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1
AMELIA
Ican’t believe I’m really doing this.
I glanced out the window as I sat in the tiny airport. Everything I owned was in the suitcase by my feet and the bag on the seat next to me.
I reminded myself I literally had no one and nothing to lose.That’swhy I was doing this.
My father passed away about a month ago. His lifestyle filled with drugs and alcohol finally got the better of him. I was sad, but also relieved he finally was at peace. He’d been battling demons as long as I could remember, missing my mother.
I had no memories of my mother. She got some sort of infection after I was born and passed away when I was five days old. It had devastated my father and he’d gone into a whirlwind of destructive behavior ever since.
It was a miracle he lived as long as he did.
We didn’t have any other family and I had little to no friends. I had to get a job around the age of thirteen to help try to keep Dad and I afloat. Between school and working at the small diner around the corner from our run down house, I had no time for friends. Or a boyfriend.
When I was going through Dad’s things after the small funeral I’d managed to have for him, I found the letter that said we had thirty days to get out of our house. He was way behind in rent and we were being evicted.
I always offered to take over paying the bills because I had a feeling they weren’t getting paid on time or at all, but he would insist he do it, saying I was too young to have to worry about it.
Boy, was I a fool.
I’d just lost my dad and now I was going to lose the only home I’d ever known.
I had no one to turn to for help and was feeling desperate one night. I found an unopened bottle of wine in the fridge and started drinking it as I browsed my phone, trying to find options for myself. I had no money to go to college and from what I could tell, I’d missed the cutoff at most schools anyway for the next semester.
I could find a better paying job, but it was hard for an eighteen year old girl who’d just graduated college to find something in our small town that would give me enough money to pay my father’s debts and a place to live.
I was a bottle of wine down and feeling pretty desperate when I came across an ad for mail order brides. I had no idea what searches led me to that, but I became intrigued the more I read.
The service helped pair up men that were living in Alaska specifically. I’d always wanted to go there and the percentage of successful marriages from this service was about eighty-five percent. All expenses were paid for by the man searching for a bride and they were all vetted extensively with psych tests and background checks.
On impulse, I signed up to be paired with someone. In my wine-induced haze, this was the only way out I saw for my miserable life.
I was paired with someone quickly. His name was William Andersen and I had to admit, he was easy on the eyes. His hair was longer on top, short on the sides, and he had the mountain man beard that I wanted to put my fingers into and scratch when I kissed him. William also had baby blue eyes that looked like the color of the sky.
I googled his name quickly after receiving the email that he’d chosen me and discovered he used to be an NFL quarterback. He’d had a bad car accident with his then fiance and suffered a career ending back injury. A few articles stated the two broke up shortly after and he moved to Alaska. He hadn’t been seen or heard from much after that.
I found myself curious as to why a successful NFL quarterback needed to go with a mail order bride service, but I quickly accepted the offer.
The next week was a whirlwind. I settled a few things with my father’s estate but it was easy since he didn’t have anything. I received emails almost daily with instructions on what to do before my pick up. I found myself getting more and more nervous, almost sending an email to tell them I couldn’t go through with it.
Then I got an email from William. It was simple, telling me some things about him and where he lived in Alaska. He sent me pictures of the cabin he lived in and of the two huskies he had. He apologized for not being able to come get me himself but assured me the plane I was taking was safe and he’d be there when I landed.
I didn’t know if you could fall in love with a picture and email, but that was exactly what I needed to get rid of any doubts I had about going to Alaska. Even though it was only written, his words soothed me and the timing was ironic considering I’d just opened an email to say I changed my mind.
Of course I was still nervous, but I found myself excited about this new life and adventure I was about to take.
“Amelia?” A tall man in a baseball hat and aviator sunglasses came up to where I’d been sitting.
“Yes, that’s me.” I stood up and threw my backpack over my shoulder.
“Ready to go? Where are your bags?” He looked around me and I waved at the one lone suitcase at my feet.
“This is it.”
If he was surprised I had so little, he didn’t say anything. He picked up the bag. “Follow me.”
