House of Shadows

by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  The doctor said I had the flu. She wrote me a prescription for Tamiflu, which I started taking immediately.

  Mom came by frequently to check on me. I could see that she admired Miles for the way he took care of me. With him around, she really didn’t need to worry about me at all.

  I was afraid I’d make one or both of them sick, but they managed to stay well. Fortunately for Jenny, by the time she moved in, the risk of catching the flu from me was over.

  I felt so much better by the time Jenny arrived. The Tamiflu and Miles’ solicitous care, made a big difference.

  Jenny moved into our furnished apartment, and we both had a blast exploring it in the process. I was too sick to pay attention to much, when I first got there.

  “Anika, you should see this!” Jenny squealed from the kitchen.

  “What is it?” I asked, looking up from the box of dishes I was unpacking at the kitchen table.

  “The stove! It’s got an induction cooktop.”

  Jenny sounded very happy about that.

  “What’s that even mean?” I carried a stack of plates and set them on the counter, and had a look at the stove.

  “It means that the cooktop doesn’t get hot. It heats up the pan, not the surface of the stove!”

  “Well that’s sure interesting,” I said. “That would be great in a house with small children.”

  “Planning ahead, are we?” asked Jenny slyly.

  “Not exactly, thinking more about my four-year-old brother,” I replied, as I loaded the plates into the built-in plate rack.

  I picked up a pile of clean dishcloths, and placed them in one of the cabinet drawers near the kitchen sink.

  “Miles and I haven’t even talked about kids yet. That, and a long list of other questions, we’re supposed to come to an agreement on before our spring wedding rolls around.”

  “That’s good. I could see the kid issue being a big one, if you didn’t agree,” Jenny said.

  “Yeah, Mom and Dad said figure these things out now, and we’ll avoid conflict over them later.”

  There was a knock at the door. Putting down the bowls I just unpacked, I went to answer it.

  On the other side, was only my very favorite person in the whole world!

  “Come in, come in!” I said, as Trixie and Chip bounded in. “How was your walk?”

  “Great! There’s a dog park not far from here. They had fun. It was good for them to stretch their legs. Trixie was getting cabin fever, being inside so much ever since we got here.”

  “I can imagine, poor girl,” I said, as I scratched behind her ears. She leaned against my leg and looked up at me, smiling.

  “Do you girls need a hand with anything?” asked Miles, seeing the open boxes on the kitchen table.

  “Yes!” I said, grabbing his hands. I gave him a serious look. “How many kids do you want, and when do you want them?”

  Miles looked very surprised.

  “Uh… do I have to decide right now?”

  “Yes!” I said. “Or, you can wait until we’re standing before the pastor, if you prefer. It’s one of the items on the list we’re supposed to go over.”

  “Ah, now I understand. Well… how many kids do you want, and when do you want them?” Miles lobbed the question back in my court.

  I thought for a second, then sighed.

  “I don’t know,” I honestly said.

  “We’ll have to count the number of rooms in the castle and see how many children we’ll need to fill them,” Miles said thoughtfully. “The rooms are large, we could easily fit three in each one and they’d still have plenty of room. Over a hundred rooms… better move up the wedding and start right away, it’s going to take a while.”

  I laughed.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so, Mister!”

  Miles laughed too.

  “Honestly, I don’t know how many,” he said. “I would prefer to wait until after we graduate, though. I would rather not be busy studying, and miss out on anything.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I agreed. I wrapped my arms around Miles’ neck, and kissed him. “I really missed this, when I was sick last week.”

  “Me too,” he agreed, and kissed me again. “Stay well from now on.”

  I laughed.

  “So if we agree we want kids, and that given the option we want to wait until after we graduate, is that good enough?” I asked.

  “It should be,” Miles said. “The answers to some of these questions may change over time. Discussing the questions so we know if there are areas where we radically differ, should serve the purpose.”

  “Agreed. So we can mark one off the lengthy list,” I said.

  “So… do you want to throw any more startling questions at me, or can I help you unpack instead?”

  “No more startling questions—for now,” I said ominously. “And yes, you can help with the unpacking.”

  We walked back to the kitchen, and continued unloading dishes and cookware.

  It was placement testing time. Miles flew through with flying colors, and was able to skip right over quite a few classes. Of course! He’s the smartest guy I’ve ever met. I didn’t do too bad myself, so we were able to sign up for almost all the same classes. We had several with Jenny, too.

  After registering, Miles and I took a walk around the college campus to familiarize ourselves with the buildings, and figure out where each of our classes were.

  It was a beautiful late summer day. The sun was warm, and the birds were singing. The scent of the freshly cut grass and the sound of a distant lawnmower, reminded me of back-to-school when I was a kid. There were other students touring the campus also, and several people played catch with a Frisbee in one of the many large grassy areas.

  “I have no idea what to major in,” Miles said. “How about you?”

  “I don’t know anymore. I wanted to earn a degree so I could run a lodge like the one we had dinner at, the day you proposed. I’m not sure now though, since we’re getting married… that might be a degree I’d never use.”

  “Nice that we have time to decide.”

