[ Dallas' POV ]

8:37pm
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When we finally make it back to Edith's house the girls say their goodbyes and then we head inside. Edith started jogging up the steps, they creak as her feet land on them.

"You should probably pack yourself a few things." She stops and glances back at me. "An extra change of clothes would do."

"What are you taking?" I rock back on my heels. It was weird to have this warm fuzzy feeling when I looked at Edith.

"A change of clothes and a jacket just in case. Plus I think it would be wise to take my cell phone."

"You have a cell phone?" That was so unfair. Edith has a cell phone yet mine gets taken away.

"A flip phone." She smiles softly. "You can't really do anything except call people."

"I know what a flip phone is." I roll my eyes and and walk down the hallway towards my room.

"Just making sure!" She calls out and I could hear her let out a giggle.

I take a pair of black skinny jeans out of my dresser along with some socks and underwear. I throw everything on my bed before looking through my closet to find a shirt and jacket.

Something catches my eye in a box I've left packed up. An edge of a scrapbook pokes out and I have the urge to grab it. "What's this?" I mutter and move my junk off of it. Gloria must've packed this since I didn't remember this ever being part of my belongings.

When I can finally see what it is I feel a sucker punch to my heart. At the top of the cover it says 'Family Memories' and then underneath there's a picture of my whole family smiling at the camera. My mom alive and healthy, my dad happy and responsible, and my two brothers who look like they're excited to be there... then me; a six or seven year old Dallas with freckles splattered across his nose and a missing front tooth.

I step back and when I feel the back of my legs bumping up against the bed I sit down. I slowly open up the scrapbook as if the pages could fall apart at just one touch. "How did I not know about this one..." I whisper as tears threatened to spill from my eyes. The picture that almost brings me to tears is one of my mom and I before she was diagnosed with cancer. She's smiling that gorgeous smile of hers and I have my little arms wrapped loosely around her neck while giving her a kiss on the cheek.

There's a caption beside the picture.
'Carol Brooks & Dallas Brooks.'

Underneath that there was something written in what looked like my old childlike handwriting.
'I love you mommy! I promise to be yours forever and ever and ever!'
A heart was drawn beside it and was sloppily colored in red crayon, my age was written down beside the heart. Age eight.

I wipe my eyes and shut the scrapbook before I can get my heart broken again. The memories of my mom come back in full swing and I felt like my stomach was in knots.

Edith taps her knuckles against my open door, her bag on her shoulder and ready to go. "You ready?"

I stuff my clothes into my drawstring bag then I carefully place the scrapbook on top of them. I stand up off the bed and hold my bag in my hands. "Do you even know how to get there?"

"I installed a gps in my truck last year, my dad told me I needed it. I didn't understand why I needed it but now I actually have a reason to use it." She smiles softly. "Did you pack everything you need?"

"Yeah.. let's go." I flick the light off in my room and follow Edith out.

"Martha's bakery has the best donuts." She says to try and start up a conversation.

"I like donuts." I reply as she flicks off the hallway light and opens the front door.

"Then let's go get some." She grins and pushes me out the door. I clomp down the front porch steps and sluggishly walk to her truck as she locks up the house.

As I opened up the heavy passenger side door I noticed there was about a foot of space back behind the blue bench seat. I put my bag behind me and climb on in.

Edith opens up the drivers side door and slides in, putting her bag in between us on the floor. "Just stay on your side of the cab and we'll be fine." She cuts on the headlights then starts up the truck. "What's the address?"

"411 Landslide Cemetery Rd."

"That's the address?" She seemed suspicious.

"That's where my mothers buried." I confirmed.

She types in the address. "Alright then." She puts her seatbelt on—the old kind where they only buckle over the lap—and then we're off into the night.

Edith turns on the heat so it gets warm and cozy. We only pass a few cars on our way into town.

"How late does the bakery stay open?"

"Normally till ten. People around here love their sweets and I can't say that I blame them." She was in such a good mood and it seemed odd. Edith was with me, of all people, and she didn't seem to mind it.

"I like cookies too... gingerbread specifically. Every year when the fall chill hit the air my mom would bake gingerbread cookies for our church." I don't realize I'm thinking out loud until Edith replies about cookies.

"What a coincidence, so does Martha. They're absolutely delicious so maybe we can get some." She grins.

"You heard that?" I shifted my body a little so I was facing her slightly.

"I can pretty much hear what someone says to me if they're speaking out loud." I earned a soft laugh from her.

