you sell me a little land when I can afford it to build a tiny house on? I prefer having the trailer because it’s home now, but I understand if you don’t want to tell the snowbirds that rent it that it’s taken on a permanent basis.”
“You can have the trailer for as long as you want it,” Josh said without hesitation.
To Emma, that was even better news than having her paintings displayed in Sophie and Teddy’s gallery. Tears dammed up in her eyes, but she refused to even shed happy tears. Sophie said that she was strong and could make her own decisions, and she’d just managed to do both. She didn’t have to leave Hummingbird Lane. If she could only make enough money with her artwork to pay the rent and feed herself, she could be happy there forever with her little newly found family.
“Well, hot damn!” Arty clapped his hands. “Every bit of this is the best news ever. If we had a bottle of champagne, we could celebrate.”
Emma shuddered at the thought of champagne. She filled her mouth with potpie to quash the memory of the taste.
“I’ve got some beers in my fridge,” Josh offered. “After we finish supper, maybe we could raise a bottle and have a game of cards.”
“Yes!” Filly said. “Em, I was going to tell you that you could live with me if Josh wasn’t comfortable telling the folks they couldn’t rent the trailer. We just love having you here with us.”
Emma couldn’t help but compare their enthusiasm with the blunt statement her mother had made that day when Victoria told her she had never wanted children.
Chapter Fourteen
For the next week, Emma and Josh spent almost every evening on his back porch listening to his records. She painted through the day and had supper with the folks in the evenings. Filly ran in and out of the trailer throughout the days to show Emma the jewelry she had made, to check on her progress with her pictures, and to write down plans for Teddy and Sophie’s marriage ceremony.
Emma could hardly believe it when she looked at the calendar that morning. It seemed like she had lived at the trailer forever, and now could live there as long as she wanted. She had finished five paintings for Leo since Sophie had left. She had even caught herself humming and singing while she worked. But that day was going to be a test for her. She would be left alone at the park for most of the day. The last time she talked to Sophie, she had said that her lawyer had checked into the money situation and was thinking that he might be able to settle things with Victoria.
Emma wasn’t holding her breath. She’d even considered calling her father to see if he could talk sense into her mother, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it—not yet, anyway.
“I’m going to be alone today,” she whispered, “and I’m not even scared. Is that stupid or am I making more progress?”
Filly had asked her to go along with them, but she had a couple of ideas for the last things she wanted to do for Leo, and then she would work the rest of the summer on pictures for the new gallery. The quiet would be nice.
Emma had slept through the nights without nightmares, but she did lock the doors. That morning, she had forgotten about the locked door until someone knocked, and she had to run from the back porch to open it for Filly.
“Sorry about that,” Emma said.
“Honey, if it makes you sleep better, then it’s no big thing. We’re about ready to leave. Have you thought of anything else you might need this next week? Need me to pick you up any feminine products?” Filly asked.
Emma hadn’t thought of that in months. With her depression and the medicine, she had a period about every three to six months, but she was happy these days, so maybe her body would begin to work like it should. “Yes, please,” she said as she grabbed a notepad and wrote down what she needed.
“You sure you’ll be all right here by yourself until midafternoon?” Filly asked. “I can stay home if you’re not comfortable with us all going.”
“I’ll be just fine,” Emma replied. “I’ve got lots of work to do, and the time will go by fast.”
“All right, then, we’ll see you later.” Filly gave her a quick hug. “I know you and Josh have