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As a child, she was called Bobbianne Mae, and she was her mother's favorite person. However, she felt no remorse as she loaded herself onto a bus and found a farm job down south, hoping to never speak to her family again.
She needed a fresh start. Back home, she believed that she had no family truly left for her. As a kid, all she had was her mother, and she was happy with that, until her mother remarried. Her step-father brought two older stepbrothers, both of which bullied her every chance they had. She had always wanted a sibling or two, but all she wanted anymore was to escape the country and never talk to anyone ever again.
Despite her rough home life, she made friends in school rather easily. At age 15, she had a best friend who meant the entire world to her named Chloe, and during a sleepover, Chloe had kissed her and opened a brand new world of possibilities for her. She could still practically hear the chaste giggle that escaped the other girl. One thing led to another, and the girl she trusted the most had told someone at school who told a school counselor who told her mother,and the world crumbled around her like an over-baked pastry.
Screams rained out from her step-father's mouth, and her stepbrothers joined in. Her mother only could stare in disappointment and occasionally break into weeps. From that friday night forward, she was taken out of public school and forced to stay at home. Even in her free time, she was not allowed to leave the house. But, as both her parents were both working during the day, she had no choice but to spend most days with her elderly grandmother.
Despite her age, her grandmother had a bright mind and became her rock. She would sneak her out of the house and take her to the local ice cream shop or to the nearby iHop. She would take her shopping when her mother and step-father were at work, and when the entire world turned against her, she was her only friend. It was from her grandmother that she heard stories of beautiful, expansive farms with sheep and horses and pigs, all of which Bo found herself daydreaming about.
The day she turned 18, her parents forced her to marry the 20-year-old son of their friend, who had no interest in her. Anytime she tried to speak her mind, she was yelled at to shut up. Never did he raise a hand on her, but at times she wished he would, so she had evidence to show the police how she was being mistreated. Her only safe haven was her Grandma, who she often would run off to see, even after her parents shrugged the elderly woman off into a nursing home. She was not allowed to get a job by her husband, and the only way she made any money was sewing small creations with her grandmother and selling them to the workers at the nursing home.
Finally, she had enough cash saved up to buy herself a ticket away from home. It had taken her until she was 20 to leave, and she did it as quickly as she could. Her grandmother helped her pack her bags and called an old friend, who agreed to let her stay on their farm if she agreed to work. They would pay her handsomely, and even though she hated the idea of abandoning her grandmother, the elderly woman encouraged it.
That day, she stopped considering herself Bobbianne. She was just Bo, now. She was the young adult runaway star that she read about in dime-store novels. She was only her Grandma's Bo, not Bobbianne.
Halfway through the trip, she ran into a man going to the same destination. She decided to keep her own life hidden from him, but she found out that he also had a strained relationship with his parents.
The poor guy, Buzz, had a strained relationship with his parents, who wanted the impossible out of him, and wanted to squash every tiny bit of femininity they found in him. The guy felt like he could have been a brother to her in another life, with how his emotions seemed to mirror her own. The Davis family were friends of his family, or something of the sort. She was hoping he would know a little bit about what to expect, but he was as clueless as she was.
She watched him as he doodled in a notebook. He drew pictures of stars and the night sky, and a large moon, encompassing it all. She was mesmerized for a while, watching the way his stubby fingers could so delicately craft something beautiful. For her own enjoyment, she pulled something out of her backpack, and now she had caught his attention.
"Are you... sewing something?" He asked, and she shyly nodded, showing her current project off to him.
"It's going to be a little lamb. They're my favorite animal." She explained, running her fingers over the fluffy fabric.
He watched her for a while as she tenderly moved the needle and threaded it through the fabric like a knife to butter. They took turns watching each other until the next bus, and then they took turns sleeping until they arrived.
Right away, the two were invited to dinner, and Bo felt her stomach churn in worry. Back home, her family never had dinner with each other unless something serious was going to be discussed. Whether it was the time her parents confiscated her bus pass or took some of her sewing supplies as punishment, it was never a good sign, so as she sat down at the dinner table, she twisted in her seat. She jumped up and offered to help set the table, but the mother in the family ushered her to sit back down and relax.
