A few days later, Piper was in a small town in upstate New York, ready to start over. She'd found a nice, cabin-like house right on top of the lake. Because of its beautiful but remote location, the owners had had trouble selling it. Relieved to finally have a buyer, they let Piper and Wyatt move in right away.
Piper had barely gotten inside when there was a knock at the door. A big, boisterous woman let herself in.
"Hello, dear," the woman greeted jovially. Despite her somewhat larger-than-life appearance, with fiery red hair and bright-coloured clothes and make-up, she projected a comforting, friendly feeling. "I'm your new neighbor," she introduced herself. "My name's Ananda, but most people around here just call me Nana. I live right next door."
Piper smiled at her, instantly taking a liking to the woman. "Nice to meet you, Nana. I'm Piper, and this is my son, Wyatt."
"Oh, isn't he a cutie!" Nana exclaimed, taking the baby from Piper. "Piper, doll, he's just adorable. Oh, I love kids. If you ever need a baby-sitter, please, call me."
"I will," Piper promised, seeing how good Nana was with him. Like his mother, Wyatt seemed to adore Nana. "He really likes you," Piper commented. "He's usually so fussy with strangers."
Nana smiled at her, then returned to beaming down at Wyatt. "Like I said, doll, I love kids." She handed the baby back to Piper. "I'd better let you get settled. If you need anything, just ask."
Piper took her son, thanking Nana for the offer. Just as the older woman was leaving, Piper remembered something she'd wanted to ask. "Nana, could you tell me where you do your shopping around here? You know - grocery store, department store, drug store - things like that. I haven't really had a chance to look around town yet."
"It's a small town, dear, everything's pretty much in one place," Nana replied. She proceeded to give Piper directions to the town center, then she kissed Wyatt good-bye, and went out the same way she came in.
As soon as Nana was gone, Piper set Wyatt down in his bassinet, and ran into the bathroom. She'd been sick every day since Leo left. At first, she thought it was just stress, but now, she wasn't so sure.
She rinsed her mouth out with water, then went outside to unpack the rest of the things from her trunk. Leaving the boxes carelessly in her front hallway, Piper buckled Wyatt into his car seat, and drove off into the center of town, following the directions Nana had given her.
"Nana wasn't kidding when she said 'small town', was she?" Piper asked her baby son a few minutes later, when they pulled up in front of the market. Their house, it turned out, was on the very edge of town. Still, it had only taken them a few minutes to reach the town's center. As Nana had said, most of the business were grouped together.
Piper and Wyatt went into the market first, to buy something for them both to eat. Wyatt had had his bottle at regular intervals since they left San Fransisco, but Piper hadn't eaten since the previous afternoon. She bought basic necessities - baby food, milk, juice, and some salad for her dinner, then proceeded to the check-out line.
"Are you new in town?" the middle-aged, balding man behind the counter asked. "I've never seen you before. Welcome; I'm Kurtis Mahoney."
"Piper Halliwell," she replied, shaking his outstretched hand. "And this is my son, Wyatt. We just moved into that house by the lake."
"Ah, that place," Kurtis nodded. "It's been empty for quite a while. Good to see someone's finally moved in."
Piper smiled, took her groceries, and went next door to the drug store. Taking a handbasket from the hook on the wall, she moved quickly down the aisles, picking up aspirin, lotion, and vitamins. Among these things, she nonchalantly slipped a home pregnancy test in before rushing to the check-out counter.
A teen-aged boy was working at the counter. He carelessly slid the items across the counter, not seeming to pay attention to what he was doing. Piper, who had been drumming her fingers nervously on the counter, stopped when he got to the test. She drew in a deep breath; it wouldn't scan.
"Vaughn, would you stop fooling around?" the customer behind Piper said after the boy had swipped the box over the scanner a few times. "You're holding it the wrong way." Rolling her eyes, she turned to Piper. "Sorry, he does that. I'm Darvy Bartlett, by the way."
Piper introduced herself to Darvy as Vaughn finished ringing up her purchases.
"I guess I'll see you around," Darvy called after her.
