Old Barn Amulet

Green rolling hills were covered in fog that morning in the countryside of Paso Robles, California. As the sun tried to creep through the morning mist, the smell of coffee penetrated the porch. Annie covered her shoulders in her favorite worn out blanket as she sipped her drink on the porch swing. Garrett bustled through the screen door which had a classic squeak when opened. He paused to allow Misty and Binx to fly beneath his feet and out into the yard.

“Those two are going to cause one of us to trip with how urgent they need to get out here in the morning.” Garrett chuckled and sat beside Annie on the wooden swing.

“They certainly will.” Annie grinned.

Misty rolled in the grass several times before stopping to point her ears and whiskers at a butterfly passing through the garden. Her body remained motionless besides her fluffy, gray tail waving back and forth. Binx saw the mission and followed through while he slowly crept up behind Misty and pounced. Misty tried to fend off his large black and white body. Garrett and Annie giggled at the sight of their two kitties rolling all around the grass.

Annie looked out upon the vast hills before them. As the sun rose, the morning fog began to fade. The rest of their properties began to reveal themselves in the morning light. They had a rustic old barn where they hosted events of many kinds. They had a large workshop where they worked on their projects. Garrett worked on his cars on the ground level, and in the open loft upstairs, Annie painted and worked on managing the barn venue. There were large windows lining the vicinity of her work area, allowing her to gaze out at their vast property.

They had several other outdoor structures. Some were empty and some were full. A few were under construction as they planned to have accommodations on property for guests to stay before and after their events.

Garrett and Annie had the weekend off from events. All they needed to do was relax, and dig into their hobbies if desired. Their kitties ran off into the morning fog to play, and Annie’s mom, Beverly, creaked open the screen door, letting the scent of bacon and fresh pancakes fill the air of the porch.

“Breakfast is almost ready. It sounds like Brady is waking up, too.” Beverly grinned.

“Thank you, Mama. We’ll be right in.”

Beverly shut the door behind her and the couple made their way inside.

“I’ll grab Brady.” Garrett brushed his hand along Annie’s lower back before heading upstairs.

Annie watched Brady rub his eyes in his crib from the baby monitor on the counter.

“Such a sweet time.” Beverly breathed in.

“Yes, it truly is.”

“What are your plans today?”

“I think Garrett and I are going to begin cleaning out the second barn behind the workshop.”

“Will that become one of your guest quarters?”

“I think we want it to be the spot for guests to check in. We might convert it to an office.”

“I’ll watch the baby!” Beverly gleamed.

“Of course.” Annie nodded as Garrett came down the stairs with Brady in his sturdy arms. “After breakfast we can start on that barn.”

Garrett sighed. “On a Saturday?” A smirk quickly followed his complaint.

“We could wait until tomorrow.”

“On a Sunday?”

“Oh, come on, it will be fun.” Annie kissed Brady on the forehead. “Good morning sweet baby.”

He reached for her and snuggled into her arms. The lovely little family enjoyed their breakfast before Annie and Garrett began their afternoon project. The pair walked to their second barn along a lovely concrete pathway they paved years before. The tall lillie plants and and green grass lined the path they walked upon.

Normally, they walked along the path to their workshop together. Instead of heading into the door of their work space, they continued along the path to the back of it, and to the barn they wanted to remodel. Garrett wore a t-shirt and old jeans for the project. Annie had her beautiful long hair in a bun, wore a raggedy sweatshirt, and denim shorts. Each of them had closed toed tennis shoes and a pair of heavy-duty work gloves.

They opened the door to the bard they hadn’t been in for many years to see more than a day’s worth of work. The sun peaked through areas of the walls that would need to be repaired. The antique chandelier they installed years back had several burnt out bulbs. They had antique equipment, some for show and some for use that would need to be moved. The ground needed to have a floor installed, and they wanted to put in windows. The loft needed to be cleared out, the floor reinforced, a guardrail installed, and better stairs.

“We have a lot of work to do here.” Garrett grabbed a broom and began clearing hay to the corner.

“Yes, we do!” Annie went up to the loft and moved a wooden bench to the side.

“Annie, have you seen this before?”

