Chapter 15

• ~Lola’s POV~
• The scorching sun, resembling a rapacious despot, carelessly let loose its lethal heat upon the waves of the ocean, which was then followed by a chilling breeze from autumn. I was standing on my balcony and staring off towards the horizon as I did so. The balcony has now become my favorite spot. I stood by the balcony as the gentle breeze blew the seemingly endless dunes further and further into the distance. In the dry Ozarks, waves of hot air mingled with the seasonal chill caused sandstorms that occasionally blocked out the sun itself. These storms were caused by a combination of the season’s natural coolness and the hot air. As I gazed lower down, the earth took on the color and appearance of sand, which, on a nice day, I would have liked nothing better than to run my bare hands through it. I heaved a breath of relief and reached for another book to read. But as I continued to read the book to the babies, I noticed that I was beginning to feel a bit chilly, so I moved to a seat that was closer to the fireplace. While I continued to consume my tea and read the book, I stroked my stomach at various points throughout the procedure. I was cursing at how good the Earl Grey tea was because I knew I would be making frequent trips to the restroom tonight. My teapot was almost empty, and I was cursing at how delicious the tea was. I closed the children’s book and headed up the stairs. I did not waste any time getting to bed, and I let the night take control.
• I let out a groan when the sound of booming thunder filled the room and lightning flashed through the narrow space in the curtain. It was impossible to get any sleep because of the heavy rain that was falling. I tried everything I could think of to stay asleep while I tossed and twisted in bed. Then I had the realization that I was going to get a cold soon. Since I was going to be staying by myself with no one to look after me, I made sure I took care of myself and wore warm clothing at all times. Why the rapid drop in temperature? I had to force myself to get up several times throughout the night to check to see if any of the windows were open. To my surprise, I found that all the windows were open; nevertheless, the rain was able to keep out of the house. I was so irresponsible that I wanted to curse myself. My entire body began to shake, and I found myself beginning to back down a little bit. I tried to get back to sleep, but my body wasn’t producing enough heat. I sighed deeply and walked over to the fireplace, where I wrapped myself in a blanket. I positioned myself on the couch so that I was somewhat near to the fireplace. The memories that I desperately tried to block out came rushing back to me like the torrential downpour that was occurring outside. I didn’t know what was wrong, but all of a sudden, I started crying.