-Chapter 1:
There was something about that click of the locket once it closed that calmed Annabelle, it had been at least half an hour since she started opening the locket & closing it. She'd take a peek at the picture inside the locket, long enough for her eyes to water, then she'd close it shut and do it again. Annabelle ran her thumb across the locket- a silver oval that felt like a map full of swirls - which was cold to her touch. She couldn't help herself, she let her quivering fingers part open the two pieces of the locket once again and saw his face. There he was. The picture inside was the picture taken of him at their wedding, the picture was black and white and they were having their first dance as a married couple. Annabelle had cut the picture so that his face would fit in the oval, but you should still see her arm around his neck. "I Love You" was indented under the picture. Salty tears began to run down her cheeks, she kissed the picture, and closed the locket. Click. Turned over, hugged her pillow and closed her eyes hoping for sleep. The next morning brought no difference from any other day, nothing was ever the same after Ben had gone to war. The house was dead, Annabelle's laugh had no soul, she couldn't even remember the last time she smiled & really meant it. She sat up in bed, stretched, and yawned.
"G'morning babe" she knew she would receive no response, but that never stopped her from saying it for the past 3 years. Downstairs she poured herself a bowl of Lucky Charms, when she first met Ben she couldn't stand the taste of it, after he was shipped to war she found herself buying the cereal more often, and eating it as well, not because she liked it, but because Ben did. She never received any letters from him while he was at war, she never knew if he was alive or not. All she knew was that the man she loved was out at war serving his country. Barely done with her cereal she stood up and put it in the dish washer. Ben & Annabelle had bought an old house in Pennsylvania, they spent over a year renovating it and it truly was their dream home. Annabelle sat on a couch she found magnificently beautiful at a thrift store, she then stretched her legs out until her whole body was engulfed in the couch. Just then there was a knock at the door, Annabelle sprung up, she couldn't open the door in her attire, she wore only a pair of Ben's boxers. Quickly Annabelle ran to the window and tore the curtains off the window, and wrapped it around herself. From the front door came a fifth knock, a very patient knock, in fact every knock was quieter than the previous one, as if trying to be sensitive to Annabelle, the thought made her smile as she opened the door. In front of her stood a very tall man, 6'0'' at most. He had hair of a shade of brown so dark it almost seemed black, brown eyes that seemed to cut through your soul and mend it back with his bare hands, which he proudly flaunted at the moment, his biceps protruded out of his shirt as he stood there, she found herself staring deeply at his bronze skin; He looked nothing like Ben, but reminder her so much of him.
"Um, hello miss?" the mysterious man at her door finally spoke.
"Oh, excuse me, I don't know where my manners went. Hello, how may I help you?" her voice was shaky, she was about to melt.
"Well, I don't know if this is the right place but someone told me to come to this address to fix a leaky roof" Annabelle did have a horrible leak in the attic from the roof, but she never called any one to fix it.
"Who called you?" Annabelle's free hand grabbed an umbrella behind the door, she was prepared to defend herself "Did they say a name?
"Bernadette, I think it was." Annabelle slowly put the umbrella down, Bernadette; her mother had called someone for her, which was unexpected since they hadn't spoken for months. How could she possibly know about the leaky roof? But honestly Annabelle didn't even care anymore; she had company in her home, and an attractive one at that. Annabelle opened the door, revealing to the man of her curtain dress, while she had completely forgotten about it.