Chapter 2
'I can't believe I agreed to this,' Rosalie thought to herself still unsure. She came back to the car. Emmett was resetting the GPS.
"Emmett," Rosalie started, noticing he still smelled like that disgusting old elk she refused to even touch. "Do you think we should stop and freshen up before we check in?"
"No way!" Emmett smiled happily, handing her a brochure he'd printed out online. "Did you see the showers this place has?"
"Fine, since that's what you're looking forward to," Rosalie huffed, shaking her head, and letting out a tiny eye-roll but secretly letting out a tiny chuckle. She loved how Emmett was so easy to please. She got in the car and observed the pictures of her human home. Everything new and remodeled, yet still recognizable from the time a family lived there. Rosalie looked up towards her husband, still unsure if this was a good idea. "Perhaps before we continue you should call the inn and remind them of our reservations."
"Good idea," Emmett agreed, before he took the phone out of his pocket and quickly went to a service area. She then went to the GPS and quickly replaced the incorrectly typed address. Emmett returned to the car, anxious to continue.
"When do you think we'll get there?" Rosalie asked casually, already knowing the answer.
"An hour. I just called them. They said the room is already set up for us," Emmett assured excitedly as he started the little red convertible.
"When is the check-in time?" Rosalie murmured, trying not to reveal she still disapproved of going on this trip. Rosalie only went along to make him happy. She was worried about the memories the streets of Rochester would bring her. She had been comfortable enough with her vampire life as it she tried to be, would this unravel the years it took for her to at least try to move on from the events that happened on her last human night?
"Normally, it would be in a half-hour, but for our room they don't have a specific check-in time," Emmett answered casually, then looked at her and jokingly added. "Or should I say your room?"
"I guess it means top class." Rosalie rolled her eyes at Emmett's wide grin. "I guess we should get going, then."
"On our way." Emmett said and then zoomed down the road.
Rochester, NY
"The Cullens will be here in an hour. Did you get Room Fifteen set up?" Vera asked Cathy as she hung up the phone, unprepared for the flood of parents attending the local high school basketball tournament.
"You know I won't go in that room!" Cathy answered, frightened.
"This is just silly," Vera said, stress showing in her voice as she went through the papers on her desk. "We have guests coming. Just get it ready."
"Did I tell you what happened last time I went in that room?" Cathy reminded in a whisper.
"I honestly think that another member of staff cleaned it before you got around to it," Vera explained to her. "The Cullens think it's ready for them, so please remind the staff not to frighten them."
"We won't have to; she'll do it for us." Cathy stared darkly as Vera went upstairs.
Vera quickly went through and changed the sheets. She then cleaned the bathroom and briskly swept the floor. She always took some pride in sweeping the floor of Room Fifteen. It was the same floor that her own grandmother had played in as a girl with her best friend, Rosalie Hale. She finished sweeping it, then placed fresh towels and sprayed air freshener.
It was strange. For some odd reason, the room seemed to be brighter than usual and completely spotless of dust. Not to mention, the curtain towards the window was open making the room bright. It seemed liked something was trying to ensure everything in the room was perfect. Vera ignored it and left the room to wait for the Cullens.
1 Hour Later
"How did you get here so fast?" Emmett asked as Rosalie pulled in front of The Hale's Garden Bed and Breakfast.
"I grew up here," Rosalie reminded him as she parked the car. She was glad she took over when they came to Rt. 490. It would have taken forever if they followed the satellite."I knew a short cut."
"Come on, let's see what they've done." Emmett glowed with pride, happy he married a wife so keen on driving. "I'll get the suitcases. You go check in.
"Fine with me." Rosalie got out tiredly. She then turned then stopped stunned, going into nostalgia state. Rosalie gazed at the house speechless. A thousand childhood memories started coming back to her. She stood there stunned at the sight of the old house that once belonged to her and her family. The front lawn her father kept so green was now the parking lot, but the front garden was still there with her mother's roses remaining in front of the brick building. She was speechless at how her home had grown. Rooms were added on along with more windows widening the house which made the interior of the house seem more open. She also noticed the porch had been expanded to a deck with glass tables covered in white tablecloths under several umbrellas where humans ate on the right side of the house. They seemed to expand the garden, the very same place where she would have her tea parties with her favorite stuffed animals, where she learned to ride a bike, where her brothers would play baseball and the entire Hale family would play horseshoe was now a garden walk way for the guests to explore. She noticed a deck was added on to the right, with a setting of glass tables. She noticed a large porch swing near the end of the garden, sitting under a white pavilion where she would watch her parents slow dance to the radio, thinking she was in bed, but really she was watching them from the upstairs window. She wondered if it was the same swing or if it had been replaced. The door used to be a simple white, but now it was two large oak doors. Rosalie couldn't keep herself from seeing more as she rushed up the stairs and opened the door.
