What I own: the Jeopardy boardgame, a purse decorated with cupcakes and lots of sparkly earrings.
What I don't: Twilight. Despite a strong physical resemblance, I am not, in fact Stephanie Meyer. They are her characters I just play in her sandbox. I am making nothing off this piece.
This piece is totally unbeta'd so any and all mistakes are my very own. This one is dedicated to my beloved wifey, Sky Chaser. She is the cherry on my cupcake and the sparkle in my tiara.
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I followed Angela as she slowly drove down what seemed to be the main street in Forks. The town was exactly how Charlie had described it, small, charming and nearly picturesque. Houses that doubled for shops and business lined the street, which was nearly empty of traffic at two in the afternoon. The rain had lightened slightly and I could see a bit clearer towards the dense, dark woods that lay just beyond the buildings. A small diner sat next to the small brick bank building and a fairly large restaurant sat just beyond the supermarket. After about a mile of so Angela switched on her blinker and pulled into a short driveway that lead to the charming, two story white bungalow that I hoped would be mine.
I pulled up to Angela, who had already pulled herself out of her car and was waiting on the steps. I hopped out of my car and up the steps just as she was opening the gray, windowed front door and entered the house behind her.
"Well, here it is" Angela gestured around and I could not help my smile. The house was simple, clean and perfect. I felt at home almost immediately.
Angela had shown me the kitchen and living room before the distinctive sound of Pachabel's Canon rang through the room. Pulling her phone from it's holster at her hip she glanced at the display, eyes lighting up. '' keep looking around, I'll be right back" With that she ducked out the front door, pulling it shut behind her.
I continued my solo exploration of the house while Angela was on the front porch, her rain coat pulled tight about her against the cool breeze and heavy rain that fell. I could barely hear her but, even as quiet as she was, the happiness was evident in her voice as she spoke to whom I could only assume was her husband. A soft smile graced my lips as I peeked out the living room window at her. She was tall and slender, her raincoat cinched above her rounded belly, her free hand absently tracing small circles on the slick, rain spotted fabric. Her posture relaxed and she crossed the front porch in a few steps, leaning against the house and out of the way of most of the rain, a bright smile on her face. I shook my head slightly and turned away, feeling a bit like a voyeur. I felt a small pang in my heart, an unconscious desire for the one thing that had eluded me in my bejeweled life. For all of the privilege and grandeur that I had, everything that money could buy, one simple thing had been unattainable.
I blinked back tears and headed up the stairs, my heels clicking on the worn wooden surface. Turning down the short hall I poked my head into the first room I came to, the knob cool beneath my palm. Pushing the wooden door open I entered a good sized bathroom. The walls were painted soothing shades of pale blue and soft cream. An antique claw foot tub was nestled in the far corner with a glass enclosed shower opposite it. The murky grey light filtered in through the window , shining dimply off of the cream colored tiles on the floor. Smiling faintly I closed the door with a soft click and continued my exploration of the rest of the second floor.
Behind the next door was a small room, perhaps an office for the former owners. The cornmeal colored walls were warm and cheery, the trim and the chair rail that circled the room were a gleaming white. As I crossed the small space, my footfalls were light against the polished wood floor. On the rare sunny day, light would shine in through the two large windows that overlooked main street, reminding me of nothing so much as a Norman Rockwell painting.
Heading back into the hall I looked into the remaining rooms on the floor, both bedrooms at the back of the house. They seemed to be the same size and had a very similar layout, one painted a soft blue, the other a dove grey. Both colours were understated and tastefully elegant, as was the rest of the house.
Heading back down the stairs, I glanced out at Angela who was still on the phone. I gave her a small wave before heading back through the house. I paused at the door that led out to the back yard, my hand resting for a second on the heavy knob before turning it. I slipped outside and the screen door closed with a soft slap behind me. I slowly crossed the weathered wood of the porch towards the whitewashed porch swing that overlooked the large backyard. Not bothering to wipe off the seat, I sat on the wet swing, the cold moisture instantly soaking through the thin material of my dress and sending a chill down my spine. I kicked my shoes off with a clatter and pushed off the floor with one foot before pulling my knees up to my chest. The chains of the swing squeaked lowly, while I looked out over the green lawn, the small flowers that grew in a garden to the side of the property, traveling over the grass and the dripping tree branches. As my eyes continued to travel over the scene in front of me I felt at peace for the first time in what felt like years.
The house I had just explored was less than half the size of the guest house at Woodland Crossing but there was an undeniable feeling of warmth here, an unmistakable feeling of being home.
Yes, Woodland Crossing was elegant and perfect in every way but it was cold, almost antiseptic. The chilly marble floors and antique after antique made the mansion feel more like a museum than an actual residence. Behind the mahogany doors ghost lurked, both old and new, the specters of memories which would better be forgotten. Each closet contained skeletons, that you could practically hear rattling with even the lightest breeze. Alongside the luxurious furnishing, the gleaming woods and shining fixtures lay shattered hearts and broken lives.
A shudder raced through me as I recalled my last night there, the images the images of my husband, a man I had once loved with all that I was, dismissed with a harsh word. My existence shattered with a cold sneer.
I rose from the swing, the wood wet and slick below my stocking feet. Walking to the middle of the yard, the grass wet and lush as it pricked at my soles, I stopped and tilted my head back as the cold rain fell, soaking through my thin dress. The water drenched my hair, running in rivulets down my back and mingled with the hot tears that slipped down my cheeks, tears that arose not from sadness or anger but, for the first time in years, happiness and hope.
As I stood there, in the pouring rain, the dark gray clouds overhead reverberating with thunder, the deep greens of the trees swaying with the soft breeze I felt for the first time in my life that I was truly home.
Pups fic rec corner: Okay, a beloved piece today, and one that basically kept me sane at one of the hardest times in my life. My Life Extended by Lyrical Kris. I just… I can"t even tell you how beautiful and moving this piece was. Go, read, review and love. Tell her Pups sent you.