“Now, I’m going to hang up this phone because all we’re going to do is shed tears together if I don’t. I love you, Sophie, and I love you, Em, for being there with her. You two should never have been separated. You’re like twins, even more than most blood kin sisters are, and you’ve had to face battles that neither of you should have had to endure, especially alone,” Rebel said.
“Love you, Mama,” Sophie said.
“Me too,” Emma told her and ended the call.
Sophie went straight to the bathroom, brought out toilet paper, and pulled a fistful off before she handed it to Emma. She wiped her face, blew her nose, and tossed the tissue into the small trash can at the end of the table. “We’ve conquered that obstacle, but when you read that quote, it said they were endless. I’m not sure I can handle too many more as hard as the past two days have been.”
“Toad frogs.” Emma managed a weak giggle.
Sophie sank back down on the brown-and-orange-plaid settee. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“Get up every morning and eat a toad frog. Nothing will faze you the rest of the day,” Emma said, quoting something that Rebel had told them when they were girls.
“You ever seen a cat or dog bite into a toad frog?” Sophie asked.
“Of course not. Mama wouldn’t allow pets of any kind in or around the house.” Emma leaned her head back, resting it on the overstuffed cushion.
“The frog has a protective thing that must taste awful. I saw a big old pit bull grab one up and bite it. The dog frothed at the mouth and howled like it had been shot.” Sophie turned up her beer, finished it, and tossed the empty bottle into the trash can. “Three points from this far away.”
“That was barely two points. You’re not even four feet from the can,” Emma argued. “Are you serious about the frog?”
“Yep, I was about thirteen when I saw it happen. I was sitting on the porch of our trailer. The neighbors owned that dog, and I hated it because it always barked at me, but I felt sorry for it that day.”
“What’s that got to do with today?” Emma asked.
“We’ve faced our biggest fears,” Sophie said. “They were as bitter as that dog eating the toad frog, but now we are past that and we can move on.”
“Yes, we can.” Emma felt like she could move on. “What about Teddy? Are you going to make up with him?”
Sophie nodded. “Let’s go unload what else we need to bring inside and set up our easels. There’s still plenty of light left in this day. I can only handle one thing at a time, Em. Today I told Mama about the baby. Teddy may never want to speak to me again, and I may have to live with that, but I can’t face it today. I’m going to get dressed and paint for a while.”
“I’ll be outside waiting for you, but I’d better not come back in here and find you in bed,” Emma said.
Sophie pointed at the door. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Emma took her phone with her and sat down on the seat of the metal-and-wood picnic table. The sun was warm, and wildflowers dotted the landscape as far as she could see. Real grass grew in spots where the shade of the trees didn’t hinder it, and a nice breeze blew her dark hair away from her face. Everything was quiet so when her phone rang, the noise startled her. She couldn’t help but smile when Josh’s name popped up on the screen.
“Hello,” she said.
“Just making sure that you’re all right,” Josh said.
“We are here, and thank you for the RV,” she said. “I was getting worried when I heard about bears and javelinas.”
“Glad you made it safely, but the place seems awfully empty without you and Sophie here,” Josh said.
“I miss you.” The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she was thinking them.
“Me too,” Josh said. “Even though you’ve only been gone a few hours, I’m realizing how glad I am that you won’t be leaving the park when Sophie does.”
“Right back at you,” Emma said. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else, Josh. I’m happy there, and I don’t ever want to leave. I’m finding me even faster than I thought I would or could. I’m not sure who rescued who today. Sophie