Ch2 - Talia Wilson
Death . . .
It's what Talia saw every time she took in the beautiful, rustic dwelling nestled in the marshy habitat of the Florida Everglades.
At first glance, the country cottage was extremely welcoming, beckoning visitors with its soft southern charm. Positioned way back from the quiet rural road, beneath the towering Cypress trees, the house sat unassuming. With its well-maintained lawn and attractive, manicured landscape it appeared a delightful residence, the perfect place to call home.
But the inside told a much different story.
Memories of a sadistic dead man filtered through Talia's troubled thoughts, just as they often did when she was left alone with reflection her only company. She was scarred by the vision of her former husband lying lifeless on the floor, a bullet hole smoldering from the center of his forehead and a bloody tuft of hair matted against pale skin. Talia closed her eyes, trying to shut out the memory of that night and so many others, but those were images she found unable to erase, no matter how hard she tried.
Gathering her nerve, Talia stepped inside the silent house and gently closed the door behind her. It was the first time she'd set foot inside the entrance in nearly three years, since the painful event that had forever changed her. Her eyes traveled over the comfortable decor and large arched windows that at one time radiated the sun's soothing rays. Since Steven's death, the glass had been barred with thin layers of plywood which now only emitted darkness and shadows. Haunting shadows . . . the kind that kept you awake at night, waiting for something unfathomable to slink out from behind them.
And the smell . . .
The burning stench still stung the inside walls her nostrils, throwing her back into a past she was trying desperately to forget. Talia wasn't sure if the scent of Steven's cologne actually lingered in the dank lonely rooms, or if it was simply a figment of her overactive imagination, but she couldn't escape the confines of the expensive fragrance her former husband had bathed himself in. It brought back every abusive memory she had endured during their tumultuous three year marriage.
A crimson remnant of that fateful evening permanently stained the floorboards and Talia had to step aside to avoid walking on top of the mess Steven had left behind. The physical element would eventually be covered up, but the emotional aspects would hover forever, hidden deep within her, a constant reminder of the horror she'd lived through.
The nightmare is over now . . .
It was a fact Talia had to remind herself as she slowly made her way through the front room and into the next. Colorful and comfortable, with painted cabinets and salvaged hardwood flooring, the vintage-style kitchen invited her in as it had done several times before, many moons ago. Talia had loved spending time there getting to know Charlie and slowly . . . inevitably . . . falling in love. If anyone had told her back then that she'd met her soul-mate and would be happily married fourteen months later, she would have thought they were crazy! And even though she'd fought it, that's exactly what had happened. Fate has a sly way of disrupting even the most carefully calculated plans, at least that's what her mother-in-law was fond of saying.
Talia shook her head as she recounted the media circus that followed Steven's brutal death. Oh the trouble she had caused! The small Florida town she'd come to call home had been flooded with reporters from every corner of the world all trying to catch a glimpse of the "dead" woman who, as it turned out, was very much alive. When the facts slowly started to unravel, Talia's new life spun out of control. And not only hers, but the lives of the people she'd grown to care about, too.
The desperate crimes she'd committed in order to escape her oppression did not go unpunished. While the legal system ultimately agreed her actions were done in self defense, she had executed certain violations that needed to result in certain consequences. The fire . . . the stolen identity . . . But all of the court-ordered community service in the world far outweighed the life she'd been forced to live in Seattle, where her days had been spent walking on egg shells, careful not to set off the explosive time-bomb that ticked within her erratic spouse.
Thank God Charlie had been spared . . .
Even though it had been Charlie who'd pulled the trigger, his actions were well within the parameters of protection and he'd managed to avoid a manslaughter charge for shooting the man she'd once been married to. The man who had nearly killed her.
But the emotional aftermath had been just as crippling. As strong as he tried to be for her, Charlie struggled with the fact that he'd shot and killed another human-being. His actions had been justified, no one could argue that - if he hadn't made that split second decision, Steven would have taken her life. Still, it was an act that perched precariously upon his guilty conscious.
Pushing a hand through long, dark locks of hair, Talia shivered as an unexpected chill made it's way down her spine. She shook her head vigorously, attempting to drive away the unwelcome thoughts.
"Alright, that's enough! No more walking down memory lane," she scolded herself. "You have a job to do. Just get to it and stop thinking so much."
