by E. Van Lowe
Chapter Twenty
Eudora wanted me to see how good things could be for my family. All I had to do was choose to be with my soulmate. Being with one’s soulmate should be a simple choice, but with us humans, nothing is easy.
I tried going back to my sandwich, but realized my ham and cheese on sour dough with the spicy mustard just the way I liked it, tasted like sawdust today. My heavy thoughts had succeeded in robbing me of my appetite.
I rewrapped the sandwich, and decided to take a walk. I’d heard on a TV talk show that walking was therapeutic, and good for clearing ones thoughts. I was about to test out the theory.
As rundown and decrepit as the Applegate mansion was on the outside, the grounds were gorgeous, with a variety of trees, flowers and shrubbery giving the place a country estate charm. There were several trails that one could explore, some seemingly adventurous, while others were more tame. I chose one of the tamer paths that swung around behind the rear of the house.
As I walked, I heard the sound of distant laughter coming from the patio. I recognized the sound of my father’s laugh. I hadn’t realized how distinctive one person’s laugh could be before then. There were many voices, but I easily picked out my father’s among them.
When I heard his laugh, the funk I’d been trying to escape settled back over me like an evening mist. I turned around, and headed the other way before the sound of my father’s laughter totally soured my disposition.
I seemed to be wandering aimlessly, not allowing my thoughts to linger on one thing for long before moving on. I was walking without thinking, enjoying the outdoors, allowing my feet to propel me wherever.
After a while, I felt my therapy starting to work. The knots in my neck began to relax. My spirits were lifting, until I realized my feet had propelled me to the familiar meadow with the gazebo. My mind had played a trick on me. I’d known where I was headed all along.
Seeing the gazebo, a lumped formed in my throat as I recalled the last time I was there. I continued into the meadow, my eyes on the gazebo, wondering if someone might be inside. Who was I kidding? I wasn’t wondering; I was hoping to find Lara there.
I arrived at the empty gazebo, sat down on the padded bench, and sighed, my heart was heavy as if an elephant had taken up residence in my chest.
“Lara,” I said softly. Saying her name seemed to summon a wave of joy within, so I said it again. “Lara.” I wondered if she knew I was there. I wondered if she was thinking about me as I was thinking of her.
My gaze drifted into the meadow filled with daffodils. Frolicking butterflies had gathered at the center, forming a colorful, billowing, curtain. The curtain parted, and a girl was standing there. She seemed to appear out of nowhere, wearing an ankle length white dress that shimmered in the sunlight. Her hair was concealed beneath a big floppy hat, her face behind oversized sunglasses, but still, I knew it was her. Lara.
My breathing hitched. “Lara,” I said again, a joyful whisper.