Tangled Hearts

One

Story Haven, Maine

Opening the side door of her rented sky blue Toyota Highlander, Savannah glances down at her sleeping baby boy.

He looks so much like an angel when he's peaceful like this, His caramel colored curls framing his chubby cheeks as he snuggles his favorite dinosaur plush. She carefully closes the door, deciding to let him sleep a little while longer after the hectic day of traveling they've had.

When Bruce finally returned home the morning after she broke the news, He told her that he needed some time to himself. That he had to figure out if he could find a way to forgive the lie of which their entire shared life has been based around.

He offered to leave their house in Seattle and stay in a hotel for the week, However seeing as he works from home as a Video Game Developer, and his entire setup of three monstrous sized desktops would be a nightmare to move — She decided to leave with Theo instead.

Thankfully, Being an independent wedding planner offers her the freedom of traveling whenever and wherever, so long as she doesn't have a client coming up. And so she hopped online and searched for a month-to-month lease for a two bedroom cottage in her hometown of Story Haven, Maine.

Savannah hasn't dared set foot in Maine since she fled with her secret six years ago.
Once her Mother Frances heard she was pregnant — She was cut off. Frances didn't care that Savannah was eighteen and supposedly in love with the father of her child, She was having a baby out of wedlock. And she was disowned.

Through distant relatives, Savannah knows her Mother has long returned to Upstate New York. So, at least there's one less person she has to worry about bumping into roaming the town. And although she could've traveled anywhere in the country, truly the only place she wanted to go, was home.

And as she leans back against the car door, her gaze shifting between the colorful autumn leaves falling from the nearest tree, to the picturesque front porches of the neighboring houses which all  line the two laned road— her heart begins to ache. The chilly breeze nips at her cheeks and the warmth from the days sun dissipates, and the sickeningly cozy feeling she was both afraid of, And also hoping to find, settles in. And she knows.

She's home.

"Excuse me, Miss Sheppard?" A soothing southern accent calls from behind Savannah, Twisting around she finds the realtor with whom she spoke to yesterday.

"Yes! Sorry, My sons sleeping in his seat." Savannah speaks in a hushed tone as she rounds the car to shake the beautiful woman's hand.

"Don't you worry about that, we can sign the lease right out here." She says, offering a reassuring smile as she pulls a dainty cream colored folder free from her shoulder bag. "Whenever I manage to get my babygirl to sleep, I don't even attempt to move her until she wakes up on her own."

"Thank you," Savannah accepts the gel tipped pen, Carefully signing and dating the lease agreement spread out across the cars hood. "How old did you say your daughter is, Miss Rambeau?"

"She turned three back in March, I swear every time I blink she's doubled in size!" She jokes, Giving the papers a quick look to be sure Savannah didn't miss anything. "And please, Call me Monica."

"Savannah." The redhead smiles, brushing a few of her windblown curls behind her slightly pointed ear. "Maybe we can get our kids together for a play date?"

"I'd like that." Monica tips her head to the side, not too many people in town have children close to her daughters age. And she'll never turn down a new friend, herself. "Well, here're your keys. Front door, The shed around back, And we already discussed the lack of a garage."