Country Mile

HER SISTER

She glanced at Delilah, who was looking up at Adam with that stupid shit eating grin of hers.

"Someone's been crying, huh?" Genna blurted out at her.

Smooth redirection, Genna.

Delilah's eyes snapped to Genna's and her eyebrows furrowed so deeply it was damn near a unibrow. She swiftly brought her hands down to her sides.
Adams hand tightened on her shoulder and pulled her back a step as he took one forward, placing himself between the two girls. His free hand came up to point at Genna.

"Hey now, don't be rude."

"I'm sorry, it's just, she looks really upset."

"Lilah has somethin' she'd like to say to you," he looked down at her. His hand slid from her shoulder to her upper arm. "Ain't that right?" he encouraged as he pulled her forward again.

"Yes sir," she whispered.

They stood in awkward silence for a long moment while Delilah chewed on her bottom lip and lightly tapped the floor with her shoe.

Adam leaned down to speak softly into her ear. "I suggest you get on with it, little girl. Lest you need me to give you a reminder as to how proper, sincere, apologies work."

She quickly shook her head no and her once angry eyes looked into Genna's pleadingly. Seeing that emotion on her face took Genna aback, as she had previously only seen looks of contempt.

"I threw away your note to get you in trouble. It.. it was wrong of me, and.. and I'm very sorry."

Genna's eyes widened at her words. She had suspected as much, only because it was something she would have done, but to hear that Delilah had actually done it came as a surprise. Genna was pissed, but more so impressed.

She placed the bowl on the counter and crossed her arms. "Adam, can Delilah and I speak privately for a moment?"

"I don't think that's a good—"

"I promise, I will mind you." She looked at him, watching as he registered his own words spoken to her not too long ago were reiterated back to him.

"I will too," Delilah said.

He looked back and forth between them, visibly torn on whether or not he should give them the benefit of the doubt.

"Alright," he finally relented. "But if either of y'all start raisin' your voice, I'm comin' back in here to supervise. And heaven forbid you put your hands on one another, we're takin' a trip out to the barn where I'll tan both your hides. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"Ok. I'll be right outside." He stood there and gave one last glare before stepping out the back door.

They watched him leave and then slowly turned to face each other.

Genna cleared her throat. "So, he can be pretty intense when he's pissed off, huh?"

Delilah let out a soft chuckle. "You could say that."

Genna looked at Delilah, truly looked, for the first time and noted things she hadn't seen before. Her hair was a pretty shade of blonde, she had a soft dusting of freckles across the tops of her cheeks and bridge of her nose, a nose that was button-like and a bit pointier than her own at the tip. She had beautiful blue eyes, just like Adam. She noted how she and Delilah had similarly shaped faces and eyebrows, how their lips were nearly identical, and how Delilah even had a slight dimple in her chin, just like her. She could finally see the girl, and she could tell Delilah could finally see her too.