Chapter 3

It was going on 6pm when Dee finally made her way to the end of the winding dirt road and pulled up to the little cottage that Shay had rented. The sun was beginning to set, but they still had about an hour of daylight left to unload. Should be plenty of time. Dee skillfully backed up the U-Haul trailer in the front yard and maneuverer as close as she could get to the front porch. They should be able to just slide the ramp right up onto the porch. That way they wouldn’t have to worry about the steps, not that there was that many. But, Shay was already feeling the effects of the four hour drive and was looking forward to getting everything out of the truck and unwinding for the night.

“Whoa. That’s close enough.” Shay yelled from behind. “You’re good,” she yelled again as she slapped the side of the trailer twice to get Dee’s attention. She waited as Dee slid the truck into park and then jumped out.

Shay unlatched the padlock from the U-Haul door and slid it up on the rails. Hopping up onto the bumper, she slid the door the rest of the way up and made sure to secure the overhead door in place, this time. She’d already had it fall on her once.

“Ok. Let’s get at it, or we’ll be here all night.” Dee said as she pulled out the little ramp. While Dee was taking care of the truck, Shay walked up the three small wooden steps that led to the wrap around porch. The steps sagged a bit under her slight weight, and she was thankful that Dee had backed the truck up close enough to the porch that they wouldn’t need to use the stairs. She wasn’t sure they would hold their weight plus the boxes. She made a mental note to add this to the top of her fix-it list.

She made her way across the porch and lifted up the small patch of carpet that said ‘Welcome’ and retrieved the key. She opened the screen door and held it open with her hip while she finagled the key into the old lock of the cabin door. It creaked and stuck, but after a minute of wiggling, the key finally turned in the lock. Nothing a little WD-40 couldn’t fix. She pushed the door open with a tiny squeak and took a quick peek around.

It smelled a little musty from the lack of use, but nothing a few days of fresh air wouldn’t clear out. She stepped into the room and flipped on the light switch that was right next to the door. The cabin opened into a cozy little living area with a wood-burning fireplace. Off to the left was a tiny eat-in kitchen just large enough for a small table with two chairs. Shay walked in further and inspected the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn’t very big, she could stretch her arms and touch both sides of the counters, but she didn’t need much space. It had a gas stove and a small microwave and toaster oven in the corner. She could hear the hum of the refrigerator and was glad the landlord had the foresight to turn it on so it would be nice and cool for her when she arrived. Not that she had any groceries to put in it. That would have to wait for tomorrow.

There was a fine layer of dust on everything, but for the most part, it was quite clean for being vacant for several years. She moved past the kitchen and headed down the tiny hallway. On the right was a very tiny half-bath, just enough room for a sink and toilet and not much else. Beyond the half-bath was the master bedroom. If you could call it that. It was the only other room in the cabin. But it was spacious enough for a queen size bed, dresser and a night stand.

Shay was pleased to find that it had a full bath with linen closet. The old claw foot tub filled the room, but she didn’t care. It was charming, and she couldn’t wait to fill it with steaming hot water and relax in it. Maybe not tonight, but definitely soon.

“Hey, are you going to help or were you planning on making me do all the work!”

Shay smiled to herself at Dee’s outburst, but she did hurry back out to find her friend.

“Sorry, I was just taking a quick glance around to see where I might want to put stuff.” She answered as she came back up the hallway.

Dee was standing in the doorway with a box in her hands. “Where do you want me to put this one?”

Shay glanced around and decided that the living area was as good a place as any. “There’s not much, so let’s just pile it in the living room for now. I’ll go through it in the morning and decide where to put everything.”

Dee just shrugged and set the box down next to the couch and headed out for another. Shay followed quickly behind her. It took them a little more than an hour, but they finally unloaded the last box into the little cottage. Shay hadn’t bothered to bring any of her furniture; she had sold it all and decided to only keep the most important things.

