OO-RAH!

Chapter 30

**ONE YEAR LATER**

"HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!" Daisy shouts as she stands in doorway of the house. She has Bailey propped on her hip and a metallic pinwheel in patriotic colors. Bailey was just little over a year old now, and she had grown so much. Her hair was a dark brown just like her dad's and her eyes were the bright blue of our family's. Her skin was the perfect shade of light gold, and she had the cutest dimples on her cheeks. Daisy had her dressed a matching patriotic outfit that consisted of white bottoms, a red tank top with blue, glittery stars all over it, sandals, and a blue headband that tied in a knot at the top. Daisy had the same thing on, except her top didn't have stars on it, and her shorts weren't as frilly.

"Look at you, little lady!" I gasp when I see my niece. I start tickling her neck and arms with my fingers and she immediately starts laughing, her dimples showing on both cheeks. Daisy and Bailey headed inside while I saw Jeff unloading a cooler from the bed of his truck. He was taking to southern living rather well, I see.

"Chase?" he asks me from the driveway. I point in the direction of the backyard.

"Out back getting the grill started!" I shout back. He makes his way to the back with the cooler in his hands. I had invited Daisy, Jeff and Bailey, and the Taylors over for Fourth Of July. Chase and I have been living together for almost a year, and I still wasn't used to silence. I missed the commotion of multiple heads under one roof, and the noise of laughing and talking all day. Billie-Mae was still in rehab, but we had been keeping in touch with letters since she wasn't allowed to use her phone while there. I was shocked that she was still in rehab, but apparently this program focuses on time and very particular topics on how to cure your addiction. As long as she was getting help, I was happy for her.

Daisy sat Bailey at the kitchen table and gave her a few toys that she kept at my house to play with. Every now and then, I'd offer to baby sit Bailey while Jeff and Daisy were at work. I'd bring her along when I worked with the horses and took her for tractor rides and even let her play around in the meadow to burn off steam.

"Need any help?" Daisy asks, pointing to the half chopped fruits and vegetables I had on the counter. She walked over and started finishing the vegetables while I worked on the watermelon. I was making this red white and blue fruit salad, and so far it looked really good. I also had a special mini cake for Chase, since he was a Marine and today was America's birthday. He said he had nothing to do with it, but I still liked showing my soldier some gratitude. Chase had to go back overseas at the beginning of the year, but it was only for two months. Ever since, he just has to keep going to the nearest recruiting station as part of protocol, and whenever he was being stations off, they'd let him know. I enjoyed having him home so much. He was a big help with the farm, and it allowed me to really understand the idea of marriage as a whole.

For example, he doesn't like doing laundry and leaves it all over the bed. It drives me crazy, but I l love it at the same time because that's just what make him. . .him. "Hay, watch this." Daisy says, nudging my arm. She picks up a carrot and points to Bailey on the kitchen floor, occupied with her toys. She then bites down on the carrot, making a large crunching sound. Then, out of nowhere, Bailey starts giggling at her mother as she continues to eat the carrot. The more Daisy crunched, the harder Bailey laughed. I was nearly in tears at the sight, when suddenly I felt dizzy. I hold my head in my hand and steady myself on the island top.

"Hayden, you alright?" Daisy asks, carrot still in her mouth. I squeeze me eyes shut to get rid of the dizziness as if it would work.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." I say, shaking my head when I felt steadier. I take a deep breath and rake my hands through my hair.

"Are you sure?" Daisy asks again.

"Yeah, I said I was fine." I say a little too meanly. She holds up her hands in defense and returns to putting the chopped vegetables on a platter. "Oh my god." I say. I suddenly smelled something so fowl that I felt like throwing up. "Can you smell that?" I ask.