye for them.
As luck would have it, our last day in Tartosa was as clear as the ocean, and I was very cynical about it. Sophia suggested we get out and enjoy the sunshine before leaving and proposed a jog around the shops. She liked fitness but didn’t prioritize it as much as I did, so I slowed my pace and let her pass me, otherwise I’d leave her in the dust.
Mama had already dropped our little terrorists at home before we got there, and we were so glad to see them. Rosie said a quick hello and bolted as soon as we opened the door, but Kooper was overjoyed. I’d never seen a dog so happy to see anyone before. Sophia and I made sure to give him all the love so he knew how much we had missed him, too.
