Underneath the Weeping Willow Tree - Prologue

Ch.1 - A Fresh Start

(Pic of Ava)>>>>>

Chapter One

A Fresh Start

Ava stared out the window of Peter’s SUV as the car entered the cul-de-sac, her new home. “Almost there.” Peter grunted his voice hoarse from the lack of sleep. Ava figured that she should start to call him Dad, but that would come later. Right now Peter is a stranger that is taking care of her for the few months till she turns eighteen. To him she must just be an unwanted daughter, extra baggage and another mouth to feed.

Why did her mother have to just disappear and leave her alone? Why couldn’t she been born a year earlier so she could be her own guardian and not have to go live with her dad, who she only met a week ago and his perfect Army family?

 Ava studied the houses as they passed. They all looked the same to her; cream colored squares that had wide windows with black shutters. The lawns made her crinkle her nose with their perfectly trimmed lawns and rosebushes making her almost miss the unruly and scraggly lawn of her old house. The numbers that were delicately painted next to the door was the only difference that Ava could see from house to house.

Ava could see her reflection in the window. It had been a long plane ride from landlocked Manchester, New Hampshire to seaside Galveston, Texas and she was exhausted. Her usually coffee brown eyes were dull from the lack of sleep and her dark brown, copper tinted hair was in a tangled mess. Right now Ava would give anything for a hot shower and a nice long nap. 

The car took a left and stopped in the driveway of one of the houses. Home sweet home Ava thought to herself and she wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if this family had a doormat that said exactly that.

She reached for her backpack and grabbed for the door handle. The lock clicked and the door remained firmly shut. She glared at Peter. Ava absolutely did not want to have this talk with her father right now. Ava breathed in deeply and prepared herself for the ground rules. Peter cleared his throat and looked at her with genuine concern. 

“Listen Ava, I want you to know that I’m glad that you are here. If there is anything that I can do to make this easier for you, don’t be afraid to ask.”

Taken aback, Ava just stared at Peter, when she could finally speak her voice was barely above a whisper. “Thank you Pe– ah, Dad, for everything. I really appreciate it.”

Peter nodded, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. The lock click, the car door opened easily in Ava’s hand.

She got out slinging her backpack over her shoulder and stared up at the house in front of her while Peter grabbed her one small suitcase out of the back and started towards the door of the house. When he realized that Ava wasn’t following him he smiled over his shoulder “Come in whenever you’re ready ‘kay?” then after Ava nodded, he entered the house.

Ava couldn’t make her feet move. Thoughts of doubt started to run through Ava’s mind like wildfire. They had no reason to like me, Peter had too; it was half his fault that I was even born. She knew so little about them. From what Peter had told her that his wife’s name is Candy and she had two sons from a previous marriage and another with Peter. The oldest son, Matt, is the same age as Ava. That’s all she knew. Ava took in a deep breath and began towards the front door.

She took two steps before she stopped. The hairs on the back of her stood on end; it felt as though eyes were boring into her. She quickly turned around only to see the street vacant. Her heart began to pound; she knew that someone was there. She could feel their eyes on her, she just couldn’t see them.

“Hey, are you the new Stephenson girl?”

Ava jumped her heart threatening to stop. She turned towards the boy who was standing in the yard next door. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”