"Right..." I rest my left arm on the back of the seat, my fingertips about an inch away from Edith's shoulder.

If it fazed her at all she didn't show it. "So, your mom... what was she like?"

"She was a Christian, which I'm sure you'd like to hear. Her name was Carol." I huff, talking about my mom was a sore subject and I didn't want Edith to see me cry. She's already witnessed it once and I didn't want her to witness it again.

"That doesn't really tell me what she was like..." She whispers.

"Can we just not talk." I reply smartly.

"Sure... not talking is fine." She turns on the radio to a Christian music channel. 'Amazing Grace' comes on and Edith sings along in a gentle tone.

I think I was even getting on my own nerves with these stupid mood swings. Edith didn't deserve it but at the same time I didn't want to show her my sensitive side, again.

I get lost in the moment of her singing and I end up closing my eyes and resting the back of my head against the cold window. I hated to admit it but the song wasn't so bad, it was peaceful...

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Edith nudges my shoulder. I sit straight up and rub my eyes. I hadn't realized I'd dozed off. "Want to come inside the bakery with me?"

I lazily open my door and slip out of the seat. It didn't feel like time had passed at all, much less 30 some minutes of time.

Edith unbuckles and grabs her bag before getting out. "We'll get a discount since I work here."

I didn't care about the information of her working here but at least I didn't have to help pay for anything.

The little bells at the top of the entrance door jingle as we walk in.

"Edith dear! What a surprise." A short plump woman walks around from behind the counter to give Edith a bear hug. I'm assuming she's Martha.

"Hey, Martha." Edith confirms my assumption and hugs the woman back.

"What are you doing here on your night off?" Martha asks.

"I'm here to get donuts and some of your famous gingerbread cookies." Edith declares and they both laugh.

"And who are you, young man?" Martha turns to me but her smile never fades, she reminded me of my grandma.

"I'm Dallas." I mumble and focused my attention on my shoes. Edith gives me a stern look.

"This is Dallas." Edith speaks up for me. "I already told you about him."

"Oh! Oh, that's right. You know my silly brain doesn't retain things like it used to." She laughs and heads back behind the counter. "How many donuts and how many cookies?"

"I want a dozen variety and six gingerbread cookies please." Edith scans the donuts in the display case. "Three chocolate cream filled donuts, two apple fritters for my dad, um... three of the regular glazed donuts." Edith turns to look up at me. "What do you want?"

I scan the donut case as well, my stomach rumbling just a little. "The bear claws look appetizing... but so do the cream filled donuts with rainbow sprinkles."

"Two bear claws and two cream filled with rainbow sprinkles for Dallas." Edith gets in her bag and fishes out her wallet.

"You and donuts. You and your dad are going to turn into donuts if you don't stop." Martha says jokingly.

"Love you too, Martha." Edith laughs and hands over a twenty dollar bill.

Martha begins putting the donuts into a box and then takes the freshly baked leaf shaped gingerbread cookies and puts them into a cute little bag that's decorated in fall leaves. "Need milk to wash them down?"

"You know it." Edith smiles as Martha hands everything over.

"Be careful as you drive home." Martha warns.

"I promise!" Edith hugs Martha again.

I take the box of donuts so Edith wouldn't struggle and we walk out into the chilly autumn air to the truck.

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"Try one." Edith begs me and holds a gingerbread leaf in front of my face while keeping her eyes on the road in front of her.

"Fine." I take it from her and bite off a small piece. "Oh.."

"Oh as in good or oh as in bad?" She questions. "You can't judge Martha's gingerbread harshly, you just can't."

"No." I swallowed and took another bite. "These are.. they're amazing." A grins spreads across my lips. "They're so much like my moms that it's crazy."

She smiles and grabs another one. "I told you!"

"Hey! Save those for me." I tease and finish mine off.

She shakes her head and laughs. "You can have all the donuts."

"I'm not a big fan of what you got for yourself." I reach for another gingerbread.

She gasps dramatically. "Take that back. Everything in that box is worth eating."

I chuckle and eat half of my gingerbread leaf just to spite her. "No way."

She smiles softly. "You're happy..."

"What?" I ask mid chew, my mouth full.

"Nothing.." She bites her lip to try and hide her smile.

"Okay.." I pull the gingerbread bag closer to me which earns a laugh from Edith. I can't help but smile, this trip might not be so bad.

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Another chapter from me so soon? I know, I'm shocked lol. It's a long one so I hope y'all enjoy!

What do you think about Dallas' character development?

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~ Xoxo Madison Grace