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Sarah was packed and ready to head to the farm for the summer. Bella was less than thrilled, to say the least, and Ted came by with a black and blue eye. When Sarah asked, he said, “Miranda.” No other words were necessary.
Bella hugged her Dad and cried about how unfair it was that SHE was making her go away for the summer to do manual labor. Ted shook hands with Max and hugged Taryn upon his arrival, and he thanked Max and Taryn for giving his girls the opportunity to get away.
Ted then turned to Bella and said, “Bella. I expect you to do as your told to do out there. The farm will be good for you. A little hard work and learning about real life will straighten up this attitude you have. One in which I helped you create, and for that I’m truly sorry, sweetheart. You need to listen to your mother and stop blaming her for my issues. This was all me, Bella. Your mother is just as much a victim in my decision as you are. If you don’t behave yourself, I swear I will send your Aunt Miranda and Uncle Rod out there and let them loose on you.”
Bella nodded at her father and hugged him tight, told him she loved him, and then got into Max’s truck, leaving Sarah standing there with him.
Ted reached out his hand and cupped her cheek. “I’m so damned sorry, Sarah. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you and sorry about Bella. When I get a chance, maybe I’ll stop out at the farm to see her, if that’s okay with you.”
Sarah didn’t miss the fact that he didn’t say to see her, but to see Bella. That hurt. But his next words hurt more.
“The divorce should be finalized in another month or so. We can do a video chat with the judge to finalize things when I come out to see Bella.”
Sarah nodded, turned to leave, then turned back, “I’m sorry, Ted, for not being enough for you. I hope you find your happiness.” Before he could say anything else, she turned back around and hurried into the truck, and didn’t look back as Max drove away.
Sarah’s mind was reeling, and she wanted to cry, but she held herself together. She would not let Ted make her cry anymore. She cried her last tear over him. She’s spent too many years crying for him, over him, and about him. No. More.
They stopped at a rest area, and after stretching their legs a bit, all of them taking a bathroom break, Bella took Chloe and sat to play in the grass with her a bit before they moved on to the last bit of their traveling.
Max moved beside Sarah and asked, “Are you doing okay?”
Sarah tried to hide her emotions, “I’m fine.”
“You know when Taryn tells me she’s fine, I know she’s lying to me because she either doesn’t want to let me know what she’s thinking, or she’s trying to hide her emotions from me. So don’t lie to me, Sarah. How are you really doing?”
Sarah took a deep breath and said, “I feel like my whole life is changing and I have no damn control over it. I feel like all my life I’ve let Ted dictate what I was doing. I got pregnant and he pushed me away. I raised our child. Our child was killed, he came back, and stepped back in telling me I was his. We had another child, now he pushes me away and tells me he doesn’t want me, and now I’m supposed to start a new life, making my own decisions without Ted. Without his influence and his dictating. I don’t believe in myself any longer, I don’t trust my decisions for my life and my daughter hates me. Tell me how I’m supposed to feel, Max, because I just don’t give a shit anymore.”
Max pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Sarah refused to cry. She was actually numb. But Max held her and said, “You feel whatever the fuck you need to feel. We got you until you got yourself, and believe me when I say you will. In time, you will come out swinging again and you’ll see the bad ass woman that we all see.”
Max pulled back and looked in her eyes as he said, “You, Sarah Blake, are the glue that holds this family, that we are, together. Don’t ever doubt your strength, your courage, or your worth. You mean the world to all of us.”
Damn it! Max made her cry. “I promised myself no more crying. Shit! Thank you, Max, but I think you got me mixed up with Miranda. That girl is the one who holds us together. Not me.”
Max shook his head. “You gave Miranda purpose. You showed her how to love someone when she was broken. She loved you and she loved Trent. Without that to anchor her, she would have broken. You know it, we all do, including Miranda. You helped Josie see that she couldn’t give up on her true love and she let Mike back in. You helped Taryn believe in herself and never gave up on her even when she pushed you away. Without that, I would have never been able to open her heart to love me. When Trae was hurt, you held us all together. You took Arianna under your wing, and you pushed Ted to leave everyone alone. You took your friends needs first over your spouse. You are the glue. The foundation and we love you. We’ll never let go. Whatever you need.”
Taryn stepped up behind her and circled her arms around Sarah’s waist and said, “Never. I love you, Sarah.”
Again, these people. Her family gave her the strength to find herself. Sarah nodded and said, “I love you all too. Thank you. Now, let’s go. I’m ready to see what’s next for me. I’m ready to find the woman I lost.”
Max smiled, “That a girl.” He leaned in and kissed the top of her head, just like Rod always does, and Sarah was grateful for the love and strength that gesture always gave her.
Bella still wasn’t conversing with her, but Sarah was okay with that. She took the silence over the hurtful words and yelling. When they pulled up at the farm, Bella looked at the house and said, “There is indoor plumbing at least, right, mother?”