“What is it?” She carefully peered over the edge.

Garrett motioned for her to come downstairs. “This is your great grandparents, right?”

“Yes.” Annie peered into his hands which held a portrait of her family.

“This is heavy.”

“It’s almost like it’s glued onto something.”

Garrett peeled the photo back carefully.

“A mirror?” Annie questioned.

Garrett and Annie began to spin and the items they held in their hands fell to the ground. They were lifted up in the air as hay and dirt spun around them. Suddenly, they found themselves in their workshop. They glanced at each other and looked around as ballroom music played. Couples all around them danced.

Annie grasped onto Garrett’s arm. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know.” He put his arm around her. “Let’s look around.”

“People, people, what did I tell them about the dress code?” A woman pulled on Garrett and Annie’s arms. “Get upstairs and get changed immediately!”

“We don’t have,” Garrett began.

“Go! Chelsea will help you!” She pushed them along. “Chelsea!” She shouted and motioned to the couple.

Chelsea came along side them and led them up a flight of stairs. “You know Margie is serious about the dress code! Come on, you two.”

“Margie, that’s my great grandma!” Annie whispered to Garrett.

“I’m starting to get freaked out here.” He chuckled.

As they went up the stairwell, they found themselves in a huge room with racks of ball gowns. Annie didn’t want to ask many questions, but she felt anxious to receive answers.

“I’m sorry, Chelsea, was it?” Garrett wondered.

“Don’t be silly. Have you snuck in some brandy before the cocktail hour?” She snickered and began to shuffle through dresses and suits.

“No, certainly not. I was wondering what tonight’s event was for, again?”

“Margie has been seeking a suitor for months. I know, we are tired of throwing these. But, she finally found one. Tonight, he will propose. She has no idea!”

Annie grinned with excitement. “I get to see them get engaged?”

“We all do. Margie’s dream. Here. This one is for you.” Chelsea pulled a long ball gown off the rack and handed it to Annie. “And a suit for you. Now hurry! Bill will be here any moment.”

Annie’s dress was blue with long sleeves and lace going from the neck line down the middle all the way to the floor. Garrett wore a traditional brown corduroy suit with black dress shoes. They both wondered who they were in the scene of the past. They weren’t strangers by any means.

They stepped onto the dance floor with questions circling their minds. They began to dance, losing themselves in the adventure they were roped into. Annie sought out her great grandmother to soak in her presence. She never knew her, only of her. While admiring her from afar, Annie caught a glimpse of her great grandpa.

He made a beeline toward the center of the room and called for everyone’s attention. Margie ran to his side and glanced up at him with admiration.

“I want to tell everyone how beautiful this ball is. Of course nothing is as beautiful as my…” He dropped to one knee. “Bride.”

The crowd gasped and applauded.

“Will you marry me, Margie?”

“Of course!”

Annie and Garrett cheered with the rest of the crowd. They danced with her great grandparents and listened to their dreams for the ranch. They wanted to do exactly what Annie and Garrett accomplished. They glanced at each other with smiles over the accomplishments coming true in the future.

“Let’s sneak out to the barn and see what it is now.” Garrett pulled on Annie’s hand.

They went to the barn to see an empty spot.

"Nothing.” Annie commented.

They went back inside to keep dancing and socializing.

“Margie.” Annie tapped her great grandma’s shoulder. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Annie gasped, seeing her mother’s wedding ring as a brand new piece of jewelry and not the passed down heirloom she was used to.

“Absolutely beautiful.”

“Sorry to interrupt.” Bill interceded. “Margie, my love, here is an amulet with my dearest photo of us.”

“It’s lovely, Bill, thank you.”

Garrett and Annie spun again and the drinks they had been sipping on disappeared from their hands. They looked at each other in awe when they found themselves grounded back in the old barn.

“Wow, what just happened?” Annie questioned.

“I don’t know, I was planning on asking you.” Garrett grinned.

“I think we should install a dance floor in the venue barn.”

“I think so too.”

Annie gripped the amulet in her hand. “It’s perfect. Now let’s get to work on this old thing.”

Garrett kissed Annie and continued on the clearing and cleaning as they were before.