Sunshine After The Rain

Chapter Seventeen

"I think I'll check in on them," Sophie told him from the passenger seat as she grabbed her phone from her purse.

Lucas quickly snatched the phone from her hand, opened the center counsel, and dropped it in. "Today you're just Sophie," he reminded her. "If Joel has any issues, he'll call."

Any major issues, most definitely, but Joel wasn't the man to admit being out of his element or overwhelmed. Still, he'd told her he wanted a stronger presence in his grandchildren's lives, so he'd asked for this.

While her children were off to the planetarium with their grandfather, Sophie and Lucas still had no set destination in mind. He was just driving. She didn't mind. Sophie had never much explored the towns surrounding the city she lived in. Jason rarely made time for day trips, and she was directionally challenged at could get lost on a straight shot.

The highway they drove on was quiet and a hop, skip and a jump away from the main interstate. It was a calm drive through small, quaint towns that reminded her of the area she imagined living in someday.

As they approached a more bustling town, still much smaller than where she lived, but bigger than the ones they'd driven through, Sophie put on her sunglasses. "Let's park. I wanna play tourist."

Lucas chuckled and turned on the signal once he spotted a nearby vacant spot.

"Do you know what town this is?" Sophie asked, never having travelled in this area.

"Prairie Grove," Lucas answered as he parallel parked with ease. "About a fifteen minute drive to my place. Has a drive-in movie theater, fifties themed diner, and home to the second largest music festival in the state."

Of all that, she caught two things. Drive-in movie theater, which she adored and didn't know there was one so close by, and that they had been driving towards Lucas' house this whole time. "Does that mean I get to see your place today?"

"If you'd like."

A smile appeared on Sophie's face. "I would very much like."

"Okay, then. It's your day," Lucas said as he put the car in park.

Sophie was fishing her phone out of the center council when Lucas jumped out, ran around the front of the vehicle, and opened up her door.

He did this every time they rode anywhere together, and although she was more than capable of opening her own door, Sophie welcomed all kind gestures.

Lucas shoved his keys to the SUV in the pocket of his jeans, not bothering to lock it up in such a small town, and they walked side by side down the sidewalk. Sophie peered through every window, noticing how charming all the stores were, but paused when something in the window of one shop caught her eye.

Not a shop, per se, but a real estate agency showing off all the houses for sale in the area. It wasn't the amount of listings that caught her attention, but one in particular. A charming two-story house with an enormous front yard, a garden and small pond in the back, and a lake with a peer. Something about it reminded her of an old storybook drawing.

Floral trees peppered the property. There was a giant wrap-around porch. A sweet swinging bench hung from a large oak tree in front of the house.

It appeared the inside of the house needed some work; the kitchen needed appliances, and the outside of the house needed a good touch-up.

Like Sophie, it was all jumbled up inside, but was ready to come back to life.

She reached out to touch the listing from the other side of the glass, feeling this perfect energy cascade through her as she did so. Without ever seeing it in person, this house felt like her home.