vanilla // lrh

twenty eight

I couldn't believe I was in my home. Where I grew up.

Everything was in the same place, same curtains in the living room, same tv with a back as large as the screen.

It even smelled of home.

The only thing that was missing was the footsteps of my younger brothers, and the shouting from my step father.

It was now silent. Eerily silent.

"Ellie Mae, what are you wearing! You look filthy. And who is this handsome man you have with you, hm? Much cleaner than the last one."

I took a seat on my family couch, and Luke fell next to me, his long legs propped up, arm falling on the arm rest.

My grandmother sat in my step dad's chair, but she filled it out much more nicely.

"I'm Luke," Luke introduced himself, I must've forgotten that my Nana was talking to me, my thoughts were just too loud.

"It's lovely to meet you." Luke finished, gentlemen-like.

"This your new boyfriend, Ellie Mae?"

I looked to Luke, who was looking at me, and was unsure how to answer. No, he was not my boyfriend. But what was he?

"We're just good friends." I answered, yawning.

"Where is everyone at?"

Nana took a deep breath, a small sigh.

"Todd took them all out fishing, or hunting, or something. I'm just here watching the house. I don't know what there is to watch, but here I am!" She laughed, and the coughed, and laughed again.

I was unsure whether to be glad that I didn't have to face everyone at once, or to be upset that I didn't get to see everyone else. But then again, would they even want to see me?

"I haven't seen you in so long," Nana said quietly. "You're beautiful, you look so grown up. How old are you now, dear? 18?"

"I'll be twenty next month," I swallowed hard, she didn't know how old I was.

"Oh my! Yeah, that's right," She recollected. "You left when you were what, 16?17? My my. That has been a minute."

I didn't want to talk about me leaving. I didn't want to remember the throwing of glass and spit in my face. I didn't want to remember why I left, and his hot breath down my neck.

My silence was answered once again by Nana, as she stood slowly from the chair.

"You two should probably shower and get some sleep, I'll show you."

One of Nana's hands was wrapped around her chair, the other grabbing at her lower back.

Luke and I followed her down the hallway and into my old bedroom.

It was no longer my bedroom, though. The postered walls were now a soft cream, the bright red bedsheets were replaced by a pink quilt, and the only decor was a picture frame hanging above the twin sized bed.

I walked over to it, as the picture was calling me. In the photo was my family, but to me it looked like the fake people that come in the frame before you replace it with a photo of your own.

My little brothers weren't so little anymore, they had to have been nearly 10 years old in the picture. My mom looked older than ever, the crinkles that surrounded her eyes even more evident, and behind her was Todd, a sly grin without teeth across his face.