Healing Sophie

3

Sophie stared up at her bedroom door, weighing the impossible debate between socializing or locking herself in her room. The latter sounded quite appealing, but she supposed the adult thing to do would be to at least try to make friends. She couldn't hide behind Finn forever, as much as she wanted to. He had left about an hour ago and she had spent every moment since in an inner battle. After last night, she had no idea how she would face the drunk man she met.

After a few more minutes of giving herself a pep talk, Sophie finally managed to leave her room. She was adorned in a comfy blue jumper with butterflies on it and light-wash shorts. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she was greeted with an empty house. She let out a sigh of relief and made her way to the kitchen to see what she could conjure up with the few items she had. She had stopped by the store the day before in between meeting Chase and moving in and got a few basic items to get by for now. She finally decided on some strawberries and yogurt with honey. She loved sweets and would eat cake for breakfast if she could, but a healthier dish would have to do.

As Sophie moved to the table to eat, she spotted a note on the counter.

Sophie,

We'll all be out today with work or getting school supplies. Victor will be asleep for a while since he works nights, but you should meet him later today. Help yourself to the TV and any food.

See you tonight,

Chase

Sophie's heart warmed at the thoughtful note. Her father never even bothered with that much. It was always a simple, cold text and then radio silence. Chase's note was short and simple, but more appreciated than he could know.

After she finished eating and doing her dishes, Sophie decided to explore. She loved being outdoors. It was the only place where she really enjoyed being alone because it was her making that choice. The sky was overcast and the air was faintly chilled; her absolute favorite weather. She looked around her and took in her surroundings. Her mind morphed the scene around her until she was suddenly back at Finn's family's cabin in the woods in her 8-year-old body. The smell, the feel of the earth on her bare feet, the chirping of birds in the distance. All a faint memory in her mind.

She smiled gently to herself and turned a corner. Around the other side of the house was a pool. She shuddered, making an effort to go as far around it as she could. Beyond the pool was a little trail that slithered along a pathetic garden and an abandoned pond. The place was beautiful but felt like a slow, sad melody.

When Sophie was finally covered by a canopy of trees turning brilliant colors of reds and oranges, she kept on the trail until something caught her eye. She turned towards it and gasped. Nestled in between the forest and forgotten was a large treehouse made of rich, black walnut and covered in overgrowth. Something about the lonely structure resonated deep inside of her. It was left behind, but still growing and beautiful.

Sophie carefully tested the stability of the rope ladder before ascending up and up into the sky until her hand met with the floor of the treehouse. She hoisted herself up and tried to open the door. It was rotted and took strength, but it finally flew open to reveal an interior that was just as decrepit as the outside, complete with old drawings, pictures, and stuffed animals covered in cobwebs. The door of the treehouse that she came through had a lock on the inside of the treehouse and Sophie felt indescribably safe there.

Being inside that space made something in her heart flutter. It felt like the perfect place to write music, she decided. She needed a friend and maybe the treehouse did too. She would have to ask Chase about it later.

As Sophie made her way back to the house, she felt happier, more energetic. The place was amazing, but brimming with opportunity for more sunshine and love. Maybe she could be the one to provide them.

The soft living room couch welcomed Sophie's aching back with open arms. She giggled to herself thinking about meeting Theo here and how odd he was. She could see herself getting along well with him when the rest of the world was just too difficult and serious.

Sophie nearly shrieked to herself when she saw that her roommates had Disney Plus and she rushed to the app. Her father and her were not well off and she only ever got to enjoy streaming when she was at Finn's. It contributed to her vast collection of DVDs. Every time she babysat, she would buy one or two movies and then put the rest of the money into her savings. Her bedroom was currently invaded by said collection of movies and an equally large collection of books.

After scrolling for several minutes, Sophie settled on a movie and curled up on the couch. It wasn't until her face hit the floor that she realized she had fallen asleep and was scared awake by the front door shutting heavily. She groaned. Why couldn't she ever just wake up peacefully? She glanced up at the source of the sound and knew her answer.

"Are you okay?", Victor asked with worry. Whoever was passed out in front of Sophie's door the night prior was a completely different person from the one walking towards her and offering her a hand. She hesitantly took it and nodded in thanks. She braved a glance at Victor's face and almost fell over. They were the same hazel eyes as before, but about ten shades brighter. He was well put together and quite handsome. He spoke with a light accent that filled her stomach with butterflies. His hair was dark and scruffy, matching his dark beard. His dark, muscular arms were covered in tattoos and scars, crawling on every free spot of skin they could find. "We've got to stop meeting with one of us on the floor," he said with a playful grin.

Sophie flushed. "Sorry, I didn't know anyone would be home for a while."

"Ah, it's all okay. What's your name, princesa?"

"Sophie."

He held out a large hand and Sophie shook with own small one. "Nice to officially meet you, Sofía. I'm Victor. I am very sorry for how I acted last night, I tend to get a little carried away when I drink." That seemed to be understatement, Sophie thought. The man in front of her was so different. He seemed peaceful and loving. Even as she looked into his playful eyes, though, she could still feel a twinge of pain. She didn't bother to correct his pronunciation of her name because, in all honesty, it made her heart flutter.

"Nice to meet you." He gave Sophie a knowing smirk at her obvious ogling, causing her brain to malfunction. What was wrong with her right now? He was just being nice to her. Victor studied her for a moment longer before randomly exclaiming, "Do you like pancakes?" She blinked at him for a second before smiling.

"I prefer waffles."

Without another word, Victor grabbed Sophie's hand and pulled her to the kitchen. She quietly sat on the bar stool at the counter and watched him move around the kitchen, pulling out ingredients. The silence was comfortable and she was mesmerized by the way he moved. It was like a dance.

"So, Sofía. Tell me about yourself."

Sophie always hated that question. She felt utterly boring when she answered. How would you tell someone that you're a small, anxious person with one friend and that you prefer music over people? "Uhm, I'm a freshman. I'm studying music composition. I don't talk a lot." It felt like such a bland answer, but Victor looked at her intensely, as if he were taking in every single word she said. "W-What about you?"

He smiled grimly. "I am an alcoholic bartender and college dropout." He held up his arms. "Most people find me scary because of a few dumb scribbles on my body."

Sophie felt genuinely comfortable around him, even during what happened last night. She felt like out of anyone, he would be the one to truly understand how horrible depression could be. "I don't think you're scary," she said. Victor quirked an eyebrow and smirked, making his way over to her. Her breath caught in her throat as the distance closed. He stopped right near her and leaned against the counter, close enough for her to pick up on his sinfully good-smelling cologne. He crooked a finger under her chin and gently tilted it up before leaning towards her ear. Her skin prickled with goosebumps at the proximity. "You should be, princesa. I'm not good." His tone was equally amused and sad.

He turned around and walked towards the stove, leaving the two of them in silence as he finished cooking.

"Here you go, Sofía." He placed the fluffy waffles in front of her and left her alone with her thoughts.