Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at writing, I haven't found a BETA yet but am still looking, any volunteers? I hope you enjoy!
Stephanie Meyers owns all things Twilight
Chapter One
I could feel my ears pop as the plane started to descend. Looking out the window I was
filled with a feeling of sentiment. The Rocky Mountains in the distance with the rolling
prairie at there feet. I could almost smell the fresh mountain air mixed with the scent of
new cut grass. This was Southern Alberta… This was home, and I didn't realize how
much I had missed home until just this moment.
I could see Calgary coming into focus. The city had expanded so much since I was last
here. God that was a while ago, it had been 5 years. I couldn't believe I had let so much
time pass without coming home. I was here now though and this is exactly where I
needed to be, I could feel it. I needed this… to be here… To come home. I needed to
regroup and decompress.
I had been living in London for the last 5 years, working as a photojournalist. London
suited me, the busy streets, the theatre, the culture , the history. It was a great home base
for my career, all the excitement of the world seemed to happen on that side of the pond
and most countries were just a short plane ride away. I could be in the heart of the action
covering my latest assignment in a matter of hours.
Something had shifted in me though I'm not sure exactly when or how, but I had lost
my edge. My last assignment had been in Afghanistan, I was there for 6 weeks embedded
with the British Army. I was nervous and on edge the whole time, I would opt to stay in
the safety of the camp rather than accompany the men on patrols, I would flinch at the
sound of gunfire. That was not me, I was never scared, I would relish in the feeling of
adrenalin pumping through my veins as we would leave the relative safety of the camp. I
did my best work under pressure, I had won prizes for my photos of soldiers in the middle
of a firefight. I didn't know how to handle this new feeling and counted down the days
until I was back in London.
Once I was back in London I didn't know what to do with myself, I felt lost, my
passion was gone. I moped about my flat all day eating junk food and watching sky TV.
On the second week of my moping the fates decided to intervene . I got a call from my
Mom, she told me that my Dad was being transferred to the North West Territory's and
they would be leaving within the week. He was a Officer with the R.C.M.P. I was
surprised that they would transfer him this close to retirement, but my Mom said that they
were looking forward to the move and that she had gotten a teaching job up there already.
The pay was going to be great because no one wanted to move that far north and so they
were short of teachers. She said this way they could save and really enjoy there retirement
when it came. Hoping to buy a property in Arizona and spend the Winters down there
with the other Snowbirds. Since my Grandparents had passed away she felt no ties to the
community anymore and was ready for a change.
It was in this conversation that Mom mentioned to me that the old Family farm had
been abandoned and gone into foreclosure. I was instantly sad at this information. The
farm had been my home away from home when I was a child. It was located 20 minutes
south of the town of Fort Macleod and had been in my family for over 100 years.
Unfortunately when my Grandparents decided it was time to retire and move into the city
there was no one in the family to pass it down to. Family farms were going the way of the
dinosaur, they couldn't compete with the new corporate farms that had taken over the
surrounding area like a monster swallowing up all the small farms along the way.
Apparently this is what happened to the people who bought our farm, they just couldn't
make a go of it and started selling off the land that surrounded the old homestead. Then
they were just left with what was essentially a acreage that was 20 min from the nearest
town and a hour away from the city of Lethbridge. No one wanted to buy it, and the
couple started defaulting on mortgage payment.
As I listened to my Mom unload all this information on me my mind was spinning.
The farm, my second home. As a child I had loved it. My Summers spent swinging from
rafters in the barn, picnics out back in the field, camping out by the fire pit in the back
yard. Swimming down at the river bottom. Helping my Grandma in her garden. In the
winter I would go skating on the pond or tobogganing down one of the big hills on the
neighbours property. If my Grandma wasn't around my Grandpa would attach the
toboggan to the back of the truck and pull me around the yard. Those were some of my
best memories. Unfortunately as I grew into a teenager I grew bored of the farm and all its
wonders. I was more interested in boys and clothes, I didn't want to be stuck out in the
middle of nowhere on that god forsaken farm and I told my Grandparents so. I can still
see the hurt in there eyes as I told them I never wanted to come for a visit again and that if
they wanted to see me they could come to the city. My chest ached as I remembered my
harsh words. I could never take back the hurtful things I had said, but there was
something I could do to atone for my mistake. Maybe this was exactly what I was looking
for what I needed. I could buy the farm.
I told my Mom what I was thinking, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not.
Reminding me how isolated it was, asking if I was ready to put my career on hold. The
farm needed a lot of work, it hadn't been taken care of and from what my Mom had heard
was in pretty bad shape. I didn't need to think about it, this was the right thing to do. I
could already feel my funk lifting the grey clouds parting as the sun tried to peak through.
I asked my Mom to get me the contact information for the bank that held the title of the
farm, I was going to do this, I would bring it back to its glory I hoped that it would make
my Grandparents proud if they were around to see me.
