Her Legacy

Chapter 1

        It had been one hundred and eighty seven days since my mother had last spoken to me. I counted the days, hoping she would return my calls, return my emails. There I was, sitting in my Sedan, still counting. Day by day, minute by minute. My phone rested silently in my hands. 

       I wish she would call. 

       "What are you thinking about?" Dion's voice rang through my thoughts. My mind was so clouded it took me a moment to respond.

        "Nothing," I bit the inside of my cheek, changing my thought process from my deranged mother to our location.

        "How far are we?" Dion asked. I held the map up to my face to see the small print above each line more clearly. The words and lines would get jumbled and my eyes would strain if I didn't hold the map right up to my nose. 

        "Not far, the street should be--"

        "River Avenue?" Dion finished. I looked over at him and my attention was immediately drawn to the river. It was a small river, more like a creek than a river, really. There were only a few houses on the road, but they were all huge. They weren't big enough to remind me of my childhood home, but perhaps a vacation home my parents would've owned. Each house had its own personality to it, even without stepping inside, you could feel each story radiating from each house. The history behind this neighborhood must be deeply run through the county records. They were probably built in the early 1900s, but who's to say that the families who built these houses didn't live on the land prior? The narrow road is the only thing separating the houses from the creek. I can only imagine how horrendous the floods are. 

          "Yeah," I smiled at him. "River Avenue."

           The house was more run down than what I was truly used to, but Dion was thrilled to have a project home. And if I am being honest, I was a little excited as well. Overgrown grass and weeds filled the fairly small front yard, as well as twigs, acorns, and pinecones from the trees on either side of the house. The steps needed to be repainted, some windows needed to be replaced, and the front door had chipped paint all over it. However, in all of its flaws, I still thought it was the most beautiful house I had ever seen. The summer breeze played with my hair in all sorts of directions, it brought me some coolness in the afternoon glow of the sun. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

         You didn't make a mistake, I thought to myself, You are here. You are safe. You are free.

          I felt Dion's hands caress around my waist, seeing his tattoos encase me and hold me against his body. I exhaled and leaned against him.

         "I wish I had some old rich long distance family member to leave me a house." He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "This is insane, Nicole."

          "I'm still in shock. My great grandmother whom I barely knew, leaves me her house in her will? I can only imagine how upset my family members will be when they find out." I said.     

            So many thoughts ran rampant through my mind ever since she left it in her will that the house would be mine. Why would she leave me this house? I met the woman maybe twice, three times at most. Even then, I never came to her house, she came to visit us. I was seven the last time I saw her, I barely spoke to her when she did visit. I do remember her being nice though, she gave me little hard candies from her coin purse and taught me that the best shade of lipstick is brick red.  I compared the color to rust and she let out a chuckle. I mean, I was seven years old, but she was right, brick red lipstick was a decent shade for my complexion.