Though the cabin itself was small, she couldn’t complain. It came fully furnished, and the rent was a steal. She sat down on the end table nearest the small fireplace and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

Now that the truck was completely unloaded, she could give the cabin a more detailed inspection. She scanned the rooms taking note of a few things. The place wasn't falling apart, but it was dusty from neglect. Nothing a little bit of elbow grease couldn’t fix. It just needed a woman's touch she thought and maybe a little paint to liven the place up. She would spend the week cleaning it up, making whatever small repairs she could do herself, and maybe head to town and grab some new curtains for the windows. The ones hanging up were a bit too thin and discolored for her liking.

“You know there were so many nicer places right in town that you could have picked,” Dee said catching her breath. “This place looks like it’s ready to fall apart.”

“I like it. It has character.” Shay smiled getting up off the end table and heading into the kitchen. She opened up a few cupboards until she found the one with glasses. Grabbing two she turned to Dee. “Want one?” She held up a glass.

“Please,” Dee said wetting her lips.

There wasn’t anything in the fridge yet, so Shay just filled both glasses with tap water. Thankfully, the water ran clear. Shay passed her a glass of cold water and took a long sip herself before saying, “I really like the cabin. It has its own cozy charm. Plus, I like the outdoor feeling, and I have the river right across the road with lots of walking trails.”

“What is it with you and nature?” Dee asked raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. Even though she and Dee had grown up in the same small town, Dee was much more a city-girl than a country girl. She much preferred the comforts of air-conditioning, regular manicures, and indoor shopping to anything having to do with the outdoors.

“I love the solitude, Dee. Plus it’s only a fifteen-minute walk to town.” Shay said and then took another drink. Solitude was what she needed. To give her time to collect her thoughts and find purpose again. Even though it had been almost a year since her life flipped upside down, everything was still too chaotic in Riverside to move on. The constant stares and whispers wherever she went didn’t help her to get past her personal nightmare. And even if the townspeople weren’t staring at her or talking about her, she was still constantly reminded of Ana. Her memory was everywhere; when she passed by the elementary school or ran past the park on her early morning runs to clear her mind. She could still remember the first time Ana had jumped off the diving board at the community pool. It was all just too much. There was always the constant reminder of her. It’s not that Shay wanted to forget her daughter because that would never happen, nor would she want it to. But she needed to find a place where she could heal and Riverside couldn’t provide that safe haven anymore.

“What are you going to do for transportation?” Dee asked as she pulled her long blond hair into a ponytail.

“I plan on buying a car in the fall. But, it’s the first week of June. I want to enjoy the spring and summer before it’s gone. Besides, I love to walk. You know that” Shay winked at her friend.

“Ok. Suit yourself; you nature loving hippie.” She said rolling her eyes at Shay. She stood up and exaggerated a groan as she stretched her tired limbs. “Well, I have to drop the U-Haul trailer off before they close at 8:30. Do you need me to come by tomorrow to help you unpack? She said as she headed for the door.

Shay appreciated the offer, but she was looking forward to some solitude. “No. I’m good. Besides, I really didn’t bring much. I don’t start work until the end of summer which gives me plenty of time to clean and get organized.” She said looking around. Shay got up and followed Dee to the door.

“How about you come and see me tomorrow night at the bar?” Dee said stepping outside.

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Shay said giving her friend a tight hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “Hey, thanks for everything Dee. I really appreciate it.”

Dee smiled, “Anytime Shay. I’m really glad you’re here. I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some rest alright.” At that, she turned and made her way to the truck.

Shay watched as Dee drove off down the dirt road until the truck and trailer disappeared, a little lump of emotion forming in her throat. She closed the door behind her and sagged against it, feeling a little overwhelmed all of a sudden. The stress of the day hadn’t hit her until she had watched her best friend drive off and leave her alone in the cabin. But, she refused to be overcome with emotion. Instead of waiting until the morning, she spent the better part of the night dusting, sweeping, and wiping down the kitchen counters.

It was past ten when she tossed the rag in the sink and surveyed her handiwork. Not bad for a couple hours of work. It still smelled a bit musky, but the thin layers of dust had been swept and wiped away leaving behind the light lemony scent of Lysol. She would deal with her room and the bathrooms in the morning.

Still full of restless energy, she decided to tackle the boxes next. She spent the better part of the next two hours unpacking most of them and folding up the cardboard. She wasn’t sure if Greyson Falls had a recycling program, but she felt bad just throwing the boxes in the trash.

