The Rose of Anthacena

Chapter 8

          Rose, Kaysey, and Leigha sat cross-legged on the floor of Leigha and Diana's room, talking companionably. They stopped talking for a moment, and the break lengthened into a comfortable silence.

"So...guys, if you-don't mind my-my asking, why did you guys move to the island?" Leigha, or Leigh as they called her, asked hesitantly, breaking the quiet. Rose and Kaysey glanced at each other. Kaysey gave an almost imperceptible nod.

So Rose explained to Leigh about the missing planes, the auction and the sale of the house, about the new house, and the 10-hour car drive. After she finished, Leigh sat there quietly, taking it in.

"Wow," she said after a while. Looking at Rose, she asked, "Have you found the change-difficult? I mean, you've been so used to the nice things in life, and now...' Rose pursed her lips thoughtfully, then shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied slowly. "I mean, sure, I miss my fancy stuff and all, and like all change, this one was a little hard. But...I'm glad it happened. If it hadn't, we never would have met you...and Dereck wouldn't have met Diana-and Mother and Dad wouldn't have made all the friends they have. So in answer to your question, Leigh, it was hard at first-but it's not anymore." Leigh nodded.

"I see. Well, I can't say I'm sorry you guys came," she said with a smile, "but I'm also not saying I rejoice in your family's misfortunes!" All of them laughed at this before Rose and Kaysey got up, saying they should probably go. After saying their goodbyes, the two began walking to the store, where their mother was.

"So...what would your answer to Leigh's question be?" Rose asked Kaysey as they turned out of Leigh's driveway. Kaysey kicked at the small stones on the side of the road for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't really know," she replied. "Probably about the same as you. Except less than you, because I hadn't always been part of a rich family like you had," she added. Then, looking scrutinizingly at Rose as they walked, she asked, "Rose, was there something you didn't tell Leigh about it? It felt to me as though you were holding something back." Rose looked at the ground in front of her, then lifted her head, looking Kaysey in the eye.

"I was," she admitted. "It's-It's weird. When-Whenever I think about, I get-this strange feeling. I don't know, it feels like a-I don't even know how to describe it. But-" Rose stopped and stared at her feet as they walked. Kaysey glanced sideways at her.

"But what?" she prompted. Rose looked up at her again.

"I get the feeling that one way or another, I would have come to this island. I feel that-that it was part of my destiny."

* * *

One month before Rose's 20th birthday, when the O'Reilly family had been living on the island for about three months, Mr. O'Reilly received a letter. But not just any letter. This was a letter from Mr. Ethan Lockwood, who had been Mr. O'Reilly's business manager when they lived in the city. Rose, who got the mail that came to Renon once a week, saw the letter's return address and frowned, wondering what was inside.

"Hey, Dad," she called as soon as she and her mother got home. Her father looked up from the papers on the table in front of him and smiled.

"Hello, Rose," he replied. "I see we've got quite a bit of mail there," nodding at the large stack in Rose's hand.

"Yeah, we all got a letter from Tanya, even Mother and Kaysey, lots of ads, of course, a couple other things for Mother..." she said. Then, looking curiously at her father, she went on slowly, "And there's another letter for you Dad."