She felt eyes glue to her right away, and she felt stuck to her seat. She took notice of the only other woman currently sitting at the table; she had bright firetruck-red hair tied into a neat braid, and enough freckles to fill the night sky as stars. Her eyes were bright and green like a freshly-mowed field, and her pink lips were curled into a playful smile that seemed to invite her in. That smile of hers was contagious, and Bo felt herself smile for the first time since she had gotten to the farm.
Once the mean was finished, she was able to crawl into a soft cotton bed, quickly falling into a deep sleep that she only roused awake from when sunlight was peering in through the window. As if they sensed she was awake, she was swiftly given a few chores by the Davis' family, and she spent her time getting to work.
It hadn't been an hour when a horse started to gallop towards her, and she felt herself freeze. She stared in horror, wondering if this was when she was going to get trampled, but the beast stopped a foot away from her, and the redhead from the day before poked her head over the horse's. She leaned forward casually, as if she weren't balanced on a massive steed.
"Soooo, you almost done with your chores? I'd love to show ya around."
Furrowing her brow, Bo stood up gradually and crossed her arms. "No, not really... I still have quite a few chores to get through." She showed the list she had written down that morning, although the words seemed to be scrawled onto the paper by a toddler.
Jessie snorted and glanced over the paper. "Well, I think you're almost done. Let me help you finish stuff up and then take you around both ranches. They intersect a lot, and I don't want ya doing my chores outta confusion. Go ahead, hop on back." She motioned for Bo to sit behind her on the horse, who whinnied in response.
"Oh calm down, Bullseye. She's not gonna hurt ya. Right?" She looked Bo up and down. "I mean, I imagine you love animals if you came down to stay on a farm."
"I do, but honestly.. I've never ridden a horse. I am a little nervous." Bo stuttered out, and Jessie seemed to think for a minute.
"D'awh, there's nothin' scary about it once you do it. Come here, I'll help you up." Jessie offered, holding both of her hands up and holding onto the horse with only her thighs. Carefully, Bo grabbed Jessie's hands and hoisted herself up. Once up in the air, she felt a sense of pride in herself.
"It really is cool, seeing the world from this angle." Bo whispered, looping her arms comfortably around the woman in front of her.
"Ain't it the best? I've been horse riding since I was a wee thing, but I've never quite found it boring. When I do feel bored, I saddle up Bullseye and take him through the woods. You wanna try it?"
"Oh, you take him walking through the woods? I imagine it is beautiful out there." She glanced over at the vast mass of trees in the distance, shaking her head. "But really, I should probably focus on getting my chores done."
"Don't worry, we will." Jessie said, angling her feet forward in the stirrups. "Now, hold on tight, okay?"
Bo did as she was instructed, but didn't realize why she was asked that until suddenly they jolted forward, Bullseye galloping majestically through the field and down to the dirt path into the woods. Nervously, Bo clenched her own arms around Jessie's abdomen, shutting her eyes for a moment before gently squeezing them open. She gazed around her in wonder, still holding tightly to Jessie as they reached a small clearing, where a small broken-down shelter waited for them.
"So, whaddya think?" Jessie questioned, as she pulled the horse to a stop and stepped off the creature. She started walking to the small shelter and motioned for her to join. "
Cautiously, Bo followed after the other woman, poking her head into the shelter. "What is this place?"
"It's my little hidin' spot. Sometimes I just need to steal away from the farm. I sneak beers out here sometime, or snacks, blankets. I slept out here a lot when I was a kid. Used to scare my Ma half to death." She laughed, taking notice of Bo's inquisitive nature. "Somethin' wrong?"
"No, I just... it's really your own little world out here, huh? You can just come out here and be yourself, and not worry about anyone else judgin' you." Bo whispered, running her hand over the old rotting wood that helped hold the structure together.
"It is. You not use to havin' something like that?" She questioned, her cowboy boots rocking loudly against the floor as she stepped closer to the blonde woman, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Well, as long as you're out here, you're free to hide here as well. As long as you don't mind havin' me as company."
Bo felt her chest tighten. "This is your place, of course I don't mind. Plus, it's nice to have a place where us girls can just get away and breathe."
Jessie laughed, sitting down on a fleece blanket that was thrown on the floor, inviting Bo to sit beside her. "Ain't that the truth.. I mean, I love my brother, but he can be such a hot-head. He gets on my nerves all the time."
