Madelyn "Lyn" Creeke and her grandmother were the last of their family. At least, that's what Lyn's grandmother always led her to believe.
Lyn had never heard of or seen pictures of Georgina Creeke, a great aunt that had been living a few hours awa...
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"You... you want to stay?" he asked, his lips doing all they could to restrain his smile.
"I've wanted to stay for a long time." My body trembled as he reached out and grabbed my shoulders. "I had doubts back before Mr. Myers even showed up, but it scared me, Jordan. You're right, my life has been the city. Waking up in an empty condo, going to work, then coming home to have dinner alone, it's all I've known since my grandmother died. It's... it's a terrible existence, but it's a safe one."
I looked up at him, the space between us closing.
"Jordan, I wasn't prepared for this. I have lost everyone I've ever loved, just like my grandmother before me. She did everything she could to prime me for an unforgiving world, to ready me for a life of stability when life is only uncertainties. She helped me build up my walls, and she did it because she loved me, Jordan. Please understand."
My eyes grew bleary as I pleaded with him. I couldn't make out the fine details of his expression, but the nod of his head was easy enough to spot, and I continued.
"She didn't want me hurting, not like she had. She wanted me to live a life of comfort, but it's so cold sitting in my fortress alone... What am I supposed to do? This is all I've ever known. How was I supposed to know things could be better? Then, when I got here, and I started reading Gina's journal, well, she lost everything too. Everyone she loved left her here alone, yet she didn't shut the world away. She somehow found the will to love and be vulnerable. She showed me there's another way." I paused and looked at the ground. "You know, I think my great aunt and my grandmother really weren't that different. Both of them knew loss, knew loneliness, and knew... I think regret. I think that's what's really the saddest part."
"What do you mean?"
Jordan's hands moved from my shoulders and slid down to my back, pulling me in close. I rested my cheek against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart and the rasp of his breath.
"Georgina regretted not being there for my family when my grandfather died and I think it's understandable that my grandmother spent some years hurting, but I think she eventually regretted burning that bridge between her and Gina. It reached the point where it was only the two of them left in the family and yet they refused to embrace each other. I think my grandmother hated herself for that. I think that's why she always tried to instill a sense of polite kindness and understanding in me. She didn't want me making the same mistakes, yet here I am..."
I felt a well of resentment bubble up inside me and I pulled away from Jordan simply to give myself room to vent the steam.
"They were both just so stubborn," I said with a slight growl to my words. "Strong willed in their own ways. My grandmother incapable of forgiving Gina and then Gina unable to forgive herself. Neither of them could move on and now look where it's got us."
I threw my hands into the air and looked around the beautifully crafted and wonderfully rich dining room. The warm glow of the fire lit the impressive wainscoting and danced around the exposed beams in the ceiling. The tree in the corner twinkled and the silhouette of a festive wreath stood stark against the large picture window overlooking the expansive porch and out towards the yard. A dusting of snow coated the trees and in the light of the lampposts around the drive, I saw the flurry of dainty flakes thickening into a swirl of puffy snow.