Piper nodded, took her bags, and hurried out to her car. She quickly put Wyatt and the packages in the back seat, and then, hands shaking, drove home.
Piper had barely gotten inside when there was a knock at the door. A big, boisterous woman let herself in.
"Hello, dear," the woman greeted jovially. Despite her somewhat larger-than-life appearance, with fiery red hair and bright-coloured clothes and make-up, she projected a comforting, friendly feeling. "I'm your new neighbor," she introduced herself. "My name's Ananda, but most people around here just call me Nana. I live right next door."
Piper smiled at her, instantly taking a liking to the woman. "Nice to meet you, Nana. I'm Piper, and this is my son, Wyatt."
"Oh, isn't he a cutie!" Nana exclaimed, taking the baby from Piper. "Piper, doll, he's just adorable. Oh, I love kids. If you ever need a baby-sitter, please, call me."
"I will," Piper promised, seeing how good Nana was with him. Like his mother, Wyatt seemed to adore Nana. "He really likes you," Piper commented. "He's usually so fussy with strangers."
Nana smiled at her, then returned to beaming down at Wyatt. "Like I said, doll, I love kids." She handed the baby back to Piper. "I'd better let you get settled. If you need anything, just ask."
Piper took her son, thanking Nana for the offer. Just as the older woman was leaving, Piper remembered something she'd wanted to ask. "Nana, could you tell me where you do your shopping around here? You know - grocery store, department store, drug store - things like that. I haven't really had a chance to look around town yet."
"It's a small town, dear, everything's pretty much in one place," Nana replied. She proceeded to give Piper directions to the town center, then she kissed Wyatt good-bye, and went out the same way she came in.
As soon as Nana was gone, Piper set Wyatt down in his bassinet, and ran into the bathroom. She'd been sick every day since Leo left. At first, she thought it was just stress, but now, she wasn't so sure.
She rinsed her mouth out with water, then went outside to unpack the rest of the things from her trunk. Leaving the boxes carelessly in her front hallway, Piper buckled Wyatt into his car seat, and drove off into the center of town, following the directions Nana had given her.
"Nana wasn't kidding when she said 'small town', was she?" Piper asked her baby son a few minutes later, when they pulled up in front of the market. Their house, it turned out, was on the very edge of town. Still, it had only taken them a few minutes to reach the town's center. As Nana had said, most of the business were grouped together.
Piper and Wyatt went into the market first, to buy something for them both to eat. Wyatt had had his bottle at regular intervals since they left San Fransisco, but Piper hadn't eaten since the previous afternoon. She bought basic necessities - baby food, milk, juice, and some salad for her dinner, then proceeded to the check-out line.
"Are you new in town?" the middle-aged, balding man behind the counter asked. "I've never seen you before. Welcome; I'm Kurtis Mahoney."
"Piper Halliwell," she replied, shaking his outstretched hand. "And this is my son, Wyatt. We just moved into that house by the lake."
"Ah, that place," Kurtis nodded. "It's been empty for quite a while. Good to see someone's finally moved in."
Piper smiled, took her groceries, and went next door to the drug store. Taking a handbasket from the hook on the wall, she moved quickly down the aisles, picking up aspirin, lotion, and vitamins. Among these things, she nonchalantly slipped a home pregnancy test in before rushing to the check-out counter.
A teen-aged boy was working at the counter. He carelessly slid the items across the counter, not seeming to pay attention to what he was doing. Piper, who had been drumming her fingers nervously on the counter, stopped when he got to the test. She drew in a deep breath; it wouldn't scan.
"Vaughn, would you stop fooling around?" the customer behind Piper said after the boy had swipped the box over the scanner a few times. "You're holding it the wrong way." Rolling her eyes, she turned to Piper. "Sorry, he does that. I'm Darvy Bartlett, by the way."
Piper introduced herself to Darvy as Vaughn finished ringing up her purchases.
"I guess I'll see you around," Darvy called after her.
Piper nodded, took her bags, and hurried out to her car. She quickly put Wyatt and the packages in the back seat, and then, hands shaking, drove home.