"Oh yeah?" Bo awkwardly laughed, thinking back to her own step-brothers. "You know, my brothers get on my nerves, too. They used to come and wake me up in the middle of the night with a flashlight screaming that somethin' was wrong to prank me. Or, or, they would put thumbtacks in my house slippers or steal everything out of my lunch box that I packed for myself every night. Brothers, am I right?"
Jessie furrowed her eyebrows and reached over, placing a gentle hand on Bo's knee. "That's... not normal, yanno. Family shouldn't treat you like that."
Listening closely, Bo felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Ah, I see. I just figured it was normal." She jerked away slightly, standing up. "We should, uhm.. probably head back. I need to finish my chores up."
The redhead stared at her, studying her expression like a novel, but still stood up and offered her hand. She helped Bo back up onto Bullseye before hopping in front of her. As soon as the two made their way back to the fields, Bo got back to work on her chores. She watched in jealousy as Buzz was able to tend the sheep, and focused her attention on watering the crops and gathering hay into silos. She spent the day in a haze, mulling over her memories and questioning if they were normal.
She knew that her family wasn't the kindest, but they were all she knew. She never was allowed to go to other kids' houses after she turned fifteen, and before then she didn't have enough close friends to visit, so she only knew how her family acted. She assumed everyone was like that with her family, though. To have her world shake violently like a chihuahua at the hands of a beautiful girl left her dizzy and disoriented.
She trudged back to the Davis' farm house, and wasn't able to spot any of them anywhere. She realized quickly that this was because they were having a bonfire with the neighbors, but as Bo spotted them in the distance, her chest tightened and ached.
Part of her wanted to join, but she knew like her family dinner table she probably wasn't welcome and certainly not invited. She slumped back to the David' farm house anyways, hiding in the room they allowed her to sleep in. She crawled under her blankets and felt tears prick her eyes.
She just wanted to belong, like everyone else did. She wanted to feel loved and included. But she was not a person who could just include herself. She was unwanted, she reminded herself. She let her tears grow bitter and allowed herself to sleep.
Another week passed, with not much changing. Bo would occasionally sit with the others her age or with the children, but she was sure to not let her guard down. She knew that nothing was worth the pain it would cause. Still, the cowgirl of the camp seemed determined to spend time with her, often popping up and stealing her away from her chores for an hour or two, hiding away in the fallen structure in the forest.
Today, however, was different. The air was crisp and cool but still sweat dripped from Bo's forehead as she spotted the familiar freckled-face dashing towards her. She sloppily stopped in front of Bo, her grin wide.
"Hey, the boys are gonna go and hit some baseballs off the old barn. You should come and join us!" She insisted, and Bo felt her heart beat speed up.
"Oh, I dunno. I'm sure they don't really want me there." She admitted truthfully, but Jessie rolled her eyes and kept smiling as she looped her arm with Bo's.
"But I do, and even if I didn't, it'll be fun! You're allowed to have fun out here." She chimed, starting to drag Bo towards the old barn.
Bo watched from a distance at first as Buzz, Woody, and the kids continuously would throw up and hit several baseballs with their bats before fetching each of the balls and doing it all over again. Jessie pushed her way over to her brother and stole his bat, pretending to smack him with the sporting equipment until he scooted out of the way, and swapped spots with Bo, who he motioned forward. Anxiously, Bo approached and grabbed at the bat that Buzz had laid on the ground. When she struggled to hit the ball after several times of throwing the ball up, Buzz laughed and grabbed the ball. He motioned to Jessie, who carefully wrapped her arms around Bo and helped her position herself.
The blonde woman felt her throat squeeze inwards as Jessie slid her hands over Bo's. She helped her bat a few of the baseballs back to Buzz before letting go of her.
"You know, I think it's time we have a real game. Whaddya think?" Jessie suggested, and the boys seemed intrigued.
"Yeah, let's go play in the cow and sheep field." Woody added, and soon the four found themselves in the open field, with the kids heading back to the farm house to play.
Bo performed in the game, finding herself smiling very lightly as she laughed at the antics of the other three. Near the end of the game, Woody swung at a ball tossed by Jessie and it came right back to her, smacking her in the eye. When it fell, the clear outline of what would become a black-eye glistened, and Bo raced over. She watched as Woody rushed over and offered her help, and she felt a wave of confusion wash over her.
If her step-brothers had accidentally hurt her, they would have pointed and laughed at her. Instead, Woody tenderly wiped at her eye with his bandanna, holding it in place. "Let's go find you an ice pack, Jess. Don't want that swellin' up tomorrow."