  “I think you’d make a great United States history teacher,” I said, and bumped shoulders with Miles.

  He laughed.

  “Why, because I was present for so much of it?”

  “Of course!” I smiled back at him. “Think of how much I learned searching the castle with you. A lot more than I ever did in high school.”

  “I guess. Searching the estate and having fun with you is a lot different than lecturing in front of a class, though.”

  “Oh!” I said, grabbing his arm. “You could be a museum curator!”

  He laughed.

  “You’ve thought that, practically since the day we met.”

  “Well, now it’s an actual possibility,” I said.

  Miles laughed again.

  “I’ll probably do a double major, there are so many things I’m interested in learning more about. I don’t know if I can pin it down to one thing.”

  “You’re so smart, you could triple or quadruple major,” I said, looking up at him proudly.

  “Heads up!” someone shouted.

  Miles and I looked up, and saw a Frisbee headed our way. Miles reached out and caught it, as the guy who called out to us, jogged over.

  “Thanks, man,” he said, as Miles handed him the Frisbee. “That one went rogue.”

  “No problem,” Miles smiled.

  “The name’s Xander, by the way,” the guy said, as he and Miles shook hands.

  Xander had wavy dishwater-blond hair, longer than Miles’, and a friendly, open light in his eyes. He was tan, and looked like he belonged on a surfboard, skateboard, or snowboard, depending on the weather and location. It was obvious he was in good shape, though his muscles weren’t as defined as Miles’. He probably never had the intense physical therapy that Miles did, either.

  “I’m Miles, and this is my fiancé, Anika.”

  “Good to meet you both,” said Xander. �
��What year are you?”

  Xander was also a freshman. He was a nice guy, I could see him and Miles becoming good friends. Just like Jenny, sometimes you meet, and you’re old friends right away. We stood and talked for several minutes.

  Xander waved to his Frisbee partner, who hollered that he had to get going.

  “I’d love to check out the campus coffee shop,” I said abruptly. “Want to join us, Xander?”

  “Sure, why not,” he smiled.

  He and Miles continued to talk, as we crossed the campus on our way to the Student Center. We had several classes together, and the classes Miles and I didn’t share, he and Xander did.

  As we sat and chatted around a covered outdoor table, and I most thoroughly enjoyed my latte, Xander raised his hand in the air and waved to another guy passing by.

  “John!” he called out. “Come here!”

  John, tall, with dark hair and glasses, started our way.

  “What’s up, Xander?”

  “I think I found our third,” said Xander, then turned to Miles. “You play basketball, right?”

  “I shot baskets as part of physical therapy for a shoulder injury, but I’ve never played a game. It looks like fun, though.”

  John sat, and we all introduced ourselves. The guys talked about getting together to practice, there were teams on campus that played every Tuesday night. John and Xander were looking for a third teammate, and hoped Miles would do. John and Xander were free to practice that evening.

  “I know a gym we can use,” Miles said. It’s so convenient that he owns one. “Anika, did you already have something you wanted to do tonight?”

  “Not at all,” I assured him. “You guys have fun. I’ll hang out with Jenny this evening.”

  And just like that, Miles had friends. I couldn’t help smiling.

  “I need to call Annette,” said John, reaching for his phone. “Just in case I have plans I don’t know about.”

  Xander laughed.

  “Annette is John’s girlfriend,” he explained.

  I took a chance.

  “Annette can hang out with my roommate Jenny and I, if she’d like to.”

  John nodded, as his girlfriend answered the phone, and he briefly stepped away from the table. Within seconds, he was back.

  “Annette’s on campus, she’s on her way over,” he said as he started to sit back down, then stood again and waved.

  I turned to see a pretty brunette smile and wave back.

  “Hi, John,” she greeted him, as he leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Hi, Xander.”

  She turned a friendly look in my and Miles’ direction.

  “Hi, Annette,” I said. “I’m Anika, and this is my fiancé, Miles.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she smiled.

  “So the guys are planning to play basketball, and I wondered, since we’ll be basketball widows… would you like to hang out with my roommate and me, this evening?”

  Annette looked thoughtful, then smiled.

  “Yeah, that’d be great.”

  I smiled back. I liked Annette, and I knew Jenny would too.

  That evening everyone met at our building, then the guys went on their way to Miles’ gym. Not that they knew it was his. Miles was cautious about letting anyone know how insanely wealthy he is, wanting people to either like him or not, based on himself—not on what he has.

  Of course one look at my ring, and people had to wonder!

  We three girls got along great, and enjoyed chatting and getting to know each other. We ordered pizza and started a movie, but ended up talking all the way through it. Before the evening was over, we were good friends.

  I heard a knock at the door, and ran to answer it.

  “Hi,” I smiled, as Miles walked in, with Xander and John right behind him.

  “Hi back,” he said, kissing my cheek.

  “How was your practice?” I was really anxious to know, since Miles never played basketball before. I’ve never known him to fail at anything, and didn’t want this to be any different.

  “It was awesome,” said Xander, clapping his hand on Miles’ shoulder. “This guy was holding out on us. What were you, MVP in high school? You had to be.”

