AN: First, I want to give a big thank you to all those that have taken the time to read this story. It's been a while since I've written anything, far too long if I am to be honest. I won't dwell on that, however. As the title suggests, this is a story that focuses on the simpler things in life but with a twist. I hope you all enjoy this story and don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated. Until next time.

Slice of Life

Chapter I: The Mundane

By: anybodihearme

Originally Uploaded: Sunday, April 19th, 2020

"Sophia!" Kevin called from the bottom of the stairs. "Let's go! We're going to be late!" He screamed. At the top of the stairs, he could hear Sophia shuffling around and grabbing her school supplies. Satisfied with the sudden pep in her step, Kevin walked into the kitchen to grab his car keys and abandoned cup of coffee. It was cold and he couldn't remember exactly when he made it. This morning? Yesterday evening? A week ago? Whenever it was, it wouldn't kill him and he banked on that to get him through the day. "Don't run down those stairs," he called over his shoulder.

He could hear Sophia's steps slow down as she approached the top of the stairs. His heart slowed down in his chest and he downed the last bit of bitter coffee. Kevin reached across the counter and grabbed an apple - no, a banana - for Sophia and went to toss it towards the entryway but stopped. An unnecessary trip to the hospital again this week would be putting them over their monthly average. Kevin held the banana out and Sophia plucked it out of his hands when she came into the kitchen.

"Thank you," she smiled up at him. "Did you know," she began after setting down all her books and readjusting her glasses. "Bananas are botanically a berry?" She prodded. Kevin lifted his eyebrow and snorted.

"No," he chuckled. Sophia smiled and peeled it - the proper way at that - and took a seat on one of the bar stools.

"Can I have a cup of coffee?" She asked. Kevin rolled his eyes and poured her a glass of milk.

"Here," he slid the cup across the counter. "Ice coffee minus the coffee." Sophia laughed and Kevin leaned against the counter. "Do you have that-" Sophia squealed and reached down into her plant-covered backpack. She pulled out a folder covered in cacti, quickly ripped it open, and slid a release form, accompanied by a black pen, towards Kevin.

Kevin picked it up and gave it a once over before humping his shoulders and signing it.

"You didn't even read it," Sophia said. "I could get kidnapped."

"Trust me," Kevin shook his head and gave her the form back. "They would bring you back." Sophia gave him an expression filled with nothing but shock. Kevin laughed and ruffled her red hair. "Alright squirt," he smiled down at her. "We got to go or you'll be late. Let's not ruin that perfect attendance of yours." He winked.

Sophia's eyes lit up and she jumped off of the stool, slinging her bookbag across her back in the process. Kevin picked up her banana peel and tossed it in the garbage and stuffed the folder in her bag. Sophia clapped her hands and headed towards the door. In a flash, her shoes were on and her jacket was zipped. Kevin shoved a hat on her head and she mumbled but accepted the defeat.

They were out the door and heading to the truck. After having Sophia, Kevin, unfortunately, had to upgrade from his beloved bike to a truck. Don't get him wrong though, his bike was tucked away in the garage, waiting for that special occasion. Sophia jumped in the backseat and buckled herself in. Kevin started the car and checked his blindspots before stopping and making eye contact with her in the rearview mirror.

"Do you have your inhaler?" Kevin asked. Sophia nodded and patted one of the outside pockets of her bag, feeling it beneath the fabric. Kervin nodded. "Let me hear you buckle." Sophia yanked her seatbelt, making the belt sound. "That's my girl," Kevin grinned and pulled out of the driveway.

Kevin drove through the early morning traffic, occasionally cutting off the random person but slowing at every yellow and stopping at every red. He flipped on the radio and chuckled when he saw Sophia bob her head along to every song. Who would have thought she would have liked indie? Not Kevin, that's for sure.

The streets were bustling with people going here and there in the early morning rush. Despite the vast amount of facial expressions each passerby wore, the only thing they all had in common was the lack of winter gear. The weather finally broke and the sun was out as if it was finally welcoming spring without a hint of snow. Kevin hated the snow and was glad that it was gone. Spending hours outside shoveling his driveway and patch of sidewalk were days he wished not to remember. Even thinking about it now, he shivered.