“Bella! Do not be rude. This home is lovely, and you are not going to disrespect Max or his mother. Stop being a brat!”
Max snorted and said, “If you don’t behave yourself, my brother will have you build your own port-o-pot to shit in, but as long as you behave, you’ll get in-door plumbing privileges.”
Taryn giggled and Sarah had to hold back from laughing at the indignation and mortification on her daughter’s face.
When they got out of the truck, Maggie was rushing up to them and to Sarah’s surprise, she engulfed her in a huge hug and fussed over her, making Sarah feel loved. She missed having her mother since her mom and dad turned her away when she became pregnant, and she has not approached them since. Like with Ted, she wasn’t going to beg someone to be a part of her life if they didn’t want to.
After Maggie hugged Sarah, she moved on to Bella and made a fuss over her, and told her some good honest hard work would help her through this hard time. Bella shot daggers at Sarah as Maggie was speaking to her.
Sarah turned at the voice that came from too close behind her, when he said, “You keep shooting those daggers like that, your eyes will eventually fall out. You see, shootin’ death rays takes its’ toll.”
Sarah couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out, but it got stuck in her throat when she saw the man standing there. When he turned his attention to her and tipped his hat saying, “Sorry ma’am, for buttin’ my nose in, but a child ought to learn consequences for those actions right quick, otherwise she’s liable to get hurt out here.”
He reached out his hand to her and said, “Brody Adams, farm hand and all-around handy man.”
Sarah regained her composure enough to take the man’s hand and say, “Sarah, Sarah Blake, and that is Bella. Thank you for taking us on. We appreciate it.”
Brody nodded at Sarah and stepped back to shake Max’s hand and hug Taryn. He then excused himself to go tend to his duties.
Taryn moved up next to Sarah and said, “Hunk-a-licious, isn’t he?” She wiggled her eyebrows at Sarah and they both laughed.
Max yelled, “I heard that.”
That made Taryn laugh harder.
Maggie was in her glory. She was playing with her grand-daughter, Chloe. She had her grandson, Johnny, on the porch, and she claimed Bella as hers, too. Max, Taryn, and Sarah unloaded the truck.
The plan was they’d have lunch, then they were going to head out and go back to Wellsprings. It was a couple hour drive to the farm in Pleasantville, South Carolina, but Max needed to get back to his farm the next day. He had some things that needed tending. Originally, they were going to spend the night to get Sarah situated, but unfortunately the plans had to change.
Sarah had decided since the bathroom upstairs was a jack and jill bathroom, and shared between Brody’s room and the upstairs bedroom, that she would take that room and Bella would sleep in Maggie’s room downstairs. She didn’t like the idea of Bella sharing a bathroom with Brody. She wasn’t all that comfortable herself with it, but she would handle it. There was another bedroom upstairs, but it was much smaller, and it’s the room her and Ted shared when they came here for Max and Will’s dad’s funeral.
Maggie had already freshened the sheets on the beds and made sure to have the upstairs bathroom fixed up for Sarah to have space to put her things, if she so chose.
Sarah put together Bella’s room, putting away her things and figured later she would put her own things away. Right now, she needed her daughter set up and then needed to have Maggie, Taryn, or Allie show her the ropes.
Taryn and Allie were sitting in the kitchen when Sarah came down from putting her things upstairs, and Allie jumped up and hugged her.
Will came into the kitchen and after Allie let her go. She turned to thank him, and instead, he hugged her and said, “Whatever you need while you’re here, you just ask. You’re our family.”
Sarah struggled to keep her composure at the sincerity of everyone and she was humbled by their love and support. “Thank you. I can’t tell you what this means to me.”
Will nodded, “Brody will show you around the barn when you’re ready to learn. I’ll mainly be in the fields and Allie, she’ll be around, but I don’t want her working in the barn.”
Allie rolled her eyes at him and when he left the room, Taryn pounced. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
Allie shushed her. “Yes, but we don’t want Maggie to know yet. It’s still too early. We want to be sure nothing happens. I had a miscarriage six months ago and Maggie took it hard. So, we’re being cautious. Do not tell her or Max. You know he can’t keep a secret.”
Taryn laughed and Sarah smiled. It was nice to have some girl talk and not worry about her life for a little while.
“Whatever you need, Allie, I’m here for you, so don’t hesitate to ask. You guys are doing me a favor, The least I can do is pick up some of the slack and help out in the barn, or wherever I’m needed.”
Allie took Sarah’s hand and said, “Thank you. Losing the baby was hard, but I told Will it wasn’t meant to be. John needed another angel in heaven to hold.”
Sarah smiled at her and nodded. God knows what path He creates, we just have to trust and have faith that He knows where we are going. She needed to listen to that phrase on repeat in her mind, and maybe eventually, she’d believe it. All in time, Sarah, all in time, she told herself.
