Fighting For Her Heart

Unexpected

Unexpected.

2

I take a joining flight from Portland to New York then to Dublin, Ireland. Once in Ireland I take a cab to my aunt's town. She is my mom's sister. The only family on my mother's side. I don't know much about my aunt other then that she looks like my mom.

Athlone, Ireland, population of no-one. A small village by the river; the town has one pub and multiple mom and pop shops. A quaint village that is perfect for travel magazines. Everyone in town waves or tips their hat as you walk by.

It's December 1st and snow has already started falling here. The cab drops me off at the centre of town. I don't know where exactly she lives, which is a problem. I'm praying that she hasn't moved or died in the last 10 years. That would be depressing. Also awkward.

I see through the spit drizzle of rain a sight for a pub. The only pub in town to be exact, The Blue Clover. I push the doors open and walk up to the bar. There is a roaring fire in the corner of the pub. A bartender stands behind the bar cleaning glasses.

"What can I getcha miss?" Wow, that's thick accent.

"Nothing actually. Do you know a Lara Greensby?"

"Who's asking?" He sets down the glass and raises his eyebrows.

"I'm her niece." Please believe me. Please believe me.

"Ok. Yeah she lives in the green cottage at the end of the road." He goes back to cleaning his glass.

"I'm sorry did you say green?" I question.

"Yeah. Walk out the door and head straight down the gravel road. Green cottage on left." He smirks.

"Ok thank you."

"Yeah." He nods to me.

I grab my bags and head for her house. She must still live there if he knows who I'm talking about. I walk the icy stone path. On my right is an open green field. There are a few Sheep in the field eating grass. There is a cobblestone wall dividing the road from grass, it comes up to my waist in height.

I see the green house and I walk a bit fast. What do I do if she isn't there, like at all? I refuse to go back to Portland.

The roof is covered with vines and flowers. The front yard is a garden you can tell. There are small sticks with signs wrapped to them that say things like: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and carrots.

I walk to the front door and knock on the big wooden door. The door opens up and a middle aged women stands there. She looks like my mom.

"Are you Lara Greensby?" I ask nervously, tightening my grip on my backpack strap.

"Maybe. Why? Who are you?" She closes the door slightly.

"Nova Clarke." I try and smile.

"Nova?!" She gasps.

"Hello. I'm Nova, your niece. Meg's daughter." I smile slightly.

"Nova?! My God!" She throws open the door and wraps her arms around me before I can even process what just happened.

"Come in. You're freezing." Her fireplace is roaring and her small house smells like gingerbread cookies. Her whole house looks like Santa's workshop threw up.

"Wow. Your place is...pink." I say and look all around. There is just so much to look at.

"You like?" She smiles, "I still need to put the tree up."

"Got it." I set my bag down.

"Sit. Sit." Lara says motioning to the couch. I sit on the couch opposite of her. "So, what's the random visit for?"

"Uh. I sorta ran away from home." I tell her, looking down at ny hands in my lap.

"Exciting. Why?" She has a grin on her face.

"My dad." I finally look at her.

"Oh I remember him. We never did like each other. So you need a place to stay?" She smiles.

"Uhm well-"

"Ok good. I have an extra room and it gets lonely here. 1st room to the left up the stairs." She stands up and walks to her kitchen and continues making cookies.

I grab my two bags and walk up the stairs. I throw them upstairs and look around the room.

"Stay as long as you need! " She shouts from the bottom of the stairs.

I lay back on my now bed and look at the room. The small, full size bed has a black comforter. The wall are all white and there is a small window behind the bed with a great view. The trees outside are bare, the leaves have fallen and Christmas is definitely in the air.

My aunt is a strange one. My mother, Meg, is her only sister. My aunt is older by two years and definitely the wackier of the two.

My mother was more regal, I guess you could say. She knew how to have fun but liked to be sophisticated at the same time.

I haven't seen my aunt since I was 7. That was before my mom got bad. My aunt believes in giving small children espresso and puppies then giving the child back to the parent. Just for kicks.

Lara, my aunt, is pretty like my mom. They both have copper hair and freckles that scatter their face but that's where the similarities stop. She has been living in Athlone for as long as I can remember, and because of it her once Portland accent sounds a bit irish. When she gets excited her Portland accent mixes with the Irish accent. Which is quite funny if you sit with her for a while.

I fall sleep and a couple hours later I wake up at 6. I really should get a job while here. With that in mind I go downstairs to ask Lara about places in this town.

She is sitting on the couch with a book and a cup of tea, it smells like.

"Hey Lara, are there any places to work in town?" I ask and I stand in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Hello dear," she looks up from her book, "the pub up the road is hiring I think. " Lara says and smiles.

"Ok. Thanks. "

"Do you want me to save you some dinner?" She asks me.

"Sure". I grab my coat and slip on my boots. I walk to The Blue Clover.