Mikaela's Story 2

The next several weeks flew by. I worked in my garden, planting, weeding, hoeing, and kicking a certain goat out of it on a daily basis. When I wasn’t working my business, I was inside, tearing off more old wallpaper, sanding floors, and painting everything, in sight wanting to make my old house look good. I was so busy that I barely had time to think about anyone like Daniel, Dominick, or Nate. Although Daniel was a constant, popping up all the time for a quick kiss as he took the dogs for a run along the not so busy side streets where we lived, and coming over for dinner uninvited, hoping for a sleepover, which occasionally happened. Slap me. Dominick was mostly out of the picture, but every time I went over to Maria’s, he was there, in all of his Italian glory. He kept waiting for a stolen moment alone with me, hoping for that kiss, which I occasionally gave. Slap me again. And then he’d remind me of what great godparents we were going to be to the twins. Nate, on the other hand, called me at least once a week, wanting to chat as he called it. We’d end up spending hours on the phone, talking about everything, and nothing and still he had no conscious memory of us before the accident. And I flirted with him like crazy. Slap me a third time. I finally officially named my kittens One and Two. Okay sue me; the names stuck. And you have to admit they weren't your average names. The kittens had grown. And although they still hissed and clawed at Noel when he came too close, they were starting to warm up to him. Occasionally I even saw them lay nexr to each other on the couch, under Vernerdi's watchful eye. Now, Bravo was a different story. Noboday messed with Bravo other than Luciano, who couldn't have cared less. Yes, life was good on the farm. The weather had warmed up considerably with temperatures rising and the cold retreating 'till nexr fall or early winter. Spring had sprung, the flowers were blooming everywhere, and my garden was flourishing. Soon, I'd e hauling my produce to market and to Alejandras's - Antonio and Maria's restaurant named after their firsr born. So why was I so restless? I had everything I wanted - a fixer upper home that I loved fixing, my own business that supported me, fur babies whom I adored and family/friends whom I loved and who loved me. So, what was my problem? Easy. I wanted that special person I could commit ro, build a future, and have children with. The problem was I just didn't know who that was or if he was even in the picture. I picked myself up from the dirt, where I was sitting with my musings, and continued to dig a little more now that I was on my hands and knees. I wiped the sweat off my forehead with my cotton gloved hand. The sunflower plants were just starting to burst through the ground. In no time, they'd be taller than me and a big hit at the flea market. I heard the sounds of thunder rolling in the distance. Looking up, I saw dark gray skies to the north. Lightning flashed across the sky. A strong breeze blew across the field, rustling through the trees and my hair. I smelled the fresh drops of rain announcing that the downpour was close at hand. Another flash of lightning, followed by instant thunder, told me the storm was here. "Come on, Boy, time to go in," I said, standing, brushing the dirt off my jeans. Noel lay near me in the grass taking his second or third nap of the day. He looked up, and stretching, then took the lead headed towards the house. We got to the house just before the heavens let loose. "Thank you," I said, looking over my shoulder at the blinding rain. The rain would definitely help my crops. Inside the kitchen, my phone started buzzing. Putting the tea kettle on, I pulled out my phone. "Hey, Dad! What's up?" I asked, excited to hear his voice. "How's my girl doing?" I'd opened the cupboard and was jusr about to pull out a mug, when I stopped cold, hearing the tone in his voice.