AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Three squirrels scattered up the tree trunks. Several birds flew together in the distance, some diving into the water to pick up a quick meal. And then she noticed the rabbits carefully hopping between bushes to keep themselves hidden from the noises of every other creature.
April realized this is why she wanted to work with animals. There was something about it that was so peaceful and fulfilling. A scene like this, where everything was beautifully balanced, was another reason to love the island.
Leaves twisted in the wind and fell to the grass. She watched them fall like raindrops from the sky.
One of the horses drew April’s attention back when it began to swing its head at the others. Then it would run away, until it noticed none of them were following. Three more times it tried to play, but no one would budge.
“You need some time to have fun, too? I guess that’s what everybody’s looking for these days,” she said to herself. Nature wasn’t perfect, but it was magnificent.
How had she gone from wanting this serenity to working in an office on weekends for a bunch of jerks? April was more lost than she thought. Her job, her marriage, her life was getting out of hand, so far gone from what she wanted with her life.
It made her sad to think about it, so instead of sitting much longer she got back into her car. Instead of starting it right away, she looked out the window until she thought the animals were at a far enough distance. Then she started the car and drove carefully back onto the main road.
April smiled the entire way to the town square, where her cheeks hurt from the grin across her face.
Sandcrest was in its own magical bubble. When you traveled over the bridge to get to the island, you were transported into something more beautiful than you could have ever imagined. That’s what April felt as she drove around town. The satisfaction of something so great she didn’t have words to describe it.
Her chest felt lighter, the air bringing her a fresh breath. The breeze from the ocean pushed life into her. Everything felt new and bright.
And April hadn’t felt that in a long time.
It was like stepping into a whole new world. Even as she walked into the little café she’d been in a thousand times before, it still felt new.
The sign above the counter read ‘Millie’s’ in red letters that had faded to a darker maroon. She recognized the sign, the bar stools that sat by the counter, and the wooden tables with scratches from the wear and tear. But she didn’t recognize any of the people inside, not even the workers.
Had it been so long that she’d forgotten their faces? Or was it really so long ago that everyone had left and new people had come in?
A middle-aged woman behind the counter called out to her. “Come on in, honey. Grab a seat anywhere.” Her welcoming smile made April feel at home. It was like she already belonged. She grabbed a seat at one of the smaller tables near the back of the café; it creaked as she sat down.
That same waitress filled up the coffees of the two men sitting at the countertop stools, then walked over to April. “Here’s a menu. Our specials today are a wild rice soup or a flatbread pesto sandwich. Do you know what you’d like or will you need some time?” Her voice was soft and inviting, like she really cared.
April shook her head. “All I know is I need a coffee. I’ll need some time to look at the menu though.”
“Of course. I’ll be right back with that.” The waitress nodded and walked into the kitchen.
Just as she was coming out with the coffee, the two men at the counter began laughing. Not just a light chuckle, but a hardy laugh from their guts. “Oh, don’t you mind them,” the woman said as she carefully set the mug down in front of April, along with a platter of creams and sugars. “They’re always like this. Scaring off the tourists.”
“Oh, I’m not a tourist,” April said instinctively. Then she really thought about it. She didn’t technically live here. It’d been years since she’d visited the house. Maybe she was a tourist of her own kind. “Not technically I guess.”
The waitress’s brows raised. “Pardon me for assumin’. I guess with all the tourists we get running in here… I haven’t seen you before. Are you new?”
That made the men at the counter turn towards them. “Fresh meat, eh?” The man wore a denim button-up shirt with a white tank top underneath. “We haven’t had any of that in a while.”
The other man, slightly younger and wearing some kind of work uniform chuckled. “Yeah, Chuck here was the last new guy to enter town and look at ‘im now. He was twenty when he moved here.”
Chuck frowned at the younger man. “I’m older than you. Why don’t you show me some kind of respect?”
The woman leaned down to April and whispered, “They have this fight every other day.” Then she raised her voice at the men. “Chuck. Barry. Are the two of you ever going to be nice to each other?”
Chuck looked at Barry. Barry looked at Chuck. And in perfect harmony they replied, “Nope.”
“Then why don’t you stop being friends and meeting here every day. You’re scaring away new folk and tourists alike,” she told them with a threatening look. When she turned back to April, she had a smile on her face. “Now, honey, what can I get you?”
In all the commotion, April had completely forgotten to look through the menu. By now, she was too hungry to take another few minutes. “I’ll just take that soup, please. Thank you.”
“Of course,” the woman said, collecting the menu from the table. “And my name is Melonie, in case you ever need it.”
“ April,” she responded with a smile.