She eyed the only two boxes that remained unopened in the corner and debated on whether she should just let them wait until morning. But, not one to leave tasks unfinished, she decided to go ahead and tackle them before she turned in for the night.

She walked over and looked down at them. Written on the tops in black ink was one word.

ANA.

She gulped back the lump that formed in her throat. She brought them into her bedroom and placed them both in the back of her closet, but opened one up and retrieved a little purple stuffed monkey.

It had been Ana’s favorite. She had carried it everywhere with her.

Shay placed the monkey on her bed and retreated back into the living room. Looking for a distraction, she checked the small T.V. to see if it worked. It did, but it only had four channels in total. There was at least a DVD player so she could watch movies. She would have to buy some more because her DVD collection was quite small and she would eventually get tired of watching the same thing over and over again. She glanced at her cell phone, but there was no cell service on the outskirts of town, only once she hit the bridge but there was a house phone in the cottage. She would have to get that setup this week.

Before Dee had left for the night, she had handed Shay a bottle of wine as a welcome home present. Shay hadn’t planned on opening it yet, but with the memories of Ana playing at the back of her mind, she decided a glass or two couldn’t hurt. Turning to the kitchen, she rummaged through the old wooden cupboards and was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of wine glasses and shot glasses in the back. They were a bit dusty, but she rinsed them off in the sink. Grabbing one for herself, she placed the others on the drying rack next to the sink. The cabin didn’t have a dishwasher, but that didn’t bother Shay.

She managed to find a bottle opener in one of the drawers and popped the cork on the cabernet. Pouring herself a generous glass of wine, she walked outside on the front porch and sat on the swing. It needed a little sanding and a fresh coat of paint, but it was sturdy.

It had been the one thing that had caught her eye when she agreed to rent the place two months ago. Dee had shown her pictures of the property, but it was the front porch that had the small weathered veranda and an old white swing that had sealed the deal. At her Riverside house, she’d had a similar porch and swing out front. That was her and Ana’s favorite spot to sit at dusk before bed. In the summertime, they would both sit on the swing, watching the firefly’s and listen to the crickets when she wasn’t telling Ana stories. It brought a sense of warmth to her as she sat down with her glass of wine and looked out through the trees, watching the glow of the moon cascade over the river.

Shay had a good feeling about Greyson Falls. It was a little smaller than Riverside, and that appealed to her. Where she sat there weren't any people rushing along the sidewalks, and there wasn’t any traffic down the little dirt road that sat in front of her new home. She was only a few minutes out of town, but it offered her the solitude that she had been craving.

The cottage wasn't much, but it was hers and secluded enough, that she wouldn't be bothered by anyone. Well, almost anyone. There was only one other cottage at the end of the dirt road that sat next to hers. It was close enough that she could see the soft glow of the porch light, but not so close that they were staring at each other’s kitchen windows. Both looked almost identical on the outside in size and design. They were both nestled within and against large oak trees that bordered the edge of the forest that stretched on for a few miles. Just the way she liked it.

Shay finished the last of her wine and headed inside. She rinsed out the wine glass and placed it in the drain rack with the others, before switching off the kitchen light. She went to her bedroom and shimmied out her jean shorts and slid her tank top over her head. Next came her bra, sighing audibly as she unhooked it and dropped it to the floor. She slipped on an old worn t-shirt that fell just above her tiny waist and retreated to the bathroom. Shay brushed her teeth, rinsed, and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She gazed at her reflection. The long dark locks cascaded around her pear shaped face. She stared at the arctic blue eyes in the mirror, but all she could think of was the look she had seen in the man’s eyes in the diner parking lot that afternoon. Intense, emerald green eyes. Jaxson’s eyes.

Haunted

Misery

Pain

Shay touched the mirror, snapping herself out of her reverie and said, “Everything is going to be ok. No more nightmares. Only good memories now.”

After her little pep talk, she climbed into bed, thankful that the caretaker had provided clean linens. But at this point, Shay was too exhausted to care. She curled up with Ana’s purple monkey and whispered, “Goodnight sweetie. I love you.” She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.