Outside around them, buildings and office fronts slowly started to disappear and more trees, parks, and school safety zone signs started appearing. Dropping down to 20 MPH, Kevin pulled into the drop-off and pick-up lane, letting his car coast along the curb as kids jumped out of their parents' cars and ran towards the school that seemed as if it would stand forever, Peach Creek Elementary.

"What time is your club over with today?" Kevin asked, looking over his shoulder. Sophia was quickly unbuckling herself and slipping her backpack over her shoulders.

"4:45," she answered. "But, it might end early because we already collected all the recyclables in the school and neighborhood. We're just separating today," she said matter-of-factly with a nod of her head.

"Okay," he hummed. "Well, don't leave the school if it ends early. Call me and I'll come and pick you up." Sophia gave him the 'okay' with her left hand and went to open the door. "Wait!" Kevin lifted out of his seat and pulled out his wallet from his jeans. He passed her a couple of bills. "Put that in your backpack," he said. Sophia placed the money in her bag and leaned forward.

"Thanks, dad," she smiled and gave him a quick hug before getting out of the truck. Kevin watched her run towards the school and mingle with a couple of friends before entering the building.

The car behind him in the drop-off and pick-up lane blew their horn and Kevin almost flipped them off. But, he decided against it. Mrs. Williams, the PTA President, wouldn't have appreciated that. He could feel her eyes staring at him from outside the truck as she waved his car forward. It would be quick to end her life if he just stepped on the gas just a bit, but then all his efforts would have been for naught in getting his daughter into the best school in the district.

Kevin gave the traditional finger-wave-thanks to Mrs. Williams and headed out to his shop. Turning the music back up, Kevin stepped on the gas and soon enough he was on his way.

"Bay number five needs an oil change and a tire rotation," Kevin marked down on his clipboard. "Number three also needs an oil change but a tune-up and seven needs a-" Kevin paused, looking up. "I actually don't know…" Kevin looked around the service area before his eyes fell on Jonny. "Has anyone taken a look at the car in bay seven?"

"I don't think so," Jonny answered as he placed his tools down. "I think Brad was-"

"My name is Bradley, not Brad! Don't call me Brad," the new hire yelled over.

"Okay Bradford," Jonny waved his wrench in the air with an eye roll. "Anyway, Brattley was going to start on that one next." Kevin nodded but suppressed a laugh when Bradley's face turned a deep shade of red.

"Thanks…" Kevin trailed off as he walked back towards the wall that held most of their portable tools. Marking things down on his clipboard as he opened and closed drawers and cabinets, the morning slowly turned into the afternoon. It was relaxing, especially given the constant screaming match going on behind him between Jonny and Bradley and the occasional car turning over and flooding. Kevin was a professional at tuning it all out.

Finishing the monthly inventory check, Kevin pocketed his pen and walked over to the lounge area where the phone was ringing off the hook. Saying a few pleasantries to the customers that were sitting and waiting, Kevin picked up the phone, "Barr Mechanics, how can I help you?"

"So professional," Nazz chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Can I get a free tune-up?" Kevin laughed at her fake mockery and almost hung the phone up.

"No, but I can give you a loyalty discount of 15%," he offered. Nazz laughed and he swore the customers could have heard her cackle. "So, what can I do for you Ms. Bartonschmeer?"

"Nothing," her cheerful tone fell. "All my appointments were canceled this afternoon so I have a free schedule." Kevin hummed and waited for her to spring her usual question on him. "Want to get lunch?"

"Sorry," Kevin said and he could just see her blonde eyebrows falling. "It's the first of the month and I have inventory to finish up and play referee between Jonny and Bradley." Nazz hummed.

"Don't you mean Bradie?" She asked.

"Yes," he laughed. "I also have to pick up Sophia-"

"My favorite person in the world!" She shouted. Kevin vaguely heard her hands clap together. "How is she?" She asked with enough enthusiasm that it threw Kevin off for a minute. "I miss her," Kevin could hear her frown.

"She is doing great," he smiled, thinking about her. "She has her club today so I have to pick her up. I think we might get dinner."

"Get Chipotle," Nazz offered. "All of their food is organic and locally sourced." Kevin hummed, mentally noting that. "Maybe I'll get that for lunch."

"I'll see," Kevin mused. "We've been on this healthy diet of some sort and I don't know what I can or cannot eat," he added, taking a sip of coffee that was bad enough to make him grimace.

"I like how you say 'we,'" Nazz chuckled.

