“Yes, please. Gnomes are so cute.” Roen led me around the outside of their new house, Mommy and Daddy Kyler followed behind us.
“Roen’s been so excited for everyone to arrive so he could show them all the new additions,” Mr. Kyler told Mommy.
“You’ve been busy, the place looks great.” While Mommy and Mr. Kyler talked, I followed Roen up the hill to his garden.
“This is so cool!” It had gnomes of all sizes and mushrooms with big red tops and white dots on them. “Is that big one a real gnome house? Do the doors open and everything?”
“Yes, Daddy found all this for me. It’s so cool.” Roen opened the doors and there were tiny gnomes inside.
“They’re so tiny. Look at all the pretty flowers.” Flowers of every color of the rainbow were in his cute garden all framed in with a little white picket fence. “Do you play with them?”
“Not these but my playroom is full of gnomie gnomies too. Daddy went a little crazy when he made it for me.”
“That’s cause you were away visiting family and your Daddy missed you terribly.” Roen beamed up at his daddy. “And now Roen’s family lives here too in the house that’s just beyond the parking lot.”
“I’m a lucky boy. Everyone I love is here. Well, except for some of Daddy’s family but they come up a few times a year to visit us.”
“Yes they do, sweet boy.”
Mommy and I were lucky like that too with our found family.
“Is Chase coming with his friend David this year?” He told us his bestie had a boy but that he wasn’t a little, but he’d make us special little food if he came cause he was a chef.
“He is. They can only stay a couple of days though because they’re leaving on a summer tour next week.” Mr. Kyler was so nice. “I heard you mention the view from our new house, Vivienne. Would you like to see it?”
“If it’s not an inconvenience, I’d love to.”
“Then I can show Darcy my playroom, Daddy.”
“Yes, sweet boy, you can. Follow us, ladies.”
“Wow.” The view from their wrap around porch was insane. You could see the campsite, the mountain and down the side of the cliff. “This is amazing.”
“You should see it at sunset. On the other side we get a perfect view of it.” Daddy Kyler smiled. “Many a night my boy and I have taken it in. Every day I question, how is this even my life. I have everything I ever could’ve wanted. A flourishing business, a gorgeous home, and above all the love of my life.”
“I know that feeling very well, Kyler,” Mommy said. “I think those very words to myself each day.”
“Come on, Darcy, come see my playroom. While Mommy and Mr. Kyler talked, Roen and I played.”
“I had no idea there were this many gnomes out there.” Curtains, his comforter, the walls—it was a gnome explosion. “I like these squishy floor tiles.”
“Me too. Do you like my room?”
Roen was so nice. “Yes, it’s super fun. Do we have time to play, or do we have to go back down with the rest of the group?”
“We probably have to check on them. I think it’s almost time for dinner. I’m hungry.”
“Me too.”
“Ready to join your friends, little ones?” Mr. Kyler asked us.
“We’re hungry, Daddy.”
“Well now, we can’t have that. Vivienne, should we feed our littles?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Come, Princess, let’s say high to all your old friends.”
“’Kay, Mommy.”
When we got to the mess hall it was packed full and all my friends were there. I couldn’t wait to spend the week with them and do all the wonderful things Mr. Kyler had planned. Pride Camp changed my life forever, for the better and as long as Mr. Kyler had it I’d beg my Mommy to come.
Maybe what momma Sarah said about good things and good people was true. I always did my best to be happy and kind to everyone even though my younger years weren’t so great. But now as I look around at all my friends, laughing and having a great time at Pride Camp it hit me just how wonderful life was.
My life was filled to overflowing with friends, family, and love and I was one lucky girl.
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