"Imma tell Ma that you smacked me with the bat." She snorted, wincing at the feeling in her eye.
Was this what family was supposed to act like? Bo felt a wave of jealousy wash over her, which quickly turned into shame. Still, as she walked, Buzz jogged to her side and elbowed her lightly. "You alright?" He huffed out as they trudged through the field. "You look like ya saw a ghost."
Why was he asking her if she was alright? She wasn't the one smacked in the eye by a baseball. She swallowed hard and tried to let the comment roll off her back. "I'm fine. Don't bother checkin' on me."
Buzz went quiet for a moment before speaking again, softer this time. "Ya know, I might not be the smartest tool in the shed, but I'm not dumb, either. I can tell when my kid-sister is upset."
Her shoulders tensing, Bo glanced over to him. "Your kid-sister, huh? What makes you think of me like that?"
Shrugging, Buzz kicked a rock in front of him. "I dunno. We both got mean families, so I figured we could kinda have each other's backs. Like Jessie and Woody do."
All the jealousy and shame seemed to evaporate out of Bo's chest. Maybe a kid-brother was a good idea. Maybe she could consider this tiny group like a found family, like the kind she would imagine as a kid when she watched sitcoms about the imperfectly perfect families with two parents, two kids, and a baby. It might not have been as picture-perfect or as entertaining as one of her beloved sitcoms, but it still made her heart swell.
"Yeah, alright." She heard herself saying, although she didn't push the words out of her mouth. "I like that idea." And truthfully, she did.
In particular, she found that she loved Jessie's company, and even with the swollen black-eye she had been sporting, Bo couldn't help but find her beautiful, but not in the way she found a flower or newborn baby beautiful. Instead, it was in the way she found a sidewalk beautiful, as it was unchanging and reliable but when her eyes were glued to it she would find something new to look at each time.
She had been attentively working on sewing another miniature sheep plush when she realized she had completely messed it up with how lost she was in her own thoughts. She knew she was forming a crush on the other woman, and despite being away from her parents' clutches, it still felt shameful and frightening to admit.
"Miss Bobbianne?" One of the Davis children asked, poking her head into the room. "You got a lettew."
Bo took the letter, smiling softly as she took the letter. "Thank you, Molly." She opened the letter and felt her stomach drop.
It was from her Grandma.
She scanned over the letter swiftly, setting it down and feeling herself tear up. She remembered the child in the room and tried to fight her emotions, but was unable to fight the few tears that escaped her.
"What's wrong?" Molly questioned, climbing up onto the bed and plopping herself down next to the adult. "Why are you cryin'? Last time I cried it was 'cause my big bro Andy ran over my foot on his bike. Did someone run over your foot?"
Bo shook her head, folding the letter back up like laundry. "No, nobody ran over my foot." She couldn't help but giggle through her tears. "I'm just sad, because my Grandma is really sick, and I can't be there to help her."
A moment of silence passed between them, when suddenly, Molly stood up on the bed and hugged Bo's shoulders. "I'm sowwy, Miss Bobbi. I hope your Gwandma gets bettuh. Maybe she could come and stay on the fawm! It might make her feel bettuh." Innocently, the child pulled away and sat back down with a thump.
Bo's chest swelled with a whirlwind of emotions as she tried to process the conversation. "I appreciate it, Molly, but I couldn't ask you Papas to do that." Truthfully, she wished she could.
"It's okay, Imma ask 'em!" Molly chirped, hopping off the bed and scampering out of the room. Embarrassed, Bo chased after the kid. Already, she was sitting on Gerald Davis' lap, smiling up at him, the gap between her teeth showing.
"That's a very sweet idea. I don't know if we gotta 'nough money, though, Sweetpea." He replied, ruffling his daughter's hair. Bo felt her chest swell in jealousy yet again. In another life, she could have had that tender moment with her own father, or her own step-father. She shook the feeling away.
"Sorry about that, Mr. Davis." Bo spoke up, and the man raised a tired hand to wave the comment away.
"Don't worry about it, miss Bobbianne. I truly mean that, by the way. If we had the funds, we'd love to host your grandmother. If we earn enough by the fall, the offer is still open. I think the kids would love havin' a grandmother here, as long as you don't mind sharin' her with 'em."
"She'd love that." Bo felt a weak smile tug at the corners of her mouth.
