A Starting Point

CHAPTER TEN- WELCOME TO CLEARWATER

Heloyse

Upon arriving in the city, on a huge sign with the design of a cowboy, it was written “Welcome to Clearwater”.

My heart felt a twinge of joy as we entered the city. Some time later, we entered a farm. Thom's house was beautiful. It wasn't luxurious, but it was big. A real farmhouse.
I got out of the truck and a short lady came out of the house, going towards him.

"You took too long, man," he said, hugging him.

"I missed you too, Cielo(6)."

The two made a beautiful couple. Thom was a very presentable gentleman despite his age, and Katherine, a thin lady with big blue eyes and blond hair.

After hugging her husband, she assessed me and then gave me a wide smile that I ended up returning.

"And who is this young woman, Thom?"

"This is Heloise. I found her on the road at night and gave her a ride."

"Welcome, Heloise!"

"Thanks!"

"And you brought her...?" Katherine asked, waiting for her husband's answer.

“I brought her because she was trying to work out some problems and I thought she might cool off here."

"Do not worry. Tomorrow I will leave."

"Who's sending you away, dear? I trust Thom. If he brought it, it's because he doesn't see any risk. And if he brought her, then she's my guest too. Stay!"

"I appreciate it, but..."

"Now come! I'll fix you a snack while you take a shower. You are visibly tired. Megan will show you to a room. She's in there. I will introduce you."

Megan was twenty-five, with tanned skin and eyes like her mother's. Her hair was cut to shoulder length, completely blonde and curly. The freckles on her face made her more graceful.

"You can put your things in this closet space. Feel free."

“Thank you and I'm sorry for the trouble I'm giving you."

“It's not work at all. In fact, I'm actually glad there's someone here to keep my mom company. Next week, I go back to college. I took two weeks off to take care of an allergy and decided to stay here with my parents. I miss them."

-"What do you study?"

-"Engineering."
-
"You like it here"

“I was born here and I love this place. But there's also Jeremy, my fiancé. When I'm there, I miss it here. When I'm here, I miss there. My life is complicated."

"I belive," I said, smiling.

She returned a friendly smile and offered me a towel.

-"And then? Where you are from?"

"I live in Boston and was born in California."

"Cool!" — he said heading towards the door and then stopped — "I don't know what you came looking for... I hope you find it."

“I guess I'm trying to find myself."

"You will find it. Now take your shower."

Bath was all I needed.

In the bathroom, under the delicious shower, I closed my eyes and wondered how everything could have happened so fast. I was at the home of people I didn't even know who welcomed me with open arms. Could there be people like that?

Worst of all, for a moment, I felt comfortable, as if after years, I felt part of a family. For an instant, I had forgotten about the pain.

I came out of the shower much better physically, only my mind was a perfect traitor. I started remembering Michael, wondering what he was doing. If he remembered me... About us. I shook my head like I wanted to shake all the crap out of it. I left the room and went to the kitchen.

“The bath did you a lot of good, Lisy. Sit down! Cielo will serve you."

"Thanks!"

"You can call me Cielo, Lisy. Thom gave me that nickname when we were young and everyone calls me that."

“It's a lovely nickname."

"I was a very flirtatious young man in those days", commented Thom.

"That's true, honey. And today you're an old man who only knows how to snore."

"And you still think I'm handsome!"

The banter continued as we ate our snacks. Megan talked about her college classmates, her studies and her fiancé.

"What made you go out there with a backpack on your back?" she asked with interest.

"I don't think it's polite to gossip."

"Why, Daddy, I'm not! I just asked a question. If she wants to answer that's fine, if not, she doesn't have a problem."

"There is no problem at all" — they looked at me attentively while I found the words to explain what led me to make that decision. “I… I wanted to disappear for a while."

“Oh honey, that's so human. I think everyone in this life already wants to disappear."

I looked at Cielo and nodded.

"I think so. But, not everyone does that. Anyway, I needed to get away from one person. He was my boyfriend for nine years. He reconnected with an ex-girlfriend from fifteen years ago and discovered that he had had a child with her. So he chose to have her, the family he never had with me."

Everyone was quiet. The silence was only broken when Thom cleared his throat.

“Lisy, no need to talk. I know how hard it is..."

"Not! I want to talk, Thom. At some point, I have to come to terms with the situation."

I told them the whole story, from the death of my family, my relationship with Michael, to Alice and the fact that I was freaking out, living near him. They were helpful. They listened to every word I said. They gave me words of support and that was really good. It was the first time I managed to talk about it and not shed a tear.

(6) Cielo: Sky