1
Traveling Up the Road
Elle
The road stretched in front of me over the ridge on this two-lane state highway and dipped to offer my first view of Highland Falls, a small town nestled straight ahead. I’d traded my Chicago skyline for trees, grain elevators, and a water tower. I couldn’t wait.
My sister Ava had moved to the tiny town in central Illinois two years ago to follow her dream of teaching AP English at their local high school. We’d grown up in Indianapolis, about two and a half hours to the east. Ava swore that I’d find a community in a town of ten thousand people and feel far more at home here. I hoped to hell she was right.
I’d spent my twenties living in Chicago, thinking I’d go there and find success as a young author living in the city. That wasmydream, after all.
What I found was rejection letter after rejection letter. I wanted to write historical fiction. Instead, I found myself working for an education publisher, doing marketing copy and some editing work. It paid the bills and was, frankly, sucking my soul dry.
Ava had called a month ago. I think she could tell I was struggling. In a city of almost three million people, I felt so damn alone. As I could do my job from anywhere, Ava begged me to move south.
You know that Willie Nelson song, “City of New Orleans”?she’d asked.
What on earth are you talking about?
Look it up, I’ll wait.
Okay, got it. What’s the point?
There’s a train leaving Union Station called the City of New Orleans. That’s what Willie is singing about. Get your ass on it and motor on down here. I’ll meet you at the Champaign station.
So while I didn’t hop on the train—I had a car, for God’s sake—I did pack up and gave notice at my apartment complex. I’d been month to month on my lease for the past year, which might have been a sign had I been paying any attention.
Whatever.
Unlike Willie, I wouldn’t be going five hundred miles before the day was done, just a little over a hundred. And while Ava said I could stay with her at her place, I’d found an apartment for rent over a little indie bookstore in the downtown of Ava’s new home.
I loved my sister and all, but I was too old to crash on a couch. Besides, a bookstore as my downstairs neighbor? Yes please. I might be flat broke before the week was out, but I’d be happy.
Your destination is on the right in a quarter of a mile.
“Thanks, Linda.”
Linda kept me on track, headed to my new home. At some point on this drive, I’d named the voice from my GPS, wanting to have a conversation with someone. Troubling sign? I didn’t think so.
Maybe I needed to consider a cat in my apartment. Or should I become one of those people who talks to houseplants? That seemed like a solid move; they wouldn’t be as much work as a cat.
Or would they? Clearly I’d never owned either.
Taking a right, I drove straight onto a Hallmark movie set. I mean, what else could you call this quaint little town?
I slowed down, which was no issue since there didn’t seem to be any traffic. Come to think of it, I hadn’t passed a traffic light or stop sign on my way into town.
The drive in had wound through a residential neighborhood, but now I seemed to be in what this town might refer to as the business district. Old-fashioned acorn streetlamps just coming on lined the street in front of two-story, brick-faced buildings with businesses on the lower level, windows above. Ava had said that the second story of almost all the buildings downtown were small apartments and lofts.
After two blocks of businesses, the street opened up to a large building that took up the entire block to the left. A glance at the sign out front shared that this was the courthouse. White lights were strung around the town square, creating a warm glow. It wasn’t quite dinnertime, so the sun hadn’t completely set, but between the lights and streetlamps, the area was well lit.
“You’ve arrived at your destination.”
“Thanks, Linda.”
I looked to the right, and sure enough, there it was. The bookstore was also ridiculously adorable. The name was spelled out in large typewriter keys in the front window,Pages. The green building and yellow front door were exactly what Ivy, the owner, had told me to look for.
I’d arrived indeed.
