chapter 2

Three days after the wedding, Sophia was on a plane leaving San Francisco behind, on her way back to her hometown, where she was planning on living for the next year and a half. She'd been planning on moving back for a long time, as she needed some time away from the big city to relax and gather herself after a rough couple of years, and Stella's wedding had been her last goodbye to the city. When she landed at the airport in Appledale Grove, a miniscule suburban town with no real use for an airport of it's own, her family rushed to see her. Sophia had always felt lost in a sea of brothers and sisters, and had always felt as though she blended into the background whenever all twelve siblings were present, but was glad to see many of them again.
Upon arriving at her childhood home, she was greeted with the nostalgic smells of the rich foods that had comforted her throughout her adolescent years.
"We baked a special meal just for you, sweetie. It looks like you forgot what food was in San Francisco! You're dead thin." She smiled appreciatively at her mother, knowing full well that she couldn't resist her famed cooking.
After a succulent feast of roast chicken, fresh baked bread, deep fried potatoes, and a massive welcome-home chocolate cake for dessert, Sophia felt so full she could barely move from her seat. A strict diet and workout regiment meant that she hadn't eaten food this rich in years, and her body was unfamiliar to the large amount of calories, fat and sugar she'd consumed. Sophia discreetly rubbed her aching and bloated belly underneath the table, her mind hazy from the food.
"You should stay here tonight! That way you don't have to stay in a dirty
hotel-you can sleep in Alex's old bedroom," exclaimed one of her younger sisters.
Sophia gratefully accepted the offer, and trudged upstairs, falling asleep almost instantly on the soft bed, feeling warm, contented, and rather immobile.

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