  What high school? They probably didn’t have one back then!

  “I’m telling you, I never played before,” Miles said. “I only shot baskets.”

  “You’re playing now,” John said decisively. “Consider yourself our third.”

  “Alright,” agreed Miles, shaking the hands John and Xander held out. “Sounds good.”

  I held in a squeal of happiness.

  The guys joined us and finished off the pizza, as we sat around talking and getting better acquainted. We made plans to get together for a movie night on Friday, and then Xander, John, and Annette, called it a night.

  “I’m going to say goodnight too,” said Jenny, as she went to her room and began to close the door behind her. “See you both in the morning.”

  “I’m so proud of you,” I said quietly to Miles. “Did you have fun?”

  “Yeah, a lot,” Miles said. “It feels good to be making friends, too. I think John and Xander are good friendship material.”

  “I do too,” I said, hugging him.

  “If they’d been around in 1870, I don’t think they would have turned on me when I was falsely accused,” Miles said thoughtfully.

  “I don’t either,” I said, and smiled.

  Chapter 6

  Classes began. For one reason or another, we and our circle of friends all waited a year later than most of the other freshmen, to start college. Our experiences in life, more than the difference in age, caused us to mature faster. We were thankful to live off campus, and to be able to get a break from campus life.

  “See you after study group,” Miles said, kissing me goodbye.

  “See you then,” I said, closing the door behind him, and thinking how great it was that even though he and I didn’t share that particular class, John and Xander did.

  “Okay girls, the guys are next door studying,” said Jenny, as she brought out a plastic bin. “So it’s the perfect time to try on nail polish and talk about your wedding.”

  Our wedding! I wanted it to be here—now!

  “So what’s the color scheme for your wedding, Anika?” asked Annette, picking up a bottle of seashell pink polish and shaking it.

  “Miles has a gorgeous family home,” I said.

  “It looks like a castle,” interjected Jenny.

  “And it has the most beautiful rose garden,” I continued. “Crimson, pink, white, peach, yellow, roses tinted with various colors… it is just overwhelmingly beautiful. So if the weather permits, we’d like to be married there.”

  “That sounds so cool,” said Annette, admiring the pink polish on one nail, and searching through the bin for another color to try.

  I picked up a color the shade of crimson roses and tried it on one nail.

  Way too dark. My dress this color was beautiful, but on my nails, it was too much. I wiped it off with polish remover.

  “What’s the alternate plan in case of rain?” Jenny asked.

  “The castle has more than one ballroom,” I said. “So we’ll fill the second one with roses, and have the wedding there. The reception will be held in the front ballroom.”

  “Whoa,” said Annette. “Two ballrooms? How big is this family home? I can’t imagine having even one!”

  “Huge,” said Jenny. “It’s a castle, or as near to it as you’ll find on this continent.”

  I sighed.

  “I am so ready for this semester to be over, and next semester, so May will get here and we can finally be married! The roses won’t be blooming fully, until then.”

  “How long have you been together?” asked Annette, painting a nail electric blue.

  Ug, it’s hard having two dates to keep track of. Hard not being honest with friends, too. Harder though I’d imagine, to be locked in a psychiatric ward because I believe things that couldn�
��t possibly be true. Even though they are.

  “Hmmm… four months,” I said.

  We’d really known each other for a year.

  “Wow, that’s really fast,” said Annette, looking up from painting one of her nails green.

  “It seems like I’ve known Miles forever though,” I said. “We just—fit.”

  “It is fast, but seeing you together, it’s very right,” said Jenny, as she held her hand out to examine the red polish.

  “Since our color scheme is roses of every color, then you girls can choose what color you’d like your bridesmaid dresses to be,” I said, as I tried shell pink.

  Hmm, not bad.

  “That’s really cool,” said Jenny. “With my hair, some colors don’t look so well on me.”

  “Same here, sister,” said Annette, as she struggled to open a bottle of glitter pink.

  “Hey, have you tried water marbling?” Jenny asked suddenly.

  Annette and I stared at her blankly. Jenny laughed.

  “Okay, then wait here.”

  Jenny came back with several cups of water and a roll of scotch tape.

  “So this is what you do…”

  A great big mess later, we were all laughing and trying to get our nails clean. On YouTube, women have created some truly interesting patterns on their nails this way. Jenny, Annette, and I are not those YouTube women!

  We drove back to the castle to spend the weekend.

  I looked around as we pulled into the driveway. The estate looked very different than it did the first time I saw it, a year ago. The lawn was well groomed, the gardens bloomed with carefully tended flowers, and the estate itself was in good repair.

  “What are you thinking?” asked Miles, as he put the vehicle in park and turned off the ignition.

  “It was a year ago that we met,” I said.

  “That’s right. A year ago tomorrow,” Miles replied.

  “You remembered!” I said.

  “Well yeah, of course I remember! It was only one of the most important days of my life.”

  “Mine too,” I said, squeezing his hand.

  Miles opened my door, and held my hand as I stepped out of the vehicle. I didn’t need help, but when my fiancé—the most gorgeous guy in the whole world—wants to help me, I’m going to let him!