Finding Happiness *Complete*

[Ally3772]

Great update, Ally! I know this is a family site, but I wish you didn't have to censor your language. I know what Alyssa really wanted to say!

I'm very sorry about your grandpa. I'm down to only one parent and one grandparent myself, and I know what it's like to load up a video game just to escape when things get tough in those situations. Stay strong.

Thank you. I'm also down to one parent and one grandparent, didn't realize it until now... I'm still in shock, it doesn't feel like he's really gone. But I know he's still with me, just not physically =]

[Ally3772]

A Couple Months Later...

"Come on, keep it goin'" I told myself.

My legs were killing me, but I pushed myself to keep running.



"I have to be stronger." I whispered.



...

"Shhh, Sophia please. It's 2 AM." I yawned.

She was up almost every hour crying, I was exhausted and my back hurt from this stupid air bed. I finally got her calm enough to go to sleep. I took my chance and climbed into my bed and fell asleep instantly.



Anthony and I were barely speaking. I preferred it that way, the less I saw of him the better. Of course we acted loving towards each other when mother and/or father were around. Once we were alone we went our separate ways, he went upstairs while I stayed in the nursery only to come out to use the bathroom or for food. It wasn't much of a life but I had a plan, a plan that would make our lives a lot better. I just had to prepare myself for that change.

"You can do this." I whispered.



"You can be strong for Sophia, you have too."

"Alyssa."

"What."

"Your mother is at the door."

"So answer it."

"Do you want to talk to her?"

"What do you think Anthony? Tell her I'm busy."

He left me alone without another word. Of course I didn't want to talk to her, however I needed to get to Sophia in case she tried anything. I stayed in the nursery with Sophia until mother left which wasn't too long of a wait.

"She wants an answer."

"I bet she does."

"We have to do this Alyssa."

"I would appreciate it if you left my room please."

He shook his head and left the room.

...

I sat on the couch and cried. This was not how I thought my life would be like. I wanted to marry a man I actually loved and who loved me. We'd have a baby and be happy with whatever gender we got. We'd live day to day happy to have our little family and things would be wonderful.



I gave myself a few more moments to feel sorry for myself before wiping my eyes. I took a deep breath before standing up and walking upstairs and back to the nursery. I walked over to the bassinet, Sophia was awake and kicking her legs. I gently picked her up in my arms, she started fussing.

"What, what's wrong baby girl?" I asked.

I looked at the clock.

"Oh, it's feeding time now isn't it?"

I made a quick bottle and began to feed her.



"It's just you and I baby girl, and I promise mommy has an idea to get us out of here. Just a little longer. Yeah, just a little longer." I whispered.

It's a sloppy update, but wanted to get one more out... This will be the last one for the night, I will try to get one or two out tomorrow!

[Ally3772]

Today was a sad day and a happy day all wrapped into one. The sad part was, my baby wasn't a baby anymore. The happy part is that I could experience her being a child. I will get to watch her go to her first day of school and have her first friend. I'll help her with her homework and projects.

"Happy birthday Sophia." I smiled.



...

"Alyssa, your mother is in the living room. She needs to speak with you." Anthony said.

"Fine."

I watched him leave.

"Sophia, stay in here okay? I'll be right back. Stay here." I told her.

"Okay mama."

I closed the door and headed down the hall to the living room.

"Good afternoon Alyssa."

"Mother."

I sat down on a chair.

"So, I felt it was necessary to tell you that I have arranged for an adoption counselor to come tomorrow morning." She told me.

"Excuse me?!"

"I had to make a decision Alyssa, you weren't doing anything about it."

"Because she is my daughter!" I hissed.

"Alyssa calm down." Anthony said.

"Don't." I warned pointing a finger at him.

"There's nothing you can do about this Alyssa, adult or not. Even if you live in a different house you still live under our rules."

"This is a bunch of crap!"

"It's the only way."

No it's not.

"I'm done talking about this." I said getting up.

"She'll be here at 10 in the morning." Mother said.

...