~X~
The Hale's Garden Bed and Breakfast had a strange routine. Every day at four o'clock in the afternoon the front entrance became ice cold. It didn't matter how warm it was outside or how many people were in the room. The front desk was always cold at four o'clock.
Vera never thought much of it. She figured it was something in the old walls. The rest of her staff made the connection when her grandmother mentioned picking Rosalie up at four the day she never came back. That possibly couldn't be the reason behind the strange phenomenon. It was the way it had always been. It was the coldest part of the house at four o'clock. It had nothing to do with the deep chill that came through the entrance. Vera and the other staff started tightening their uniform jackets when the hour hand moved to four.
It was then the door opened, with a new guest arriving that caused the room to be very warm. A strange coziness filled the room as a young woman wandered into the lobby with a thick coat and her head covered with a large hat. It was hard to describe this woman's behavior. She just walked through the house not noticing anyone else's presence. She went through as if she was investigating the room. Vera watched as the girl pondered every detail of the room in a lost daze. She was running her fingers across the vintage sofa. She stopped at the glass stand that displayed the tea cups that were a heirloom Latvina Hale brought with her from Texas in the 1870s. Her fingers pressed against it, as if she was urging to touch it.
She then made her way down the hall and turned to the left of the lobby and paused shocked entering the hotel's polar. The girl ran her fingers across the fire place, touching almost every antique that belonged to the Hale family. Her head turned in every direction as she took a seat on the new sofa and took off her hat and coat and continued to scan the house. She seemed rather content, just sitting there.
She then stopped and stood instantly, making her way to the memorial set up in the house in memorial of Alexander Jr. and Nicholas Hale, the two brothers that disappeared during World War Two. She clasped her hands to her mouth, staring at the two veteran brothers. Yet, it seemed the more the woman explored, the warmer the house became, the intensity that hung in the atmosphere of the front desk started to loosen slowly. It seemed her very presence brought a sense of relief to the house. It was like the house was waiting for her, everything seemed to just light up.
"Excuse me," Vera called, causing her to jump and turn towards her. Vera couldn't help but be a little awed by the woman's beauty. She had to be the most stunning guest that ever came to the Hale's Garden Bed and Breakfast. She had flowing, long blond hair, pure white ivory skin, and strange golden-brown eyes. Almost every male passing turned his head as she stood tall with an elegant posture. "May I help you?"
"Yes. I am Mrs. Rosalie Cullen; my husband reserved a room here?" Mrs. Cullen explained as a brief silence settled in the air. It seemed Vera's staff had paused when Mrs. Cullen mentioned her first name. The curator glanced back, the waitresses looked over, the laundry woman almost dropped her bundle, and the custodian almost dropped his water. Even Cathy almost choked when Mrs. Cullen mentioned the name 'Rosalie.'.
"Yes. Is he here?" Vera spoke in a professional manner, then glanced towards her staff signaling them to continue with their work.
"He's unloading the car," Mrs. Cullen explained.
"He has to be the one to check in, since he made the reservations." Vera explained as Mrs. Cullen gave her this strange stare.
"Those are the rules," Vera pointed out. The woman continued to stare.
"Yes, I know. You just look familiar." Her face dropped as if she just realized something. "Is your father Henry Carpenter?" She blurted out.
"Yes," Vera answered, confused by her guest's knowledge. She turned for a quick second, wondering if this guest had contacted her father since Vera last saw him. She took a deep sigh, then focused on business at hand. "Now as soon as your husband checks in, we will be able to hand over the key."
"I'll get him in a minute." Mrs. Cullen left quickly, causing a draft to come through the room.
