Page 2 of The Inn Dilemma

Reese was one of my only true friends in high school. The money and status my family held meant nothing to her. She was my friend simply because she wanted to be.

And I abandoned her when my life got to be too much. I missed her grandmother’s funeral and Reese’s downward spiral into alcohol. I’m not saying things would have been different if I had been here for her back then, but that doesn’t erase the guilt I feel. Even after all of that, she’s remained loyal to our friendship. That’s one huge blessing I’ve thanked God countless times for. Despite my mistakes, she’s come through for me. She’s the friend I’ve so desperately needed.

I stop in the shop to talk to her. Reese rolls out from under the car she’s working on. Her grease-covered overalls come into view first, followed by her bandanna-covered head. Her gray eyes immediately take me in. As if she’s trying to read my thoughts and find out how things went.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hey,” she says, wiping her hands on a towel.

“Did you talk to your dad?” she asks.

“Yeah.” My voice cracks.

Reese eyes me warily. “And did it…did it go well?”

“Not exactly.”

“What happened?”

I scratch my chin with my sleeve-covered hand. “Dad told me he had no daughter and I no longer had a home there.”

Reese’s jaw drops. “He didn’t.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I look away.

Reese huffs. “Nova. Talk to me. What aren’t you telling me?”

I throw my hands up in the air in frustration. “I have no idea where to go from here in life or with my dad. I can’t say I expected him to welcome me home with open arms but…”

“You also didn’t expect him to turn you away,” Reese finishes for me.

“Exactly.”

“Well, I know it’s not much, but you’ll always have a place here with me.” She smiles. “We always talked about being roomies when we became adults.”

A smidgeon of tension leaves me as I’m reminded again of Reese’s genuine friendship. “This wasn’t exactlyhow I imagined becoming roommates would happen though.”

She gives me a sad smile then reaches out and grabs my shoulder. “I know. Me neither. But you’re welcome to stay for as long as you need to.”

“I appreciate that more than you know. But I think right now, what I need is to reintroduce myself to Rocosa…instead of keeping myself locked up in your apartment.”

Reese’s eyebrows raise. “You’re finally ready for that?”

“No,” I answer honestly. “But I’ve hidden away long enough. I’m going to go for a walk, pray, and see what happens.” I laugh weakly. “Who knows maybe an answer will fall out of the sky.”

“Don’t hold your breath on that. But prayer is never a bad idea.”

“I know.” Before any more tension or guilt can build, I tell her, “I’ll be back later.”

After stepping onto the sidewalk and gathering my composure, I start my way down Main Street. I call my mom for the third time today, and like every other time, it rings until it goes to voicemail.

This time, I work up the courage to leave a message. “Hey, Mom, it’s…it’s Nova. I’m back and I’d really like to see you. Call me when you can.” My voice breaks, and I hitend.

I wander down the sidewalk, listening to the crunch of fallen leaves beneath my shoes. The roar of a motorcycle in the distance, causes my mind to wander to my brother.Christian used to take me for rides around Rocosa and sometimes even into Denver. In those fleeting drives, we were free from our father’s expectations and could enjoy just existing.

My fight with Christian has played in my mind like a nightmare on a reel for years. My words were so callous and brutal. I don’t expect him to ever forgive me. But I’ve missed my big brother. The continual roar of the motorcycle has me missing him more. Maybe it’s time for me to reach out to him. I stop on the sidewalk and pull out my phone. I type out his number from memory, but before clicking the call button, I quickly delete all the numbers and lock my phone. I can’t. Not yet. I can only handle one rejection today.

Before long, I come to the end of Main Street but don’t stop until I’m through the iron fence and standing on the doorstep of the Storybook Inn. The place I used to find total solace. The red Victorian-style home is just as beautiful as I remember with its white shutters, rounded tower, and wraparound porch. I used to play in the tower, pretending to be a princess and making the guests laugh with my antics. After Holt came to live with Aunt Birdie and Uncle Walt, Mom would ask Aunt Birdie to babysit me.She may not be my aunt by blood, but she’s like a surrogate aunt to every kid in town.Which is why everyone in Rocosa under the age of forty calls her Aunt Birdie.

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