"I try to support her endeavors. I might not be good at it, but I support them," Kevin shrugged his shoulders. Considering this was his second cup of coffee, he was pretty sure he was failing, however.

"It's the thought that counts," Nazz piped up. "She'll remember this when she's older. You're doing a stellar job." Kevin smiled at that.

"'Stellar,'" he mocked. "Are you sure you're a lawyer? I am pretty sure I never heard a lawyer say that."

"Shut up," she chastised. Kevin laughed at her outburst. They chit-chatted a bit more on the phone before Jonny's and Bradley's bickering became too much. After threatening to fire them both, they settled down and Kevin went back to balancing the register back down to three-hundred dollars and dropping the rest. Once he was done, he went through the customer queue until there were a handful of people and retired to his office to finish the inventory.

His office wasn't grand but it wasn't humble either. The far-right wall was lined with filing cabinets while the left was lined with bookshelves filled with books ranging from automotive to elementary school level National Geographics. The occasional picture displayed here and there from his golden years to Sophia's kindergarten graduation and outings with friends. Next to the door was a plant solely taken care of by Jonny for some unknown reason and a rug with a few comfortable pillows. A child-sized chair sat next to a matching table with a few books from the Magic Treehouse and Goosebumps series along with an abandoned notebook and pencil. Kevin was never a fan, but then again, he didn't read often.

The desk he sat at was quite big and granted him enough space to work on reports and not feel overwhelmed when papers started piling up on top of one another. A small succulent with overgrown purple leaves sat on the corner of his desk. Kevin had no idea how it was still alive, granted that he never watered the thing. Stickers decorated the trim of his monitor and a few on his phone. They ranged from flowers to small depictions of the galaxy and the most recent edition, "Save the Planet." A few mugs sat on the corner of his desk that he was positive were filled with old toxic coffee that if he was to drink, would surely kill him.

Kevin's most favorite thing that sat in his office, however, was the small picture of him and Sophia when she was barely a month old. Picking it up, Kevin rubbed the corner of the frame with his thumb. To him, it felt like it was just yesterday. Suddenly being shoved into fatherhood without an inkling of how things are done. Looking closely at the faded picture, his face said it all. His features were marred with nothing but fear, worry, and a bit of regret. Looking back; however, he wouldn't change a thing.

He was happy.

"Are you all good here?" Kevin asked, standing next to the car Jonny was pinned under. Grease and oil stains decorated Jonny's uniform and Kevin made sure to put a bit of distance between them because, knowing Jonny, it would only be a matter of time before oil was splattered and Kevin already took off his coveralls.

"Yeah, me and Brauly can hold the fort down." In the back, Bradley dropped both the racket and socket set that he was carrying. Kevin held his hand up to shoot him down before they gave him a full-blown headache.

"Make sure to lock up," Kevin nudged Jonny's foot with his own and received a grunt in return. Walking past Bradley, Kevin put his hand on his shoulder and gave a soft squeeze. "It'll get better," Kevin said and Bradley shook his head. Poor fellow, Kevin often thought. He was the newest hire, young and naive, but he had a good head on his shoulders. He wouldn't lie and say that Bradley didn't get picked on by his crew, but in all honesty, it was their way of showing their love for him.

"Aye," Jonny called. "The car in bay three needs a blinker fluid change but you're going to need a left-handed screwdriver," Jonny shouted. "Hurry up," Jonny waved at Bradley from underneath the car. "I would like to go home sometime soon!" Before Kevin could say anything, Bradley was off, looking for the necessary tools to get the job done. Shaking his head, Kevin took his truck keys out of his pocket and exited the building.

The sun was still up but beginning to set. The weather may have broke but Kevin could feel the chill from the evening creeping up his spine. Slipping into his truck, Kevin roared the engine to life and cranked up the heat. The drive was short but lasted long enough for him to flip through the radio stations a couple of times in the hopes of avoiding a commercial break. There were only so many commercials that a person could listen to, let alone be interested in.

Pulling up to the elementary school, Kevin parked in what he was sure was a no-parking zone. Figuring it would only take him two minutes to run in and out, he was sure he was safe enough to not end up having to walk home.

Kevin walked up to the front desk, knocking softly on the window.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Barr," Miss Patricia said, walking over to the window. "Are you looking for Sophia?" She was dressed in a simple blue dress with a matching yellow bow in her hair. She was holding folders and books that looked as if they were about to topple out of her hands.

