DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here. Please don't sue my sorry butt.
Ch.5
Sara drove past the cemetery gates, and parked in the first available spot. A funeral service was being observed on the far end of the lot. Flowers were draped across limousines, and a large crowd of dark-clothed mourners shuffled here and there. Sara was glad that they were on the opposite side of the cemetery. She got out of her car, and grabbed the bunch of flowers, and the toy lion Lori had always carried. No one saw her walk past the rows of plots back to a corner with a stone bench, and fruit tree nearby. It was peaceful and serene. She took the plastic wrapping off the flowers, and placed them in the built-in vase atop the tombstone. She placed the toy lion at the base.
"Hi, kiddo. Sorry it took me so long." Sara knelt down in front of the granite stone. "I've missed you so much." Her voice caught in her throat, and the painful pressure began to build again in her temple. She stared at the engraved stone. 'Lori Ann Sidle – 1994-1999 – Beloved Daughter.'
"Honey, she knows."
Sara looked up to see her mother standing behind the tombstone. She was dressed in a black dress, and hat.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" She wiped her eyes, and stood on shaky legs.
"Our next-door-neighbor died last week. Figured I'd pay my respects even if she was a mean old thing." Sadie Sidle took her daughter by the arm to help her step around the grave. She had paid her respects earlier as well. "We didn't know you were coming. Were you even going to stop by? I made hummus!" Mrs. Sidle grinned, trying to comfort her daughter in small ways. She was caught up in the serendipity of the moment. Sara was always far more of an adult than she ever would be. She used to bemoan the fact that Sara was an 'old soul.' A thought that irritated Sara's sensibility to no end.
"Actually, I'm in town for a few weeks, if you can spare the room." Sara gave her mom a quick hug and they made their way back towards the parking lot.
"That's fantastic! Your father will be so happy. He's wanted to send a search party out after you."
Sara grinned. She loved her parents even if they didn't ever seem to see things on the same level. Her folks lived in the astral plain of new-age weirdness, while she preferred science. Still, she had learned a healthy respect for the unknown from them. A fact that always got her teased in her line of work. Most notably when she almost convinced Warrick of the existence of spontaneous human combustion.
"Where is Dad?" Sara pointed towards her Civic, and the two Sidle women headed towards town.
"Your father's at an estate auction. He phoned me just before I got here whooping it up over a canoe."
"A canoe? Not a kayak?" Sara couldn't help but laugh at her absentminded father.
"Yup! A canoe! That's great, John. Just exactly what the Inn needs. I mean, sooooo many guests enquire about taking a nice leisurely canoe ride out in the OCEAN!" They both laughed. "I'll cut it in half, and make a couple of book shelves out of it. Saw that on Martha." Sadie smiled, and watched the familiar scenes fly by.
A few years back, her folks were on the verge of a divorce. They got together, and decided they were going to go take a class on marriage development at the local college. When they got there, Sadie ended up signing up for wood-crafting, and John took a course in small business management. Their marriage has never been better.
Sara smiled as the old bed and breakfast came into view down the road. She could feel the breeze off of the ocean, and was surprised at how nostalgic she was feeling. The memories were bitter-sweet. There were the wonderful, happier times spent raising Lori. Her own little happy mistake. Never, ever would she allow anyone to let Lori feel like a mistake. Sara had just moved back home after Harvard to take a job at the Coroner's office in San Francisco. She was still in Grad school when she found out she was pregnant. Despite the difficulties, she was able to secure her Masters degree with a one-year-old child and a part-time-job with the help of her parents. Lori's father was the only mistake. He was a charmer; a handsome TA in her physics lab. He promised the moon to get what he wanted. He didn't want a pregnant girlfriend, or a child. After his degree was in hand, he left for the East coast never to contact Sara again.
Sara sighed deeply as she pulled into the lot for the inn.
"Did you bring many bags?" Sadie looked into the back seat.
"I have a few bags in the trunk, but I figured I'd actually get some new things while I'm in town."
"Well good! There's new flea market down by the bay that your aunts swear by." Mts. Sidle inspected her daughter's features as Sara popped her trunk. She looked more worn down than she'd ever seen her. "Hon, Let me make you some tea. We've got plenty of time to talk, and see the town."
Sara agreed. She was beat. She pulled her cell phone out. She'd promised Grissom she'd call him after she arrived. She smiled at the concern he had shown. How could one heart feel so many different things at once?
"I'll be right in, Mom. Gotta make quick call."
Mrs. Sidle grinned broadly.
"Tell him your mother says hello." She gave her a quick wink, and headed inside.
Sara shook her head, but was pleased. Sadie Sidle knew that it had been some one that had given Sara the push she needed to come home again, and she hoped someday to thank him in person.
"Hello!" Grissom's friendly, informal answer caught Sara off guard.
"Hi. Just called to let you know I'm here. Safe, sane, and not entirely sorry I came." She could swear she heard him smile on the other end.
"I'm glad. Have a nice time, Hon." Grissom bit down on his lower lip, having not intended to speak the term of endearment. It had just slipped out naturally.
Sara didn't miss this fact. She beamed.