"Me too! My friends at daycare have Meemaws, but I don't. I wanna have a Meemaw!" Molly cheered, giggling. Bo shook her head and grinned kindly as she made her way out of the room.
Her smile faltered again as she read over her grandmother's letter. She had fallen a week prior and had some internal injuries due to it, and only now had she received the letter. Her heart continued to hurt and as she was preparing to go to bed, a knock came at her bedroom door.
She opened it, surprised to see Jessie, Woody, and Buzz clambered around her door, all wearing goofy farm-animal-themed pajamas and holding pillows and blankets. "Hey, we're draggin' you to a slumber party." Jessie said nonchalantly, tossing a pile of fabric towards Bo. "Put on your pjs!" She shut the door back, and Bo stared blankly at it before starting to get dressed in the over-sized pajamas. She looked down at the fluffy sheep-themed pjs and smiled at her own appearance as she scooted out of her bedroom. As soon as she slid her shoes on, Jessie started dragging her along as they approached one of the barns. The barn was brightly lit with fairy lights and lanterns, and several sleeping bags were tossed on the ground in different spots in the hay.
Freely, Jessie elbow-dropped herself onto Woody, and two started to playfully fight around while Buzz and Bo sat down, watching the siblings roll around in amusement.
"You feelin' alright, kid-sister?" Buzz asked, studying her face.
Still not used to how perceptive he was, she crossed her arms and leaned away. "I'm alright. My grandma isn't doing super well, honestly, but... I'm alright." The two siblings stopped their wrestling to look over towards their mutual friend.
"Ho, hey. That's a lot." Jessie mumbled, scooting over to Bo. "You sure you're alright?" She brushed her hand over Bo's shoulder. "You can cry if ya need to."
Shrugging, Bo stared down at her hands. "I'm all cried out, honestly... I just need a good distraction for now."
"Well, I was gonna paint Woody's nails." Jessie said matter-of-factly, which Woody rolled his eyes at.
"I did NOT agree to that, Jess."
"Too bad, I'm painting 'em green and purple." Jessie tutted in response, yanking a few tiny tubs of nail polish from the insides of her boots.
Woody narrowed his eyes at her. "Why those colors? That's oddly specific." He huffed out, as she glimpsed between him and Buzz, who was wearing those very colors.
"No reason. Now hold still or they'll look messy!" She ordered, and her brother reluctantly listened. Buzz turned to Bo and offered to paint her nails, and she lended her hand as well. An hour later, and they all had their nails slathered in polish, of various different colors. Buzz had pretty quickly fallen asleep soon after, and Woody followed suit.
As they laid down side by side, Bo rolled over and faced Jessie. She gazed upon her crush, her soul aching to reach out and brush a hair out of her face. Instead, she turned away and sighed. A moment after she turned, she heard a shuffling sound behind her, and within minutes Jessie's arms wrapped around her abdomen and her feet tangled with Bo's.
"Is this alright?" Jessie whispered, and Bo inhaled sharply.
"Yes, it's alright." She returned, snuggling backwards closer to Bo. "This is.. nice."
Her heart threatened to escape her chest with how hard it was hopping and beating, but after giving herself time to breathe, she just felt...nice. No longer did she feel afraid, or worried about how other people would think. Right now, she felt safe in the arms of the cowgirl, and like she was important.
Within her toned and slender arms, she felt like she was the center of the universe that night.
And when morning came, she wasn't dreading the sun that shined in through the barn's open window. Three fluffy heads were nuzzling her, and when she opened her eyes, she found that three small lambs had snuggled up against her. She giggled just as Jessie came back into the barn, Bullseye trailing behind her,
"Mornin', sunshine." She commented, smiling lovingly down at the other woman. "I think it's time you learn how to ride."
Sitting up, Bo fidgeted with her hands. "Huh? I mean... are you sure?"
"Positive. I'll show you the reigns, no pun intended." She winked and laughed, grabbing at Bo's hands and pulling her up. She hoisted Bo up onto Bullseye, climbing on behind her. She grabbed at the reigns and carefully handed them to Bo. "Just softly shake these for him to trot, and lightly kick his sides for him to speed up. Pull up for him to stop." She explained, holding onto Bo's hands while they trotted around the field.