"Yes, I am," he smiled at her. "Do I have to go up and get her?" He asked, already turning towards the stairwell.

"Not at all," she answered with her southern drawl slipping out. Kevin raised his eyebrows at her and Miss Patricia blushed before picking up the phone on the desk. Making a quick call to the science room, she assured him that Sophia was on her way down and would take no more than five minutes.

"Thank you," he said and Miss Patricia smiled at him. Kevin watched her sort through the files on her desk, separating them here and there. He was amazed at how quick she was and wondered if he could convince her to come and work for him. Out of everything he handles at the shop, he despised sorting through files. It was as if every other day, a file went missing and it would take him a week to find it. The worst thing though was that he was usually the only one to handle the files, so he had no one to blame but himself half the time.

Lost in his thoughts, on the other hand, Kevin failed to notice the not so subtle glances Miss Patricia sent his way. Time and time again, her bright brown eyes would look up and steal a glance. Their eyes never met. Being too focused on her hands, Kevin missed it all.

"Dad!" Sophia called, turning the corner and jogging down the hallway with her books and bag in her hand. Bounding up to him, Sophia hugged his leg and Kevin patted her head.

"Hey squirt," Kevin smiled down at her. "How was school?"

"Great!" She answered, dropping her books on the floor in her burst of excitement. Kevin chuckled and bent down to pick up her books, tieing her left shoe in the process. Sophia rattled off about all the new things she learned today and how well her environmental club was going. Kevin nodded along with everything she said and slowly turned her around so he could not only place her books in her bag but help her shrug on her jacket and her hat.

"Sounds like you had a productive day," he smiled down at her as he stood back up. "Ready?" He asked, holding his hand out to her. Sophia nodded but turned to smile at the secretary.

"See you tomorrow, Miss Patricia!" Sophia waved.

"See you, sweetie," she waved back and Kevin and Sophia walked down the short hall and out of the building. They walked down the short flight of stairs and pathway that led to the school and soon enough Kevin was opening the truck door for her and she was hopping in. Walking around to the driver's side, Kevin slid in himself and started the engine, sending a quick thanks to the man upstairs that he wasn't towed or ticketed.

Pulling away from the curb, Kevin looked at her through his rearview mirror.

"So," he began. "I was thinking Chipotle for dinner. I heard all their food is organic and locally sourced."

"They emit a lot of greenhouse gasses," Sophia replied. "It would be better if we cook." Kevin nodded his head and switched lanes, heading towards their very own farmer's market. "Besides, we'll have leftovers and you'll have lunch for tomorrow." Kevin peaked once more through the rearview mirror, checking that she had her seatbelt on. Satisfied, Kevin turned the radio up a bit and easily maneuvered through traffic.

Pulling into the parking lot, Kevin was lucky enough to score a spot by the door. If you were to ask Sophia, she would call it princess parking. Opening the door for her and helping her down, Kevin grabbed their reusable shopping bags from the trunk and a cart from the vestibule and they walked into the store together. Quickly deciding on what they were to have for dinner, Kevin and Sophia navigated through the aisles, stopping here and there for things they actually needed and for things that were completely unnecessary. Either way, as long as Kevin got his peanut covered M&M's and Sophia her oat milk, they were golden.

"I don't think we've had chicken for a while?" Kevin admitted, looking down at Sophia.

"I like chicken," she offered. Kevin nodded and steered the cart towards the poultry section. Looking through the options, Kevin reached out and picked up a thing of chicken that was big enough to feed them both and then some.

"Did you know," Sophia began. "That many chicken companies have been sued like a million times for treating chickens badly?" Kevin raised his eyebrows at her and shook his head. "We recently learned about factory farming and how people put bad stuff into animals to make them fatter," her voice fell as she spoke. "It makes me sad…" She trailed off. Kevin reached down and ruffled her hair, wiping away a few stray tears.

"That's horrible," he agreed. Sophia nodded her head and sniffled a little. "Hey," Kevin thought. "Why don't you and your club write a letter to the governor about it?" Sophia looked up and her tears slowly faded, leaving behind nothing but untamed fire.

"That could be our next project!" She yelled. "We can start a clean food project!" Kevin laughed and nodded his head. "We can make posters!" She rattled off, naming plans of action one after the other.