I waited for Anthony to go in his room and fall asleep. I rushed down the stairs and into the nursery, I quickly grabbed a suitcase. I looked over to a sleeping Sophia as I worked on shoving clothes into the suitcase. I pulled an envelope from under the mattress and checked it. I sighed when I only counted four hundred dollars, it would have to do. I put it in the suitcase and set it by the door. I quickly put my shoes on while grabbing Sophia's shoes.

"Sophia." I whispered.

I walked over to her and rubbed her arm.

"Sophia wake up." I whispered.

"What's going on?" She yawned.

"We have to go." I told her.

"What?"

"Come on, we have to go."

"Go where?"

"Sophia I don't have time to explain."

She got up and I hurried to put her shoes on.

"Is daddy going?"

"No, he's not."

"Mama I don't want to go."

"We have too."

"Where are we going?"

"I have no idea baby."

...

The taxi dropped us off.



After the shopping for the bare necessities and finding a property, we had about a hundred dollars to our name.

"Come on baby." I said.

"Now where are we going?" She whined.

"We have to go get new clothes and hair cuts."

"Why mama?"

"I'll explain later baby."

"Mama!" She cried.

"Baby, it'll be okay." I said hugging her.



We had to change our whole appearance. If mother and father or Anthony found us... We'd be back to that disaster and things would be much worse for us. Mother didn't like quitters, and she would view running away as a form of quitting. I didn't care if I was a quitter. I needed to get my child out of that environment for her own safety.

So we bought a new wardrobe and we got haircuts.




"Mama, I'm hungry." Sophia said.

"Okay, you want hot dogs?"

"Sure."

I walked over to the grill that came with the property/park. I didn't know how to use it due to the fact that I was never allowed to cook anything myself.

"Uhh... Okay." I whispered.



"MAMA!"

I gasped.

"SOPHIA! GET BACK!"



I grabbed a fire extinguisher and worked on getting the fire out.

"MAMA!"

"It's okay baby! It's okay!"



I managed to get the fire out. I ran my fingers through my hair, I went over to Sophia who was crying and consoled her. We were out of a grill now because it costed over five hundred dollars to replace. So we only had yogurt and granola bars to live on...

"Go sit on the bench, I'll make us some yogurt." I told her.

I got a bowl to share with her and put some yogurt from the cooler into it.

"Mama, will we be here forever?" She asked.

"I hope not."

"Will we have a house?" She asked.

"Someday, mama has to get a job to save up."

She looked at the ground sadly.

"Why did we have to leave our house and leave daddy?"

"Because it wasn't safe there anymore." I said stroking her hair.



She sadly nodded.

"It's okay mama, we'll be fine as long as we're here together." She said.

My eyes filled with fresh tears.

"Oh baby." I said pulling her in a hug.



"We will be fine, we have each other."

"That's all we need mama, each other." She smiled.



"You are absolutely right."

They are safe and free! Hopefully it lasts! I forgot to mention, in the intro there are now links to each chapter for easy access if you want to go back to a certain one!

[Joria]

First of all, I'm so sorry for your loss.  Allow yourself time to grieve, and it does take time, but it will get easier.  Writing and being on the forum might help.

At last!!!  Alyssa finally got a backbone and left that stinker.  All it took was someone placing her daughter and their relationship in danger.  Ain't no one gonna mess with my baby!  Right?  Camping out isn't that bad and Alyssa is resourceful and there are a lot of free things to be had.  Little Sophia really won't lack for much, especially since she has such a terrific Mom.

[Magz from Oz]

I too am very sorry for your loss.  I know this is a difficult time for you, so don't stress about updating this story.

And @Joria is right.  I think Alyssa needed the catalyst of someone threatening to take away her daughter before she moved out of her comfort zone and grew the backbone she needed. 

It reminds me of an old saying about mothers... Mess with me and you'll get hurt.  Mess with my friends and you'll need an ambulance.  Mess with my family and I'll need a shovel. 

Never mess with mothers.  We're vicious if we need be. 

