Close to Nowhere

If you're not expecting anyone, a knock on the door after dark is kind of scary, to me anyway.

Sunday night I was fixing late dinner in the kitchen and I heard a soft knock at the door. First, I jumped, then managed to look at the door.

There was a little blonde head just barely looking through the window. It was dark, I hadn't heard a car and I hadn't seen that little blonde head in over a year. Even so, I knew Sophie's face instantly.

Now 9 years old, Sophie and her little sister Brighton have been coming to our house since Sophie was about 2 and Brighton was only a few months old.

Oldest granddaughter Merideth began babysitting them occasionally and in just a little bit, those two girls became a part of our family. Their mom and grandparents have been kind enough to share them with us, but as often happens, families drift away. Mere got married and moved away, I got sick and wasn't able to take care of myself for a long time, let alone two very active, precocious girls.

Needless to say it was a huge pleasure to see that little face peeping through the door at me. They'd stopped for a visit while out riding around and Mom graciously agreed to let Sophie spend the night.

Sophie has always been an animal person and she was very happy to be reunited with Teddy, my Cavalier King Charles spaniel (he was a rescue). She was delighted to meet Hobbes Jr., the ginger cat, and Calvin, the gray kitten.

And then she saw Lucy. Lucy took Sophie's breathe away. Lucy is a very large, gray, very fluffy dog, who might have a tad of chow, or maybe even some wolf in her. She's almost 9 now (the same age as Sophie) and has arthritis in her hips. She spends a lot of time either lying in the carport, on the front porch or under my dining room table. Unless she hears daughter Dana on the four-wheeler ­ she has to go with her to feed the horses every day. Or if she hears Shepard and Sissie (my great-grands) outside, she has to follow them around as well.

When Lucy and Sophie saw each other they both just lit up. Sophie saw this huge fluffy dog and Lucy saw someone new to pet her. Lucy lives to be petted.

Most of the rest of the night was spent with Sophie talking, talking, talking, catching me up on the last year or so of her and Brighton's lives. Most of the time, Teddy was in Sophie's lap and Lucy had her head, which was about all that fit, on top of the pile.

Sophie stayed covered with cats and dogs the rest of the night. She snuck away and played her game on my computer for a bit, but I now know everything there is to know about Sophie. We also talked about Mere's babies, Sophie is "dying" to see them and somehow the conversation even wandered around to how Sophie would not be able to live if she couldn't eat Gaga's (her grandmother's) pork chops.

I think that conversation came around as Sophie ate her third helping of Brussels sprouts. That kid loves vegetables as much as I do.

Granddaughter Remy is taking charge of organizing a day when everyone can meet here so Sophie and Brighton can see everyone and spend the day playing with all the animals.

I'm more excited about the play date than anyone.

I've missed my little rays of sunshine.