Glancing through the produce section, Kevin picked a few items that he knew Sophia wouldn't mind, except for Brussel sprouts. According to her, they tasted like plastic, then again, how would she know what plastic tasted like? But, while Kevin was browsing the section, Sophia trailed off to pick out some of her favorite fruits to snack on, her favorite being apples. Unfortunately, her arms were too small to carry all of her picks and resulted in her having to make multiple trips to and from the cart. Luckily enough for her, it all was done with Kevin not noticing, until he went to place a bundle of carrots in the cart.

He was genuinely shocked by the amount of fruit that suddenly appeared.

He knew his daughter liked fruit, but sometimes her eyes could be a bit too big for her stomach. Which, more often than not, resulted in him having to carry the burden of eating the leftover and overripe fruit. Grimacing, he didn't even say anything but kept picking his produce of choice here and there, knowing that most parents would happily trade a fruit-loving child for a non-fruit-loving child any day.

He had to pick and choose his battles.

"Are we forgetting anything?" Kevin asked, leaning over and looking into the cart. Sophia hummed. "Last chance or forever hold your peace." Laughing, she shook her head and wedged herself between his chest and the handles of the cart. Placing her feet on the bottom rails that held the wheels, she pulled herself up so she was standing on the cart.

"Go forth, my peasant!" She pointed ahead.

"Yes, my lady!" Kevin laughed loudly, causing a few people to turn and stare at them. Kevin pushed the cart towards the checkout queue, laughing the entire way at his daughter's horrible medieval European accent.

Jokingly, Kevin asked Sophia if she was going to pay for groceries when they were next in line. Patting his pockets as if he forgot his wallet, Kevin pretended to make a run for it, which did nothing but make her hazel eyes grow three times their normal size, making the checkout clerk laugh. Kevin paid and carried the bags as Sophia snacked on some of their finds. Eventually feeling a bit guilty about not carrying her weight, Sophia offered to take one of the bags.

"I got it," Kevin said.

"I insist!" She piped up and reached for one of the bags. "Gender equality!" She quoted, making Kevin nod his head all while thinking that he had a little feminist on his hands. Instead of arguing, Kevin humped his shoulders, giving her the specific bag she reached for. When it became obvious that it was too heavy for her, she settled on holding one of the handles as he held the other. Once she was secured in the car, along with the groceries, Kevin pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home. It was a quick drive that went by in a flash, despite the fact he couldn't settle on a radio station, that didn't break every two minutes, accompanied by him reaching his hand back for whatever it was Sophia was snacking on.

By the time they arrived home, the sky was dark and the temperature dropped enough to make them both shiver. Grabbing everything in the traditional one-trip-fashion, because two were for punks, they lugged their groceries into the house. Leaving everything in the doorway, they both almost tripped over the bags as they took off their shoes, jackets, and hats. The entryway was too small but for them, it worked because the rest of the house had everything they could ever need.

Not being a man for the theatrics, the house was a traditional cozy craftsman, a definite upgrade from his one-bedroom studio he was living in when he was nineteen. It came with the standard two-bedroom, two-bath, kitchen, living, and dining area. It was enough space for them considering he stuck to the master bath and she stuck to the common bath. The selling points, if you were to ask him, were the garage and backyard. The garage was big enough to hold his tools and offer him space to work on side projects when he wasn't swamped at the shop. The backyard was spacious enough for Sophia to get lost in if she wasn't careful and start all the environmental projects that caught her eye.

"Did you finish your homework?" Kevin asked as he walked into the kitchen, placing the bags on the counter. Sophia followed behind him, taking a seat at the breakfast nook.

"Almost," she said. "I have some math problems I didn't finish." Kevin hummed and got to work putting the groceries away and preparing dinner. Turning the radio on that on the counter, Kevin hummed along to the few songs he knew and began cooking, thinking back on the last few years of his life. Sophia, on the other hand, opened her math textbook and began counting on her fingers.

"Let me know if you need help," he commented and Sophia hummed in response.

The evening passed slowly but every other minute Sophia stopped Kevin with a question regarding either a poorly worded word problem or her most hated subject, fractions. Easy enough for him, Kevin was able to help guide her through the problems without giving her the answer flat out. If he couldn't, would he even be worth his salt? He basically was a living, breathing, walking math genius given his occupation for the past twelve years. Not to mention that it was the only class he cared for in high school due to the fact that it helped set him on the path to his current career.

