Her new life

One dark and stormy night, Leann stood at the window, letting the cool breeze blow her long blonde hair. She smiles and closes her eyes as she lets the wind take her away. She could hear the thunder in the background as the lightening fills the dark sky. A strong storm is coming fast. As the rain starts to fall hard, she closes the windows and headed downstairs. Lee was already downstairs watching the tv. He saw her as she sat down on the couch beside him. He said to her “the storm is getting closer. I didn’t think you was coming down. Was starting to think the wind flew you away.” As she looked at him smiling, she said “ the wind felt good. Aww you know you would miss me.” He starts laughing and said “ not really. I will be having fun without you.” She hits him with the couch pillow and he said “I love you.” She looks at him with a half grin “I love you to.” Just then the lights flickered and the tv went off. Leann was getting scared and Lee jumped up to grab the radio. They could hear the storm getting louder and the rain hitting hard and fast on the roof. Lee tried to find a station that was clear but didn’t succeed. He looked at Leann sitting on the couch with her knees to her chest. He knew she was scared but didn’t know what to do to help her feel better. He knew they was safe in the basement. He went to her and put his arms around her and said “we are safe in here stop worrying.” She curled up to him smiling. He could see her eyes still worried but she tried to relax. He kissed her softly on her head. The smell of her hair smelled like roses. She been using this new shampoo, he always like to make fun of her. Every time she used it he would say “you trying to be a girl today?” She always punched him playfully and said “I am a girl.” He said “sometimes I wonder.” That makes her mad and he like to make fun of her. She was a tomboy and didn’t like being a girly girl. He liked to get her mad because he thought she was cute. She was short and skinny and when she got mad, he thought she looked like a fairy. She crossed her arms and pouted. Her lip pouched out and he always wanted to grab it and pull it. He pulled her tighter to him as he smiles. The thunder storm was loud and the lights went out. Lee jumped up again to find a flashlight. He stumbled over the chair. She kinda giggled and said “ you been walking long?” He said to her “ very funny.” She giggles softly. He loved hearing her laugh or even giggle. At least she was trying to be strong. It made him smile hearing her laugh. He reaches for the flashlight and turns it on. They heard a loud noise from upstairs. He grabbed her and pointed the flashlight toward the door. Rain was falling in the house and he knew the roof was gone. He ran to the basement door and shut it. Then he grabbed a few lanterns and turned them on. He could see her standing there starting to cry. He went to her and held her. “It will be ok stop crying.” He said to her as he wipes the tears off her face. She asks “what are we gonna do now?” He said to her “we just have to wait and see til the storm passes.” He led her to the couch and sat her down. He grabbed a blanket from the table and put it on her. “Try and get some rest. The way the storm is going we be here for while.” He said to her sitting beside her. He pulled her close to him and she was shaking. He put his arm around her as he put his head back on the couch. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.

The next morning Lee woke up with Leann’s head on his lap. He brushed her hair away from her face as he looks at her and smiled. He gently pushes her head off his lap so not to wake her. He stretches his arms up and then moans softly. He heads to the door and listens. It’s quite he thought. His hands open the door slowly and noticed the carpet was soaking wet from the rain. He looked up and saw that the ceiling was missing in some spots. As he heads upstairs, he looks around to see what other damage there was. It was a disaster he thought as he stood in what used to be the kitchen. Plates was broken, glass everywhere. Water was standing where the carpet was in the living room. As he looks around to see if anything could be saved, he heard Leann behind him. She couldn’t believe that once this was a house full of memories now just a pile of ruble. Her eyes filled with tears as he comes over to comfort her. “It’s ok. This will be a new beginning for us. The new life we always talked about.” He said to her as he pulled her closer. “Can anything be saved?” She asked. “Not from what I can see for now.” As he picks up a broken picture frame. Several of the pictures was destroyed by the rain. He said to her “we can make new memories together once we get another place.” She smiled with tears falling down her face. She stumbled across the mess to once was the bedroom. She tried to find their phones and saw her bathroom towels all over the place. Their phones was no where. Their comforter and pillows blew away. She saw their bed was turned around with the headboard broken. Lee came up behind her and said “look the wind got busy with the rain and broke our bed!” He was laughing and said “at least somebody got