There was silence after the storm, the sky was dusty grey in colour and the air was heavy and bitterly cold. Everything seemed weak and weary when the morning came and the bells tolled from the chapel. Everyone wanted to stay under the thick warm covers of their beds, some unwillingly dragging themselves out and wrapping their dressing gowns tight around them as they went to inspect what damage the rampaging storm had done. Morning showed everything, the broken things caused by the storm. No one at the Villa wanted to inspect the damage, they knew the buildings were old and crumbling and feared that last night's storm might have pushed them to breaking point, literally.
Sophie was woken by her most hated sound, the sound of Savannah's crying. She sighed deeply and opened her eyes. Sky was walking around holding Savannah close with a thick warm blanket wrapped around her. "Shh it's okay my angel" He said softly kissing her head. Sophie sat up watching him carefully. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly. Sky looked to her. "Aw she's still tired having not got much sleep last night and she's freezing" He said. Sophie nodded and quickly got out of bed putting on her thickest dressing gown and slippers. "Is my pretty little princess cold?" She smiled kissing Savannah's cheek. "Come here and I will get you dressed into some nice warm clothes". Savannah nods slowly looking to Sophie with her big beautiful eyes full of tears and reaching her arms to her mommy. Sophie smiled and took her lovingly into her arms.
"Right, we need some lovely warm clothes for my sunshine" Sophie smiled looking through the drawers. She smiled finding a pair of pale pink tights, a vest, a sweet white knitted dress with pink flower design around the trim and a pale pink cardigan. "Here we go Savannah, you are gonna look so pretty and be lovely and warm." Sophie smiled dressing her. Savannah smiled, sucking her thumb and playing with the soft trim of her dress with her free hand. Sophie smiled and held her close. "Mommy" Savannah smiles, resting her head on Sophie's shoulder as a simple way of telling Sophie she loved her. Sky smiled watching Mother and daughter as Sophie kissed Savannah's head gently. "I hope we don't have any more storms" He said getting some scissors from the drawer and going to the window to cut the wires from the shutters. "Me too, I hate them and I hate that Savannah gets so scared, the sound of her tears breaks my heart" Sophie nodded.
"I know" Sky replied. "Mine too". He turned and cut the wires away, pushing the shutters open to let in the daylight. He peered out of the large window and gasped. "Oh my god" Sophie looked to him puzzled. "What?" She said going to him. "Look, the old goat house" Sky said pointing to the now broken old goat house, one side completely collapsed. Rubble covered the courtyard floor and some of the boxes had fallen from the goat house itself. "Oh my goodness" Sophie gasped. "We should get dressed and tell mum". Sky nodded going to get dressed. Sophie set Savannah on the floor with a teddy to play with as Sophie went to get dressed. Savannah pouted and looked to her, wanting her mommy to hold her again. Sophie giggled looking at her. "Just two minutes my little princess and then mommy will cuddle you again" She said. Savannah nodded yet continued to pout until her mommy came back and picked her up again.
Sky got dressed and came back, and then the family headed downstairs. Everyone was sitting in the family room, wearily drinking large cups of coffee as they sat in their dressing gowns and slippers. "Hey" Donna said seeing them come in. "Hey mum, by the way have you looked outside this morning?" Sophie said sitting down and carefully pouring herself some coffee as she held little Savannah on her hip. "No, I dread the thought of looking outside after that storm" Donna said. "Why?" Sophie sat beside her and Savannah smiled to her grandma. "The old goat house, its broken, one side completely fallen. There's rubble everywhere and some of the boxes have fallen out" She said. Donna's eyes widened. "What?" She said quickly standing and going outside, people slowly following behind her. They all stood staring blankly at the remains of the broken old goat house. "Well it was an old building" Donna said picking up a little bit of rubble that crumbled in her hands. "Hence the name the old goat house" Harry said. Sophie nodded and picked up a small box. She knew the box and knew what was inside. A tiny pair of baby shoes, Sophie's first pair that Donna had kept safely in the box.
