The Secret (Watty Award Winner) | ✔️

Twenty One - Talia

Ch21 - Talia

The busy week flew by and before Talia knew it, Friday had arrived.

Moving Day, she sighed happily as she stretched out her exhausted muscles. She had finally slept peacefully; it was a shame she had to get up. But she had so much to do!

Once Talia had gotten over the initial shock of the Florida Everglades being in her new backyard, she couldn't help but feel excited. Her very own home — and such a beautiful one at that! It had been such a long time since she had lived on her own and the excitement of it all raced through her veins. She forced herself out of bed and took her time getting dressed before heading down to breakfast.

"Good morning, Ms. Wilson," Talia chirped, greeting the older woman who was already hard at work cleaning the busy B&B kitchen. The late morning sun was peeking through the window, illuminating the spacious room with it's soft, welcoming glow.

"Well, good morning, dear. How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Are you hungry? Pull up a chair and I'll make you a plate," Ms. Wilson offered.

Talia nodded, her short brown ponytail bouncing up and down, and took a seat.

"You slept in today. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it down in time for breakfast."

Talia smiled. "Yes, I had a rough time getting out of bed this morning. It felt too good. But I have a lot I'd like to get done."

Ms. Wilson nodded. "So, are you ready for the big day then?" she asked, handing Talia a plate of french toast.

Talia grinned. "Ready and looking forward to it. Thank you."

It was hard to contain her excitement! She had wandered the streets of the charming downtown area over the past several days, and had found a few treasures to decorate her new home. The house didn't need much as it was already beautifully dressed, just a couple of items to personalize it.

"Charlie dropped off the keys this morning before work. Here you go," Ms. Wilson said, passing them over. "They're all yours."

Talia beamed as she took the keys from the older woman. She felt like a child on Christmas morning! She almost wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She just couldn't believe how well everything was falling into place. As soon as she finished up with breakfast she wanted to get right to work, moving in.

Her mind wandered to Charlie, and she felt her cheeks begin to warm. She had seen him a few times over the past week, and reluctantly had to admit that she liked him more and more with each passing interlude. He was so friendly and easy to talk to. And it turned out they'd had a few things in common, as well. Talia had found out from Ms. Wilson that in addition to playing football in high school, Charlie had also played tennis. So had she, once upon a time. During her high school and college years, it had been a passion. Vaguely, she wondered if he might want to play her sometime, even though she knew she would be a little rusty. She hadn't so much as picked up a racket in more then three years. Because of Steven, of course. He didn't like tennis.

She shook her head, thinking of all the things she had given up for her beloved husband. Things she'd truly enjoyed. But not anymore. She was free to do whatever she wanted. Talia had a lot of living to make up for, and she couldn't wait to get started. In fact, one of the things on her "to do" list she planned to indulge in later that day.

I can't wait to drink an ice cold beer! She had to force herself not to giggle. Ms. Wilson would think she'd lost her mind.

It'd been years she since she'd enjoyed a frothy glass of the flavorful amber liquid. Steven didn't like drinking and would never allow it. Especially beer. He paid very close attention to everything that he put into his body, careful not to indulge in anything unhealthy. Steven had always said that alcohol was "the beverage of choice for those with no self control". He obviously had never enjoyed a cold brew on a hot summer's day.