Love Always, From Mayberry

Chapter fifty

I had a long weekend off and decided to drive to my former home town, in the mountains to visit Madison. Madison's life had changed drastically over the years. She had married a minister of a Baptist church and blessed him with four beautiful girls. They all had the same sandy blonde hair as her with piercing blue eyes. Madison and me surprisingly had remained incredibly close throughout the years and I had been a bridesmaid in her wedding. Her father had passed away a year after her wedding and her and her mother's relationship mended. It had became strained after her wild teenage and early adult years.

My ears pop automatically as the altitude changes on the drive up. I turn off my AC and roll down the windows enjoying the cooler natural air. Mayberry had much to my surprise became my home that I didn't have any plans to leave anytime soon. Despite my unexpected attachment to the town, I would never get used to the hot, humid summer days.

There's fog per usual obstructing some of my view of the scenery on my drive but I can easily make out the hunter green sign, Welcome to Laurel Ridge. What used to be my home where I had always planned on moving back to in my adult years was now just a place to visit. I drive past my childhood home and can't help but look over and wonder how my life might have turned out if my parents hadn't of decided to make the move to Mayberry all of those years ago. I had loved our house in Laurel Ridge. It was a typical mountain-cabin home with a small creek running behind with a Christmas tree farm surrounding the home. To the left of my old house and through a mile or so of Christmas trees was Madison's families land where her and her husband had built a home behind her parents home. Madison was a stay at home mom and home schooled her two oldest daughters, Marie and McKenzie. Her two youngest, Alice and Amanda were still toddlers. They weren't twins but were barely a year apart in age and looked like twins.

Madison's parent's driveway had a gate with a code I still remembered after all of these years. There driveway was long, paved with Japanese cherry blossom trees lining both sides, to get to Madison's was an even longer drive. I remembered the days before Madison's home was built and her and I would play for hours where her house now stood. Her Barbie convertible was one of our favorite activities.

Before I could even get an inch away from my car McKenzie runs out of the house at such a speed you could hardly make her out. McKenzie was the wild child. She reminded me the most of Madison as a child out of all her daughters.

"Kenzie, please don't tackle Whit or she won't ever come back to see us." Madison waits for me at the door. She's covered in flour with her hair in a messy bun. I can't help but laugh. Madison's life is wonderful but it was never a life I seen her having or wanting.

Madison lets McKenzie and Marie outside to play while Alice and Amanda are down for naps. She cuts me a piece of freshly made jalapeño cheddar sour dough bread while asking me how my new nursing career is going. It doesn't take long for the conversation to turn into questioning about my love life.

"So, are you still forcing yourself to be in a relationship with Drew or did you finally end it?" Madison was always so blunt about things.

"Yes, I ended it. It was just hard. You know I don't want to be seen as the villain. I don't want to hurt anybody." I knew how Madison would reply. She had always preached against my people pleasing behavior.

"If you're unhappy with someone staying isn't doing anything for either person. Look at it this way, Drew deserves to find his once in a lifetime love, his wife. By you staying with him and just accepting grey love you are keeping him from that. You did the right thing for both of you." Madison smiles reassuringly.

I know that she's right but it's hard to ignore when you know you've turned someone else's entire world upside down. Especially when you know all too well how that feels. I remember feeling like my life was ending the times I'd been in love and left. Steven wasn't the only man to have ever broken my heart, but he was where my mind went first when I thought heartbreak. Maybe it's where our love had been so innocent before either of us were really adults there wasn't any bad memories associated with the relationship.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Madison looks genuinely confused then realization hits her.

"Oh, my God, have you found someone else? That fast? You look like you've just won the lottery how could someone new make you this happy?" Madison turns her head after her expression to check on Kenzie and Marie outside.

I force my smile away and try to keep a straight face.
"No, no. Well, I may go on a date sometime with this EMT I've admired for a while. He's really good looking and clean cut." Madison snickers at my statement.

"Well, your parents will love him. Is he white?" Madison and myself roll our eyes in unison at the racism I've told her exists in Mayberry. My dad liked to have lost his sanity when I first started dating Drew which was beyond me. Drew treated me so well, especially compared to my ex fiancé before him. At first I thought the initial anger was because he was Jonathan's son and there was animosity due to my mom and Jonathan's previous affair and relationship with Jonathan but that wasn't it. The true nature of his anger showed its head a couple months into Drew and mine's relationship. The things my dad said and did during that time of my life put a wedge in our relationship I wasn't sure I'd ever get past. I had made Mayberry my home but the racism was something I would resist the rest of my life regardless of what it cost me.

"Yes, he's white", I answer her with the obvious disdain of racism in my voice.

"Do you think it was Jonathan that made your dad racist?"

"No, I think it fueled the fire but I think he'd always had racist opinions when it came to interracial relationships because he was raised in Mayberry." Madison nodded accepting my reply.

My phone lights up on the table and I already somehow know it's Steven.

"Hey, Steven, I'm in Laurel Ridge visiting an old friend. Can I call you back this evening?" I watch Madison's face light up.

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you'd want to spend the day together tomorrow? Alex's birthday is tomorrow so he's going to spend some time with his biological family all day then we're getting together tomorrow night so I'll probably go out with him but all day I'm free. I'd love to spend time with you." Steven's voice was hopeful.

"Me too. I'd love to spend time with you, I mean. I'll clear my schedule tomorrow." I avoid Madison's face as I end the call.

"Whitney, Steven? The Steven? And an old friend? You mean Steven doesn't know my name? I'm your oldest friend." I let out a half smile at Madison's inquiries.

"There's a lot Steven doesn't know about me."