After a few moments, Bo felt a surge of confidence and gently jabbed her boots against Bullseye's side, and the steed raced off into the woods. Bo felt her heartbeat speeding up and matching the pace as they stopped again, this time near the shelter. They hopped off Bullseye and made their way inside, crawling in and sitting.
Bo laughed with her chest, and Jessie watched her with lovesick eyes. Suddenly, Jessie leaned forward and kissed Bo, who froze. The blonde woman pulled away instantly, fluttering her eyelashes and trying to piece together what had just happened.
"Sorry." Jessie mumbled, biting at her bottom lip. "I get it if you aren't into me like that."
Bo's eyes filled with tears, and she wasn't sure she could figure out why. Was it tears of joy? Fear? Both? She didn't know, but it made her feel oozy.
"Sorry, I'm... that was my first kiss since I was fifteen, that's all." She whispered, and Jessie made an 'o' with her lips, her eyes dropping.
"Didn't mean to steal somethin' so special." Jessie murmured, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Hopefully I wasn't going too far doin' that."
The self-doubt in Jessie's thick voice seemed to pull Bo out of her own confusion. With a fiery feeling in her chest, she leaped forward and kissed Jessie again, the two laying on the blanket for a moment as they gently kissed.
Bo rolled off Jessie and laid her head against Jessie's chest, her heart hammering away inside of her. "I like you a lot, you know."
"I figured," Jessie replied, and Bo laughed in response.
As the rain started to fall outside, Bullseye crept inside of the building, resting against the wall. Bo wrapped her arms tightly around Jessie and listened to the sound of Jessie's heartbeat, softly sighing at the sound. The day was far too cloudy for her to focus on her chores, so being trapped out in the middle of the woods with a woman she found herself falling deeply in love with wasn't unwelcome.
She fell asleep yet again, the sound of Jessie's heartbeat lulling her to sleep. Bullseye licked her cheek and woke her up a few hours later, and the sun was again shining outside. Carefully, the two made their way back to the fields, parting ways and going about their chores.
Throughout the next few days, the two continued to sneak off with one another. It was both thrilling and frightening to Bo, but for once, her fear was only in her head and heart, and wasn't a reality she had to consider every moment of the day.
Woody sang some cheesy love song as he strummed his 6-string around the fire, and Bo felt herself relaxing, laughing as Jessie stood up and dragged her into a dance. She spun her around and lifted her up, and Bo freely kissed her, still laughing through the kiss.
For a moment, she did not care if the others around the campfire stared or gawked at her. She did not care if the entire world stopped and pointed their fingers at her. Even if her parents saw her, she would not separate from the woman hoisting her up into the air and kissing her.
She ignored the congratulatory hoots and hees and haws as she was set back down on her feet, her face warm from both the fire and the warmth in her chest. Despite their houses not being far apart, Jessie walked Bo to the front porch of the Davis' house and kissed her cheek before she went inside.
Practically floating, she flew to her room and drifted into bed and a dream that left her feeling warm and loved.
The next morning, there was pounding at the door. She fell out of bed and rushed to the door, her heart racing at the sound. When the door was opened, she felt as if she were staring death in the face.
But, it was just her husband, Peter.
"So this is where you've been hiding." He hollered, and before anyone could stop him, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward. She fell to the ground and stared up at him with wide, irritated eyes.
She pulled herself up and tried to suck down her fear, but he pushed it right back into her as he spoke, his voice commanding the earth the stand still underneath her.
"Get in the car. We're leaving this dump."
The Davis' husbands were at the market, as were their children. Woody and Buzz were out near the Pride family farm, and the only other person who spotted her was Jessie.
Dashing over across the fields, she was by their side within a minute. She put herself between Peter and Bo, and held her chest up high, despite her being much shorter than the man. "Don't you DARE put your hands on her again, or you're gonna be in a LOTTA pain."
Tensing up, Bo felt herself shrinking behind Jessie. She felt terror welling in her chest, and was searching for any way she could stop the feeling.
Peter laughed in Jessie's face and attempted to push past her, but she pushed back, causing him to lose his footing and fall directly into horse manure. Jessie broke into guffaws before remembering the serious nature of the situation. "Now seriously, get yourself outta here unless you wanna deal with me AND my brother."
Jumping to his feet, the man snarled down at the women. "Look, Bo. You either come with me and I'll pay your Grandma's hospital bills, or stay here on this plot of dirt and let her rot alone in that nursing home."
