First of all, I would like to apologize again and again for late updates! I just don't have the time needed to complete this fiction. Not to mention idea...

But trust me I still have my will to continue. Since I saw all of you are so supportive!

Sorry again, this one is quite short, I'm struggling to regain back my momentum on writing. Comments are always welcome!

Oh, this place stinks.

Yeah, wood's all rotten.

Did you go to coffee shops a lot?

I did. All the time.

And what would you get?

Just...just coffee.

Joel reaches the dining table first, took a seat and check on all the meals on the table. There are toast and omelet served along with sausages and bacon, but they all didn't really matter to him. He's eyeing on a certain beverage he really hoping to find.

"Here's your coffee" a soft voice on his side. Sarah is standing next to him, holding with both hands a mug of warm black coffee.

"Oh..I'm so long for it…Thanks, honey" said Joel, took the mug from her, hold it only on his single hand and brought up to his nose. The scent of the coffee just hit his spot that pushes him to just sip it while it still hot and he did.

Sarah took a seat beside her dad and grinned when seeing him struggle to sip the hot coffee from the mug.

"B'careful, you gonna burn your tongue!" she warned. Joel ignored the warn tough, Sarah just shrugged.

"You like it ?" she asked, giving him her usual expectant look.

Joel actually thought about making jokes out of his sleeves that gonna annoys her, but the truth is the coffee does smell and taste good. No surprise, being his daughter for 12 years, she definitely knows her old man morning routine and how to brew it.

"It's perfect!" he says raising the mug.

Minutes after, Ellie is joining them from the kitchen too, holding a plate of pancakes, adding more variety to the breakfast menu. The uneasy feeling starts to occupy his head ...again, especially seeing her wearing that red flannel shirt he dazzlingly remembers. 'Oh god, she wore that shirt at the end of the dream!'.

"Morning… Joel" Ellie greets, cheerfully. Joel is still focusing his eyes on her shirt, startled. He quickly darts back his eyes up to her face. At that split second as both their eyes meet, Ellie is giving him a sincere smile. But the smile of hers gradually melting as Joel is answering her with his stern and blankly face.

Things could go the wrong way if not because of Sarah, who's sitting just next to him, gives an inconspicuous kick to his shin under the table - to 'wake' him up.

"Ouh (Read Ouchh)..Morning..Ellie.." he quickly responses while trying hard to hide not only his awkwardness but as well the ache from Sarah little kick. 'That damn soccer leg!'

The auburn girl starts to smile again, but not without a slight of apprehension. The girl probably thinking he didn't like her. Joel felt guilty of it. 'She's just being friendly, what the heck I'm doin' !'

"Ellie, can you fill this jug with honey and bring it to the table" Maria's voice echoed out from the kitchen.

"Coming..." answered Ellie, quickly gone back to the kitchen. As she's gone, Sarah turns to Joel.

"Daddy, what are you doing ?" Whispered Sarah with squinted eyes, looking suspiciously at him. Joel shrugged.

"I just slipped my mind…You don't have to kick me like that" grunted Joel, holding to his shin.

"Sorry…Is it bad?" She apologizes, ducking her face down and try to have a better view on her daddy's shin she kicked just now.

"It's hurt likes hell…" Joel moaned with a grimace face. He rises up and rested his foot on the edge of her seat and folded his pant's leg opening. It wasn't bad, though, it's just Joel is occasionally being a baby.

"Well, you gonna freak Ellie out and reveal you know what," she said, looking up at her daddy while her left hand softly massages on his shin.

"Reveal ?…Psstt, looks who's talking, two strikes" Joel responded.

Sarah just about to open her mouth, wants to jab him back on that, when she catches a glimpse of Ellie returning to the table holding a jug of honey.

"She's comin' back, put ya leg down !" Sarah hurriedly whispered to him, tapping down on his leg and quickly carved a smile upon seeing Ellie. Joel manages to put down his leg just before Ellie able to see it. Without any suspicious, the auburn girl took a seat. This time, next to his daughter.

Later, they're joined by Tommy and Maria.

"You girls have a good sleep last night?" Tommy asked.

"I feel so fresh" responses, Sarah. Ellie chuckled.

"You got to be…We gonna do lots of stuff today…" says Tommy taking his seat.

"I know…I've already felt the thrill" cheers Sarah.

"What about you Ellie..how's you first time sleeping in Wyoming.." asked Maria.

