The Secret (Watty Award Winner) | ✔️

Twenty Seven - Talia

Ch27 - Talia

Talia spent the next few weeks getting acclimated to her new home and job. Working with Mrs. Wilson, she had discovered, was proving to be a very enjoyable experience. She loved the older lady's sense of humor. Plus, she was an excellent story teller. Talia could sit and listen to her colorful tales for hours.

She had also seen quite a bit of Charlie, as well. He had invited her over a couple of evenings for hamburgers on the grill and would often times visit with his mother during the day, in between his handyman jobs. Although, she wondered if that weren't perhaps a new habit for him, as she'd overheard Mrs. Wilson tease, "You seem to be stopping by a great deal lately," when they thought she was out of earshot.

Talia didn't mind though, in fact, she was flattered. She couldn't deny her growing attraction toward him - even though she was trying hard to fight it. Liking Charlie just seemed so...natural. And apparently, he was feeling the same way toward her.

She smiled thinking about him and the way she caught him looking at her sometimes. He was extremely handsome, and she enjoyed watching him play with Winston. He was so laid back and friendly, she was surprised he hadn't met someone special after Emily.

Emily.

It was such a tragic story. Talia had been shocked when Charlie opened up to her about what had happened. She imagined they must have had a very happy, loving marriage.

Who wouldn't be happy with him? she'd often times found herself wondering. A happy alliance - the idea was so foreign to her. Talia never thought she'd want to get married again, but who knows, maybe someday...

Never say never, right?

She settled into her new life with ease, feeling blessed to have ended up in Southern Florida and on the doorstep of Ms. Wilson and her friendly son. She couldn't imagine meeting anyone nicer than the two of them. They had welcomed her into their lives with open arms, and even seemed to enjoy having her there. It had been such a long time since she had felt this accepted anywhere, including in her own home.

"Here, Ms. Wilson, let me help you with that," Talia offered, taking a heavy sack of potatoes from the woman's arms. They were just starting to make a large dinner for a house full of guests.

"Oh, thank you, dear," Ms. Wilson smiled warmly. "Have I told you what a godsend you are?"

Talia grinned in response, "Not since this afternoon."

"Well then, it's long overdue! You are irreplaceable, my dear. An absolute angel."

Talia felt her cheeks warm at the praise. She wasn't used to receiving such sincere compliments. She opened the bag of potatoes and got to work peeling them.

"Honestly," Ms. Wilson continued, "I don't know how I even managed without you."

"You managed just fine before me," Talia giggled at her exaggeration, although she appreciated the accolade.

"So, how's the new house coming along? Are you feeling more settled?"

Talia nodded, "I love it. You know, I didn't bring much with me, so I settled in just fine the very first night. If you don't have many belongings, you don't have much to unpack!" She laughed lightly.

"I didn't mean your belongings, dear, I was speaking of your soul. Are you feeling more at peace with your surroundings?"

Talia was taken aback by the unexpected question. She did feel some peace, more than she had felt in a long time. But how had Ms. Wilson known? Shyly, she nodded in response.

"Good. No one can bring you comfort but yourself - or so they say. But...they say a lot of things, I suppose." She gave Talia a knowing smile. That was one of the things Talia liked best about Ms. Wilson. She had a way of giving advice without making you feel like she was giving advice.

"You know what else they say?" Ms. Wilson offered, as she retrieved the mixer from the pantry. "If you want to find peace, you don't speak with your friends, you speak with your enemies."

Talia chuckled. Now that bit of guidance was a tad more obvious.

She couldn't complain about Ms. Wilson wanting to help, it was her nature. She never asked intrusive questions - neither did Charlie, for that matter. They seemed content just to let her be. Talia imagined she was somewhat of a mystery to them. She never spoke of her past, and when they asked questions she noted the looks on their faces after she gave them one word answers. You would have to be extremely dense to miss the fact that she was being secretive.

How would they feel about me if they knew the truth? Would they still accept me? Talia knew she never wanted to find out.

"You'd better pick up the speed with those taters, dear!" Ms. Wilson laughed, interrupting her thoughts. "We've got a full house tonight."

Quickening her pace, Talia asked, "How does The Ivy House manage to stay so busy all the time? It's not as if this is a big town. How is it that you rarely have a vacancy?"

Ms. Wilson shrugged, "I don't know," she answered, thoughtfully. "Word of mouth, I suppose. My goal has always been to make staying here even better than a home away from home. At home, you have chores and all sorts of things that need attention, and here you have none! My guests can relax, without being burdened by worries or responsibilities."

Talia watched the older woman expertly slice through a grouping of carrots.

"Plus, I really enjoy what I do," the older woman continued. "I get a kick outta all these people coming and going. I don't get out much, so it's kinda like I get to live through them a little."

Talia nodded and stifled a yawn. It had been a busy week at the B&B, and she was looking forward to getting some rest. Although, chances were she wouldn't sleep very well - she welcomed any shut eye she could get. She had been plagued by more nightmares as of late, and they were beginning to take their toll.

"Why don't you take off after you eat?" Ms. Wilson suggested, observing Talia's exhaustion. "I can clean up tonight."

"Thank you, but I'll be fine."

"Nonsense. I'll tidy up after dinner. You deserve a night off after the week we've had."

Smiling gratefully, Talia nodded. She was just too tired to argue.

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Hello and thank you for reading The Secret! This week you helped my story to reach #3 in Mystery/Thriller, #4 in Action and #1 on the Thriller-Action Hot List! Thank you!!! If you like this chapter, I ask that you kindly consider leaving me a vote/comment. I update on Tuesdays and Fridays.

This chapter I would like to dedicate to reader @kirahelensmith. I would also like to wish her a very happy birthday!! Thank you for reading The Secret!

I've been getting a lot of questions lately as to where the idea of this story came from. I knew that I wanted to write a story about domestic violence, as I know a couple of woman who have lived through it, but wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to go about it. After brainstorming, I was reminded of a news article I read from a couple years ago of a real life woman who faked her death to escape an abusive husband, although she chose an especially grizzly demise. The article haunted me and made me realize how desperate some woman are to run away from their unhappy situations. I have been searching the internet for this article for the past several days, and if I find it I will share it here. There are parallels to that woman's story and The Secret, but many things are different. I hope you are enjoying the spin I have put on things! Thank you all for being so nice and supportive!