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“Ali was a beautiful soul. She did so much for this community. She is dearly missed. Which is why when we found out her granddaughter was moving in, we all pitched in to make sure the house was stocked and cleaned for you.”
I look around the kitchen, finally noticing the grocery bags in the trash can. I open the double door fridge to find it completely stocked with fresh fruits, veggies, meats, yogurts, you name it.
“I have to go but I left my number on the fridge if you need anything. Also, me and some friends will be at The Tavern tonight at around 8 pm if you want to join us for some delicious food and drinks.” She smiles as she shrugs.
“I would love to. I have been stuck in a car for days, and I would like to see more of this town.”
She jumps up and down, cheerful spirit she is. “Perfect, okay I'll see you there. Oh, and it’s just down the hill, you could easily walk there.”
I wave goodbye to her, closing the door, I walk over to the kitchen. It’s a really nice, big kitchen. I love the white cabinets, white backsplash, the trim work on the cabinets, the hardwood floors, farmhouse sink and the large white marble island in the middle. I just can’t believe it is all mine. I was my grandmothers only grandchild. My parents didn’t get along with her much, so of course I loved the heck out of her. Which makes sense why I would inherit her assets.
I head over to the couch, plopping down and am engulfed in soft plush cushions. I find the remote to the TV that is attached to the wall above the white-washed brick fireplace. I will definitely use this fireplace at nighttime. I flip through the channels before settling on re-runs of Grey’s Anatomy. God, I love this show. I could recite almost every scene. Mer and Christina are just an epic duo. Before I even get ten minutes into the episode where Izzy cuts Denny’s LVAD wire, I am passed out, only to wake up three hours later to the sound of my alarm.
I quickly get off the couch, hitting stop on my phone and head to the master bedroom. My rolling suitcase glides behind me as I round the corner. I walk down 4 hardwood steps and walk into the bedroom. The whole room is surrounded by glass windows, from floor to ceiling, the bed sits directly in front of the windows, providing the best view of the stars. There are no lights visible, so I am assuming it is just open forest, private.
There is another white-washed fireplace, but it seems to share a wall with the bathroom. I enter the white marbled bathroom, immediately noticing the large white soaking tub in front of another large window, only it’s the entire wall. The fireplace is directly in front of the tub.
Oh. grandma how romantic.
Perched on top of a wooden stool are fresh chopped wood, green plants in the corner, towels rolled up neatly and presentable, and a towel warmer. I look around and set my suitcase on the floor. Unzipping the suitcase, I grab my essentials and head to the shower. My eyes tracing over every inch of this walk-in shower, the pebbled black flooring, the rain shower head on the ceiling, the double shower heads. It was almost as if my grandmother made this house for lovebirds. Only my grandfather passed away ten years ago, before she had this home built.
Oh god, was my grandma seeing someone?
I try to erase the thoughts of my grandma being romantically involved with anyone as I tilt my head under the scorching hot stream. I love showers, the sounds of the water hitting the floor, the steam clearing my sinuses, the ability to sing with the acoustics bouncing off the walls. All of it just brings me joy. I think about a lot when I am in the shower. My characters speak to me, when I am calm, when things are quiet, when views are beautiful. Right now, this was the best decision I could have made for my writing career.
I dry off my body and grab a pair of jeans, an oversized sweater, tan beanie and my brown uggs. Lately, neutrals have been my thing, I blame tiktok. It is dark outside which means the beautiful 65-degree weather from earlier has dissipated. Looking at the weather on the bathroom mirror, yes, it’s a smart mirror, it shows the time being 7:45pm and a brisk 52 degrees.
I check myself in the mirror, fixing my long blonde hair. My hair is straight, but I had curled it into loose curls the other day, so I still have some curl left. I touch up my lips with nude lipstick, smacking my lips together and rubbing the lipstick evenly. I secure my beanie and grab my purse and phone before I head outside.
As soon as I walk up to my car, I know I don’t want to get in it. It’s beautiful out, the sound of the wind whistling through the trees, the brisk air hitting my cheeks, I put my phone in my pocket and walk down the hill. Madison said it was a short walk down the hill, so I’ll enjoy this fresh air before I become the new girl in town the minute I step foot in the bar.
Hopefully this Tavern has some good food because I am starving. As I walk, I take notice of the other driveways, large homes perched up on the hillside. The homes are aligned with white picket fences, some have pumpkins decorating the porches, lights on, families seated around the dinner tables, happy and laughing. It makes me smile as I turn back to look in front of me. I round the corner, the view of downtown right in front of me. The white Christmas lights line the power beams, twinkle lights hanging from the power lines, the local shops still busy with customers going in and out.
I walk another block and finally spot The Tavern. The sign is red, there was no missing it, plus the bull horns sticking out of the sign bring a hunter’s touch. The place looks packed from the outside, which I guess is a good thing, means the food is good right? Or maybe this is the only spot in town? When I open the door, the smell of food infiltrates my nostrils and my stomach rumbles. Either I am starving or that smells divine. I search the packed bar, looking for the curly brown-haired girl who invited me.
“Julia, over here.” I spot her surrounded by a group of guys who turn to look at me, she waves me over and I inhale and exhale before I squeeze through the crowd and approach the bar top.
Be friendly, Julia. Smile, its only drinks and food. No big deal.
I remind myself as I smile and look at the group, holding out my hand, “Hi, I’m Julia.”
CALEB
YOU PUT A SPELL ON ME BY AUSTIN GIORGIO
“Travis, I am still waiting on the eight wings, extra hot and two baskets of curly fries.”
I yell out into the loud kitchen. Travis nods as he continues cooking. The servers shuffle past, rushing to their tables, food trays teetering as they squeeze through the crowd. It’s a busy weekend, the football games blasting on the tv’s, the local band plays top hits, while patrons drink and eat. The bell rings and I hand off the plates to the server before I take my leave and man my station at the bar. I typically leave the food handling to Jasper, but we are short staffed today.
The bar is my domain. I bought this restaurant five years ago, I always wanted to be a bar owner, so a good friend of mine Ali, helped me start it. She wanted me to live my best life, as she calls it. She always used to say, “life is too short, if someone would have helped me, I would have lived a happier life at an earlier age.”
Ali Harrington died a couple months ago, it hurt like hell to lose such a close friend, even though she was very old, she was like a grandmother to the community, to me. She cared so much about Everwood, about me, about everyone.
“Aye Caleb, can I get two beers please?”
I nod as I hand off two beers on tap to a patron before wiping down the counters. The door chimes as more patron’s waltz in and find a table or an open spot at the bar. I look up to greet them in when I see an outsider. I know everyone in Everwood, it’s a small community, so we notice immediately when tourists come in.
But this woman, she is different. Something is familiar about her. I watch as she makes her way through the crowd. Her long, sun-kissed blonde hair that frames her face, is cascading down her back, she has blue eyes, plump pink lips, and a cute little button nose.
