Her Obsession (by Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 150

Her Obsession.

Did Good.

Connor

The closer we get, the greener it gets. Not the neat, trimmed kind of green from city gardens or manicured lawns, this is real green. The road winds between fields that stretch forever, fences leaning like old friends, cows grazing lazily under the afternoon sun. Diego’s face is glued to the window, his breath fogging up the glass as he points at everything.

“Look! Look, there are horses! And sheep! And that one’s rolling in the dirt! Why’s he rolling, Con?”

“Because it feels good,” I tell him, grinning. “Sometimes you just need to roll around.”

Sage smirks from beside me. “You’d know.”

We take the last bend and the farmhouse comes into view, standing proud at the top of a small hill. The white paint is peeling a little on the edges, but the roof has been patched with age, and it’s still perfect. The wraparound porch is still lined with Ma’s flower boxes, bursting with colour, and the old oak tree out front is twice the size I remember.

Diego gasps. “It’s a castle!”

“Close enough,” I say softly. “That’s Ma and Pa’s place.”

He bounces in his seat, barely containing himself. “Do they really have cows?”

“Dozens,” I say. “And chickens, and one very opinionated goose named Henry.”

Naomi laughs. “I’m already scared.”

The gravel crunches under the tyres as we pull up. Before the car’s even stopped moving, the screen door bangs open. Ma steps out, dusting her hands on her apron like she’s been waiting for us all along. Her hair’s tied up in its usual messy bun, streaks of silver catching the sun, and her eyes scan the car until they land on me.

“Well,” she says, her voice carrying across the yard. “Look what the storm blew back in.”

I’m halfway out of the car before she even makes it down the steps. “Ma,” I say, smiling. “You look good.”

“Don’t butter me up,” she says, though her grin gives her away. She opens her arms wide, and I go in for the hug I’ve been missing since the last time I stood here. Except she sidesteps me completely.

“Ah, look at you!” she cries, reaching right past me to scoop up the small body behind my legs. Diego squeals in surprise as she lifts him right off the ground. “Aren’t you the cutest darn thing I ever seen?”

He giggles, instantly charmed, his little hands clutching at her shoulders. “Hi! I’m Diego! Are you Ma?”

“I sure am,” she says proudly. “And you, sweetheart, are already my favourite.”

I blink. “Your favourite?”

She waves a dismissive hand over her shoulder without looking at me. “You were, and then you grew up.”

Pa appears from the barn at that exact moment, wiping his hands on a rag and chuckling under his breath. “Told you she’d replace you eventually, son.”

1/3

12:30 am DWW

Did Good.

“Didn’t think it’d be this fast,” I mutter, brushing off my shirt.

Sage laughs softly beside me. “You did walk right into that one.”

Ma’s still inspecting Diego like he’s a prize–winning calf, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. “Lord above, look at those eyes. Are you eating enough? You look like you could use some food.”

Naomi, climbing out of the backseat, grins. “That’s her solution to everything.”

“Because it works,” Ma shoots back. “Now, come here, girl, give me a hug.”

Naomi goes willingly, and even Liam gets dragged in after her with a firm slap to the shoulder. Finally, she rounds on Sage. For a heartbeat, I can see Sage brace herself. It’s subtle, just a little straightening of her spine, a flicker of old habit in her eyes, but Ma doesn’t leave room for it. She just smiles, all warmth and certainty, and folds her arms around her.

“Welcome home, darling,” she says simply.

Sage freezes, then exhales, her arms coming up slowly to return the hug. “Thank you, Ma,” she murmurs.

Ma pulls back enough to look at her. “You’re also still too skinny. I’ll fix that by sundown.”

Sage actually smiles at that, small but real. “Good luck,” she says. “Connor’s been trying.”

Ma laughs, and even Pa chuckles from where he’s leaning against the fence, shaking his head.

“City boy never did know how to feed anyone properly,” he says.

“Hey,” I protest. “I can cook.”

Ma snorts. “Burning toast doesn’t count, son.”

Sage covers her mouth, clearly fighting a laugh. Traitor.

We spend the next few minutes unloading bags while Ma keeps Diego occupied with an ongoing tour of the yard. He’s already met two cats, three chickens, and the goose. Henry, predictably, honks at him with disdain.

“He doesn’t like me much,” Diego says solemnly.

“Oh, don’t take it personally, sugar,” Ma assures him. “He doesn’t like anyone.”

Inside, the farmhouse smells the same: butter, soap, and wood polish. Ma’s got pie cooling on the counter and a roast already in the oven. Diego’s perched on one of the kitchen stools, swinging his legs and chattering a mile a minute. He’s telling Ma all about the aeroplane–how he saw the clouds up close, how he waved at the stars, how Sissy said they followed us all the way here. Ma listens like every word is a secret meant just for her, nodding and gasping in all the right places. “Well,” she says finally, “I think the stars must be awfully fond of you, sweetheart.”

“They are,” he says seriously. “They blinked at me.”

Pa chuckles. “Sounds like they know a good man when they see one.”

Diego beams, and I swear my heart just about melts right there.

Did Good.

Later, when the noise starts to settle and the sun dips low behind the barn, I find myself standing out on the porch with Pa, a couple of beers between us.

Pa leans against the railing, eyes fixed on the horizon where the fields bleed into gold. “You did good, son,” he says quietly.

“Yeah?” I glance over at him, unsure if it’s a statement or a question.

He nods once, slow and sure. “Brought a little light back with you this time. Been a long while since this place felt that full.”

Through the open window, I can see them all, Sage helping Ma at the counter, Diego on his stool, legs swinging, laughter spilling like sunlight across the

room.

“Yeah,” I murmur, the words sitting heavy but right in my chest. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Pa hums thoughtfully, taking a sip of his beer and the quiet stretches between us, easy and familiar. I roll the bottle in my hand, watching the condensation bead down the glass before I finally speak again.

“I need your help with something, Pa.”

He turns his head, one brow lifting. “That so?”

Without another word, I reach into my pocket, pull out the small velvet box, and set it on the railing between us. It catches the last light of the setting sun.

Pa looks down at it, then back at me, a slow grin spreading beneath his moustache. “Well,” he says, voice low and full of something that might just be pride. “Took you long enough.”

Comments

Emily Good

2 Comments >

bawling over here. so glad they’re getting their happy endings! this is exactly what I needed, thank you! excited for the updates

2 days ago

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