[Ally3772]

It's been a while, but there wasn't much to tell. I went to work at my crappy job making only $16 an hour and bringing home about a hundred or so a day. I just kept telling myself that one day it'd all pay off. In the mean time I worked on my fishing skills so that we could have something different for dinner tonight.



However, there were no fish around where we lived. So I gave up and headed back to our... park.

"Sophia, is your homework done?" I asked.

"Yes mama."

I smiled and kissed her forehead before heading to get the hotdogs out.

"Hotdogs again?" Sophia groaned.

"I know baby." I said.

I started the fire and started to roast some hotdogs.

We sat down and began to eat.

"How was school today?" I asked.

"Everyone has toys and I don't! They talk about all the new things they do and I have a stick if I'm lucky." Sophia said as she rested her head on her hand and played with her food.

My heart broke.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't want life to be like this."

"It's fine." She sighed.

She got up from the bench and sulked to the tent.

...

I saw the bus pull up and rushed to get things ready. Sophia walked through the gates and put her backpack on the picnic table.

"How was school?" I asked.

"It was okay."

"You're so beautiful." I told her.



She giggled.

"I got you something." I said.

"What?!"

I led her over to her presents, she gasped.

"Mama! Look! It's a desk!"

"Not just a desk, it's called a creative table! There's several things you can create!"

"Wow!"

She rushed over to it and sat down.

"Can I?" She asked.

"Of course!"



"Thank you mom!" She gasped.



"You're welcome! But, there's more!"

"There is?"

"Come here!"

"A bear!"



She ran over and hugged it.

"Rachel has one of these! She said it's awesome!" She gasped.

"I know it's not much baby, but I figured I could do something."

"I love the gifts mama."

She went back to coloring and I smiled. I blew almost all of the money we had on those two things, but it was worth it to see the smile on her face as she drew.

...

My luck with fires continued as I decided to set the fire pit on fire...




"Mama!"

"It's okay!"

I managed to get the fire out in no time.

"Okay, let's eat and then you need to work on homework."




I decided to get back to one thing I knew very well, running. I made sure she was asleep and safe before changing into my new workout clothes and going for a run around the block.



I am sorry for the wait guys! It's been a hectic week and a half. Things are finally settling in and getting back to normal! So updates should be more frequent now! Thanks for understanding and all the support! You guys are awesome! =]

[Magz from Oz]

Oh dear Alyssa, I don't think it's a good idea to leave your child alone while you run - even just around the block - because you never know what or who is waiting for such an opportunity.

[Ally3772]

"Look all I want to do is build a wall!" I scolded.

"I know, but to do that would cost more then you have." The builder told me.

I sighed, "My daughter wants a place to hang her drawings."

"I understand that."

"I'm trying to do my best, but it's hard when I feel like a failure."

"You are not a failure."

"Thanks."

"Look, I can get in real trouble for this, but I'll do it for free on one condition."

"What's that?"

"She draws me a picture." He said smiling.

I smiled, "Thank you so much."



...

"Hi baby."

"Hi mama."

"What are you drawing?" I asked.

"I'm drawing you and I mama."

"Really?!"

She showed it to me.

"I can't wait to see the finished product!"



I got up slowly when I saw the mailman, that only meant one thing. I opened up the bills and sighed, our small power bill was $345 and we had $347.

"Man." I whispered.



I reached in my pockets and put the money in the envelope and stuck it in the mail box after sealing it. I looked at the two dollars in my hand and sulked all the way back to the bench.

"Everything okay mama?"

"Fine." I smiled.

"I got lunch together."

"Thanks babe."

I looked at my cereal and slowly took a bite.



"Okay, I'll clean up. It's time for homework."

I kissed her forehead before grabbing the dishes. If I could do one thing for her it was making sure she had a chance at an education.



...

"Look at this wall!" I gasped.

"Thanks for building it for me!"

"You are welcome! All these wonderful pictures deserved to be displayed."




"So today this girl came up to me and complimented me on my boots!"

"She did?" I asked smiling.

"Yeah, she thought that I got them at this expensive store..." She said getting sad.

I just smiled a little bit.

"I chose not to tell her I got them at a thrift shop, I think this way she'll talk to me."