I was jolted out of my thought by the bumping of the planes wheels as we touched
down. I was here finally. I heard the pilot come on the speaker as we taxied into our spot.
Welcome to Calgary, Alberta the outside temperature is 3 degrees Celsius. For those of
you visiting have a great vacation for those of you who live here welcome home.
I gathered my carry on bag from the over head compartment and waited to get off the
plane. The line moved slowly as if everyone knew how much I wanted off and were going
as slow as they possibly could just to piss me off. Finally I made it off the plane through
customs and baggage claim and stepped out of the arrivals door. There were lots of
people waiting for there loved ones to come through. I always enjoyed watching people at
airports wondering were they were going or were they had been, seeing lovers reunited or
children running to parents that had been away. Unfortunately there was no one to great
me. My Mom and Dad had moved up north already, I told them not to come down here
for me they were just settling in and starting there new jobs. I said I would go up north to
visit them as soon as I could.
I started to wonder around looking for the car rental place, I couldn't see it but I did
spot a Tim Horton's! Holy crap I had to have one NOW. I got in the line my mouth
watering at the prospect of a XL Double Double. No one but a Canadian understood the
lure of a Timmies, Starbucks was over priced and to fancy Latte was French for you paid
to much for your coffee Sucker! I made it to the front of the line and places my order
adding in a box of Timbits for good measure. I took my first sip treasuring the warm
goodness of the liquid crack. I asked the cashier where the rental place was and headed of
in the direction she pointed.
I found it in about 5 min, luckily there was no line so I could go right to the counter. "
I have a reservation for Isabelle Swan." The boy at the counter started looking at his
computer. "Right we have a ford focus waiting for you Miss Swan, you just need to fill
out this paperwork I will have someone bring it around to the front for you." I started
filling out the paperwork, pulling out my credit card and Canadian drivers licence. "Will
you be the only one driving the car or will your boyfriend be driving too?" I blinked
looking up at the boy and then at his name tag. "No Mark it will only be me driving," "Oh
o.k. maybe when you need to return it we could get some coffee, or if you need someone
to show you around, I would be glad to help. It is a big city and I wouldn't want you to
get lost." The tips of his ears turned pink at his last comment. "Umm thanks but I won't
be staying in Calgary and I will be returning the car to a rental agency in Lethbridge as
soon as I have bought a new one." Mark nodded his head and didn't say any thing more. I
handed my completed paperwork over just as a man came up to the counter. "Miss Swan
your car is ready, if you want to follow me I can show you to it." I followed the man
outside to the car. I Shivered as I hit the cold air, I forgot how cold it could be here in
February and was only wearing my hoodie. "The car is already warmed up for you." The
man said with a grin as he looked over my shivering form. "Tttthhaankks I stuttered as
my shivering got worse. He opened the door for me and I quickly got into the nice warm
car. "Have a safe drive, the roads are kind of icy."
I pulled out of the parking spot and started looking for signs as to where to go. I
Quickly found my way out of the parkade and started heading towards Dearfoot
Trail, Once I found the Dearfoot and double checked that I was headed south I started to
relax just a bit. It had been a long day already with the 9 hour flight and I had another two
hours to go before I got to Fort Macleod. I was meeting with the bank tomorrow to finish
signing the paperwork for the sale of the farm. I would have to find a motel to stay in
tonight, but hopefully tomorrow night I would be on the farm.
I watched as the landscape passed by me in a blur, I had just past Claresholm so I new
I was only about 20 minutes away from my destination. I turned on the radio and listened
as the sound of country music came through the speakers. That was something I would
have to get used to again, I was never a big fan and it was definitely a acquired taste. I
started thinking about my new life and what it would be like. I didn't want to give up
photography altogether but just needed a break from the journalistic aspect of it. I thought
about the farm and what it would look like. I was pretty handy with tools and was hoping
I could do most of the fixing by myself. Mostly I was thinking what it would be like to be
settled somewhere, have a home a proper home. I loved London and my flat but
it wasn't home, before that I was in New York and it was the same. I loved the city but
was never settled. I didn't decorate or own knickknacks, in fact I owned very little. It was
to much to pack up if I wanted to move on to my next adventure. I was feeling different
now, I wanted somewhere to paint and hang curtains, put pictures on the wall maybe even
get a pet. I wanted somewhere that if I ever settled down and had kids they would have a
place to call home.
I entered the town limits for Fort Macleod, up ahead I saw I motel that had a vacancy
sign. It wasn't fancy, but I didn't need fancy I had slept on floors and in mud when I was
working a motel was luxury. I parked the car and went to book in. I couldn't wait for a
good night sleep, tomorrow I would go see the bank, I think the guys name was Tyler that
I was supposed to meet with. Once that was done I could head out to the farm and start
the next chapter in my life.