The path curved through a few trees and bushes before it opened up to a beautiful meadow with the cottage in the middle. From the outside it looked like a tiny place, which was perfect for just my luggage and me. I hopped out of the car eager to explore my new home.
The sun was just beginning to set in the distance as I wheeled my bag up to the screen door. There was a large porch off the front overlooking the meadow and the ocean could be seen in the distance. Looking around I noticed that it was completely isolated from this point; you couldn't even see the main house from here. Perfect for the new start I was hoping to find.
Stepping through the door I walked into the open living area of the cottage. There was a small kitchen off to the left, a two person dining table to the right and the living area ahead. A small futon and a rocking chair were angled towards the television and the view out the large windows. Past the living room were two doors; one to a good-sized bathroom and another to the bedroom. Compared to my room at home it was a tight squeeze, but I was able to get my suitcase onto the chest at the bottom of the bed. Unpacking could wait while I took in my surroundings. The beautiful whitewashed wood continued throughout the cottage with a simple ceiling fan in the living room. Without an air conditioner I was concerned about the warmer months, but I had plenty of time before then. Being the end of August now the nights seemed to be comfortably cool from what I could tell.
As I explored the kitchen I could hear footsteps coming up the front path and soon enough a tap at the door was followed by a gentle hello from Esme. As I called for her to enter, I noticed that she had her hands full so went to greet her as she entered.
"I know that getting settled in can take some time so I brought by a few things you might need. There's already some juice and milk in the fridge that we picked up at the store earlier. Here are some fresh strawberries from the garden and in this container is breakfast granola. Now, have you been to our island before?", Esme got out all at once as she scuttled around the kitchen plopping down the items as she went.
"No, this is my first visit. And thank you for bringing everything, you really didn't have to go to the trouble," I replied taking in all that she had brought. You could tell that Esme was a mother to everyone that she met. Here she was knowing me for only a few minutes aside from the emails to reserve the cottage and she was already looking out for me.
"Well if you need anything, we just up the drive. Are you hungry for dinner? You come stop by our place if you'd like something tonight and you're free to use whatever you find in the garden while you're here."
"What you've brought looks great, I'm not too hungry. I think that tonight I'll just unwind and unpack."
"I'll let you get to it. Don't be a stranger!" Esme said as she fussed with the blankets lining the back of the futon. After a short goodbye she was off and I was left with just the sound of the bugs coming out as the sun set.
Plopping down in the rocking chair, I sat and watched as the sun completely set and the meadow was surrounded in darkness. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for my first real night on my own.