“I don’t know how anyone would have the heart to abandon such a sweet dog,” Zoe agreed, a furrow appearing between her brows. “Do you think we’ll be able to find him a forever home?”
Sophia nodded. “I think Teddy is going to be just fine.”
“Teddy?”
Sophia shrugged and fixed her eyes on an unmarked spot in the distance. “He reminds me of a teddy bear. By the way, I’ve been thinking about what we talked about, about the habitat program and what you’re going to do after college.”
From the corner of her eye, Sophia saw Zoe tense and square her shoulders. “Mom, can we not talk about this right now? It would be nice to have a conversation that didn’t end with one or both of us being upset.”
Sophia spun around and took both of Zoe’s hands in hers. “I agree, and I don’t want to upset you. I’m just trying to look out for you, so I have an idea.”
Zoe lifted her gaze up to her mom’s, her silver eyes so much like her father’s that it stunned Sophia into silence. “What is it?”
Sophia swallowed. “How about you intern for one month at Wilson Realty? I’m sure one month won’t make a difference, right? And if you still feel like it’s not a good fit, you can join the habitat program then. There’s no deadline to join, right?”
Zoe swatted at an errant lock of hair, her expression turning thoughtful. “No, I guess not.”
Teddy trotted back over, dropped the ball at their feet, and glanced between the two of them. Sophie squeezed Zoe’s hands and released them. Then she bent down to pick up the ball and threw it as hard as she could.
For the first time in a while, Zoe didn’t leave in a huff or in tears.
The two of them stayed outside till the sun dipped below the horizon, and a warm evening breeze blew through them. When Sophia called Teddy back, and the two of them ducked back into the house, she was pleasantly surprised that Zoe stuck around for dinner.
Maybe there was still hope for them.
Chapter Seven
Sophia made a low grumbling sound, and her hand darted out. As soon as it connected with her phone, she pried one eye open, then the other. Vision blurry, she threw herself back onto the bed and pressed the phone to her ear. Zac’s voice came on, sounding exhausted and defeated. Immediately, she chased away the sleepiness and sat up.
“What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
“I wanted to hear your voice,” Zac whispered, his voice catching toward the end. “I don’t think I ever told you that I’m sorry.”
Sophia sighed. “What are you talking about, sweetheart? You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I do, though. I left without a second thought. I barely even said goodbye, and I haven’t been back since. I know I shouldn’t have done that.”
Sophia threw the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Honey, I don’t blame you. I know you felt like you had to get away and start over. I wish it didn’t have to be so far away, but I understand.”
“You don’t have to be so understanding. You can be mad if you want.”
“I could never stay mad at you,” Sophia replied before circling around Teddy’s sleeping form. He was on his back with his arms and legs in the air, tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Sophia drew the curtains shut, stumbled back in the direction of the bed, and sank onto the mattress. “Is everything okay? Did something happen?”
“There was a flood in the village,” Zac murmured, his voice trailing off toward the end. “We saved as many people as we could, but when there weren’t enough aid workers, we had to help with search and rescue.”
Sophia sighed and drew her knees up to her chest. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
Zac fell silent, and she heard him sniffing.
She drew the phone away from her ear, placed it against her knees, and selected the video option. When her son’s face appeared, it was puffy, and his hair was a matted mess on top of his forehead, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was for Zac to feel like he wasn’t alone.
He palmed the back of his neck. “Sorry about the quality. It’s hard to find a good connection here.”
Sophia touched a finger to the screen. “I don’t mind.”
Zac’s camera swam in and out of focus, his voice sounding garbled. When it finally settled, he was outside, the evening stars behind him, and his face lit up in the pale glow of the moon.
