Signs

Untitled Part 37

Chapter 37.

She saw Dixie's car in their driveway and another car she hadn't seen before, but again no Davis. She burst inside "Did he come home?"

Three faces looked up at her, she was wet, panting and somewhat frantic

"Renny" her mother started

Renny recognized the third face, Dr. Evans. She didn't have time for manners.. "Hello, everyone. Im sorry but Davis, did you hear him come home?"

"No, i didn't" and Dixie shook her head too

She ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time to her bedside drawer where Davis's spare keys were kept. She ran back out the door into the rain, when a truck pulled up in front.

Brody stepped out, the rain quickly spotting on his clothes.

"Renny"

"Brody" she was out of breath

"I came to drop off your overnight bag, it was in my car... everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just had to... " she indicated towards Davis's house, the keys in her hand jingling.

"Oh, yeah ok" he got her bag out of the passenger side.

She took it, her mind in Davis's house, she could feel the pull of the answer in there

"Listen Renny, I like you" He said jumping right in.

A few rain droplets came off his nose and lips and the ends of his blonde wavy hair.

He had thought about what he was going to say, but it was easier in his mind.

"But I don't want to keep liking you, if you don't think you feel the same. While it's early, you know? We work together, and..."

"I do like you Brody, alot" she carefully spoke "I like being around you"

"But just not the way I do"

She shook her head slowly, her eyes glazing over

"Better we know now" his eyes pointed downwards.

She felt his heartache, that dark bubble that expands inside when you have no control. She couldn't take it away, it was her fault he was hurting.

"I enjoyed getting to know you Renny, more than professionally" He took a breath "I better go tell Chocko"

She laughed, sniffing, glad he was making some sort of light of the situation "She's a demon goat"

"Yeah, she is. I'll see you tomorrow, I hear you're out of her brie"

"I never thought of it that way" she cringed through the emotions.

He handed her the overnight bag, which she dropped at her side, then watched him pull away.

She hated to feel the relief, but she felt better, almost like a release.

She walked over to Davis house, dropped the bag at the door and let herself in the house.

It was spotless, perfectly organized inside. He must have cleaned the entire night before he left, she looked around in wonder.

Something caught her eye, out his side window, a place where he had an empty space, that drove her crazy when she was in his living room.

She could see a new plant, but through the curtains she couldn't tell what kind. Perhaps the vegetables he said he would start?... She walked closer to the window, and drew the curtain, and it took her breath away.

A peach tree, in a perfect little garden bed, bordered with white impatiens.

The rain was running off the leaves, dripping into the little delicate flowers below, the four foot tree was healthy and green, and new.

The the door closed behind her, and Davis stood just inside with Ruby by his side.

He just looked at her, without a word

"When did you?..." She pointed at the tree, but then "where have you been? Are you ok?"

He walked in, threw his keys and phone on the table and took off his jacket, laying it on the arm of the chair he sat on. Ruby was unusually quiet, tiptoeing across the room to greet Renny, her tail swaying, mouth open. No barking, no jumping as usual. She waited

"I went to my mom and dads"

They were at least a ten hour drive away, "In Tennessee? Why?"

"I needed the drive, needed to think"

"Was it because of what I told you? Im sorry Davis, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have..."

"It was what you told me - but i'm not mad"

He stopped her from coming at him with apologies, holding his hands up asking her to wait "You told me something, in the bar. You remember telling me something was in the Ballerina jewellery box?"

She nodded

"Annabelles necklace, that's what was lost, the one you saw.

I gave it to her on our first christmas. It was eighty dollars, i worked extra shifts to be able to get it" he chuckled "a little gold heart with little tiny diamonds"

He looked back fondly for a moment, "when it was close, her time" he swallowed "she took it off, and her engagement ring while she had enough strength. She gave the ring to her mom, and with the necklace she told me to 'give it to my forever love'.

She was my forever love, so when she died, I threw that necklace in the yard so far, and walked away from it.

I went back after the funeral, but I couldn't find it. After you told me something was in the ballerina box, i had to see, i had to know"

"My mom had a ballerina jewelry box, I remember it as a kid, her mom gave it to her or something and she kept it in the glass display case with all her little porcelain things.

Renny, I knew it was in there, before I even opened the door, i thought about leaving it there, about not knowing" He stopped for a moment "But then I smelled vanilla and lilacs"

Renny smiled so slightly, "she was telling you to open it"

"She was" he agreed

"I was going to leave it there, but I realized..."

He reached in his pocket, and drew out the necklace and he placed the necklace in her hand.

She looked at it, piecing what he was saying together, tears streaming down her face. She finally lifted her face to meet his wide honest eyes

"I love you, Renny"