Chapter 1
I stared glumly out of the car window, at the equally glum weather. I let out a slightly irritated sigh as we reached a sign saying "Welcome to Scotland". My mother – Sylvia – looked at me from the corner of her eye.
"Come on, Ingrid. Scotland won't be that bad, think of it as a new adventure. Meet new friends and escape the past," She said, trying to sweeten up my sour mood.
"What if me and Erin drift apart?" I asked, my voice going quiet. Erin was my best friend. We had known each other since nursery, or probably even before then. We were basically joined at the hip and were inseparable, until now, at least. "I know we can still talk over the phone and see each other during holidays, but you know how close we were." I added, miserably.
Mum opened her mouth, as if to reply, but closed it again instantly, then sighed in defeat. We stayed quiet for what seemed like an eternity, her eyes trained on the road in front of her and mine staring out into the vast green fields.
After the painful silence, my mum turned her head slightly toward me, but kept her eyes on the road. "Sweetheart, I know this is hard for you but Alistair makes me happy." She said in a soft tone. She opened her mouth again and hesitated, trying to choose her next words carefully. "Ever since your father and I… Separated, everything seemed like a difficult task. Then Alistair came along, a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."
I looked at my hands, while my fingers nervously battled each other. She was right, when my parents got divorced; my mother was borderline alcoholic, which often meant me looking after her. When she met Alistair, it was like a new door had opened for her. She immediately cut back on the alcohol and turned her life around.
"Mum, I'm so sorry. I've been selfish." I turned my head to her. "You're right. This is a new opportunity to make new friends." I gave her a small smile that never reached my eyes and she returned it. After that we both went back to a more comfortable silence for the rest of the journey.
My mum started slowing the car down as we got near a huge castle. I stared up at it in awe, taking in all of the beautiful medieval style brickwork and the swirling patterns of the ivy creeping up the sides. My mum looked at me, her eyes bright and shining.
"We're here!" She almost screamed in excitement. I was stunned. My mouth dropped open and my eyes widened.
"This is our new house?" I asked, gesturing toward the huge building. My mum snorted as she tried to hold in her laughter.
"No, that's where our new neighbours live. The Thompsons have just moved here too, except, they came all the way from San Diego." My mum said, smiling. "That is our new house." She pointed a slender finger to a small-ish cottage, which looked quite cosy. My gaze landed on the cottage and slight disappointment filled me.
"Who builds a tiny cottage right next to a huge castle?" I asked in disbelief. My mum laughed and shook her head. I looked over to her and smiled. "It's beautiful. It looks very cosy."
We stepped out of the car and Alistair opened the door to welcome us to our new home. He was quite a plump man, with brown hair streaked with grey. Laugh-lines creased around his mouth, making him appear as though he were in his forties instead of mid-thirties, just a year older then my mother. He walked over to us with a broad smile on his face as we removed some of our stuff from the boot of the car. Hopefully, the truck would be here soon with the rest of our belongings.
Alistair helped us by getting the heavy boxes. "How was the journey?" He asked in his thick Scottish accent. This was going to take a while to get used to.
"Bit tiring, but the scenery was beautiful!" My mum replied, still very excited. I kept silent as I got my belongings and followed behind them into the cottage.
It was beautiful on the inside, more so than on the outside. It looked Victorian, with the black beams across the ceiling and the paned windows. On the far left, in the living room, there was a stone hearth with a log fire crackling away, making the cottage cosy, just as me and mum predicted.
Alistair smiled at me as I looked around with huge eyes. "Right missy, want me to show you to your new room?" I smiled and nodded, following him as he led the way.
"Now, I painted your room white, since I don't know how you want it, so feel free to decorate it anyway you want." He said, his smile getting broader. I looked around the room and smiled brightly.
"Thank you, it's beautiful!" I said politely. He nodded and left me to myself, closing the door behind him. I sat down on the bare mattress and looked at my new room. Home sweet home, I guess.