Setting Roots (bwwm)

Chapter 1

"It's odd for a girl like you to just want to buy a house here," said the middle-aged woman with a southern draw. 

"I needed a new beginning," I said with a smile. 

"Well it's a nice house it just needs some tender loving care. I'm Mrs.Fallen by the way. I grew up in this town," said Mrs.Fallen. The house that I had purchased was a small ranch with 5 bedrooms. It was cozy and just right for me. All I needed was for Mrs.Fallon to get out. 

“That’s nice. How is this town,” I asked being polite.

“It’s quiet. Not much happens and everyone knows everyone,” she said looking around.

"Well thank you I will enjoy it here thank you," I said almost pushing her out and closing the door. I heard her yell out for me to call her if I needed anything and then she left. I looked around the house without someone watching me for the first time. The house was two stories; all the walls were white which would change soon. Started to move my boxes in inside. I had no furniture so I needed to go to town. I got in my new jeep and took a ten-minutes drive to town. When I got to the nearest furniture store I picked out my favorites with the store clerk following behind me taking note of what I like. After I was done I paid for everything and headed to the diner at the end of town. It was small enough to fit 20 people. I sat by the window and was thinking when a young waitress approached me. 

"What can I get for you honey," she said with a thick southern draw. 

"Umm I'd like a cup of tea with apple pancakes," I said turning back to the window.  

"I'll have that right out you want your tea hot right?" 

I shook my head yes staring out the window. It was a gloomy day, so I just wore my hair in a bun with shorts and an oversize sweater the read NYU. It belonged to my brother. He wanted to go there before he decided to be a marine. I missed my family but this was the best for me. My ex boyfriend wanted to kill me, so my mom got scared and sent me away. She wants no contact until she feels he isn't looking anymore.  I didn’t understand why he did what he did. We dated for 2 years. I waited on him to propose which didn’t happen until months before the accident. Then on top up it he was the one who cheated on me. Me. Me the person that waited on his ass. I wasn’t mad, I was sad I wanted to crawl into a ball and die.

"Here you go," the waitress says placing my food and drink down. She walks away only to come back to the table and sit down. I stare at her mid pancake in my mouth.  

"Hi I'm Rosaline or Rose, call me Rose," she says reaching her hand over the table I shake it and sit there. 

"Hello I'm Maria," I say taking a sip for my tea. 

"It's ok you can eat you just look lonely and sad so I wanted to talk to you." 

"Ok well thank you." I start to eat waiting for her to talk when I'm basically done with my food she starts talking again. 

"So I know you’re not from here cause I would know you. Where are you from?" 

Should I lie? No I should be fine. 

"New York." 

"Ahhhh that would explain the shirt. Why did you move?" 

"Problems up north I don't want to talk about it." 

"Oh… Oh sorry I don't mean to push." 

"It's ok really." 

"Ok good. Well I'm glad we got a new person in town who's as nice as you. We mostly get old mean people." 

“Yea I haven’t met the mean ones yet. Just one nice curious one.”

“OHHHHHH Mrs. Fallen. She is the worse of them all. That mean old grinch.”

“She didn’t seem that bad when I met her.”

“That’s how she tricks you honey. But I know the people around here. Trust in me and my brother.”

“Ok I will.”

I didn’t know about trusting just yet, but I wasn’t about to tell Rose that she looked so happy and pleasant.

“So what’s New York like,” Rose says smiling at me in wonder.

“Its beautiful, but noisy,” I say laughing.

“I’ve always wanted to go and take Mika there,” she says opening up a new question for me.

“Who’s Mika,” I ask.

“Oh he’s my son,” she says shocking me.

“You have a son?”

“Yes he’s so sweet.”

“Oh.”

“Are you single?”

I pause not ready to think about relationship or anything in that area.

“Yes I am just recently after two years.”

“Oh that’s wonderful.”

That made me smile and laugh. She didn’t ask why we broke up just smiled.

I laughed at her and we end up talking for an hour about anything and everything. I seemed like as soon as the clock showed we had been talking for an hour a tall young man walks in. He looks like Rose but guy version. He has blue piercing eyes, with tan skin and brown hair. He's very fit like a marine. He starts to walk over to us. The entire time he's walking he’s staring at me like I did something wrong. He comes up to the table and stops. 

"Rose are you ready to go home," he asked looking between the both of us. 

"Yes I am. Why are you here so early," Rose ask looking at the guy," oh I'm sorry um Maria this is Drew, Drew this is Maria." I put out my hand for his to shake it but he doesn't, he just nods his head. 

"He's my brother not a very open type so I'm apologizing for his rudeness. But I'll see you around Maria, bye." And then they are gone just like that, and I'm left feeling lonely again.

I just went back to my tea and finish all the pancakes. I paid my bill then left the Diner. I went back to the store to see if they were ready with my stuff and then they followed me to my house.

It took three men and an hour for them to set up everything in my house. Once they left I took a shower and got ready for bed. I made myself a bowl of cereal and watched TV.

 Once I was done with that I went to sleep and  for the first time in a long time a slept easy.