by Carr, Suzie
The silence tickled my ears as if a thousand trumpets blew. I’d never heard anything quite as beautiful. In its wake, the echo of possibility rang and lifted me to a level where I could finally take in the full-scale view of life’s beauty.
I walked up to the wall and ran my fingers down its smooth surface. A layer of dust trailed behind on my fingertip. I massaged it, stared at it, and got this jolt of excitement for what was to come.
I pictured a fresh coat of whisper yellow, embellished by beautiful artwork of mountain landscapes. I saw oversized chairs with matching ottomans and glass accent tables adorned with vases filled to the rim with polished rocks. Accent lighting would cozy up the space and elicit conversation from guests returning from a day’s adventure walking under the canopy of colorful trees. Their faces would be kissed by the sun, their breathing methodically slow and steady, their gingerly laughter rising as they retold their funny accounts of the day spent enjoying one of the country’s hidden treasures.
Couples would sit together in the oversized chairs, ankles draped over each other’s, holding hands, kissing the tips of each other’s noses, relishing in the inviting home that would become a sweet memory and possible tradition. And in the kitchen, I would bake cookies and brew tea. I’d deliver them on my grampa’s silver tray.
Nadia, Shawna, Eloise, and Nadia’s sister Sasha walked in carrying boxes. They dropped them in the corner where the ant had just crawled.
“Actually those are going up to the massage parlor room,” I said.
Nadia dug into a tote bag. “Sweetheart, we should have a toast first.” She broke out a bottle of champagne and glasses.
“Here, let me help,” Sasha jumped in to the rescue.
Nadia handed her the champagne bottle. “Thanks for being here, sis.”
Sasha busied herself with popping the cork, swallowing a smile, and turning red. “Don’t be silly. It’s nothing.”
Nadia sneaked me an eye roll and half smile—a secret look we’d surely continue enjoying for years to come. She handed each of us a glass, and Sasha poured the bubbly. We held them up, and Nadia toasted.
“To Grampa Clark, the greatest man I’ve ever met,” she said. “He dazzled. He joked. He laughed. He lit up the room with his smile. More importantly, he brought us all here to this moment in time. Without him, this moment, and all future moments together, would never exist. May we all live with such intensity, such character, such integrity, and such true freedom.”
We clinked glasses and sipped our champagne.
I breathed in this moment.
I never thought I would be ‘that girl.’ You know, that girl who grew roots, employed others, and fell in love with a beautiful woman who needed her.
Yet, here I was, all of that and more.
I was finally that girl.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
As with all of my books, I enjoy giving a portion of proceeds back to the community by donating to the NOH8 Campaign www.noh8campaign.com and Hearts United for Animals: www.hua.org. Thank you for being a part of this special contribution.
A SPECIAL REQUEST
If you enjoyed reading this story, I’d be so grateful for your favorable review of it. Just a sentence or two saying what you liked about Staying True will help others discover it and help me to serve you better with future books!
(www.amazon.com/author/suziecarr)