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Chapter Three

Nicki Reynolds sat in the kitchen at her Aunts house, adjacent to the motel she had run for almost twenty years and allowed her eyes to close. The heavy lids had threatened to shut up shop on her for the past fifty miles.

The drive had been a long one, a long and uneventful one. The journey from Texas had taken her through many deadbeat towns but nothing prepared her for this one. It may have once been home to her, but as a happy go lucky five year old she couldn't recall her time here. It wasn't quite what she expected her first home town to look like.

The place was drowning in tumble weeds.

Nicki leaned back in her chair, running her hands through her shoulder length brown hair, streaks of purple and cream throughout , she played with her labret piercing, fidgeting in an attempt to shake off the lethargy of the drive, more so for her Aunts sake than her own. She leaned forward, elbows on the table, her hair falling over her face hiding her from the outside world. She wanted nothing more than to curl up on the guest bed and fall into a deep, peaceful sleep. But that wouldn't have been fair.

She hadn't seen Aunt Grace in over five years, eight before that, yet the two had corresponded by letter every month without fail. Nicki had told her about friends, boyfriends, holidays and family problems. Grace had exchanged stories about the town, friends and how she missed her family so.

Once the town had been hit hard, the last time almost causing it to curl up and give up, Grace's brother had decided to take his family, the last of Grace's family, and move to Texas. Not having had children of her own, Grace had doted on Nicki and her brother Connor. Once they had left, she'd started to take in all the strays of the town, trying to fill the hole left behind by her families absence. Not that she blamed them. How could Mark bring up his family in a town like this when he had a job offer in Austin. She knew the second he told her about the offer that he had already decided they were leaving. He'd asked her to join them, but how could she? This town, these people were a part of her. Her home. It was all she knew and she would rather stay here, loyal until the end, than have to start afresh in a strange town. City even. Grace didn't like cities. Too many people walking past each other with barely a glimpse of concern for their fellow human.

Give her a small town any day where you knew everyone and everyone knew you.

"Honey, I have your bed already for you, anytime you want you just go lie yourself down"

"That's ok Aunt Grace, I'm fine for a bit"

"Mmm mm"

"Really I am" Nicki flashed her Aunt her most charming smile and took another sip of her coffee.

"So come on honey, you didn't drive half way across the country for just a visit did you?"

Nicki smiled again. You couldn't get anything past her Aunt.

"I just needed a break from everything. And everyone"

"How was graduation? The pictures were so beautiful, wish I could have been there"

"It was a great day. Just, ya know, weird without Mum"

"I know darlin' , it'll take time before that feeling goes"

"I hope it never goes. I don't want to ever not miss her"

"Honey, you will always miss her. You just get used to it enough to be able to walk forward with hope. She would have wanted you to have been happy. Your Dad wants you to be happy"

"Yeah, well, he has a strange way of showing it"

"Hush now child. No talk like that here. Your Dad is going through his own grief. It's only been a year. You have to give him time too"

"But he barely talks to us anymore. Andy practically lives at is girlfriends house and me, well, I just needed to get away for a bit. Get some fresh air"

"Well I'm very glad you came. Your Dad called, he told me to tell you he wants you to stay as long as you need. That's fine with me, I'd love the company and being able to talk to you in person instead of through a letter is like all my Christmas's have come at once"

Nicki allowed her eyes to tear up for a few seconds before reaching across the table to embrace her Aunt. She'd missed this woman so much, to have her so close, to have her sat before her was the warmest she'd felt since the last embrace she'd shared with her mother.

"Now then" Grace wiped at the stray tears snaking their way down her cheek, "You are exhausted, and don't argue with me, so to bed you go, in the morning I'll give you the grand tour and we can go out and get a bite to eat at the diner down the road. How'd that be?"

"Perfect Aunt Grace. Just perfect"

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Sam made his way back to the motel after finishing his steak and a couple of beers. He'd enjoyed relaxing in the bar, taking in the surroundings, people watching to his hearts content. That never failed to keep him occupied for hours, seeing how people treated each other, how an addition to a group will change the dynamic, how the reactions of some people to the opinions of others will change depending on who was in ear shot, of who was studying, judging. After he'd had his fill he'd made his way down the street to the motel and settled himself on the bed, attempting to watch the only movie being shown, something about the devil's child and a weird computer game, yet he found himself drifting off half way through. His dreams for once not assaulting his every nerve, every fibre, this time he dreamt of a basement, he dreamt of feeling the presence of someone else. He knew he wasn't alone, but yet throughout his dream there was a longing for someone. The dream merged into snapshots of his childhood, forgotten games with his brother, small moments of levity with his father.

He slept on until morning, oblivious of the trouble his brother had found himself in.

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I'm gonna be nice and post the next chapter ...now!

Hope you like it , if you do, drop me a line