Love Defined

Part 16

Chapter 15

Smiling, I rolled over in my bed; pulling the blanket with me so that it wrapped around my body like a cocoon. I slowly opened my eyes and let them adjust to my surroundings. I grinned wider when my eyes focused on the Westlife poster that was stuck on the back of my bedroom door; I was a bit of a fan in high school. I let my head spin around the room, taking in the little details that seemed to tell the story of my sad teenage years. There were no collages of pictures that framed my youthful and exciting high school days. There were no faded images of me with immature ex-boyfriends or squealing girls who I spent late nights with gossiping in our plaid pyjamas and braiding our hair. On the flip side, there was no showcase filled with sports achievements or academic trophies. I was neither popular, a jock or a geek.

I was me and in high school evidently, that was nothing good.

Still, my bedroom was attractive in its own right; the walls were covered in a pale yellow with white curtains that gave the room a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The walls had the typical boy band posters stuck on along with black marker hearts around the cuter members faces. There were no picture frames but there were cookbooks stacked on my bookshelf along with my treasured romance novels that were carefully hidden. I had what I had called my 'Believe and Achieve' chart that was stuck down with tape on the wall behind my bed. I had started the chart back in high school when my life goals took a sudden change. Events occurred that haunted and taught me and, were it not for the chart, I was sure I would never have been where I was that day; even though I technically was unemployed, broke and homeless.

I still had drive.

I took another long and hard look at my chart, reading the things I had wished to accomplish my thirty. "Own a speciality bake store." I frowned and continued to stare as I hoped more words would quickly appear. "That can't be it though. I'm sure I wrote more."

"Wrote what?" I startled and looked behind me to see my mother standing in my open doorway with her hands drying a soapy plate dry.

"I'm talking about my chart. I thought there was more under achievements. Did you erase anything?" I asked, taking another look at the whiteboard that had become my Believe and Achieve chart.

My mother shook her head. "I didn't touch it. I was tempted to a couple of months ago when I had decided to clear out your room. I couldn't do it though. I remember asking the same question you are. I thought it was strange that you had only one dream."

"It can't be right though."

"Why not, all you've ever spoken about is the store? It makes sense to me." She shrugged and left my room.

I looked back at the chart, still frowning. "It just seems so shallow and empty."

It bugged me all morning; that one stupid sentence written in bold on my chart above my head. Had I really been that closed-minded and driven in high school that I had no other aspirations? Could it be that my life is truly as empty as it sounds? I hated thinking that I could be wrong. I never wanted to be wrong. I never second guessed any of my decisions until recently.

I wonder what changed.

"Piper, come out of your room. We need to go now if we're going to move all your stuff in one day." My mother shouted from further in the house and I quickly jumped from my bed. All thoughts of my chart disappeared quickly as I rushed to meet my mother.

"It isn't like I have a lot of stu-" I stopped talking and walking as I stared shocked at the sight I had walked in on. There, in my mother's living room stood Scott Daniels. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my question directed at Scott.