"We have to clean this up before the rain comes again" She said. "Mom, all these boxes, has stuff from when I was little and your dynamo stuff. We don't want it all to be ruined when it rains" Donna nods. "I know sweetie". Savannah looked confused at the rubble and looks back to Sophie. "Broken" She said. Sophie nodded. "Yes baby it is, and it's not very safe for you to be by the broken building" She said. "I'm gonna put you in your play pen" She takes Savannah placing her in her play pen with plenty of toys and turning on the baby monitor, picking up the other monitor. Savannah instantly looked up to her with her eyes wide and sad. "Mommy" She said reaching a hand over the fence of her play pen. Sophie sighed and sat down looking into those perfect eyes. "What's wrong my little sunshine?" She said stroking Savannah's cheek softly. "Mommy no go" She said starting to cry. Sophie looked confused and held both her little hands. "Mommy's only going outside baby, not far away" She said.
Savannah shook her head. "No mommy...mommy stay with me" She cried. "Shh my baby girl" Sophie said trying to sooth her. Savannah cried looking almost scared. Sophie sighed and nodded to herself, working out what was wrong with her darling little girl. "You're scared the storms gonna come again aren't you?" She whispered. Savannah cried slowly clambering over the bar of the play pen. "Savannah" Sophie said quickly grabbing her to stop her from falling and hurting herself. Savannah hugged her tightly, clinging slightly to the fabric of Sophie's clothing. "Shh baby" Sophie said softly. "Mommy stay with me, if me with mommy loud noise not scary" Savannah cried. Sophie held her and rocked her gently. "Okay okay baby, but you have to promise to stay right close to mommy and not touch anything unless someone gives it to you okay, promise?" Sophie said. Savannah nodded and wiped her eyes. Sophie wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead. "Come on princess" Sophie said carrying her back outside.
Sky walked to them. "I thought you were gonna put her in the play pen" He said looking to Savannah clinging to her mommy. "I was" Sophie said. "But she cried, she's scared, she said if she is with me and the storm comes back, it won't be scary" Savannah nodded. "Aaww, she's really attached to you. Well you were fantastic last night at comforting her" Sky smiled. "I know you don't like the storms either, but I know you would do anything to make Savannah happy." Sophie smiled and nodded, walking back over to where they were cleaning up the rubble. Sophie put Savannah down and held her hand gently.
"Okay then, let's get all of the boxes inside then we should just pile the rubble into the cellar. We will have to get the builders in to rebuild this" Donna said. Sophie nodded; picking up a box she knew had all her treasured childhood toys in. That was what she hated most about what the storm had done to the old goat house. She had spent so much time there as a child, with many games of hide and seek and just a place to go when you wanted to be alone.
"Lisa, it's your turn to count" A five year old Sophie giggled. "You stand there and me and Ali will hide". Lisa smiled brightly and nodded standing in the centre of the old goat house. She closed her eyes and started to count. Sophie and Ali smiled before darting off in different directions and leaping behind various boxes. Hide and seek was a favourite game for them, as the villa and the old goat house held so many hiding places and the games could easily go on for hours.
Lisa smiled opening her eyes and looking around her. She giggled. "Ready or not here I come" and ran towards the largest pile of boxes. Ali tried not to squeal as she heard Lisa rambling over the boxes towards where she was hid behind an old dust cover. Lisa giggled, climbing nearer to her hidden friend. "I know where you are" She laughed pulling the dust sheet away and jumping on Ali. She squealed and pushed Lisa up as she stood up. "Let's find Sophie" She laughed
Lisa nodded and the pair ran around the goat house searching for the still hidden Sophie. She had the advantage, she was little and dainty. She had slipped behind some wooden beams that leant against the walls, and she had pulled multiple dust sheets over the top sneakily. Ali and Lisa clambered over the boxes, their small feet making easy work of it all. "Sophie we're gonna find you" Ali said in her strong Irish accent. Sophie tried not to giggle. Lisa ran towards the dust covers and tried to pull some back. "Ali Help" She said.
The two little girls laughed as they pulled multiple sheets back one after another, searching for Sophie. "Yay" Ali smiles finally seeing her sitting cross legged under the sheets in the corner, her hands over her eyes. "Got you". Sophie laughed getting up and jumping on them, causing the three friends to tumble into a giggling heap.
Sophie sighed thinking of the much loved childhood memory as she picked up boxes and passed them to Sky to take down to the cellar. The whole goat house was emptied to prevent anything precious being damaged by the rains they all knew would return. Sophie kept little Savannah right beside her at all times, trying to keep her occupied with some old toys. The toddler played contently and kept her little fingers wrapped around Sophie's thumb.