Sokeefe - Until She Was Ready For More

Chapter 31

"Mommy! Daddy won't let me have another slice of mallowment!" my youngest called from downstairs. I laughed out loud before making my way to the kitchen to see what all of that fuss was about. 

I entered the room to find my husband and two youngest kids sitting around the table, all with plates of what was once mallowmelt in front of them. 

"How many have you had today, Rowan?" I asked, following up on his previous protest and already knowing it was more than was healthy and that Keefe was probably right to say no. Rowan cast his eyes downwards, letting his blonde hair fall over his brown eyes that were so light they were practically golden. 

"Four," he mumbled, clearly hoping I wouldn't ask. I rolled my eyes fondly and looked at Keefe. 

"I mean, letting him have one more piece wouldn't hurt, right...?" I asked. Rowan, being the baby of the family, usually got what he wanted, just as Ashton, Alora, and Calista had always gotten what they'd wanted for the years up until their respective younger siblings had been born. 

Keefe sighed, looked at our son, and then back to me. 

"I guess not. But just this once," he agreed, all three of us knowing it wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. 

"Yes!" Rowan exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. 

"Oh come on! You both spoil him way too much. You would never let the rest of us have five pieces of mallowmelt in one day," Alora said as she walked into the kitchen. 

"But he's our last baby, so we have to spoil him," I replied, a mock-sad expression on my face. 

"He doesn't have to be our last one," Keefe smirked and I smacked his shoulder at the same time that Alora yelled, "Ew, dad! Stop talking, that's so gross!" 

Keefe laughed and Alora rolled her eyes and walked out of the room. 

"You're just lucky Rowan and Calista didn't hear you," Alora called a few seconds later from somewhere else in the house. 

"Didn't hear what?" Calista asked, looking up from her piece of paper lying on the table. 

"Nothing," I replied and smiled. 

"Okay," she shrugged and went back to drawing. 

"You are awful. She's only sixteen, leave your poor daughter alone," I said, turning to Keefe and mockingly shaking my head.

"Oh, so I'm awful now, am I?" he asked, his signature smirk dancing across his face. 

"Completely."

"And yet you love such an awful elf?" 

"That I do," I answered and Keefe leaned down to press his lips to mine. 

"What have I done?" a broken-hearted voice said, the question turning into a sob. 

I opened my eyes, confusion coursing through me. Not five seconds ago I was kissing Keefe, and now I was somewhere else completely, with only the ghost of a kiss still on my lips. 

I was still in my house, but I was in my and Keefe's bedroom now instead, with what seemed to be a distraught young woman on the other side of the room. 

I slowly walked around the bed and to the other side. There, on the floor, was a shaking girl, hunched over, her blonde hair acting as a curtain over her face. She lifted her hand to push her hair out of her face and, seeing me, screamed. 

I stumbled backwards, more from shock than the scream itself. The woman quickly stood up, wiping away her tears, and I found myself looking at a younger version of myself. 

All my confusion vanished and I realized why I had been pulled from my timeline. My photographic memory had captured this exact conversation years ago and I knew what I was there to do and say. 

Walking the few steps to stand face-to-face with Past Me, I raised my hand and slapped her straight across the face, her then raising her hand to her cheek.

"You are quite the idiot, I hope you realize that," I stated. Past Me opened her mouth to say something, before I cut her off. "Look, Sophie, I don't have much time. Obviously, I'm you. My name is Sophie Elizabeth Sencen and I live with my husband, Keefe Sencen, and our five kids. Three of which are with you in this timeline. As I'm sure you know, you screwed up pretty bad. I'm here to help." 

"Nope. There's no way. I've completely lost it," Past Me said, sitting down on the side of the bed as her eyes welled up again, the combination of shock and distress giving way to hysteria. I sighed. 

"You're not losing it, I swear," I started before pausing, searching my memory for what I had said previously. I had to get through to her, whether she believed this was real or not. "But even if you were, it wouldn't matter, because, no matter what, you need to fix this. And to do that, you need to hear what I have to say." 

"How?" she asked. "How could I possibly fix what I did? How could I take back-" she cut herself off, her voice catching and a new rush of tears making its way down her face. "How could I take back all the awful things I said to him?" she whispered. 

"Well, first you could start by finding him. Keefe went to Candleshade after you both fought. You'll find him in a library on the 30th floor. As for how you can fix it, you'll have to figure that out yourself. But just remember who you are, and who Keefe is. And you should also know that, no matter what, there is nothing that would make Keefe stop loving you. And I think the same can be said for you, regardless of what you may have said to him earlier." 

"But what if I say the wrong thing?" she asked timidly, her breathing starting to quicken. I moved towards her, then crouched down so I was closer to her level and looked into her eyes.

"You won't, I promise. I've been through this before, remember? It's going to be hard, but you can do it, and you won't mess it up. I believe in you, Sophie." 

"Okay," she agreed shakily. I closed my eyes and nodded.

"You alright, love?" I heard Keefe say as I opened my eyes. A smile came over my face and I kissed him. 

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" I asked, my smile growing larger. 

"Maybe once or twice," Keefe answered, his expression confused but happy, and I laughed. 

"I love you, Keefe Sencen. I always have, and I always will. No matter what, even when I say I don't," I said, leaning my forehead against his. 

"Luckily you've only said that once, and it only made me love you more in the end," he replied, smiling, and I smiled again, knowing my younger self had said the right thing.