Her eyes widening, Bo lurched forward and spoke for the first time since seeing her husband again. "No, no you can't do that!" She yelled out, frustrated tears falling down her face. "Look, my Grandma is innocent in this!"
"Yeah right! I know that old hag had somethin' to do with you running away from home like a little girl. Now, you come back and keep playing wifey, and things can be okay again." Peter threatened, and Bo shook with emotion.
"Fine, fine, I'll go. As long as you promise to pay for her bills.." She muttered, and Jessie tried to reach out for Bo.
Shaking her head softly, Bo hugged Jessie and whispered to her. "I'm so sorry. I have to."
Jessie stared in shock and heartbreak as the two loaded up into the man's car and drove away.
Back home, life went back to how it was before. The moment her mother and step-father saw her, Bo was put under house arrest, even though she was a grown adult. She had no funds of her own, and was not allowed to sew anymore. She was told to sit in the house, make dinner for her husband, and never raise her voice at him.
That was one of the only parts to her that felt somewhat fair, because she did not ever want to hear his voice again.
Still, without pause, she heard it everyday. He would come home, complain about something she did not do in his perfect vision, eat her food, and then pass out, half of the time being drunk when doing so.
As her birthday neared, nobody was there to celebrate with her. 21 years old, and she had nobody around her. Her husband tried to encourage her to drink alcohol, but she did not feel like celebrating with someone so cruel.
Instead, she curled up in her bed alone, crying and falling asleep to the sound of her own heavy breathing.
Slowly, her spirit started to break again, but the smile on her Grandma's face every time she got to visit stopped it from completely shattering. One night while visiting, her grandmother slipped her 200 dollars without explanation, and then 400 the next time. She hid the cash away anywhere that felt untouched by her husband's greedy hands -- in her clothing drawers, in the pots and pans that he never bothered to use. Gradually, she started gaining her confidence back, draining it from the way her grandmother spoke to her and loved her unlike any other member of her family.
After a week of money being slipped to her, she finally stopped her grandmother in the process, pulling her to the side where her husband could not hear them. "Grandma, where are you getting all this money?"
An elderly frown was given in response. "It does not matter."
"It does! It does matter!" Bo cried, sitting down on her bed and taking her grandmother's hands cautiously. "You're taking your medicine, aren't you? You aren't selling it?"
Shaking her head, the grandmother relaxed in her wheelchair. "No, I'm not selling it... but you have enough now, don't you? For another train ticket?"
The blonde woman thinned her lips. "What do you mean? I can't leave you here and run off again."
"You don't have to, my dear. I have been carefully gathering up enough money for us both to run off... I have called the Davis family and talked with them, and they would love for us both to live with them." She softly smiled. "As long as you are interested in taking ownership of some of the land, but I assumed that wouldn't be an issue."
Tearing up, Bo hugged at her Grandma's frail shoulders tightly. "Of course there's no issue! But how are we to escape without Peter stopping us?"
"I've got an idea for that..." The grandmother mumbled, carefully lifting her shaking hands. "In a week, on next Monday at 8 a.m., be ready. When he leaves for work, I have a car coming for us." Her grandma said calmly, clutching at her granddaughter's hands. "And listen carefully... if for whatever reason I cannot go, I want you to go without me. I will be alright, but I need you to go for me to ever be happy again."
Nodding, Bo embraced her grandmother again and held her tightly.
Half a week later, she was given the news.
Her grandmother had lied to her. She had sold all of the pills that her doctor had prescribed her to help her blood clot to other elderly patients in the nursing home, and the blood in her stomach built up until it couldn't anymore, and she passed away in her sleep.
She only heard when her husband came home and relayed the news to her as if it were a weather report. "The old hag passed," he had said, and Bo's soul felt as if it were escaping out of her throat when she heard the words, and the realization hit her like a brick.
Her parents didn't seem to care. They paid for her to be cremated, but didn't seem to care what happened to her ashes. Her heart was still hurting, but Bo took the chance to breathe and thank her late grandmother. She was allowed to keep the ashes, and had some of them put into a small necklace. With the money in her pocket, she crept out of the funeral home and drove her husband's car back to their home. She grabbed her suitcase and rushed out of the home, calling a transportation service before her husband could realize his car and wife were missing from the funeral home.
Within minutes, she was being driven away, tears still staining her cheeks and streaking out of her eyes.