"Honey, if someone is going to judge you on where you get your clothes then they aren't your friends." I told her.

"Everyone shops at these cool stores and I haven't even heard of them let alone shopped at them." She sighed.

"I know baby, it'll change soon I promise."



"Hey, what do you say we go take a walk around the block?"

"Sure." She said.

I grabbed her hand and we started to walk. I was getting more and more comfortable walking around the neighborhood the more I did it. I was always paranoid I'd see mother and father or Anthony, and if not them then someone who would recognize me as a Haystings. It was a beautiful night and the sky was full of beautiful stars.

"Mama, are we going to live outside forever?" Sophia asked out of no where.

"I hope not."

"But it's a chance?" She asked.

I sighed, "I don't know Soph, I'm only making so much at work and these houses are over $100,000."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that the chances of us living outside forever were pretty high. I sighed and looked at the ground as we walked.

"Mama! Look!"

My heart sank as she sprinted a head of me.

"Sophia! Slow down! Wait!"

I ran after her as she stopped and looked amazed, I caught up with her as she pointed to this house.

"Look at it mama! It's perfect!"

I smiled, "Yeah, it is beautiful and the perfect size for the two of us."

"Can we go inside?"

"I would love too baby, but the doors are locked."

She ran over to the plastic box they had with papers that had information about the house on it. She grabbed one and ran back to me handing it to me.

"It's for sale mama!"

"I know it is."

"Can we get it?"

I sighed, "It's too expensive."

I saw the heart break in her eyes. Her shoulders dropped as she began to slowly walk back to our camp.

"Sophia..."

"Let's just go." She said.

Tears came to my eyes as I looked at the paper. The house was $110,000, there was no way I'd make that much until my grand children were grown. I folded it up and began to catch up to Sophia. It was a beautiful house, I just didn't have any way of making it happen.



Poor Alyssa and Sophia...

[Magz from Oz]

Hopefully the tide will turn soon for Sophie and Ally but working through the harsh realities of their life should make for a lifelong bond nothing can break.

[Ally3772]

"I have to get back to relieve the sitter." I told the lady.

"This won't take much longer." She said.

She wheeled over to the printer and rolled back with a stack of papers. She straightened them and stapled it.

"Now," She said, showing me a page, "This lays out the agreement and tells you what amount is due each month. There are numbers you can call for questions and we are always available as well."

I nodded.

"Now, we'll also need your work to fax over proof of employment as soon as possible."

"I thought you called them?"

"We did, and the said that you do we just need it on paper for the record."

I took a deep breath.

"I know, this is overwhelming."

"It is."

She smiled and grabbed a pen.

"I just need a signature here and here and then you will be the proud owner of your first home."

I smiled and took the pen, she pointed at each place and I signed and dated where needed. She congratulated me and put my papers in a folder. We shook hands and she walked me to the door.

"Please don't hesitate to call with any questions."

I smiled and walked outside. I couldn't wait to get back and tell Sophia that we had a home to go too and it was the house she wanted. I hoped that it wouldn't be a mistake to take a loan out through the bank. I worried about making the payments on top of paying the bills. I would just have to take it one day at a time and remember that as long as I had Sophia everything would be okay.




...

"Now, I know you are excited about the house but that doesn't stop you having to do homework." I told her.

"Aww man." She groaned.



"Mama, my homework is done. Can I watch some TV?"

"Only until dinner is done, I'm making it now."



"Okay!"

She ran into the living room and hopped on the couch, I smiled as she flipped the TV on to the kids network.



I flipped the grilled cheese sandwiches over until they were golden brown. I turned the stove off and got plates out of the cabinets before putting the sandwiches on the plates.

"Sophia! Dinner is ready!"

"Okay mama!"

She rushed into the kitchen.

"Did you turn the TV off?" I asked.

"Uh huh!" She smiled.

"How about we do something crazy and eat in my room?!"

"Okay!"



...

[iKnock knock knock...[/i]

I looked at the front door, there was someone there...

"Sophia?" I called.

"Yes mama?"

