she helped Amber through
the loss of her parents. Only time could completely heal Olivia,
but Amber believed she was on the road to recovery. She had seen
the change in her face and eyes after talking through her pregnancy
and loss. Her friend would be alright.
Derek drove Amber back to the motel in
silence. He could sense emotions churning in Amber and so remained
quiet as they drove. He had questions but they could wait.
He was furious. How dare she bring him back
here and flaunt him. He would have to teach her not to cross him.
Yes, the cowboy would have to die. And this time he hoped it would
be slow and painful. She had crossed him for the last time.
The next morning Amber and Derek drove around
her small hometown. Amber showed him the house she grew up in and
the school she went to. She pointed out all of the places that were
special to her. Derek took her to the cemetery where her parents
were buried and she was able to sit down by the head stones for the
first time since she had left Alma.
Someone had been maintaining the graveside
for her. It was nicely clipped and there were fresh flowers in one
of the vases. She assumed Olivia had taken over this chore since
she left.
She told Derek about her parents. She talked
for an hour telling him story after story about her mom and dad.
When she was through, Derek felt as if he had met them personally.
He believed he would have liked them if given the chance to know
them.
Derek had decided to stay at the hotel while
Amber took Olivia to lunch. He didn’t want to interfere in their
time together. He had decided to walk and get lunch then check in
with his brother.
Amber dropped Derek at the hotel and drove to
Olivia’s house. Olivia was sitting on the front porch waiting for
her. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a red button up shirt, Olivia’s
coloring looked so much better. She had a smile on her face that
reached her eyes. Amber got out of the car and met Olivia half way
down the walk. The girls hugged and climbed back into the car.
Amber drove to Charlie’s Place and the girls
ordered their favorites from times past.
“Wow, this really takes me back,” Olivia
said.
“Yeah, I know,” replied Amber. “This place
hasn’t changed a bit.”
Word had spread like wildfire that Amber was
back in town and the locals poured into the diner to talk to her.
Like the night before, it took her several hours to eat for talking
to all the people who had missed her and wanted to hear about her
travels.
But all the talk was good for Olivia as well.
She had not been out of the house since the baby had died, except
to the cemetery, and she had forgotten how kind and loving their
fellow citizens could be. She vaguely knew many had brought meals
and sent cards but she had been in a depressed fog. Being out and
talking with those around her, Olivia could see the genuine concern
for her safety and the loss of her little girl. There was no pity
in the town’s people’s eyes just a deep love for one of their own
and a sorrow at her loss.
Eventually Amber and Olivia made it to the
cemetery. Amber watched as Olivia placed flowers on the grave of
her child. When Olivia began to sob, Amber knelt beside her and
held her.
For Olivia, this was a different kind of
sobbing. This was a healing sobbing. She was finally letting go.
Thanks to Amber, Olivia knew she would make it through this dark
time in her life and come out on the other side. She wouldn’t be
the same. She would never be the same. But she would live through
this and she would try to have another baby. No one would replace
the precious life in the ground under her hands, but she would move
on.
Eventually Olivia stopped crying. The girls
got to their feet and walked back to the car hand in hand.
“Amber, thanks for coming,” Olivia said. “You
don’t know how much I needed you.”
“I do know, Olivia. You were there for me
when my parents died, and I will be there for you through this,”
Amber
the loss of her parents. Only time could completely heal Olivia,
but Amber believed she was on the road to recovery. She had seen
the change in her face and eyes after talking through her pregnancy
and loss. Her friend would be alright.
Derek drove Amber back to the motel in
silence. He could sense emotions churning in Amber and so remained
quiet as they drove. He had questions but they could wait.
He was furious. How dare she bring him back
here and flaunt him. He would have to teach her not to cross him.
Yes, the cowboy would have to die. And this time he hoped it would
be slow and painful. She had crossed him for the last time.
The next morning Amber and Derek drove around
her small hometown. Amber showed him the house she grew up in and
the school she went to. She pointed out all of the places that were
special to her. Derek took her to the cemetery where her parents
were buried and she was able to sit down by the head stones for the
first time since she had left Alma.
Someone had been maintaining the graveside
for her. It was nicely clipped and there were fresh flowers in one
of the vases. She assumed Olivia had taken over this chore since
she left.
She told Derek about her parents. She talked
for an hour telling him story after story about her mom and dad.
When she was through, Derek felt as if he had met them personally.
He believed he would have liked them if given the chance to know
them.
Derek had decided to stay at the hotel while
Amber took Olivia to lunch. He didn’t want to interfere in their
time together. He had decided to walk and get lunch then check in
with his brother.
Amber dropped Derek at the hotel and drove to
Olivia’s house. Olivia was sitting on the front porch waiting for
her. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a red button up shirt, Olivia’s
coloring looked so much better. She had a smile on her face that
reached her eyes. Amber got out of the car and met Olivia half way
down the walk. The girls hugged and climbed back into the car.
Amber drove to Charlie’s Place and the girls
ordered their favorites from times past.
“Wow, this really takes me back,” Olivia
said.
“Yeah, I know,” replied Amber. “This place
hasn’t changed a bit.”
Word had spread like wildfire that Amber was
back in town and the locals poured into the diner to talk to her.
Like the night before, it took her several hours to eat for talking
to all the people who had missed her and wanted to hear about her
travels.
But all the talk was good for Olivia as well.
She had not been out of the house since the baby had died, except
to the cemetery, and she had forgotten how kind and loving their
fellow citizens could be. She vaguely knew many had brought meals
and sent cards but she had been in a depressed fog. Being out and
talking with those around her, Olivia could see the genuine concern
for her safety and the loss of her little girl. There was no pity
in the town’s people’s eyes just a deep love for one of their own
and a sorrow at her loss.
Eventually Amber and Olivia made it to the
cemetery. Amber watched as Olivia placed flowers on the grave of
her child. When Olivia began to sob, Amber knelt beside her and
held her.
For Olivia, this was a different kind of
sobbing. This was a healing sobbing. She was finally letting go.
Thanks to Amber, Olivia knew she would make it through this dark
time in her life and come out on the other side. She wouldn’t be
the same. She would never be the same. But she would live through
this and she would try to have another baby. No one would replace
the precious life in the ground under her hands, but she would move
on.
Eventually Olivia stopped crying. The girls
got to their feet and walked back to the car hand in hand.
“Amber, thanks for coming,” Olivia said. “You
don’t know how much I needed you.”
“I do know, Olivia. You were there for me
when my parents died, and I will be there for you through this,”
Amber
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