laid.” She turned around to hit him and she fell over a piece of wall that fell. He looked at her and said “you been walking long?” She crossed her arms and sat Indian style. He laughs at her and tries to help her up. He said “come on let’s see if we can get some help around here.” They got in the car and headed to town. They came upon a gas station and Leann said “let’s stop here I’m hungry.” He said “ok so am I.” As they sat at the table Leann looks around. There was a couple with a baby crying. They was arguing about something. She didn’t pay much attention to them. But this one girl she saw, she kept her eyes on. She was pretty. Her hair was long and straight. Her eyes was dark blue and her smile was big. She had on a dress that was long and she had on sandals. Her bangs covered one eye as the other side was pinned up. She looked like she was just coming back from somewhere. She just stares at this girl. Lee snapped his fingers at her trying to get her attention. She looks at him and said “what?” He said “are you going to order or you gonna ask her to marry you?” She kicks Lee in the leg and told him to shut up. The waitress just laughed. She said “i will be back with your orders.” Leann looked back at that girl and the girl saw her and smiled. Leann smiled back and looked at her drink. Lee watched Leann as she took her straw and swirling the ice around. Lee said to her “what’s wrong?” Leann looked at him and said “she’s pretty. I wished I looked like that.” Lee looked towards the girl and looked back at Leann. He said “nah I think your prettier than her.” Leann looked at him and stared. “Why do you say that?” She asked him. He took her hand and said “your beautiful Leann the way you are. Your not trying to be someone your not. I don’t like all that makeup and stuff.” Leann just sat there and stared. “ your beautiful just being yourself. You tomboy wanna be.” He said smiling. She gave him a half smile and was surprised he said that to her. The waitress came and sat down their food and said anything else? Lee looked at her and said nope we good thanks. The waitress turned away and headed to the girl sitting at the table. Leann watched as the girl paid her and got up. Leann thought she was very pretty. After they ate, they headed to a hotel. They checked in and Leann found their room. She went straight to the bathroom and pinned her hair up. She drew a hot bath and stepped inside. She relaxed as tears filled her eyes. She thought to herself it will be ok. It’s a new beginning for both of them. But the pictures and everything they had was lost. It was all just memories. Good ones at that. She wiped her eyes and smiled. She closed her eyes and sunk more into the water. Lee stood at the door watching her. She was pretty can’t wait to marry her if she accepted he thought as he smiles at her. Leann opened her eyes and saw he was watching and smiling at her. When she got out, Lee had their supper on the table. After they ate, Leann went to the window. The sky was pretty she thought smiling. It was black and blue stripes with few orange clouds from the sunset. Lee came up behind her and said “pretty huh?” She said said yes as he wraps her up in his arms. He said “we got long day tomorrow we need to get some sleep.” He was taking her somewhere but she never could get him to tell her where they was going. He always did this to her and she didn’t like it. Who knows what goes on in his mind.

The next morning they ate breakfast and then checked out. Lee drove as she rolled the window down and the wind blew her hair. She smiled and closed her eyes feeling the cool breeze against her face. Lee turned up the radio and headed down the road. She watched out the window as she saw trees and cliffs go by. There wasn’t hardly any traffic so far. She wondered where he was taking her. She always asked but he just smiled and said you will see. It seemed like they drove for hours and she started to get hungry. She asked him “can we stop and grab something to eat?” He said “yea there’s a rest stop just ahead we stop there.” Two hours went by and they still kept driving. Where is this stop at? She asked. Just wait you will see. He said. They pulled up to a diner. They walked inside and the smell of grease filled the air. They had posters on the walls. The stools where bright red with metal bottom. It was an old timey diner. They sat at the table and she noticed the stool swiveled. The menus had bunch of stuff that looked good to her. She couldn’t decide what to get. Lee looked at her and smiled. He said to her I know what you want. She looked at him and smiled. She said you think you know me that well huh? He said yep I do. She said ok you order mine I order yours. He stared at her and said u think you know everything. Leann grinned and said I do. He shifted in his seat and put the menu down. He looked at her with challenging eyes and said your on. He loved it when people made these kinda challenges with him. To think she always did that kinda turned him on. He thought it was cute her trying to be right all time and thought she knew everything. But he loved to prove her wrong but every now and then, he lost. It was fun to do this with her.