"Finished!" Sophia declared, slamming her textbook shut with enough force that her glasses shook on her face. Kevin gave her a thumbs-up as he looked over her shoulder, scanning her homework for any obvious mistakes.

"Great," he smiled. "Do me a favor and clear the table, dinner is about done." Sophia nodded and jumped off the stool she was occupying. After shoving her books into her bag, she disappeared out of the kitchen to only resurface again minutes later, minus her bag. The kitchen table was small but comfortable enough to fit a solid four people; however, given that it was only him and her, they had more than enough space. Sophia quickly placed two of everything on the table and soon enough, Kevin was reaching over her in order to place the hot food on the table.

"What would you like to drink?" Sophia asked.

"How about tea?" He offered. Sophia nodded and pushed her step stool in front of the counter. Retrieving two glasses, she met Kevin back at the table with the glasses first, then the pitcher of tea. "Ice?" Kevin questioned. Turning back around, she grabbed a couple of ice cubes out of the freezer and plopped them down in the glasses. "Thanks."

Satisfied with her work, Sophia took a seat.

"What's so funny?" He asked, placing a bowl filled with salad on the table. Kevin placed his left hand on his hip and Sophia shook her head, more chuckles escaping her lips.

"Nothing," she said but the playful tone in her voice gave her away.

"Are you laughing at me?" he asked, hurt. Sophia laughed out loud and he playfully poked her in the head. "You are, aren't you!" He waved a spoon at her.

"You know the episode in Tom & Jerry when the mom wears the apron?" Kevin lifted his eyebrow. "You kind of look like her," she stuck her tongue out.

"Whatever," he laughed, ruffling her hair. When Kevin took off the apron, Sophia laughed and he rolled his eyes at her before sitting down in the seat adjacent to her.

Kevin picked up Sophia's plate, filling it with food and making sure she had enough before he reached for his own plate. He watched her face grimace at the extra helping of chicken he placed on his plate, but in his defense, he was a lot bigger and could always eat more. Not wanting to be left out, Sophia reached for the glass pitcher. Not wanting a disaster to happen, Kevin placed his hand under it to help her. Kevin slid both their glasses towards her and Sophia poured the tea effortlessly.

"So," Kevin began. "Are you excited for the field trip?" He asked.

"Yes!" She said, moving around in her seat. "It's next week, Friday!" She smiled. Kevin nodded his head, taking a sip of his tea. "We're visiting the ecology department!"

"At the university?" Kevin cocked his eyebrow.

"Yup!" she yelled, mouth full of food. "One of the professors is giving us a tour!" She filled her mouth with more food. "Mr. Alberton said he is the boss, so maybe the principal!" Kevin laughed.

"I don't think he's the principal," Kevin corrected. "I believe they're called department heads."

"Department heads?" She repeated. Kevin nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yes," he started. "Universities don't have principals. They have a president - or dean - but that person is the boss of every department." Sophia's eyes glazed over and Kevin hummed, choosing his next words carefully. "Well, you know," he began. "Universities have many different departments like engineering, anthropology, and liberal arts. Each department has its own boss - department head - but the dean oversees each department. So, since you're only visiting the ecology department, the person you'll be meeting might be the head of the ecology department, so department head," he finished, patting his head for extra emphasis.

"Oh, so he's like Mrs. Stone?" She asked.

"Kind of," he tilted his head to the side. "Mrs. Stone is the main art teacher at your school and she works with all the other art teachers. So, I guess he is kind of like her." Sophia nodded and took a sip of her tea before beginning again.

"Okay," she smiled. "We're visiting the department head!"

"Right on!" Kevin said, holding his fist out. Sophia humored him and bumped her own small one with his.

"You know, dad," she looked up at him. "No one does this anymore." Kevin's mouth fell at the simple fact that she was calling him old. He placed his hand on his chest and pretended to be hurt and she laughed more, trying to take back her comment but he wasn't having it.

"Alright squirt," Kevin announced. "It's time for bed."

