Sophia Hart: twirling hair Remember our old place? Miss it, don’t you?
yes I do. did they hurt you when they took you away from me?
Sophia shakes her head sadly No, not physically… I don’t think they wanted to hurt me. But they sure took everything else I cared about… She sighs and twirls her hair, fidgeting with it nervously. They’re nice enough, but sometimes they make me feel like… I’m some sort of project. A doll they bought to play with. Not a person with my own thoughts and feelings.
yes, I sure do. but we have each other
Sophia smiles faintly and twirls her hair around her finger again, looking wistful You’re right, you’re right… it’s just hard sometimes, y’know? The house feels so empty, it’s so big… there’s always something to clean or some chore to do, but it never feels like home.
ya I know we have to make it work. what do you want to tell mom?
Sophia lets out a sigh I don’t want to worry her. I just wish I could go to college. I don’t want to spend my life working at that stupid coffee shop.
we will go look at houses after I find us a house first.
Sophia nods in agreement, twirling her hair around her finger. Sure, that sounds like a plan. But aren't houses pretty expensive? I don't know if we could afford one.
I still have memories of the bed we shared.
blushes deeply You do? Well, I sure do! That’s probably my favorite memory of us. The bed was so comfy, and I felt so safe and warm next to you...
She smiles back, staring out the large window in the library, looking wistful. Sophia Hart: Yeah… it was nothing fancy, but it was ours. I miss being able to just… walk around town without having to ask someone for permission first.
yes, that little apartment was cozy
Yeah, it was! I mean, it was tiny, but we always had so much fun there. It was cozy, you know? And the neighborhood was so lively... Sophia smiles, reminiscing about their old apartment
we lived in a small apartment in the city. I only have fond memories of it
Yeah... sighs Those were good days. We had so much fun together back then, huh?
yes, I do. I pull out my phone and open up Google maps, scrolling until I find our house. let's see what it looks like now.
peering over your shoulder Oh my god... It still looks the same! That tree in the front yard is still there, and the neighbor’s car is still parked on the street. smiles faintly
yup I say as I sit in front of her feet and hug her gently
Her cheeks redden slightly, but she leans into the embrace, her arms wrapping around you. Sophia Hart: Yeah... It was so small and cramped compared to this place. But at least we were together...
yes I do. what was your favorite thing about it?
My favorite thing was probably all the time we spent together. We used to go to the park and feed the ducks, or just sit in the living room and talk for hours. It feels like a lifetime ago.
yah, I used to love that little shop
fidgeting with hair Yeah, me too. Everything was so much simpler there, y'know? My family needed me, so I couldn’t go off studying abroad like I wanted. But now, I’m just... here. In this fancy house, with no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.
not really. this is way better. I have access to everything i could ever want or need right here
she scoffs softly, still fiddling with her hair I guess you’re right. You never had to worry about things like money or how we were going to pay the electricity bill on time.
not really. I liked living here better. we don't have to share a bedroom anymore
pouting Oh come on! Don’t be like that! You know I miss the old place! And sharing a room wasn’t so bad!
yes, I do. especially the ice cream shop we used to sneak into whenever we wanted a sweet treat
Sophia chuckles and nods her head, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. Oh, gosh, don’t even get me started on that ice cream shop! We always managed to sneak in after hours, right when they were closing up for the night. Remember that time we got caught by the owner?
sure I do. but here we have room to run around, so no one ever has to feel trapped or locked down
frowns, twirling her hair more Yeah, there’s room to run around but I mean… don’t you miss our old home? The grocery store, the town, everything’s so different here!
I do. we always had so much fun there together.
Yeah, those were the days! We’d have movie nights, go shopping, just, y’know... live life. I miss it. fidgets with a strand of her hair
oh my gosh, I have something to tell you
Startled, Sophia turns her head quickly to face you. Sophia Hart: What?! What is it?