Heaven is on earth (Loubbie)

47. Frustration.

Lou stood waiting to pick up Danny from school.

She watched as the child poured out of the school doors, their laughter and chatter filling the air. And then, amidst the sea of faces, she spotted her : Danny, this precious girl that she concidered now as her own daugther, with her back pack slung over one shoulder.

Danny's eyes lit up when she saw Lou, and she rushed over, throwing her arms around her. "Lou!"

Lou knelt down, hugging Danny tightly. "Hey, kiddo! How was school today?"

"Great!" Danny exclaimed. "Guess what? I got an star in class today!"

Lou grinned proudly. "Really ? Oh I'm so proud of you !"

As they walked back to the car, Danny chatted excitedly about her day, and Lou listened with rapt attention, hanging on to every word. She couldn't help but marvel at how much her life had changed in the past year. She had found love and family in the most unexpected of places, and she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

As Lou and Danny settled into the car, Lou turned to Danny a smile. "So, what do you think, Danny? Should we go grab some groceries before picking up Mom?"

Danny nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Can we get ice cream too?"

Lou chuckled. "Of course, we can, kiddo. Ice cream it is."

They made their way to the local mall, a familiar spot for their little family outings. Lou and Danny strolled through the aisles, picking out all the essentials and, of course, some of Danny's favorite snacks.

As they wandered the store, Danny looked up at Lou with a grin. "Can you buy me this doll Lou ?"

Lou looked at the doll that had captured Danny's attention. It was a cute, plush toy with big, expressive eyes. She smiled down at her daughter and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"I don't know... Isn't your birthday soon ?"

"I know but it's too long, and I need it to go to my sleepover tonight.. The other girls they all have a doll like that."

Lou couldn't resist the earnest look in Danny's eyes. She crouched down to be at eye level with her and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"Well, we can't have you feeling left out, can we?" Lou said with a playful smile. "Alright, you can get the doll, but you have to promise me something."

Danny's eyes widened with anticipation. "What, Lou?"

Lou held out her pinky finger. "You have to pinky promise that you'll take good care of the doll, and that you won't forget to bring it back home after your sleepover."

Danny eagerly hooked her own pinky finger around Lou's. "I promise, Lou! I'll take the best care of it, and I'll bring it back home for sure."

Lou chuckled and stood up, placing the doll in their shopping cart. "Alright then, it's a deal. Now, let's finish up our shopping and go pick up Mom from school."

****

Lou's smile grew as she watched Debbie walking towards them, a radiant smile on her face and with her bags of schoolwork seeing her filled Lou with a profound sense of contentment and love.

As Debbie approached the car, Lou and Danny both hopped out to help with her bags. Lou couldn't resist pulling her girlfriend into a warm embrace, pressing a loving kiss to her lips.

"Hey, beautiful," Lou murmured against Debbie's lips, her arms wrapped securely around her. "How was school today?"

Debbie's eyes sparkled with affection as she returned the kiss. "It was good."