Summer Dreams

Chapter One

The letter in my hands made my heart stop dead in its tracks. My hands trembled and my eyes started to water. I set the paper on the counter next to the back door and walked upstairs, my hands covering my mouth so I wouldn't scream in agony. The stairs squeaked under my heavy steps, and I kicked my door open once I got to it. At once I was greeted by my dog, Remi, but then she saw the state I was in; her tail drooped and her face turned from happiness to sympathy. He was gone. He took a grenade to the chest, fighting for his country. Dad always said he wouldn't leave me, but I secretly knew this was all false.

The images from our past just ran through my mind. From the time I was two until now, when I'm almost nineteen years old. I walked over to my bed, my head throbbing and my face hot from the constant stream of tears occupying my cheeks. I fell backwards on my bed and curled up on my side. The bed moved behind me and I felt the wet nose of Remi touch my ear. I cried harder, small squeaks coming from my mouth. Remi was a birthday gift from dad for my fourteenth birthday. I rolled onto my side and wrapped my arms around her neck, the patched black fur falling onto my jacket. Her brown eyes softened like she understood what was going on. She lied down next to me and curled up in my arms.

I buried my face in her black and white pelt. My hold on her tightened when I thought of the day that I got her.

Dad told me to cover my eyes, and I did so, though I peaked through the slit in my fingers. I heard the click of claws on plastic, and opened my eyes to be playfully scolded by dad.

"Close your eyes, Marley!" He laughed and huffed while lifting a kennel up onto the table. He patted his hands against his thighs as if he was wiping something off, and turned to me. "Okay, Marley-Bear, open your eyes."

I let my hands fall and saw him with a wide smile on his face. I looked around him and saw a silver kennel on the table, and the small noises of a dog escaping through the openings. I stood up and moved towards it, and peered through the metal bars. Beautiful brown eyes in the middle of a white fur face gazed back at me in wonder. My face brightened and I unlocked the gate quickly, picking up the puppy up in my arms. I smiled at her and turned to my dad. "What breed is she?"

"She's a Border Collie. I know you've been reading about them lately, so I went on a hunt to find one." He smiled and wrapped me in his loving arms.

I remember multiple other memories, more than anyone could count. But the memories would stop. He wasn't going to come home. He was all I had left. Mom died when I was four, and I'm an only child. Dad had a 'sitter' for me, more of a house keeper and someone to keep an eye on me so the state wouldn't take me away. But I had nowhere to go, none of my family lived in California with me. It was just me and him. I sat up on my bed and let my feet fall over the edge. My arm lifted and wiped my tears onto the sleeve of my jacket, Remi's black and white hairs getting caught in my dark blonde eyelashes. I took a deep breath and stood up, my feet heavy with sorrow and exhaustion from crying.

I opened the door and let Remi run out before me as I followed her. My hand ran along the railing of the stairs and the walls that held all of these memories. Nothing would change how I feel about this. I sighed and the house went quiet. Remi was on the couch and her soft panting was the only thing that filled the house. My foot was ready to hit the floor in the kitchen when I nearly jumped out of my skin when the phone started to ring. My feet dragged me over there at a surprisingly quick pace, hoping that all of this was just a mistake and that Dad was still alive and on his way home, relieved from duty. My hand wrapped around the black plastic and I cleared my throat before putting it to my ear and speaking.

"Hello?" My voice cracked from the recent crying.

"Marley? Oh Marley you're okay! I haven't heard your voice since you were just a babe. " A raspy man's voice with a weird southern accent responded to me.

"Uhm, I don't mean to be rude, but can you tell me who this is and how exactly you know my name?" My voice was getting better.

"It hurts to know that you don't remember me, but I guess it's fair enough. I'm your mother's father, Ryan. And I know your name because I'm your Grandpa."

I took this like a punch to the chest. "My Grandpa? I have a Grand-Father? How come I've never met you?"

His hearty laugh filled me with an unknown happiness. "Everything is going to be explained when you get here. We've made up a room for you, cleaned up the ranc-"

"Wait wait wait, I'm going where?"

"Addison, Alabama. In Winston county, it's a little ways away from where you're at, but trust me, you're going to love it here!" Happiness filled his voice, but mine was choking again.

"Al-Alabama... How am I going to get there from Cali?

"We set up a plane for you, so pack up and put a post-it note on the large things you want to take. You'll be here in about four or five hours, Marley. Everyone here in Alabama can't wait to meet you. "

"Well, I better get to that then, huh?" I stared at the wall, thinking of everyone in Addison.

"We'll see you here in a few hours, Kiddo, we miss and love you." With that the line went dead. I put the phone down and tried to imagine what they looked like. I don't even remember what my mother looked like, other than she had blonde hair like me. A small smile escaped through the sadness inside me. I poked through the junk-drawers in the kitchen and the office looking for Post-Its. I found a huge stack of bright orange Post-Its. I grabbed them and ran up to my room. Remi barked and followed me, I could hear her collar jingle as she went up the steps. When I got to my room, I turned around and told Remi to sit, and she did. I peeled off one of the sticky notes and planted it on her forehead. Laughing, I opened the door to my room, while she just sat there stunned by the odd orange thing on her forehead.

I ran over to my radio and unplugged it, wrapping up the cord and setting it on the floor next to my desk. I put a sticky note on my actual desk, then tossed the whole stack to the side. My bed was tore apart by the time I was done with it, with two piles for pillows and blankets.

It took me about an hour or so to pack up all of the stuff I wanted to take. My room was empty too, my desk and all of the other large things on a truck sitting outside my house waiting for me. I grabbed the luggage sitting next to my feet and took a deep breath before walking out my door. The door clicked shut behind me and I let go of my bags, walking over to Dad's room. Everything was in place, his bed, TV, dresser, awards, his life laid out right in front of me. My feet moved towards his dresser, picking up a picture of him in his Army fatigues and me standing next to him at the fountain in the park down the street. I could feel my eyes getting hot, and I quickly put it in my bag. I didn't want to have puffy eyes on the whole way to Alabama. I whistled, and Remi ran out of the guest bedroom with the handle to a bag locked in her jaws.

I couldn't help but smile as her tail wagged behind her. My hands wrapped around the plastic on my suit-cases and we walked outside towards the truck. A man with blonde hair and a company shirt on helped me put the bags in the back. Remi ran around the corner and dropped her luggage at his feet, then turned and waited for the door to open for her. The man's face twisted in disgust once I opened the door for Remi.

"That thing can't be in the truck." He pointed to Remi and she turned, giving the guy a strange look.

"Excuse me? What did you just call her?" I stood up taller, getting in the guy's face. "I'm sorry," I looked down at his name tag and read his name. "Christian, but she is riding up in the truck."

He opened his mouth to speak and I hushed him. "Shut up. I don't give a damn about the company rules, but that dog is like a sister to me. I'm going through enough right now and I don't need a douche bag driver saying Remi cannot sit up front." I glared at him once more before nodding at Remi, and she jumped in. I climbed into the vehicle and slammed the door behind me, rolling the window down and whispering 'good byes' to my home. And I swear, as we drove away, I saw Dad standing in his window and waving back at me.