"It's good...Didn't expect the summer cold night, though" said Ellie.

"Oh..In that case, please remind me to put an extra blanket in the room later," said Maria.

"Nah, no need for that...I have my blanket-buddy here" said Ellie, cuddling on Sarah from behind, landing her chin on Sarah's right shoulder.

Joel stopped sipping his coffee when he heard the term 'blanket-buddy'.

'What did she say ?'.

He looks straight at his daughter. Sarah just grinned with her face turned red and he knows that's her blushing face.

While she is mutely saying Ellie to stop, she didn't seem to bother by Ellie's hug. In fact, she seems to enjoy it.

"Told you, shouldn't wear that sleeveless," said Sarah, pushing her face to the right so her cheek touches Ellie's.

Joel noticed how both teenage girls really bonded to each other but Maria is the one expressing it out.

"My god..only one night and you girls already like BFF"

"What's BFF?" asked Joel. He totally clueless with this new generation term.

"Best Friend Forever…" said Sarah and Ellie, saying it almost at the same time. Feeling funny, they eye each other and laugh. Tommy, Maria and Joel look at each other, astounded. But Joel still curious about this 'blanket-buddy' thing.

'Ooh, I'm so gonna have to talk with Sarah later..'

After breakfast, Joel doesn't get a chance to be alone with his daughter, though. Ellie and Sarah are sticking together - like a glue, chatting joyously while cleaning up the table and washing up the dishes.

But he doesn't mind at all, seeing them from far, Joel just felt so mesmerized by their relationship. Seeing them together suddenly triggered his about one thing. A notion he and Sarah discussed before.

Adopting Ellie…

'She's not somebody else daughter…so why not…' But that thought is not without incredulous questions.

First, how it's gonna impact on Sarah. Yes…she the one who brought that up. She even uses the 'adopt' word, But that probably just a relentless thought surfaced her mind out of her curiosity on Ellie at the time. What if she changes her mind.

And then Tommy and Maria, how they gonna respond to this revelation. It was them who 'parenting' Ellie, what he's in for?

Lastly, just how on earth he gonna convey this notion the very person herself - Ellie - How she gonna responses to it,

But all the thought spinning in his head are grinding to halt when Maria interrupted his view as she came inside the kitchen.

"All right girls…hurry up …after this, we gonna see the horses…" says Maria.

Sarah beamed up in the excitement and Ellie seem in disbelieved.

"No way…you guys have horses !" she says. Joel saw it almost the same way she excitedly uttered in the dream.

"We got a whole lot of them here!" says Tommy, stepping behind Maria, cuddling his lover from behind.

The dishes don't take long for the two.

"Dishes were done! C'mon Ellie…let's go to the stable.." says Sarah, grabbing Ellie by the arm and pulls the auburn girl to follow her. Ellie didn't resist, although a bit snapped.

As the girls are exiting the house Joel still sitting on his seat and seem catches Ellie attention. She speaks softly to Sarah's ears while her eyes evasively looking at Joel.

" You comin' daddy ?" asked Sarah. He can assume she is asking his daughter if he is joining them too.

"You girls go ahead with Maria… me and Joel are going to tag along later" Tommy responds on behalf. Joel just manages to give a nod.

"I'm so glad, they can make a good friend after all, " said Tommy out of the blue.

"Hmm..yeah..they're" responses Joel continues to focus his eyes on Ellie. "So…What's Maria thought on Ellie…" he asked his baby brother.

"Ya not gonna believe me…she's crazy about Ellie…"

"Really ?…" Joel replied. Though he glad since Maria's positive responses means Ellie probably gonna be around longer, he thought that gonna gave him some difficulties. 'That's gonna put some hindrance on my adopting plan'

"No kidding… She told me, Ellie is so cute! She just wants to bite her face!" says Tommy while pumping his fist with his eyes closed, trying to show off Joel, Maria's expression.

"Oooh my god…" Now he starts to feel unsettling. Only god knows what that really means.

"Yeah…she said something like that…" says Tommy.

"Hey, listen, I need you to do a favor..." says Joel, his voice is now stern. Tommy raised his eyebrows as he knows that tone from his big brother means for a serious business.

"What is it Joel…" he asked. Joel paused, he turns his head towards the direction of the stable. Ellie and Sarah already way ahead.

"Let's catch on the girls…I'll explain it along the way" Joel replied and both brothers start to walk toward the stable.