I peaked inside her room.

"Are you doing okay?"

"Yep! Just coloring!"



"Okay, just stay in here okay?"

"Okay mama."

I walked to the front door.

Knock knock knock...

My heart was racing faster with each step, I put my sweaty palm on the door knob and twisted. My heart stopped when I saw who was standing on the porch.



"May I come in?" He asked.

"How did you find me?"

"Wasn't too hard, seeing as you chose the exact bank that I bank at separately."

Darn it Alyssa. I kicked myself mentally for not doing research.

"May I come in?"

"No."

He didn't listen and walked passed me.



"What do you want Anthony?"

"Can't a guy just stop by?"

"No."

He chuckled and I returned it with a glare.

"Look, I came here to tell you something I thought you'd like to know."



I put my hands on my hips, "Go ahead then."

"Your mother and father were involved in a car accident and they didn't make it."

I stepped back a moment, "What?"

"It happened yesterday."

I was shocked, but in a horrible way sort of relieved. Relieved that I wouldn't have to put up with their rules anymore. Relieved that I wouldn't be judged on going through having Sophia. Relieved that I'll never have to worry about being pulled back into their lifestyle anymore. Now if I could just get this guy out of my house...

"Well, it's good to know. You can leave now."

He turned around to leave but noticed Sophia's room, he slowly walked into it.

"Excuse me!" I scolded.



"So this must be our daughters room..."

"Our daughter?! You mean my daughter?!"

"Well I do remember being present for... making her."

"Yeah well you may have been "present" for that but you had no problem throwing her to the curb when she wasn't a male!" I hissed.

"Still dramatic I see." He snorted.

I glared at him.

"Alyssa..." He went to touch my arm.

"DO NOT touch me!" I yelled.



"Alyssa please.."

"STOP!"

I shoved him back and he tried again, this time I took matters in my own hands and put my training to good use.



I knew the day would come when my punching bag would give me the strength to stand up to him.

"I'll admit Alyssa," He said grabbing his head, he had several bruises, "I didn't think you had that in you."

"I would suggest you leave. I would suggest you leave and you never come back here. We are doing just fine without you and we will continue to do just that. So you stay away from me and more importantly you stay away from my child! You will never see her and you will never have the pleasure of knowing what an amazing little girl she is! I never want to see you again and I never want to hear from you again, you understand that?"

"Gladly."

"Good. Now get out of my house and never look back."



...

"Did daddy come here to say he wants to come back?"

"What?!"

"Does daddy want to be with us?"

I sighed.

"He came to tell me something important, and that is all." I told her.

"So he doesn't want me?" She asked, the tears filling her eyes.

I bent down to her level.

"Your father is not a good person. He was never loved as a child so he does not have what it takes to show love to others. It's nothing you did or could possibly ever do. Okay?" I said stroking her cheek.

"Okay."

"How about I make us a cake?"

"Can it be chocolate?!"

"Of course!"

I led her into the kitchen.




"So, tell me about school..."

They finally got a house! I want to give a special thanks again to my friend Mrs. Flynn! She built this house and thought it'd be perfect to use for the story so she let me use it! =D

[Magz from Oz]

Wow Ally, what a twist.  I'm glad Alyssa stood up to Anthony but I hope he doesn't apply for joint custody or anything like that.  His announcement of the death of her parents shows he's just not a caring person.  Perhaps Alyssa might have inherited something that may ease her burdens.

[TheGoat]

Wow Ally, what a twist.  I'm glad Alyssa stood up to Anthony but I hope he doesn't apply for joint custody or anything like that.  His announcement of the death of her parents shows he's just not a caring person.  Perhaps Alyssa might have inherited something that may ease her burdens.

Alyssa's response was a little cold, as well. I don't think simply running away was enough for her to entirely escape her previous life. She'll continue to carry those scars.

Good updates, Ally.

[Ally3772]

"Sophia! Time for breakfast!"

She came into the kitchen and sat at the island.

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"What do you want to be?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"We're learning about all the things we can be when growing up. Did you always want to do what you're doing now?"

