Arianna shifted in the front seat of the sedan as her father drove, the radio playing softly.
"So are you excited about the new town Ari?" Captain Leverfe asked.
"Dad you ask me the same questions every city, every country, and the answer is still the same…….No…..not until you retire, will I be really happy."
"You know I thought maybe this could be a fresh new start for us. Now that Mom is gone and remarried, we're living off post and I got us a neat house. Maybe we could get a dog?" He looked at Arianna out of the corner of his eye waiting for a reaction.
"Dad seriously? Why get a dog when in a few months we're going to have to leave?" Arianna sighed as she leaned her head against the car window.
Arianna didn't understand her father sometimes, her mother left them and now he was talking crazy like "let's get a dog?" She'd never been allowed to get a dog, never. They moved too much. She sat up straight has they turned down a long winding road.
"The closest neighbor is three miles away and the forest behind the house has a river." Her father commented as they pulled up to the front door.
She didn't know if she was shocked or excited by the sheer magnitude of the house. "This is awesome" She flung the door open and jumped out. "It's like a miniature Tara, dad"
"I know, I remember all those times you read that book and watched that movie. So when the realtor sent me the pictures and I saw this house I knew this was the one." The Captain stepped out of the car. "And you know with me being the Squadron leader we might get the chance to stay here for awhile. So Shelly gave me the number of a great interior decorator and for the last week she has done the whole house." with a sharp look over Arianna's shoulder "except for your room" he amended.
Arianna smiled and ran up the front steps, leaving her dad to deal with the moving truck coming up the drive. She went from room to room inspecting her new home.
"Hello?" a soft voice called from upstairs.
Arianna stopped in her tracks listening for more noise; she went to the staircase and slowly went up . "Hello, who's there?" she gripped the railing.
"Oh hello dear I thought you weren't scheduled to arrive till tomorrow." A honey dipped voice came to the top of the stairs. A woman with soft caramel hair and golden eyes smiled down at Arianna.
"Hi dear, my name is Esme I was just making last minute check ups around the house for your arrival." She moved aside as Arianna reached the top and reached her hand out to shake hands.
Arianna gripped her hand, cold hand, she thought. "Yes well the moving truck wasn't as slow has we thought and we drove a little over the speed limit." Arianna felt relaxed in this women's company.
"Well would you like me to give you the tour; we can wait for you father." Esme smiled at Arianna.
"That sounds nice" Arianna moved to look at the framed photos along the hall as her dad instructed the movers downstairs where to put things.
"Jasper" Esme called out. She turned toward the last door in the hall. A young man with unruly blond hair stepped out dressed in jeans and a white shirt. Mango paint splattered him from head to foot. Arianna watched as he walked down the hall to join Esme.
"Arianna this is my youngest son Jasper he is helping finishing the paint in your room." Esme informed her.
Arianna was shocked that a women that looked as young as Esme had a son Arianna's age, she almost missed the part about the paint in her room
"I thought my room was left alone." She asked.
"Well mango is your color and you were going with an India theme right?" Esme asked.
"Yes but only my dad knew that." She crossed her arms slightly put out that her room was being done for her, without her permission. She went down the hall and stepped into what she was told was her room.
Surprise hit her so strong that she felt weak in the knees. It was perfect. She felt overwhelmed turning she ran passed Esme and Jasper.
When she hit the bottom floor she heard her dad's voice outside and she ran out to him. Throwing her arms around him from behind she squeezed with all her might.
"I love it, its perfect I love you!" She felt him stiffen as she relaxed her arms, she stepped around her dad.
Golden eyes and bronze tousled hair smiled down at her, "I think you have me mistaken for someone else." he laughed with his beautiful voice.
Arianna was mesmerized and when their eyes meet silence prevailed she couldn't say one word. He reached out to steady her grasping her upper arms, with his one touch Arianna saw only darkness as she felt her body fall.
Distantly she heard "EDWARD WHATS GOING ON!" Esme's voice yelled.
