Three years after his mother's death, Noah Reed is lost once again. Unsure of where to go after running from his problems for so long, he ends up back home, wanting a place to finally settle down. He's ready to tie up loose ends and to try and corre...
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"Noah!" Charlotte cries, rushing towards me as I enter my father's house. I'm smiling as the little blonde bounds my way, leaping into my arms.
Something about Charlotte tends to remind me of Jackie, Blake's younger sister. If I'm doing the math right, Jackie is about seven now. My heart hurts thinking about all I've missed out on when it comes to the Rhodes family. By the way I left, it seemed as if they weren't as important to me as they really were. I allowed myself to become attached to that family, and sometimes I find myself wondering what would be different now if I'd stayed in Magnolia Heights instead of choosing to leave behind all of the good things I had in my life.
I remind myself that there is no use in torturing myself over the past, knowing it's important to live in the moment while I have it. However, my heart still aches when I think of all I missed out on and can never get back.
Lost in thought, I don't notice my father entering the room. The past few years seem to have taken a toll on my father. His dark hair has a few new gray streaks. The wrinkles around his eyes have deepened. And though time has healed the wounds my mother's death caused him and that I know he his happy with the family he's created, a gleam of sadness still gleams in his eyes that I don't think will ever quite disappear.
"Hey," I say to him, trying to sound upbeat. My history with my father has always been rocky, but I'm trying to mend our relationship. After losing one parent, I've come to realize that I should appreciate my father while I still can. He might not have been a big part of my life in the past, but he's here now, and that's really all that matters.
"Good to see you back." Dad offers me a smile. Something about his expression turns sober as his gaze meets mine knowingly. "Are you okay, son?"
I nod, shifting Charlotte in my arms. "I'm okay," I assure him, meaning the words. I'm far from perfect, but I don't feel as depressed as I used to. For the first time in a long time, I'm okay.
"Okay!" Charlotte exclaims, beaming up at me. She's two, the age where children begin to pick up random words and phrases they hear used around them.
I can't help but smile as I glance down at the girl in my arms. Charlotte's light blond hair curls at the ends, hardly long enough to reach her shoulders. Her eyes are just like her mother's, wide and blue, reminding me of the sky on a cloudless summer day. She got Dad's nose, which leads her to look just the slightest like me. Her smile is infectious, melting my heart. I never thought I wanted kids until Charlotte came into my life. She makes me think that being a father some day might not be so bad, after all.
The thought has me thinking of Blake all over again. I've thought about going to see her a few times since I arrived back in town, yet I ultimately decided not to. I'm sure Blake doesn't want to see me. I know she would be polite to me if we were to run into each other, but she's now nothing more than a girl from my past. Considering the way I hurt her, I think that's where Blake wants what we had to remain. In the past.