"Should we keep them in Room Fifteen?" Cathy asked as the staff continued on their way, all becoming very nervous. Even Bubba, the janitor, started talking to himself about trying to avoid trouble with 'the lady of the house', or whomever he rambled on about during his shifts. "I'm sure the majority of them want to inform the couple to leave for their own safety."
"That's what our guest wants, so that's what our guest gets," Vera reminded Cathy.
"Alright, but keep in mind, a blonde girl named Rosalie walks in at four and all of a sudden the temperature rises." Cathy pointed out with a shaking hands.
"That's just a coincidence!" Vera wore a smirk, trying not to laugh as she looked towards the clock. "You really don't think that young woman…? Why she looks like she's still in school."
"I know she isn't the legendary Rosalie we grew up hearing about," Cathy answered, insulted. "But does she know that?" She then pointed her finger upstairs. Vera looked up, and remembered her schedule for the afternoon. She took a deep breath and looked Cathy directly in the eyes.
"My ninety-five-year-old grandmother is coming here for dinner. Please don't bring that up with her. She remembers this story and takes it differently," Vera spoke in a serious tone. "And I ask you; don't bring it up with them."
The Parking Lot
Emmett went to unpack the car; he looked up, and wondered what window Rosalie would have looked out in the morning. As he got lost in his thoughts, he noticed a woman appear from the upstairs window. She was fading from the curtains and staring directly down at him. She was an older woman in her mid-thirties with blond hair, around the same color as Rosalie's hair. She had these strange dark violet blue eyes like the color of a sea, the color of the irises around her pupils. They were a storming emptiness inside of her that didn't have any form of comfort.
She was, without a doubt, absolutely beautiful, almost too gorgeous for a human. She had a tall elegant hourglass body that would make models in their twenties cry with frustration. She stood there in an old fashioned-red dress made of a tight silk fabric that flowed pasted her knees, tightly fitting her petite round shape abdomen, along with a strand of pearls that went down to her fully shaped breast. She stood tall in a sophisticated lady-like manner. Her dark blue eyes came down at him with her round, fair face with a rosy complexion that seemed to soften in the sunlight. Emmett, of course, didn't find her attractive. Rosalie was the only one who could catch his eye. He would be surprised if this human beauty was single.
Emmett observed her some more. He could tell despite her outer beauty that she was someone completely different inside. He could tell by the dim phasing of her eyes, and the weak posture of drooping shoulders, and the way her hands weakly pressed the window. She was in the midst of a deep, dark depression that prevented humans from feeling any kind of joy. She seemed to be in this waiting phase that was draining her, leaving nothing but shattered hope. Emmett couldn't help but feel a bit of discomfort as she gazed down at him. It was clear she was watching him, the way she just stood there and stared in a disturbing manner as if she trying to make a judgment of him.
"Emmett!" Rosalie interrupted, as she came to the car and kissed him on the cheek, which then turned Emmett's attention towards her. "They have these rules; since you made the reservations, you have to be the one to check in."
"Since when did you need to check into your own house?" Emmett commented in a joking manner.
"You know I can't say that!" Rosalie hushed as she tried to grab a suitcase.
"No, wait! That's my job." Emmett grabbed her suitcase as Rosalie turned and smiled letting out a little laugh. It was a rare thing to see Rosalie smile considering she still longed for her human dreams. Yet, Emmett made it a daily goal. Even if it meant giving up what he wanted to do, seeing Rosalie's smile was worth it. It was something priceless; that simple gesture was worth the world to him.
"You still need to shower," Rosalie informed him as she quickly giving him a peck on the lips. She then grabbed some bags and started rushing off. "I also want to show you my mother's old sofa; it's in the waiting room."
Emmett glanced towards the woman. It seemed the wall that caused her to peer over him with harsh judgment had melted away. It seemed everything about her lit up. Her eyes cleared and that hard painful stare disappeared as she gave him a silent nod. Apparently, she approved of him. Emmett clearly won this woman over, causing the judgment to disappear. She now had this relief about her. Emmett smiled back to her. He couldn't help but feel overjoyed, noticing Rosalie's excitement at showing him the world which she grew up in, a world which she loved and missed dearly. He sighed, watching her walk at least thousand paces faster than him. He knew this was a good idea.