AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What did he say?” I asked, my mouth suddenly dry.
She shrugged. “Not much. I think he knew you weren’t working that day. He didn’t seem pushy or anything. He just asked me to tell you that he was looking for you.”
I wasn’t sure why Ty would go to my sister of all places to get a hold of me. He knew where I lived and had my phone number.
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure what else to say or how to process the information. I hadn’t seen him in almost three months. What did he all of a sudden want with me now?
“Are you upset that I told you?” Faye sounded unsure as she sucked in her bottom lip.
I shook my head, gripping her hand again. “No, of course I’m not.” To be honest, I wasn’t even angry that Ty was looking for me. “I’m glad you told me. Thank you.”
Faye’s uncertainty turned into a relieved grin. “Good. Now, you’ve been here all day, why don’t you get out of here?”
I paused, not totally sure if I wanted to leave yet. Sometimes the distraction of working was good. Yet, I was a little tired. Some rest seemed like a good idea. Maybe I’d stop at the coffee shop on the way home. I hadn’t done that in months.
Eventually, I nodded, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. “I’ll see you later, Faye.”
Not only did I get a huge, sweet cup of coffee from the local coffee shop, I also decided to walk some of the shorter nature trails along the river. There was something about the fresh air, the view, and the smell of the water and blooming flowers that soothed part of my soul. I found a comfortable spot beside a tall lilac bush where I sat and read some of a book. The rushing river was the soundtrack to my evening.
I hadn’t taken time like this for myself in so long, and it calmed a place deep inside of me that had been long neglected. Reading was such a big part of my life, but I hadn’t even touched a book since my father died. Slipping into the story now was as easy as breathing. Before I realized it, the sun was setting and I had to pull myself from the little spot of solace and go.
It was fully dark by the time I got home and settled inside. The calm and peace I’d found since talking with Faye melted away when I walked through the door. Here, I couldn’t forget him. The door to his room loomed before me, reminding me of its emptiness. Almost everything in here was my Dad’s; the furniture had been here since I was a kid, even the plates with the brown and yellow border reminded me of him. Nothing but my clothes and books were actually mine, and though I was glad to have all these things, it was also hard. It was impossible to move on when I lived in his space.
I didn’t even know if I wanted to move on…and maybe that was the wrong word. I wasn’t moving on from my father. But I needed to start living. Being stuck here in grief and sadness wasn’t fully living.
I was sitting on the couch next to Buffy, staring at the window Ty had replaced. He had replaced it without hesitation. Without me even asking, really. I’d been stubborn and told him not to, but he had anyway.
I absently stroked Buffy’s soft fur as I thought. It wasn’t Ty’s fault what happened to my father, I knew that. Ty had done a lot of things, but that hadn’t been on him. Dad would’ve gone if I was here with him or not. The thought of seeing Ty again made me terrified. But I missed him.
I glanced at the coffee table where my notebook sat, untouched since last time I’d written in it. I picked it up carefully, but didn’t open it. I held it to my chest for a while, letting my mind calm. There were still unfinished pages in this notebook. My story wasn’t done yet.
Part of me wanted to write again, but I couldn’t do it here. These walls held too much pain. They were suffocating. So, I hauled myself off the couch, slipped on a pair of boots, and grabbed a flashlight.
The night air was humid, but cooler than the day. I turned on the flashlight, lighting my path down toward the creek. I hadn’t been there in months. Though it was once a safe place for me, it had felt wrong to go there when my father was no longer alive. That thought now seemed crazy. Like I was punishing myself…and for what? For grieving? For losing someone who was so important to me?
The grass and wildflowers were so overgrown it was hard to walk through. I hadn’t had anyone come out to tend to the land in too long. I needed to get that on my list before I had a forest growing.
With some difficulty, I finally made it to the dense trees surrounding the creek bed. The crickets and bullfrogs were on full volume tonight singing their lullabies. It wasn’t long before the soft sound of running water met my ears.
My chest eased. I was home.
The weight on my shoulders lifted as my feet crunched the rocky shore of the creek bed. Even in the dark, I knew this place like the back of my hand. I walked along the creek for a while, trying to find a good spot to sit and write.
Then, the dull glow of a light ahead made me freeze.
It was a little farther up, closer to the trees. It was definitely a light, and what looked like the shadow of a person.
My breath caught as my muscles tensed. There shouldn’t be anyone else out here. This part of the creek was technically on my land. I swallowed down the panic, trying not to freak out. Maybe someone was camping and hadn’t realized this was private property.
I took a calming breath, tightening my grip on my flashlight and cradling my notebook to my chest with the other hand. Carefully, I headed toward the light, praying I wouldn’t scare whoever it was.
I made my way back to the grass and trees, making sure to train my flashlight only on the ground. I looped around, coming up to the person from the back, instead of up from the creek.
As I approached, I saw the light was from a small electric lantern. It was hanging on a low tree branch, illuminating a large, comfy quit laid out under a canopy of leaves. Sitting on that blanket was a man.
I only saw the back of his head, but I knew him. I would recognize that dark, curly hair anywhere.
“Ty?” I said, breathless with shock.