Next to him, Sophia lounged against him, already showered and in her pajamas. Her glasses were sitting on her face in a way that Kevin was sure was more than uncomfortable but she didn't seem to mind. After calling her name, one, two, three times, Kevin chuckled to himself, realizing why she didn't care, and carefully collected her into his arms. Slipping her glasses into his back pocket, Kevin shut off the TV and climbed the short staircase that led to the second floor. Thankfully, her door was already open so Kevin slipped in quite easily. Pulling back the green comforter, Kevin placed her in the bed and tucked her in quite nicely.

Before leaving, Kevin placed her glasses on her bedside table and flipped the small earth shaped night light on. If you were to let her tell it, she would explain how she wasn't afraid of the dark, but simply liked being able to see at night. Not to mention how much she enjoyed seeing little illuminated Earths dance around her room, reflecting off her planet themed room. Whichever it was, Kevin always made sure to flip it on for her. Looking down at her once more, Kevin watched her chest rise and fall a few times before leaning down and placing a small kiss on her forehead.

"Night, Sophia," he whispered and walked out the room, leaving the door cracked behind him.

Kevin stretched in the hallway. A soft groan escaped his lips when his back cracked. It felt good enough that for a quick second, he wished that someone could just snatch him up and crack him like a glowstick. Spending all day hunched over or under a car could take quite a toll on one's body. Rarely, however, did Kevin complain. It was something that he tremendously enjoyed doing. Granted, in today's day and age, not many people actually take the initiative to follow their dreams through to the very end, even if it really wasn't their dream to begin with.

Like many others, he simply just followed in the footsteps of his father.

Being raised by a mechanic often ended up in one wanting to be a mechanic as well. Especially when you take into consideration that most of his childhood was spent at his father's shop, helping his old man out here and there and learning a thing or two about cars. Looking back, every happy memory he ever had of his father was those late nights he spent holding a flashlight and listening to him explain the ins and the outs of an engine.

After his sudden passing, Kevin couldn't imagine letting his father's legacy burn out like a flame and instead decided to take over the shop, without a second thought.

Kevin made his way downstairs, picking up a few out of place items here and there and placing them in their correct spots as he walked. Their house was seldom dirty but there were times when he and Sophia both would get excited enough that they would forget to clean up after themselves. Once the downstairs area was in order, Kevin flipped on the small light above the stove along with placing a medium-sized drinking glass on the counter, just in case she got thirsty.

Heading back upstairs, Kevin stopped in Sophia's bathroom. Bending over, he picked up discarded clothes that didn't quite make it into the laundry basket while also fixing the towels that weren't placed quite right on the drying rack. Absentmindedly, he hung the towel on the bathtub to dry and wiped down the sink to prevent water stains from forming. Satisfied with his work, he left the bathroom by leaving the door open. Before returning downstairs, Kevin also stopped in his own bedroom to collect enough laundry so he wouldn't feel bad about starting a load. Lucky enough for him, he had more than enough work clothes that desperately needed to be washed.

Making a quick stop to peek through Sohoia's door, Kevin walked back downstairs and passed through the living room, heading towards the back of the house where their mudroom was located. Kevin piled the clothes into the washer but not before separating lights from darks and jeans from delicates. He made that mistake once and did not want to make it again. With the clothes in the wash, he turned around and rearranged the shelves that lined the walls.

Well, it wasn't rearranging as much as it was organizing.

He lined shoes up into a line against the step that led into the house; however, he made sure to put their boots against the far wall because lord knows how accident-prone Sophia was. More often than not, he had to remind her about the step down that led into the mudroom, or not to run down the stairs. He picked up discarded nets, garden gloves and hats, a magnifying glass, and oddly enough, a stick that he was sure came from the local creek.

Once he was finished, Kevin walked back into the house, stopping to pick up the mail that was sitting in the mailbox. Filtering through the mail as he walked, Kevin couldn't help but roll his eyes at the practicality of it all. The mail was not impressive. It was simply bill after bill with the occasional coupon or advertisement. Tossing the coupons and the advertisements in the kitchen trash, Kevin placed the bills in a basket that Sophia made for him when she was in the second grade. They were oddly cute and he had no use for them at first, but it was Nazz that pointed out that they were the perfect size to place bills in. Which is how he ended up with his own personal mail sorting system.

One box for bills to be paid. One box for bills that were paid. One box for bills that were automatically paid.

