Chapter 1
The gravel crunched underneath the car tires, and the snow melted from their heat. The woman inside had sunglasses on, together with long jeans and a hoodie. She enjoyed her clothing, as the cold was nothing to joke around with. Although, she did feel quite silly with sunglasses on in the middle of December, as the winter sun was barely anything compared to the sun of the summer.
"It got to be here…" she thought.
She looked at the picture she had received in the mail years ago, along with an address. She was unsure if the address was correct, but the house looked just like the one in the photograph.
On the picture, there was a medium sized porch, with blue handrails on the edge and a small stair with four steps that led up to it. The blue contrasted the brown walls nicely, and it certain gave it a rustic look. There was two windows on each side of the door, and she was certain there was more on the back and around it. The yard was one big mess, with weeds dominating most of it. She looked up, and saw a few changes.
The handrails had been painted white, and the walls were starting to lose their shine. She was sure Will would take care of that later on, if he was not too busy with the military. The yard was under control, with no weeds around, and she figured it was Sarah's doing. The parking space was still on gravel, but a white picket fence surrounding it and it had withered, yet cute flowers behind it. At least they'd be cute in the summer.
"Always the gardener…"
The woman silently thanked them for living far away from most roads, as the car's left side blinker had been on for five minutes.
"It's your sister. You can go in. You haven't seen her in 3 years."
With a firm grip on the steering wheel, and her foot on the gas, she slowly turned and heard the gravel crunch again. She was unsure if the family had heard her, but she was happy that it seemed they hadn't. She had to get herself together first.
The last time she saw Sarah, was when she had visited her in her home in Alabama. She remembered the day. It was 3 years ago.
As Sarah stepped inside the door, Nicole wondered what had brought her the entire way from Nevada to Alabama. She supposed it was great news, and she was happy that Tom wouldn't be home for another 3-4 hours. Before Nicole got the chance to offer Sarah anything, her older sister blurted the news out.
"I'm pregnant!"
"Oh my gosh! Are you really? How far are you?" Nicole squealed and immediately held her sister tight. She hadn't had the chance to embrace her family for such a long time.
"7 weeks! Isn't it just great?" Sarah cried, and wiped away the tear that hung in her eye. They embraced again, and they went to the kitchen.
The two had chitchatted for hours, about everything between the earth and the sky. Nicole realized how much she had missed her sister, and grew bitter at her husband. She had never hated the saying 'speaking of the Devil' more than now, as Tom almost broke the door when he came inside.
Tom was only a man of manners in public. At home, he was the master, and Nicole his servant.
"Woman! Where is my dinner!" he yelled as soon as the door loudly smacked. He barged into the kitchen, and was shocked to see Sarah sitting there. If eyes could kill, the humans facing each other off, both could order their coffin already.
"Well miss Sarah, how nice to see you again!" he said, and put a fake smile on his face.
"Spare me Tom, I was already showing myself out." She hissed and rose.
"Let me show you out sis…" Nicole said and rose as well. But before she managed to do so, Tom was hovering over her.
"I am sure Sarah can find her way out herself. She is such a smart woman."
Sarah smiled sweetly, and kissed her sister on the cheek, before leaving without a sound. She tried to hold back tears as she heard the fight that went on in the house.
Nicole shuddered at the memory, and looked around to make sure there was space for Will when he came home. Space was not an issue around here, and with a hesitant foot stepping down on the gravel, she walked towards the porch. Her heels clacked against the stone stair, and a sudden bark startled her. She withdrew her hand, but reached forward to knock.
Just as her hand rose to knock on the door, the door opened with a loud creak. Sarah's blonde hair had not changed, neither had her sparkling blue eyes. She was as beautiful as she had ever been, and even though she had gotten a few wrinkles around her face, Nicole could not place a flaw.
"May I help you?" she smiled and looked at the car. She seemed confused about the female wearing sunglasses in December, but she didn't comment. The woman that stood before her sighed, and slowly took them off.
Sarah took a hand up to her face to hide her shocked expression.
"I was faster than mother…" was all Nicole said, as she read the horror on Sarah's face.
"Come on in love, quickly." She said and ushered the fragile woman inside her house.
It was about as rustic on the inside as it was on the outside, with wooden furniture dominating the room. There was a comforting fire going on in the fireplace, and the aroma of sloppy Joe's was hard not to notice.
"Down boy. I said down!" Sarah hissed at the dog inside. Nicole squeaked, as she had never liked large dogs. Tom had had one. That had been a German shepherd, while Nicole recognized this as a Labrador. She felt more comfortable, as she knew they were more likable, and cuter than a shepherd.
The dog was clearly obedient, as he slowly returned to his basket, and sighed pleasantly with his chin resting on the wooden edge.
"Belle is sleeping, so don't worry about her for a minute." Sarah said, who began raiding the kitchen for a wet cloth.
"Can I see her?" Nicole asked out of the blue.
"Nic, is it really a good time, now that you're look-"
"I have never put eyes on my niece." She said, and her lips began to quiver. "Please?"
Sarah sighed and motioned for her sister to come along. They went upstairs, which Nicole had not noticed when she was outside, with four bedrooms and one bathroom.
Sarah led her to a room, which had glitter plastered all around the door, and with a Disney princess hanging around here and there. There was even pink glittery letters spelling 'Annabelle'. Nicole smiled, and was sure she had gotten her feminine side from her mother. Sarah had adored anything that sparkled or glittered.
"My baby got good taste." Sarah proudly said, and silently opened the door.
Nicole always got a lump in my throat when she entered a toddler's room. Maybe it was because it reminded her of things, or the fact that she had never gotten the chance to have a child. She shuttered, but walked inside the room.
Just as on her door, pink and glitter was everywhere in the room, and Nicole shot Sarah a smirk.
"As I said, my baby got good taste! What can you do?" she grinned and led Nicole over to the baby bed.
She was just as beautiful as her mother. Her soft hair was lighter than Nicole could ever recall Sarah's was, and she indeed looked like a sleeping angel. Annabelle tossed slightly, and turned her head. As Nicole was leaning over to get a better look at the child, she woke up.
When her small eyes adjusted themselves to the light, Annabelle saw Nicole.
And cried.
A cry so loud, and piercing, that the dog was there within a matter of seconds, barking away and Nicole had turned away so Sarah could get to her crying child.
"Shhhh, shhh my baby. It's alright, it's just auntie Nic." Sarah cooed, and mouthed 'I'm so sorry' to Nicole. Nicole just nodded, and went on a frantic search for the bathroom.
It was not hard finding it, it was harder dealing with what she saw in the mirror. She didn't blame Annabelle for crying, as tears started to take shape in her eyes.
Her left eye was a darkest shade of purple, without actually making a bleeding gash, and her lip was swollen. It looked like she had gotten botox or some other crazy remedy to looking more attractive, but it had gone terribly wrong.
"How could such a thing ever be attractive?" she thought, and then shrugged. "Maybe the result with botox had been better…"
She could barely see out of her right eye, since it had swollen due to a punch there. Her eyelid was covering most of the eye, and she appreciated that Tom had punched less hard on her left eye; otherwise she would've been completely blind, and then she would never have made it so far.
Bitterly, she remembered a quote from Abraham Lincoln. It had comforted her through those 6 years with Tom, and it was strange uttering it with freedom behind her.
"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." She muttered, and began to pad her wound with a wet piece of toilet paper.
The price for freedom was high.