I sighed and set her plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.

"No, definitely not. I wanted to own my own business." I told her.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, a store maybe."

...

"Mama?"

"In the kitchen!"

"I'm home." She said walking in.

"How was school?" I asked.

"Good."

I smiled while I continued to wipe the counters down.

"Are you happy?" She asked.

I stopped and looked at her.

"Of course! Why would you ask me that?"

"You said you wanted to own your own store and you don't, does that make you sad?"

I walked over and sat down next to her.

"It does make me a little sad. Then I wake up and I walk into your room and I see the most precious gift anyone could've given me. Then I am filled with more happiness and love then one person could ever need."

She smiled and hugged me.

"Now, go work on your homework while I work on dinner."

"Can I watch TV if I finish early?"

"Yes, but keep track of the time. An hour of TV remember?"

"Yes ma'am."

A couple months later...

"Soph! School!"

She ran in, "Mama! Mama!"

"What?"

"What's today!"

"Monday?" I said smiling.

"No!"

"Christmas?"

"No!"

"Hmmm, new years?"

"Mama!"

"Okay, hmmm. Is it possibly your birthday?!"

"Yes!" She cheered.

I laughed as she swung her backpack of her shoulder.

"Chocolate cake?"

"Chocolate cake!"

I smiled as I watched her run out the door. I placed a hand over my heart as it ached. My baby was growing up today and I felt happy and sad all wrapped in one. The chapter of childhood was over, and now the chapter of teenager began. I just hoped she was a calm teenager and not one of those moody ones.

...

"Happy birthday dear Sophia! Happy birthday to you!" I sang.




Here is my teenage daughter!



"Look at you!"

"Mom..."

"My baby is all grown up!" I said covering my mouth.

"Ma..."

She groaned.




"I'm sorry, just you are so beautiful." I smiled.

"Picture time?"

"For what?"

"My scrapbook." She said.

"Scrapbook?" I asked.

"Yeah, I've kind of started a scrap book." She said.

"Can I see it someday?"

She smiled and nodded as she pulled her phone out.



"Now lets eat cake!" I said.

"A toast first." Sophia said.

I grabbed my glass and held it up.

"To the future, to making our dreams come true." She smiled.

We clanked our glasses together.

Sophia's a teenager! This chapter was kind of thrown together and crappy so sorry about that... Also, sorry for kind of disappearing there for a while! Things have been crazy! I'll try to be better at it! =]

[Ally3772]

"Sophia! How many times do I tell you to put your things away." I muttered.

I grabbed her backpack off the island when I noticed something fell to the ground. I bent down and picked it up and was about to put it back in the book bag when I looked at the paper. Bank Loan Information for Business Opportunities was the title and below it was questions for the person to fill out. I walked into Sophia's room and she was at her desk doing homework.

"Sophia?"

"Yes?"

I walked over to her and set the paper down.

"This fell from your bag..."

She picked it up and looked at it.

"We had a job fair, and there was a bank manager there. She gives loans to those who want to start their own business. I thought of you and grabbed this."

I smiled and sat down, "Listen, I appreciate that. More then you will ever know sweetie. But right now it wouldn't be a smart idea, you know?"

"Why?"

"Because I struggled to even get a loan for the house, and adding more money to that may just be too much. I have to do what's best for you and I need to make sure we keep a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table."

"What if I get a job? After school? I can help!"

"No. Absolutely not."

"Why?!"

"Because, your only job is to be a teenager and to get good grades. School is a big enough responsibility without adding the extra pressure of a job. My whole life before you came was responsibility, and I resented my parents for that life. You just focus on being a teenager and let me handle everything else."

"Stop it!" She snapped out of no where.

"What?"

"Stop using me as something to hide behind!"

"Sophia-"

"Mom, you always tell me to follow my dreams! Shouldn't you be doing so too?!"

"Sophia, my dream is to see you grow up and to have a wonderful life."

"That's bull crap!" She said storming out of the room.

I sighed and looked at the loan paper.

...

I walked in the kitchen the next day, Sophia was sitting at the island eating cake for breakfast.

