~* Exactly five years after Danny's death, two after the war officially ended.*~
The McCawley home was unusually quiet that rainy Tuesday. Rafe was sitting in his favorite armchair staring out at a pond size puddle forming on the dry Tennessee grass, while Evelyn shuffled around in the kitchen compulsively baking. Even little Danny was abnormally hushed for a vivacious four year old. The air of melancholy that filled the old home dampened the child's, though he was too young to fully understand what was happening.
All he knew was that round that same time every year his parents would bring him out to a tall white rock in the back yard and hold him as they both cried. Then they'd return to the house where Evelyn would spend the rest of the day making cupcakes and brownies to occupy her mind, while Rafe sat silently in his chair. Having already gone to see the stone, Ev was busily trying to spatula oatmeal cookies off the pan, while Rafe continued to watch the puddle grow and little Danny played with his model plane.
"Rafe, can you come here a minute?" Evelyn called out from the kitchen, luring her husband out of the family room.
"What is it sweetie?" Rafe wrapped his arms around his wife's waist finished plating her cookies.
"I think I just saw someone walk through the yard and there's a car parked in the driveway."
"Okay, I'll go check it out." Rafe swiped a cookie off the tray, kissed his wife on the cheek and went out into the rain.
A fresh set of footprints were in bedded in the mud along side the house, that appeared to lead to the back of the property. No one in town bothered to even come near the old farm house regularly, so whoever dared to trespass was very suspicious. Rafe followed the footprints to the back of the field, to where the old barn and plane hanger sat. There he found a person in a long gray trench coat and fedora, bent over beside Danny's grave.
"This is private property." Rafe barked as the person lay a bouquet of flowers on the ground in front of the head stone.
The figure began to rise, standing no higher then Rafe's shoulder it turned to him.
"You never had a problem with me being here before."
The voice sent a shiver down Rafe's spine, it's tone like bells, a familiar sound, a lady's voice. As the women lifted her head, light began to fall on her rain streaked face. A deep set pair of dark brown eyes peaking out from under the brim of the damp hat.
"Rosie…?"
"It's Rosanna now, Rafe, it's been a while." She looked at him with an empty expression, not knowing if seeing him made her happy or angry. Ten years is long time to get over a broken heart, but then when you're waiting the entire ten years to hear just one word from the person that broke your heart, the nit never really has the chance to heal.
"What are you…? I can't believe… Why are you here?" Rafe stuttered.
"My father's sick, I had to come take care of him, he had a stroke Rafe. I thought while I was in Shelby, this being the anniversary of Danny's death, being that I missed the funeral, I would come and talk to him. We were just talking about Beth, when you interrupted."
"I don't think Danny was talking about anything to you, even if Beth was one of his favorite subjects."
"Rafe, who's out there?" Evelyn yelled from the back porch, shielding her eyes against the vicious rain.
"Uh… just an old friend Ev, I'll be in in a minute." The pilot responded.
"Would your friend like to come in for some cookies and coffee?"
"No thank you, I've better get going." Rosie whispered.
"No, honey they're leaving."
"Alright, well then I'm going to put Daniel to bed. I'll see you when you come in." With that they heard the sound of the back door closing.
"Before I go, I have to show you something." Rosie led Rafe to the car parked in the drive.
In the back seat of the 43 Chevy was young girl fast asleep. Her chocolate curls were an unruly mess and her cheek had a random pattern embedded in it from the seat of the car.
"She's my daughter, her name is Rosalyn."
"She's beautiful Rosie… Rosanna. She looks just like you." Rafe retorted.
"No, I think she looks like her father, you need to see her in the day light. But I've got to go, goodbye Rafe."
As the girl backed out of the driveway and on to the street, she realized she still hadn't told Rafe about his daughter. Despite the fact that that had been her actual reason for going, after seeing him however, she wasn't so certain she wanted to.
The McCawley home was unusually quiet that rainy Tuesday. Rafe was sitting in his favorite armchair staring out at a pond size puddle forming on the dry Tennessee grass, while Evelyn shuffled around in the kitchen compulsively baking. Even little Danny was abnormally hushed for a vivacious four year old. The air of melancholy that filled the old home dampened the child's, though he was too young to fully understand what was happening.
All he knew was that round that same time every year his parents would bring him out to a tall white rock in the back yard and hold him as they both cried. Then they'd return to the house where Evelyn would spend the rest of the day making cupcakes and brownies to occupy her mind, while Rafe sat silently in his chair. Having already gone to see the stone, Ev was busily trying to spatula oatmeal cookies off the pan, while Rafe continued to watch the puddle grow and little Danny played with his model plane.
"Rafe, can you come here a minute?" Evelyn called out from the kitchen, luring her husband out of the family room.
"What is it sweetie?" Rafe wrapped his arms around his wife's waist finished plating her cookies.
"I think I just saw someone walk through the yard and there's a car parked in the driveway."
"Okay, I'll go check it out." Rafe swiped a cookie off the tray, kissed his wife on the cheek and went out into the rain.
A fresh set of footprints were in bedded in the mud along side the house, that appeared to lead to the back of the property. No one in town bothered to even come near the old farm house regularly, so whoever dared to trespass was very suspicious. Rafe followed the footprints to the back of the field, to where the old barn and plane hanger sat. There he found a person in a long gray trench coat and fedora, bent over beside Danny's grave.
"This is private property." Rafe barked as the person lay a bouquet of flowers on the ground in front of the head stone.
The figure began to rise, standing no higher then Rafe's shoulder it turned to him.
"You never had a problem with me being here before."
The voice sent a shiver down Rafe's spine, it's tone like bells, a familiar sound, a lady's voice. As the women lifted her head, light began to fall on her rain streaked face. A deep set pair of dark brown eyes peaking out from under the brim of the damp hat.
"Rosie…?"
"It's Rosanna now, Rafe, it's been a while." She looked at him with an empty expression, not knowing if seeing him made her happy or angry. Ten years is long time to get over a broken heart, but then when you're waiting the entire ten years to hear just one word from the person that broke your heart, the nit never really has the chance to heal.
"What are you…? I can't believe… Why are you here?" Rafe stuttered.
"My father's sick, I had to come take care of him, he had a stroke Rafe. I thought while I was in Shelby, this being the anniversary of Danny's death, being that I missed the funeral, I would come and talk to him. We were just talking about Beth, when you interrupted."
"I don't think Danny was talking about anything to you, even if Beth was one of his favorite subjects."
"Rafe, who's out there?" Evelyn yelled from the back porch, shielding her eyes against the vicious rain.
"Uh… just an old friend Ev, I'll be in in a minute." The pilot responded.
"Would your friend like to come in for some cookies and coffee?"
"No thank you, I've better get going." Rosie whispered.
"No, honey they're leaving."
"Alright, well then I'm going to put Daniel to bed. I'll see you when you come in." With that they heard the sound of the back door closing.
"Before I go, I have to show you something." Rosie led Rafe to the car parked in the drive.
In the back seat of the 43 Chevy was young girl fast asleep. Her chocolate curls were an unruly mess and her cheek had a random pattern embedded in it from the seat of the car.
"She's my daughter, her name is Rosalyn."
"She's beautiful Rosie… Rosanna. She looks just like you." Rafe retorted.
"No, I think she looks like her father, you need to see her in the day light. But I've got to go, goodbye Rafe."
As the girl backed out of the driveway and on to the street, she realized she still hadn't told Rafe about his daughter. Despite the fact that that had been her actual reason for going, after seeing him however, she wasn't so certain she wanted to.