Train Wreck

seventy

BENJI POV

Nine Months Later

"I still think it's weird..." Daisy whispered, traipsing at my side while we let Yoshi and Link play in the yard of the farmhouse with Princess Peach.  She was wearing a soft green romper that she made and I was proud of how she and Trisha now made their own clothes and even took an online fashion design course so they could create patterns.

Trisha wants to go into fashion design, but my Daisy has her heart set on being a Veterinarian now that we have puppies running around.  I had my heart set on sports medicine and was promised an internship at the hospital when I was a bit older so I could get a closer look at what that would mean for a career.

I shrugged, grabbing a tennis ball and tossing it softly while Peach allowed the little pups to get ahead of her for a chance at the toy.  "I mean, it's kind of morbid, but I get why Lissy and Remington want to reclaim this date.  They've done that with a lot of things so bad memories are turned into something with more joy." I turned and smiled at my best friend, thankful that our freshman year of high school only made our bond closer. "We had to reclaim the pond by having that swimming party in September, we reclaimed the porch with all those takeout dinners we devoured..."

"Oh my god and we've eaten so many s'mores at the bonfire pit, plus all our picnics in the meadow every weekend when the weather was nice!" she exclaimed with a bright grin.

Daisy was right.

Remington, Alice, and I were still mostly living at the rental house but spent more and more time at the farmhouse now that it was almost done. We planned to officially move when our rental agreement was over in about two weeks but had done so much work here that all that was left was painting and superficial changes.

Daisy and Trisha created the curtains for each room, pouring over fabric websites and getting my sister's approval before moving ahead with each project. Kenny helped us get the grill and smoker set up plus gifted me with a special wooden cabinet that Remi helped me put together and stain to match our kitchen so I can keep my smoking spices and rubs somewhere special.

We constructed an incredible bonfire pit surrounded with benches that Remi and I built as well as some Adirondack chairs that were a gift from Jesse and Rob.  A wildflower meadow full of black eyed susans and blue violets became our go-to picnic spot, reclining under a large willow tree that also had a tire swing.

Plus the wifi reached the meadow so we could relax outside and still play Mario Kart.  That was the best part.  School was exhausting sometimes so Saturday afternoons spent snacking on sandwiches and brownies while we played video games made it a bit easier to get through the weeks of class.

Leah had their baby boy just after Christmas and he was an adorable bundle of chubby legs and giggles. Little Elijah brought joy to each of us and I loved when Daisy babysat since that meant she brought him across the street to our house for some play time.  She would bring Maya with her all the time as well so our puppies got time with their mama frequently.

Eli was a hilarious baby and loved when we made faces and noises at him.  Leah and Kenny had another foster dog at this time and she decided to quit her job to focus on Eli and fostering while Kenny continued his work as an at home nurse.

I was so glad he was there during my Dad's final days.  I know he helped us get just a little more time with him before he passed away.

"BEEP??" I heard Alice holler from the back porch and grinned, turning to wave at my sister. She returned my smile and approached us while Yoshi ran right to her feet, pawing to get some cuddles.  She was wearing the sunflower romper my mom loved all those years ago.