21. Plenty of Sunlight

Plenty of Sunlight

For the next five weeks, Hadley felt on top of the world. Tired, but happy. She kept her promise to everyone, including herself. She started each morning with a big stretch before she dragged herself downstairs to fill the coffee pot for her father and make herself a bowl of cereal. After a quick sweep of the floors and wipe of the counters, she'd grab her backpack, which she'd pre-pack the night before with clothes and snacks and start her twenty-minute walk to work. She spent three to four hours every morning at the flower shop, never leaving before Steve formally dismissed her. She would then walk straight to Dorothy's house to change and get started with her barn work. After getting home in the evening, she would throw a frozen dinner into the oven and use the bake time to clean up the house.

This past week Hadley noticed Dorothy started setting out more hearty snacks like fruit-filled muffins instead of cookies for when she arrived. She looked forward to seeing what would be set out for her, especially since the granola bar she'd eat after leaving work hardly bridged the gap from breakfast until dinner. "Thanks for always having something yummy out for me," Hadley said with a mouth full of a blueberry and lemon muffin that she was trying hard to not completely scarf down.

"You're welcome, dear. It's been a while since I played with my muffin recipes, so it's been fun to mix up new flavor combinations. You let me know when you find a favorite."

"So far they've all been my favorite. You're the best baker ever."

"Well, aren't you the sweetest."

"It's the truth. I could sit here and eat this whole platter."

Dorothy let out a chuckle as she wiped her hands on her apron. "If you do that, you might get too full to ride Snow White."

"Nothing could stop me from riding her. But I bet she wouldn't appreciate having to carry me around if I ate a dozen muffins."

They laughed together as Dorothy waved her off. "I don't think you need to worry about that. I'm pretty sure a strong wind could still knock you over. You enjoy your metabolism while you got it."

"In that case, do you mind if I have another? I can eat it while I head over to the stables. I need it for energy… you know, for all the poop slinging I'm about to do."

Laughing again, Dorothy nodded. "You're a funny girl. Go on, help yourself." Hadley grabbed a second muffin and made her way to the barn.

***

Three hours later, Hadley was wheeling the last pile of manure around to the back of the stable. She used to finish the work in two hours but lately her lack of energy, despite Dorothy's muffins, was obvious. Once she dumped the last barrow, Hadley took a minute to lean against the side of the building where she released a long, slow breath. Phew. Okay, still plenty of sunlight. Resisting the urge to lay right there in a pile of hay, Hadley pushed off the wall and walked back inside the stable. She did a quick inspection to make sure everything was clean before collecting Snow White's gear. At the entrance of the building she swapped out Dorothy's old muck boots for her sneakers. She was happy to see Snow White was roaming nearby and not all the way out by the big tree.

A short walk later, Hadley retrieved Snow White and guided her toward the side fence. She secured the gear to her favorite mare before sliding the reins over the fence post. Using the wooden fence rails to help her gain the height needed to swing her leg over, she safely sat on the saddle. She never could figure out how to step up from the ground without assistance. Once on top of Snow White, Hadley felt renewed. She lifted the reins from the fence post and loosely held them in her hands. With a quick grip of her legs against Snow White, they began to move, navigating the fields lazily for a while. Hadley enjoyed the slight breeze they created as she soaked up the sun, which was especially warm, even for August. She was relieved to have the clouds block some of the rays that were otherwise causing a steady drip of sweat down her back.

As the sun started to dip, so did the temperature and the sweat that dampened the back of Hadley's shirt caused her to let out a slight shiver. She knew it was time to head back to the barn so she wouldn't have to walk alone in the dark, which sometimes spooked her. She guided Snow White back and made quick work of removing the gear and placing it back on the hooks in the stables. She gave the horses a kiss on the side of her neck before heading toward home. She walked sluggishly knowing she still had to vacuum, sweep, and do laundry before she could go to sleep. This walk is taking forever. Her feet dragged and her focus started drifting. A few minutes later she turned and walked down her driveway, relieved to be home. Even more relieved noticing the empty driveway. She wasn't sure what time it was, but with any luck she could get the housework done and her dinner heated up before her father stumbled in.

She walked through the door and slipped off her shoes. Her hand moved against the wall until it hit the light switch. Flicking it on, the overhead light fixture cast a yellow glow over the foyer. She dropped her backpack at the bottom of the staircase as she glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:00. No wonder she was exhausted. She rested the back of her head against the foyer wall as she took a few deep breaths. She found herself holding the last breath as she pushed her body forward and padded toward the kitchen and it wasn't until the freezer chilled her hand that Hadley thought to exhale. Her hot breath whistled out of her as she took a few follow up breaths to steady herself. You can do this.

She grabbed her dinner without even looking at what it was and closed the freezer door with the heel of her foot. She placed the meal on the counter as she programmed the oven to start preheating. She decided to sit down just while the oven got hot, deciding once she put her meal in to bake, then she would get moving on her chores.

***

Shoot!

Hadley bolted from her chair and immediately rounded the corner into the living room. With a tentative breath, she squinted her sleepy eyes at the hanging clock. 8:58. She must have fallen asleep waiting on the oven to heat up. Luckily, the house was quiet. It was also completely dark, aside from the warm lighting in the foyer. Hadley was thankful her father hadn't returned home yet. She wasn't sure what would've outraged him most. Surely he would be pissed she was asleep at the table, but he would also be livid to learn she wasted money on the electricity powering the empty oven. She envisioned her father throwing the spoiled, defrosted dinner in her direction as she stood on the threshold between the kitchen and living room. The thought sent a chill down her spine as she felt the rage in his bloodshot eyes.

She shook the nerves from her system, stretched out her fingers, and bounced her thin body on the balls of her feet for a few seconds as she created the energy needed to get back on track. Since the oven was already hot, she dipped into the freezer and grabbed a Swanson turkey meal and slid it into the oven. She took extra care in burying the wasted meal deep in the trash. She couldn't risk her father noticing.

She twisted the kitchen timer to the twenty-five-minute mark before setting it on the counter and taking a quick lap around the house to turn on a few lamps to brighten the quiet space. The lit-up house helped trick her brain into thinking it wasn't already past her bedtime and with nothing but the ticking of the timer to accompany her, Hadley moved to the closet and pulled out the feather duster. After that she would fluff up the couch cushions the way her father preferred before exchanging the duster for the Hoover vacuum.

Her stomach grumbled as she cleaned as quickly as her tired body allowed. When she finished, she checked the timer and saw only two minutes to go. Thank goodness! She weighed her options for a moment before deciding she could grab her father's laundry and hide it in her hamper until tomorrow. There was no way she'd be able to keep her eyes open long enough to get through washing, drying, and putting it all away. Considering her father still wasn't home, she knew he'd stumble in and pay little attention to how full or empty his closet was.

She ran back down the stairs after hiding her father's dirty clothes right as the timer started to ding. She turned it off with a sigh of relief and grabbed her dinner from the oven along with a glass of milk. She took a quick inspection of the kitchen to make sure everything was turned off and cleaned up. Grabbing her drink and dinner, she flipped the light switch down in the kitchen and foyer as she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

Finally, she could sit. Hadley crossed her legs and leaned back against her pillows while she quickly ate her dinner with no appreciation for the bland flavors. She still felt hungry when she was done but made no motion to move. Instead, she slid the aluminum tray under her bed to hide it just in case her father opened her door before she had the chance to properly clean up. Knowing her mess was hidden, she switched off her lamp and unraveled her tired body under her comforter as her eyes fluttered shut. After a few short moments she was deep asleep; utterly exhausted.