Wild and Kimmie have returned to their hotel room, and Waddell has gone home, so daddy, Kai, and I walk up the hill to our future home. Wild and Kimmie have assured me that the inside has been cleaned, but there’s still some work to be done outside the building. Daddy reacts to it immediately.
Quincy: I don’t know about this, Peri.
Kai: I think it looks cool!
Prosperity: Trust me, daddy. It’s going to look amazing once it’s finished. Just wait until you see the rest.
We go inside. The place looks much better, aside from a few spider webs and some holes in the wall.
Quincy: *looking around* Besides, staying in Sulani over the summer, I’ve never lived anywhere but the desert. *turns and gasps* And that spider right there is almost as big as me!
Prosperity: Some cooler weather will do you good then, daddy. And there are less spiders when it snows.
Quincy: You sure about that? I’ll have to take your word for it.
I show daddy the garage that’ll be converted to a place for him. He insists on seeing the inside, which hasn’t been cleared yet. I tell him our plans for it before he can start to complain about the size.
Prosperity: It’s going to be beautiful. You’ll have a skylight and your own kitchen. And when you step out your door, you can jump right into the pool.
Quincy: Or accidentally fall in, at my age.
Prosperity: Really, daddy?
Quincy: When you talked about finding a new home and me moving in, this isn’t what I pictured.
Prosperity: I know, but it’s a work in progress.
Quincy: Let me finish! It’s not what I pictured, but I trust your vision. And I’ll live anywhere just to be closer to you and Kai.
Prosperity: So does that mean -?
Quincy: It’ll be a big adjustment for me, but I’ll move in.
I give daddy a big hug.
Prosperity: That makes me so happy.
Daddy follows us up the stairs when we get back home. He and Kai settle down for a movie while I begin to dig out our old boxes.
I find daddy in the kitchen eating leftover cake after I’ve started the process of packing me and Kai’s more personal items.
Prosperity: Were you playing on returning to Oasis Springs in the morning?
Quincy: *suspicious* Yeah, why?
Prosperity: Why not just stay here with us? Harvey moved out a few days ago. So the downstairs is empty now.
Quincy: I already told you, I don’t want to move twice, Peri.
Prosperity: You wouldn’t be moving. It’ll be like staying in a hotel. We’ll have Aunt Sophia send more of your clothes. We’ll be moving into our new home soon, Wild and Kimmie assured me of that. Then we’ll send for the rest of your things.
Quincy: Peri –
Prosperity: I won’t try to talk you into it. But, we like having you here.
Daddy thinks about it a moment.
Quincy: Okay. I’ll stay, but I’m going back to pack up my own stuff before we move.
Prosperity: Kai and I can help with that if you want.
Quincy: No. It’s something that I want to do alone.
Prosperity: Okay, daddy. Whatever you want!
Daddy takes the keys and heads down to his temporary apartment. I know to him, it might feel like I’m asking him to give up a lot, but I hope it won’t feel like a loss in the long run. And I think mama would be happy that he won’t be alone.
Meanwhile, I take a break from packing and sit down to knit, something I haven’t had time to do in years. I feel closer to my Gran-Alice, who taught me how to do it. I start my new job tomorrow, so who knows how busy I’ll be. But it feels like I’m finally starting my life. And with Kai being older and perfectly capable of taking care of himself, I can eventually figure out who I’m truly meant to be.
(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)
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