Cherry Skies

Chapter 3- Return to Tender Springs

On the road, the two weary travelers make the nearly two-day trip in just over a single day.

Elizabeth's mind continues to play tricks on her, and sleep isn't much of an option when she closes her eyes and sees her mother's bedside with her older brother and younger sister standing there with their father crying.

In the dream, Elizabeth slinks up to the side of the bed and notices her mother has passed on. Her mother's eyes are pale blue but open when she says goodbye; her mother twists her head.

"You were my biggest disappointment, Ellie. I waited on you, and here you are as always late and weak!" Her mother speaks, and only Elizabeth can hear.

The more Elizabeth thinks about returning home. The more anxiety takes control of her mind. Will the family even allow her back on their land? What will her father say after all these years? Those questions bounce in her head as her hands begin to tremble.

Unwilling to wait any longer to find out, she gets up to wake her daughter so that they can finish the final portion of the drive. Unable to fall back to sleep, Elizabeth is packed up and ready to drive.

"Hey Katie, c'mon sweetie, I'll stop and get you a thing of hotcakes and sausage." She whispers in her daughter's ear.

"Ugh, okay, but I want a Mocha Frappe. Otherwise, I'm going to be the brat you don't wanna meet today." Kaitlin replies, wiping her eyes sitting up in bed.

"Just get dressed, and you can have it. I want to get there and get this over with."

Kaitlin's never seen her mother be such a hot mess. She's normally rational about everything until she can't bottle things up and explodes on the world. Which usually consists of her father being the main target.

"Mom, you sure you're okay? I've never seen you this messed up. What happened between you and Pappy? Why does he hate you so much?" Kaitlin finally asks when she sees her mother's hands shake.

With a heavy huff of guilt later, Elizabeth finally reveals why they have never met her side of the family.

"Your grandfather wasn't happy when I was accepted to UCLA. He was furious when I decided to become a medical doctor and not a veterinarian. He thought that he could save some money on the family ranch." Elizabeth begins with Kaitlin drawn to her story.

"So, after he found out I wasn't going to be a vet, he finally calmed down, thinking I would go to Colorado for medical school. Then when I was offered a medical scholarship to remain at UCLA, he wasn't too happy. You see, he's stuck believing life should be how it was a hundred years ago." Elizabeth continues plopped down on the bed.

"Oh... That's kind of screw up." Kaitlin says with a look of hate in her eyes.

"So, you know, by then, I met your father, and we got engaged and stuff. Well, I got pregnant with your brother, and when we both went back to tell them the good news, he lost his mind and banished me from ever coming home while he's alive. In his eyes, I abandoned the family by following my dreams and not wanting to be part of his grand scheme of things. Daddy's always been about the survival of the next generation of Reed's running the ranch his great, great, great grandfather started."

"Wow, that's a long time of running the same farm..."

Kaitlin's stopped to be corrected on the terminology.

"It's a ranch, nothing like a farm. They've always raised sheep, cattle, and goats. Livestock for butcher's markets and such. Well, now I supposed they sell to supermarket chains and whatnot, but yeah, the entire family hates, and I do mean they hate your father." Elizabeth finishes up with another sigh.