"I will." She hung up, and walked towards the back entrance. Sadie watched her from the kitchen window, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Ch.5
Sara drove past the cemetery gates, and parked in the first available spot. A funeral service was being observed on the far end of the lot. Flowers were draped across limousines, and a large crowd of dark-clothed mourners shuffled here and there. Sara was glad that they were on the opposite side of the cemetery. She got out of her car, and grabbed the bunch of flowers, and the toy lion Lori had always carried. No one saw her walk past the rows of plots back to a corner with a stone bench, and fruit tree nearby. It was peaceful and serene. She took the plastic wrapping off the flowers, and placed them in the built-in vase atop the tombstone. She placed the toy lion at the base.
"Hi, kiddo. Sorry it took me so long." Sara knelt down in front of the granite stone. "I've missed you so much." Her voice caught in her throat, and the painful pressure began to build again in her temple. She stared at the engraved stone. 'Lori Ann Sidle – 1994-1999 – Beloved Daughter.'
"Honey, she knows."
Sara looked up to see her mother standing behind the tombstone. She was dressed in a black dress, and hat.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" She wiped her eyes, and stood on shaky legs.
"Our next-door-neighbor died last week. Figured I'd pay my respects even if she was a mean old thing." Sadie Sidle took her daughter by the arm to help her step around the grave. She had paid her respects earlier as well. "We didn't know you were coming. Were you even going to stop by? I made hummus!" Mrs. Sidle grinned, trying to comfort her daughter in small ways. She was caught up in the serendipity of the moment. Sara was always far more of an adult than she ever would be. She used to bemoan the fact that Sara was an 'old soul.' A thought that irritated Sara's sensibility to no end.
"Actually, I'm in town for a few weeks, if you can spare the room." Sara gave her mom a quick hug and they made their way back towards the parking lot.
"That's fantastic! Your father will be so happy. He's wanted to send a search party out after you."
Sara grinned. She loved her parents even if they didn't ever seem to see things on the same level. Her folks lived in the astral plain of new-age weirdness, while she preferred science. Still, she had learned a healthy respect for the unknown from them. A fact that always got her teased in her line of work. Most notably when she almost convinced Warrick of the existence of spontaneous human combustion.
"Where is Dad?" Sara pointed towards her Civic, and the two Sidle women headed towards town.
"Your father's at an estate auction. He phoned me just before I got here whooping it up over a canoe."
"A canoe? Not a kayak?" Sara couldn't help but laugh at her absentminded father.
"Yup! A canoe! That's great, John. Just exactly what the Inn needs. I mean, sooooo many guests enquire about taking a nice leisurely canoe ride out in the OCEAN!" They both laughed. "I'll cut it in half, and make a couple of book shelves out of it. Saw that on Martha." Sadie smiled, and watched the familiar scenes fly by.
A few years back, her folks were on the verge of a divorce. They got together, and decided they were going to go take a class on marriage development at the local college. When they got there, Sadie ended up signing up for wood-crafting, and John took a course in small business management. Their marriage has never been better.
Sara smiled as the old bed and breakfast came into view down the road. She could feel the breeze off of the ocean, and was surprised at how nostalgic she was feeling. The memories were bitter-sweet. There were the wonderful, happier times spent raising Lori. Her own little happy mistake. Never, ever would she allow anyone to let Lori feel like a mistake. Sara had just moved back home after Harvard to take a job at the Coroner's office in San Francisco. She was still in Grad school when she found out she was pregnant. Despite the difficulties, she was able to secure her Masters degree with a one-year-old child and a part-time-job with the help of her parents. Lori's father was the only mistake. He was a charmer; a handsome TA in her physics lab. He promised the moon to get what he wanted. He didn't want a pregnant girlfriend, or a child. After his degree was in hand, he left for the East coast never to contact Sara again.
Sara sighed deeply as she pulled into the lot for the inn.
"Did you bring many bags?" Sadie looked into the back seat.
"I have a few bags in the trunk, but I figured I'd actually get some new things while I'm in town."
"Well good! There's new flea market down by the bay that your aunts swear by." Mts. Sidle inspected her daughter's features as Sara popped her trunk. She looked more worn down than she'd ever seen her. "Hon, Let me make you some tea. We've got plenty of time to talk, and see the town."
Sara agreed. She was beat. She pulled her cell phone out. She'd promised Grissom she'd call him after she arrived. She smiled at the concern he had shown. How could one heart feel so many different things at once?
"I'll be right in, Mom. Gotta make quick call."
Mrs. Sidle grinned broadly.
"Tell him your mother says hello." She gave her a quick wink, and headed inside.
Sara shook her head, but was pleased. Sadie Sidle knew that it had been some one that had given Sara the push she needed to come home again, and she hoped someday to thank him in person.
"Hello!" Grissom's friendly, informal answer caught Sara off guard.
"Hi. Just called to let you know I'm here. Safe, sane, and not entirely sorry I came." She could swear she heard him smile on the other end.
"I'm glad. Have a nice time, Hon." Grissom bit down on his lower lip, having not intended to speak the term of endearment. It had just slipped out naturally.
Sara didn't miss this fact. She beamed.
"I will." She hung up, and walked towards the back entrance. Sadie watched her from the kitchen window, grinning like a Cheshire cat.