Waking Shadows

Chapter 17 Home Sweet Home

Chapter 17

Home Sweet Home

I watched the busy streets flow passed as the blue Astra glided smoothly along. A thick row of huddled trees lined the open spaces, giving way to a large section of landscape. The very same landscape we had crossed on our travel through. I wondered whether we would have been seen by passing traffic. Out there it felts so isolated and other-worldly. You couldn’t even begin to know that feeling from this side of the journey.

   My calm thoughts soothed me, along with the hum of the engine, into sleep. I was awoken by Lyndon . . .

“Anna, I think it is time to set up camp. We can continue the drive tomorrow. Are you opting for the tent or the car?”

“You?” I asked languidly.

“Tent, of course.”

“I’m not staying here alone. Why don’t we both stay in here?”

“Why should we when there is a perfectly comfortable travel home in the bag?” He smiled.

“Well, this seat feels quite capable of doing the job,” I moaned. All I wanted to do was curl up to Lyndon and go back to sleep.

“No, Anna, it is my way—”

“Your way or the high way, I get it,” I added and stepped out of the car, stretching my aching body awake.

“You do not have to worry. I will have this set up in no time.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

   We sat outside the tent, taking in the air and just resting our minds, soaking up the benefit of the outdoors. Now I understood why Lyndon had always looked like he was meditating. Now, I was starting to have that inner peace within myself.

“I have never seen you so at ease, Anna. It saddens me to think this euphoria will disappear once you arrive home.”

“What makes you think it will?”

“I fear it will. If this journey has achieved anything for any of us, as long as you are more accepting of yourself . . . that is all I want.”

“We’ve met our half-sister and our father has risen up from the grave, so to speak—and still, my inner peace is the most important thing to you? You’re crazy!”

“No, not crazy. Just still enchanted by you.”

“Well, Lyndon, I think it’s important we have ended our journey like this. Do you remember the first time you made me sit out in a dark eerie forest like this?”

“Yes. At the shack. That seems so long ago, how you have changed.”

“I haven’t changed that much.”

“Well, you are no longer scared.” He laughed.

“What I mean is, we began our journey that way, and now . . . maybe it’s time to finish it that way. You know . . . finally put it to rest.”

His face turned serious. “I see what you mean . . . Yes, Anna, I guess this is a good part to end it on.” He agreed but his expression told me he wasn’t too happy about it. He wasn’t happy about what my suggestion would mean.

“We are family and our hearts know that now,” I nostalgically added.

“Yes,” he agreed and comforted my hand that rested on my knee. His warm palm lingered as he traced a vein in my hand with his index finger. His physical contact with me always got a reaction, and it wasn’t the same kind of reaction I would get if it was Lyric or Carl touching my hand. But I took a deep breath and smiled on, until Lyndon removed his hand.