The Untitled Story

Chapter 3

"OUCH" Aimee groaned as she rubbed her toe. "Always in such a rush Aimee, slow down Aimee, why do you always have to be such a klutz Aimee". She spoke inwardly as she shook her head back and forth walking down the bathroom.

"Okay Aimee- now turn on the water, stick your foot in the tub- wash your foot- remember to put shoes on!"

Internal dialogues have always been her way of coping when she felt overwhelmed. Today was the day she was going to snip away her Florida license for good and become an official Gunner resident, again. She had to be to the DMV by 9am and she was already 30 minutes behind schedule. Between the vivid dreams she had been having over the last two weeks of being home and this pushing of anxiety she has felt for the last few days, she couldn't tell if it was indigestion or just her imagination.

Walking into the kitchen was strange, no one was there, no fresh coffee smell, no Milly chirping around like always, no Greg glaring over his coffee cup. Sitting quietly on top the Gunner Hometown News was a little handwritten note she may have otherwise overlooked.

"Good morning baby girl. Your father and I had to go into Newtown to have one of the steer looked at. He wasn't seeming to right this morning. Left you some fresh muffins on top of the stove and a thermos full of fresh coffee on the table by the front door,

Love Mom and Dad"

"Well, that explains it", Aimee picked up a muffin from the stove, stuffed in her mouth. "Yum! Banana Chocolate Chip, way to go Mom". Headed out the front door grabbing her coffee, she turned around to look back to the kitchen, she noticed someone moving around the curtains to the back door. She paused, "It's just the wind Aimee, you're going to be late, don't fuck around, let's go". She placed her bag and coffee back down on the table and headed to the back door.

"Tucker?" she murmured. Almost too soft for him to hear her.

Looking up from the spigot he was replacing, with his at-a-boy stance, he stood up. Aimee's eyes followed his every motion like a car trying to park in a tight spot. Knowing you should stare but its so hard not too.

"Hey Aimee, heard you were back in Gunner", his country twang and deep voice making her regret her decision.

"Yea-yeah, I've been back a couple weeks about now". How am I even standing and talking?

"Well, it's been some years, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd say about five."

"13 years", Tucker interjected. "Clearly someone else hasn't forgotten after all."

"So, what does Greg have you fixing on this bright sun shining day on the farm?"

"Oh, ya know, the spigot, same one he had me fix 2 weeks ago come to think about it, said he doesn't think it's getting enough pressure in it to run the hose to the garden. I offered to just put in sprinklers for him, but he said 'Now why would I have some silly things like that in my damn garden' you know how he gets sometimes."

Aimee shook her head candidly. "Well, would you look at that, I'm going to be late to the DMV." She didn't even say bye as she ran back into the house, grabbing her bag and coffee and jumping into her Jeep.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, Oh my God what was I thinking! I should have never been talking to him like that! He is going to think I am insane, but he's so beautiful! How could he just be standing there like that! God does he not remember how this happen? Ugh! No, not fair. You do not just get to pick and choose when you.... Her racing thoughts stopped. For a moment she went back into time. She remembered just how it all started. How it all ended too. Best of all she knew he did too.

*******

Aimee finally made it home right as the sun had started to set. Gunner driver's license in hand, a few new books she knew she wouldn't read more than half of, a small bag from the IGA. It had taken her all these years she knew something in her life was missing. Now standing in her parents driveway looking at the mountain ridge turn black with the night sky, and the soft oranges, pinks and yellows fade into light blues and dark purples. A perfect mixture of golden lights and stars meshed into the skyline. Birds returning to the nests, bats beginning to fly, lighting bugs flickering along the fence line, still visible from the last remaining beams of sun.

"This, this is what's been missing. Maybe going home wasn't such a bad idea after all. I mean just look at all of this. Under one God not everyone gets a view this beautiful almost every day of their lives".

Aimee continued to stand in the driveway, not moving an inch. Crickets chirped, small birds gave their last call, Greg had turned on the barn lights, she ignored the ever-same sign that you have your ass in the house once the barn lights come on.

She knew she was finding herself again. Just little pieces, but they would be enough to fuel her. They would be just enough to help build her life back. A life she had once thought was washed away like the beaches of southeast Florida.

Inthat small moment she knew she was built different. She was strong, she wasproud, and she knew going home was the right choice.