Dreaming of Roses

Chapter 1

Caitlyn Rose was happier than she'd ever been. It was mid-May, the lilacs were in bloom, and this year the weather was hot and sticky. The scent of late spring was her favourite. As she walked home from school, she realized, 'This is it. After this year, everything is going to change. Mom is going back to work, I'm graduating, Theo will be living with Auntie Jean.'

Caitlyn's brother Theodore had recently been accepted as an apprentice auto mechanic for Grade 11, but his school was on the other side of the province, which meant he had to live with their mother's sister, Jean Olivia, in Kenora. Small town and cold winters, living in a town that used to be called Rat Portage. Caitlyn admired her brother for being willing to tough it out, but Toronto was her beloved home, and always would be.

As Caitlyn walked, she could hear the buzzing bees, dogs barking, and kids laughing as they poured out of school. She loved her neighbourhood. Detached two story houses were interspersed with bungalows, split-levels and townhouses that were well-kept, with bright gardens, long driveways and diverse families.

There were train tracks not far from home, and when the air was right, she could hear the big vehicles moving their cargo, both people and commodities. She loved the hum of the engines parked at night, waiting for the track switch, sounding like sleeping giants on a hot summer night.

Caitlyn's house was a side-split with brick siding. The bricks were a lovely peach colour, and the roof shingles were golden. There was a beautiful bay window at the front of the house, and a long driveway on the right side that led to the entrances. A forsythia plant to the right of the driveway had just finished blooming hundreds of yellow flowers, and the petals had fallen in a ring around the bottom of the plant.

Caitlyn walked up the driveway under the carport to see her mother had just returned with groceries. "Come and help me bring these in please Kittycat?", she asked, removing bags from the family's only vehicle, a red SUV. Caitlyn sighed, "Ok Mom. By the way, I think I'm getting too old for you to call me that. How was your day?"

Caitlyn's mother, Eileen Rose, was forty-one, but could pass for early thirties. She had long, lustrous, naturally blond hair, the kind of blond that looked like she went to the salon every week. She was fit, and kept active even though she hadn't worked outside of the house for years. Eileen's green eyes were stunning, and conveyed every emotion she was feeling at that very moment.

Caitlyn started grabbing heavy re-usable bags full of necessities for the household, and her mother answered, ignoring her protest over the use of her nickname, "It was great! I got all the laundry washed, dried, and put away. It's a first in weeks! Your father has been after me to clean out the weeds in the backyard, so I'm hoping to work on that tomorrow. Clover was not too happy with the humidity today though. I'm afraid she may not have much time left, dear."

Clover was the family pet. She was a beautiful black and white border collie, with spots on her legs and nose. At ten years old, Clover had slowed down quite a bit. She couldn't run like she used to, and the heat bothered her. She loved everyone around her, but Clover had a special connection with Caitlyn's mother. It would be a sad day for all when Clover went to doggie heaven.

Opening the entrance door to the kitchen, Caitlyn was struck by how comfortable her house felt. It was the place where her entire family had laughed, cried, and loved, for many years. "Honey, I'm home," announced her mother, depositing some bags on the old kitchen table. Caitlyn's father yelled up from the basement, "Hi babe, I'll be there in a minute."

The worn walls were clean, but needed a lick of paint. 'Well, more than a lick,' thought Caitlyn. The colour Caitlyn remembered as a child was a bright yellow, along with dark laminate floors and white cabinetry. Some of the handles on the cupboards were now chipped, and the yellow had long since faded to pastel. The floors were worn out, and no longer shone as when they were first installed. But Caitlyn understood why her mom didn't want to spend thousands renovating or updating. It was their sanctuary, and somehow it felt like changes could upset that.