As she pulled onto the large dirt road, she practically jumped out of the car, and ran forward to those who cared for her. Woody, Buzz, and the Davis men were standing on the Davis' family porch when they spotted her. With arms reached out, she hugged them all openly, being completely engulfed in warmth and comfort that she believed only her grandmother could provide.
After she pulled away from her hug with the adults, she spotted two chubby faces running towards her next. Molly and Andy lunged for her, tightly hugging at her legs and abdomen. No words were heard, even though they were spoken. Her brain was too swelled with emotion to understand what the kids were trying to say, but the attention warmed her regardless.
Jessie spotted her from across the field, where she had been sitting atop Bullseye and letting him graze. Without much consideration, she encouraged Bullseye to run and raced towards the other woman. As soon as she was on the Davis' family farm, she hopped off of Bullseye and raced forward, lifting and twirling Bo in her arms. She kissed her fully and hugged her as the other woman started to cry yet again.
They stayed there for what felt like hours, but in reality was only a few minutes. Gradually, Bo was lowered back to the ground her face was cupped by strong hands that wiped at her face. Ripping her wedding ring off, she held it on her palm. "I wanna burn this, or or throw it in the pond, or somethin'."
Jessie grinned widely. "What about dumping it in the old Outhouse?"
Bo nodded. "That's perfect. Let's do it!" She said, clutching at her necklace that held her Grandma's ashes. The Davis' couple turned to her.
"And when you're done, we have a surprise for you.. It's not quite finished yet, but I think you'll like it." Gerald Davis said, and Bo smiled, following after Jessie for the time being.
Buzz and Woody followed in tow, and the four of them gathered around as Bo threw her wedding ring into the Outhouse hole, watching in disgust as it sank to the bottom into the sludge.
For the first time in several weeks, Bo ran forward and up the hill towards the Davis house, taking notice of a small, unfinished structure behind the house. She marched towards it, and Jessie fetched the Davis men and dragged them to it.
"Well, it's not quite done, but... we decided that we wanna have you live out here. Or, well, the Pride family decided they wanted you to." Gerald commented, and his husband grinned and continued.
"The kids love you, and I know there is one Pride girl in particular that really wants you to stay.."
Bo turned towards Jessie at the comment, hugging her neck and kissing her cheek. "Of course I'll stay... Other than my Grandma, you guys are my family now."
"And you got some wittwle babies!" Molly cheered, clapping her hands. "Wittle wambs!"
"A little lamb?" Bo asked, and Jessie shook her head, laughing.
"Yeah, well, one of our ewe's gave birth to triplets two nights ago, and we figured you'd love bein' in charge of 'em."
Bo smiled widely. "Of course, I'd love that! Do I get to name 'em?"
"Anything you can think up, Puddin'Cup."
Laughing, Bo took Jessie's hand, and pulled her into a hug. She pulled in the rest of her new family as well, savoring the warmth and happiness it filled her with.
As the night settled down, a bonfire was held, and Bo felt her heart lifting into the sky. She was surrounded by people, and for the first time, she felt as if she wasn't alone despite this.
In one summer, she had found the love she needed, in several ways. She leaned against Jessie as Woody strummed his guitar and felt her eyes growing heavy and tired. She felt safe, loved. And complete. She felt complete.
Smoke filled up the sky above her and dissolved into the stars, and she felt as if all the burdens and stress on her shoulders floated up as well. With soft words, she leaned over so that her lips were inches from Jessie's ear.
"I wanna marry you."
The cowgirl jumped up for joy, twirling Bo around the fire and making her laugh hysterically. Buzz and Woody stared on in confusion, before celebrating on hearing the news.
Woody changed his tune to a cheesy country love song, and everyone swing around the fire with wide-smiles and bellies full of laughter.
The duo married in the sunny field, and Bo could swear she felt her Grandma's spirited looped around her arm as she walked down the makeshift hay-aisle, her three lambs racing after her and bleating for attention. She fed them her wildflower bouquet and kissed her new wife, throwing only one stray flower towards Buzz, who caught it eagerly and threw it into his mouth, jokingly making Woody dance with him. The duo danced around in a tango-style, and Bo and Jessie joined them, the rest of the Davis' family joining quickly.
Wildflowers floated through the air and the world felt like a spinning top as they celebrated the joyous wedding, and Bo knew that she was where she belonged, for now and forever.