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"You are kidding me. Why...how can that be, the house is so big, you can't sit there and tell me you clean it yourself." Melanie Kingsley was asking as Lucy poured all of them a cup of coffee. Her eyes quickly scanned the mantle above the stove, the windows, everything.
"But of course I do. I have nothing else to do all day. I love taking care of Mama's house."
"I don't understand how you can live here, much less try and take care of this place alone. And especially with all the memories of this place," Melanie remarked, casting her daughter a quick glance.
"They are good memories, Melanie. I love this old house, its home to me. I wouldn't live anywhere else. I try to take care of it like Mama would have." Lucy smiled.
"Lucy, you don't look a day older than the last time I saw you," John Kingsley was saying.
"Thank you, John. And you're as charming as ever."
Melanie's attention went straight to her daughter now, as though the pleasantries had been exchanged and it was time to get down to business. "Savannah, I've been trying to understand, to comprehend, as have all of us. So, whatever possessed you to leave the way you did, without a word? You had us so worried. Until we heard from that Sheriff, we didn't know what to think."
Savannah thought long and hard on how she wanted to tell her parents what had happened. But she had promised Chad too. How could she satiate one and not betray the other?
Weighing her words she nodded, and looked apologetically at her parents, both of them. "I'm sorry, for worrying you. But honestly, Chad and I had very little time to think or act. To be frank, I didn't know what to say to you or the congregation. I freaked out, and ran."
"I know you didn't want a large wedding, like I planned it, but if I'd have known you were this upset, we could have talked about it. Planned it differently. I'm not unapproachable, you know."
Savannah shook her head, "I'll admit, I didn't want a big wedding mother."
"Chad has been so distraught. Oh...he's holding up well as can be expected, but he's definitely in such pain. It's hard to watch." Melanie continued. "How could you do this to him, Savannah?"
John shifted his weight in his chair and looked at his wife, then his daughter, "Maybe we should let her explain."
"She got cold feet, that's all," Melanie firmed her lips and looked at Savannah, "Alright, explain it, if you can."
"Chad hasn't spoken with you?" Savannah asked innocently.
"Only that you mutually agreed to call off the wedding," John inserted.
Savannah nodded, "Well, that's about it."
"But why...." Melanie burst out.
Savannah couldn't explain. And she couldn't lie to her parents so she just sat there.
"Are you really in love with some cowboy out here?" Melanie demanded to know.
Savannah met her gaze, "I...I...yes..." she finally admitted to herself and the world.
"And exactly how long have you known this young man, and who is he for goodness sake, and why on earth haven't you spoken up before about him?" Melanie probed.
John touched his wife's arm, "Give her a minute, dear. You're attacking her. We've raised Savannah to know her own mind, to make her own decisions. We have to trust she knows what she's doing now."
"And do you, Savannah?"
"Can you give me some time? Please...." Savannah sounded desperate even to herself.
"You can have all the time you need, honey, just come home. I've taken the liberty of speaking to Jordan Finch about your job; he's agreed to give you, your old job back when you return. We can even reset a date for the wedding, if that's what you want...I mean, if you re-consider."
Savannah shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry you went to that trouble dad. I don't want my old job back. I didn't get that job on my own merit. It was practically handed to me. I never liked that job. I took it because it was easy, because I'm your daughter, not because I earned the position. I'm doing something now I enjoy..."
"Doing something...what, for heaven's sake?" now it was her father's turn to be upset.
"Photography," she sighed knowing how this was going to upset him, but knowing she had to be firm. "Yes, I wrote the magazine and sent them my work, they've accepted it. They've even given me an advance for more. I love doing it....I've always enjoyed doing it. You know that. I've spoken to you about it many times."
"Of course you have, and it's a wonderful hobby, but y