Looking at the clock, Kevin realized it was getting quite late and headed back upstairs. The stairs creaked under his feet and for a solid second, he was thankful that Sophia was a heavy sleeper. There was a phase, however, when she was around five that Kevin found her waking up at all hours of the night. Terrified of being alone, she would cry loud enough to either wake him out of his sleep, or crawl into his bed. Either way, she always heard. Opening the door to his room, Kevin slipped inside and scanned the room for his pajamas. Seeing them lying carelessly across his bed, Kevin tossed them over his shoulder and headed into the bathroom, but not before looking over his shoulder.

His bedroom was quite simple looking. The walls were a dark gray color with a splash of white here and there. A bedside table sat on both ends of his bed with the far left one being the one that held a lamp. An old reading chair sat by the window, a gift from his grandmother, and a matching rug under its legs, also a gift. There was a bookshelf lined with books and pictures that were meant to match the dresser that was also filled with pictures and random knick-knacks he collected over the years. Most of his clothes were hanging in his closet but the majority of his loungewear was folded and put away in the dresser.

It was simple by practicality.

The majority of his time was spent either downstairs, at work, or with Sophia. There was no overwhelming need to fill the room with furniture. All he needed was a bed to sleep on and a few pictures to occupy the wall. Other than that, he was fine.

Starting the shower, Kevin stripped out of his clothes, tossing them in the now empty laundry basket. If he would have thought things through, he would have taken them off downstairs as he was doing laundry. But then again, that wouldn't have been gentlemanly and the thought soon left his mind. Not waiting for the water to heat up completely, Kevin stepped into the lukewarm water and felt his muscles relax with the sudden onslaught of cold water followed by hot water. It felt nice against his skin, especially for his neck. For the past few days, he felt a slight twinge on the left side whenever he went to turn his head. He figured he slept wrong and that the knot would make its way out on its own soon enough.

Unlike most people, Kevin showered fast and just as he was stepping into the shower, he was stepping out. Kevin wrapped a towel around his waist and headed over to the sink. Being the master bath, there was more than enough room for two people but it was only him. Kevin ran a towel vigorously through his hair before taking his hand and wiping the mirror to reveal his reflection. If Sophia was there, she would chastise him because, for some unknown reason, she hated when people left fingerprints on glass when it fogged up.

Everything about him was the same.

His hair was the same firetruck red as it was when he had been seventeen. Freckles decorated his cheeks and nose. His eyes were the same emerald green. The same chunk of eyebrow hair was still missing from that one time he thought it would be a good idea to hop a gate. Not to mention the million-dollar smile that everyone said he had. It was still there.

Thankfully enough, Sophia had inherited every one of his features, but instead, put a feminine twist on them all.

Her hair was also red but a few shades darker than his own. Not quite bright like a truck but more the color of leaves in the fall. Her eyes were hazel - a beautiful mix between green and brown - probably a combination of both his and her mother's genes. Small freckles made their appearance on her nose and cheeks but not spanning the entire width. Most of the time her face was hidden behind a pair of glasses due to her being nearsighted. It terrified Kevin to death that she couldn't see without her glasses, but after a while, Kevin just accepted the fact that he would have a monthly hospital bill.

Kevin finished brushing his teeth and rinsed his mouth out. Drying off the rest of his body, Kevin hung the towel on the drying rack and slipped into an old pair of basketball shorts and a shirt with the logo of his shop and a grease stain that wouldn't wash out. Flipping the light off, Kevin headed back downstairs and into the mudroom. The washer was done so he quickly unloaded the clothes and tossed them into the dryer. Not wanting to stay up too late, Kevin figured he'd do another load tomorrow and flipped off the light, but not before making sure the backside door was locked.

Giving the downstairs a once over, he made sure all the windows and doors were locked before turning on the alarm and heading back upstairs. With the familiar creaking sound beneath his feet, Kevin could feel exhaustion nipping at the back of his neck. He gave one last peek into Sophia's room before turning around and heading into his own.

Leaving the door wide open, just in case she needed anything, Kevin climbed into his bed, stretching once before slipping under the covers. Unconsciously, he slipped out of his socks because only psychos sleep with their socks on. Feeling for his phone, Kevin felt it lying underneath the covers and pulled it out. He scanned through some missed messages and notifications before responding in the appropriate manner.

Setting an alarm for the morning, Kevin tossed the phone on the bedside table and called it a day, even if it was quite a mundane one.