The Country Rose

Chapter 2: Down the Open Road

Chapter 2: Down the Open Road

Rose's long blonde ponytail whipped wildly in the wind, each strand twisting as tight as her thoughts. Almost a week passed before she decided to make the trip to her father's hometown of Briarville. Her mother refused to go, saying she could never show her face there again.

Like the ever faithful sisters they were, Ava held Scarlett as she fell apart while Aunt Daphne demanded Rose wait for her to take time off of work, but Rose refused.

If Rose didn't go now, she might never have the courage. She was twenty-one and old enough to make the long road trip on her own. With less than an hour left of the thirteen hour trip, Rose's stomach twisted in anticipation.

What if her grandfather wasn't as welcoming as her mother said he would be? What about her father's other family? Did they even know she existed?

Rose's foot pressed hard on the accelerator to keep from turning back. She had to go, even if they turned her away. She wanted to know about the man who had been a mystery all her life.

The only other consolation was the afternoon sun shinning bright, making it the perfect day to ride with the top down on her convertible. Sure it wasn't the newest of cars. Its sky blue paint was rusted in a few spots, and there was a dent in the door, but it was still her baby. With a little tender loving care and a lot of help from Aunt Daphne, Rose was able to make enough repairs to keep it soaring down the road.

And soar, they did.

Rose was halfway over another hill when her phone sang from the passenger seat. Snatching up the device and rolling up the windows to help deflect the wind, Rose shouted, "Hey! Sorry, can you hear me okay?"

Her best friend, Clarabelle Wright, laughed from the other end. "Yeah. Let me guess, you're driving with the top down?"

Rose smiled wide. "Yep. I have an hour left in the drive and the weather is gorgeous down here."

"That's great," Clara said, but then there was a long pause and Rose could almost feel Clara's warm brown eyed stare carefully assessing her through the phone. "So how are you? Really?"

For a brief moment, Rose's lips twitched into a small grin. Clara was one of the few people Rose could never mask her emotions from. She was positive it came from living together for the past three years, or maybe it was the way Clara never missed even the smallest detail.

"I'm not sure yet," Rose truthfully replied. "I mean, how am I supposed to feel? I never knew him, and yet I feel like I have to go. I have to find out who he was. I might never have another chance."

"Are you still angry at her?"

Clara didn't have to specify who her was. It was only hours ago Rose broke down on Clara's voicemail, ranting about how pissed she was at her mom for never telling her more about her father. All her life, Rose only heard that her mom and dad were never meant to be. He had prior commitments that tore her parents apart. Her mom failed to mention that those prior commitments involved another family and another woman he was married too. Rose was the product of an affair gone too far. It was no wonder her mother fled back to the help and comfort of her two sisters twenty one years ago.

Still, Rose couldn't hate her mother as much as she wanted to. The woman gave her life and a wonderful home and relationship with her two aunts. She wouldn't change that for the world, and yet, she desperately wanted to know the man who was never in her life.

Finally, Rose said, "No. Not really. I'm still pissed she never told me anything, but I sort of get it. He didn't want me-"

"You stop that right now! From what you told me, your mom didn't even give him that option."