Leave Me Love by Alex Lux Page B

and create these magical fantasy worlds where nymphs and fairies and dragons lived. We'd make swords from branches and train as knights." He stared at the fire, mindlessly running his hand through my hair. "We were so close in age that for along time we were each other's best friend."
    "What happened?"
    His eyes snapped back to the present and he finished the last of his wine and stood. "We grew up. Grew apart. Found that we had less in common than I'd thought. It happens."
    There was more to the story, I could tell, but it could wait.
    We locked up the house, turned off the lights and found solace in each other's arms, making love to the sound of a light rainfall outside and falling asleep holding each other.
     
    ***
     
    The next day, Professor Cavin picked me up and we drove the two-and-a-half hours to his cabin. Ash wanted to come along, but I insisted against it. This was something I had to do myself. I had no idea what we'd find when we arrived, if anything, but a buzz of anticipation built in my stomach the closer we got to our remote destination.
    The last leg of the trip we bumped along a dirt road that wouldn't have made it to any maps or GPS systems. Surrounded by oak, hickory, cherry and birch trees, with nothing but nature everywhere, it felt like stepping into another world. When the cabin came into view, it looked just as I'd imagined it. Cozy, small, made of polished logs, situated between the woods and a private lake.
    I inhaled deeply as I stood on the porch waiting for Professor Cavin to unlock the front door. Nothing smelled as good as this—except maybe Ash. Clean air, wild flowers and a hint of the musky foliage decomposing under layers of forest floor. It smelled raw and natural, free of human pollution and toxicity.
    Professor Cavin pushed open the door and fiddled with a light switch. The bulb flickered for a moment before coming on. "Wasn't sure it'd work. Haven't had electricity in here for years."
    He shuffled in and I followed, dropping my purse on a small table by the front door. A love seat sat in front of a wood-burning stove, with a reclining chair to the right of it. The kitchen and living room formed a large L shape, open and inviting. The hardwood floors and colorful throw rugs gave the room a warm, intimate feel. A two-seater table sat in the middle, made of the same wood as the cabin.
    "It's a humble place, but good for getting away and clearing your head." Professor Cavin coughed, and I could tell being here was hard for him. He showed me the rest of the place, including the one small bedroom with a queen-size bed and dresser, and a bathroom with a shower, sink and toilet.
    I stared at the bed the longest, knowing in my gut that this is where my mom had her affair with him. Had they made love on top of that handmade quilt? Or had they taken the quilt off first? Was it rough and rowdy or slow and sweet? I couldn't look at my professor and imagine him naked, sweaty and entangled with my young, beautiful mother. I shivered at the thought.
    Professor Cavin came up behind me, looking in.
    "You and my mom… "
    He nodded. "Yes. This is where it happened, during our last study retreat here."
    He walked away quickly, heading outside to the porch.
    I used the time alone to search the small cabin, looking in drawers and cupboards, hoping for something that would lead to the book my mother wrote. All I found were a few dust bunnies and some expired cans of food.
    Frustrated, I joined the professor outside and sat next to him on the porch swing facing the lake.
    He stared at the horizon. "Alice was a beautiful woman. One-of-a-kind. She had a passion for life I'd never seen in anyone else. That passion glowed within her and made her a star in a world of darkness."
    "I wish she was still here." I kicked my feet out in front of me to make the swing move faster.
    "I do too. I know she would hate seeing you go through all this. It would break her heart, but she would fight for you with every fiber of