The waitress got to the table and asked what ya getting today as she was smacking her gum. Lee looked at Leann and said lady’s first. Leann goes he would like chicken fried steak with country gravy, mashed potato’s, and garden salad with no onions with thousand island. And to drink he would like a cold beer. He looked at her with shocked and the waitress said and you honey? He shook his head and said she would like a hamburger with no onions or cheese with mustard, sweet potato fries and coke. The waitress said ok be back with y’all order. He looks at Leann and smiled. Who won this one he said to her. I think we both tied she said. He laughs and said I will be right back. She just smiled. As she was looking around, she noticed there wasn’t to many people there. They all knew each other. They must be regulars she thought. She still wondered were Lee was taking her and why he left her there alone at the table in a strange place. A few minutes later he came back and sat down in front of her. She said this was a cosy little place to eat. The atmosphere was relaxing but old fashioned. She always loved it when he took her to new places. She loved to experience new places and places to eat. The waitress bought their food and after they ate, Lee waved to the waitress. She smiled and winked and went back to the kitchen. Sara looked at Lee like what was that about? What is he up to she thought. She looked at him with concerned eyes. He smiled and said don’t worry hopefully will like it. That made her even more suspicious. The waitress came and sat down the dessert in front of her. She goes enjoy sweetie. It was a cherry pie with whip cream and cherries on top. She couldn’t believe he remembered her favorite dessert. He got a brownie with vanilla ice cream on side. She took a bite of her pie and it was still warm. She got through to half of it and she saw something shiny in the pie. She looked confused but didn’t know what to think of it. She took her fork and dug it out of the pie. He smiled as he watched her get it out. She cleaned it off with her napkin as her eyes lit up in thought of what it was. and said are you for real? You really mean this? She said smiling as she kinda got excited. He said yes as he got up from the stool and stood beside her. He got down on one knee and took her hand. Leann was speechless now. Her eyes grew big. He looked up at her and said Leann will you make me the luckiest man alive will you marry me? Tears filled her eyes and she said yes! And threw her arms around his neck. He took the ring and put it on her finger. They were both smiling and he whispers in her ear I love you Leann. She felt her whole body and face blush with heat. Just hearing him say that to her felt good. They always picked on each other about saying I love you but this time it was for real. He said come on we almost to the place I wanted to take you to. She was excited and called her family to tell them the news. They drove for hour and they came upon a bunch of trees. She noticed it was like a forest out there. She thought she would love to put her hammock there and take a nap with Lee beside her. Or even read a book to herself. She smiled at that thought. They came upon a little house that had a small porch. On the side what little she could tell looked like a stream running behind the house. There was a car with someone inside. They pulled up and Lee said come on just in time. She got out wondering what was going on. The guy was a business man she thought. He had on a suit and dress shoes and had papers in his hands. Lee said to him this is Leann my new fiancé smiling as he held her waist. He said oh that’s great congratulations and y’all will love it here. This house is perfect for yal. Leann didn’t know what to think. Is this really going to be our house? Was Lee really for real on starting a new life with her? She thought smiling. The guy took them inside and showed them around. It was a three bedroom two bath house with fireplace. She went to the kitchen. It was small but it was nice. She looked out the back window and saw there was a stream little way from the house. There was a swing and large deck. She thought that was good for Lee to cook outside a lot. The bathroom had a large tub with plenty of drawers. The shower was glass but only one person could fit. It was tiny she thought. Lee signed the papers and the guy said congratulations on your new home. He shook both their hands and left. Lee turned to her and held her close to him what do you think? He said. She said all this is really ours? He laughed and said yes it is now. He said welcome home honey to our new life as he bent down to kiss her. She must be dreaming she thought. They walked in their new home together holding hands.