"We need to talk." I said.



I walked over to her and stood in front of her. She kept eating without acknowledging that I was in the room.

"Sophia. Look at me." I said sternly.

She looked up.

"My only job is to protect you. To raise you to be a good person. To make sure that you have a good life. That's it. If that means putting my dream aside for a little longer, then that's what will be done. I'm fine with that, and I love that you thought of me."

She looked back down at her cake.

"You can be mad at me, but that's how it's going to be."

"Then I'll move out." She said without hesitation.

I gaped at her, "Excuse me?"

"I'll leave, if it means that you will go for your dream."

"You are not leaving Sophia Grace Haystings and that is final. Understand me?"

"Yes ma'am."

I sighed walked closer to her, "Fine."

She looked up curious.

"I will go to the bank tomorrow morning before work, and I will see about getting a loan."

She perked up.

"Only, and I mean only, if it won't mess anything up with the house."

"Okay!"

She got up and hugged me, "Thank you mom, for everything!"

"You're welcome."

She ran out of the room. My daughter was simply amazing in every way possible. She is fierce and brave, selfless and strong. She puts everyone's happiness a head of her own which can sometimes be a bad thing. Not in this case though, she really wanted me to be happy. If she really believes that I can do this then I owe it to her to at least try.

A Month Later...

So there I was...



Standing in what was now my new store. It took a while to get it going and countless all nighters to get the store ready to open, but we were finally open for business. I heard the front door open.

"Ms. Haystings?"

I looked up.

"You must be Eric." I smiled.

"Yes ma'am." He answered.



"Please, it's Alyssa." I said.

I began to go over everything he needed to know and told him to focus on the customers and ringing them up. We were holding a grand opening sale and offered 15% off all purchases for the week. I flipped the closed sign to open and waited patiently. What I expected to be a slow beginning turned out quite the opposite...



"Eric! That gentlemen over there needs to be rung up!" I called out to him.

"Yes ma'am!"

"It's Alyssa!"

I smiled as I returned to the customer I was dealing with.

...

It's been a few hours and the opening was going amazing! I was upstairs with a customer ringing up her new couch when I heard screams from downstairs.

"Excuse me for one moment." I smiled.

I rushed down the stairs and found Eric, he told me someone collapsed as we rushed over.



"Oh my gosh!"

Everyone was standing in a circle gasping and crying.

"Wait, what's going on?" Someone asked as the grim reaper showed up.

"No!"

"Oh gosh!"

Everyone was in shock, this day just turned out to be really horrible really fast...




...

"Sales were awesome, but then this customer.. She passed out and ended up dying right there in front of everyone! I was so horrified! Children were there and I'm sure they are traumatized for life."

"Mom it's going to be alright. Customers loved the store! They'll come back, I promise."

"I hope so." I sighed.

I looked away to check on the repair woman who was fixing our fridge.

"MOM!"

My heart dropped in a second, my head whipped around as I saw flames coming from stove and starting to cover Sophia.

"AHHHH!" She screamed in pain.



"Sophia!" I screamed running for her.



"MOM!" She screamed.



I ran over and pulled her from the flames, she fell to the ground and I managed to get the flames extinguished from her.

"Get outside!" The repair woman yelled.




"Sophia."

"Ouch."



"Oh sweetie!"

"Don't cry mom, I'm fine."

I pulled her in my arms and held her tightly.



"Go take a shower and then go lay down. I'll get you ice and some medicine." I told her.

I walked back into the kitchen, the insurance company gave us enough to replace the counters. However, it'll take $15,000 to replace the stove. So looks like we'd be eating a lot of salads for a while until I could figure something out. I was just thankful that my baby girl was safe and sleeping in her bed... I would never forgive myself if she didn't make it.



I swear, this family and fires!

Anyway! I felt like owning a store again, so I opened one up! Hopefully it doesn't seem rushed or anything!

[Magz from Oz]

OMG that update was so full of drama!  Well done Sophia for helping Alyssa achieve her dream store.  Not everyone has the grim reaper coming to the grand opening!