Taking a deep breath, she flipped on an overhead light and quickly began the unsavory chore of packing up. The time had finally come to deal with the empty house that harbored their unspeakable nightmare. Unable to reside amid the ill-fated memories of that horrifying evening, Charlie moved in with Talia next door leaving the residence vacant for the past three years. After many discussions and prompting on her part, they eventually decided to rent the place out, just as he'd once done with the house they now called home.
It's time to move on. Time to look ahead and not behind.
Talia set down the large box she'd been carrying and began the task of filling it, starting first with the dishes in the cabinets, packing them neatly into the cardboard bin. Her eyes simultaneously scanned the counter-top, inspecting what could be thrown out and what needed to be saved, when the headline of an old newspaper grabbed her attention:
Seattle Woman Sarah Carter-Austin Found Alive
Sarah Carter . . .
As far as she was concerned, Sarah Carter was dead. She died in that house fire three years ago. She'd left her past, and all that she was, in the charred remains of the home she had once shared with Steven.
Talia Wilson was a much stronger woman than Sarah Carter had ever been.
Without warning, Talia's eyes filled with tears and she sunk to her knees on the cool kitchen floor, unable to keep the torturous memories from taking over. For a long time it'd bothered her that so little was left of what her parents had given her, including her very own name. So many times she had tried to bury her old life, determined to build a new life for herself with Charlie. But how could she successfully lay Sarah Carter to rest and still honor the legacy of her loving parents, ripped away from the world much too soon? It was a dilemma that nagged at her night and day.
Like a beacon of light, an unexpected miracle took place and her anguish gradually dissipated like the early morning fog. She did have a piece of her parents with her, and it just might be the most important part of all.
Talia's reverie was interrupted by a sudden noise near the front of the house. It was subtle, barely audible, but she had heard it. Awareness of her surroundings had increased over the years causing her senses to heighten. Living through a nightmare would do that to a person.
Every nerve ending in her body stood at attention as the faint sound grew closer. Thousands of tiny goosebumps made their way across Talia's lightly tanned skin and she could feel the blood drain from her face as she honed in on the movement coming from the next room. Instinctively, she stood up from the floor as her eyes frantically searched the kitchen, landing on a long, sharp letter opener sitting on the dusty counter-top. She reached out and plucked it from its place, tightly gripping the mother-of-pearl handle in the palm of her hand. Talia stood, rooted to the spot, waiting for the intruder to enter.
But no one appeared.
Slowly, she inched forward, making her way toward the front room. Her breath came out in shallow bursts and her heart beat wildly in her chest as a feeling of unease swept throughout her. She listened closely, but heard nothing, silence hung heavy in the air.
She had heard a noise - hadn't she?
Lightheaded with fear, Talia turned the corner and her breath caught in her throat. Alone in the center of the room stood a dark silhouette, shrouded in shadows. The late afternoon sun crept through openings in the covered windows, barely shedding enough light to make out the features.
Talia's eyebrows hitched together as the tall figure reached over and flipped a switch on the wall, illuminating the room with light. "Charlie!" she exclaimed, releasing a ragged breath. Quickly, she tucked the letter opener into the back pocket of her jeans before he could notice. "You nearly scared me to death!"
Charlie stood in front of her grinning, his warm brown eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. "What are you doing in the dark?"
Relief washed over her and she let out a sigh. Would there ever be a time she didn't jump at every little noise? Negative thoughts aside, a smile spread across her face as she made her way over to greet him. "I was packing up the kitchen. Hello, beautiful," Talia offered warmly, the pent up tension in her shoulders quickly melting away.
"Hello, yourself." Charlie gave her a playful wink.
Talia's smile widened as she stood on tiptoes to give him a kiss. "I wasn't talking to you." She reached out her arms and took the soft bundle that sat grinning in her husband's embrace. "Hello, Carter Grace," Talia cooed gently. "I've missed you so much."
Soft blonde hair and big blue eyes stared back at her and Talia felt her heart melt, just as it did every time she looked into her daughter's trusting eyes. Talia never realized she could love another human-being as much as she loved her nine-month-old child.
"Its only been a couple of hours," Charlie gently reminded her.
"I can't help it." Talia drug her eyes away from Carter's and glanced up at him. "I hate being away from her for even a minute."
Every time she gazed at her beautiful baby girl, she saw her future . . . and her past. Carter had Talia's mother's bouncy, blonde curls and her father's full, pink lips. She'd inherited Charlie's easy-going disposition and her mother-in-law Enid's wise, blue eyes. Carter was the perfect mixture of every single person Talia had ever loved in the whole wide world, all rolled up into one amazing package. An incredible, miraculous package that belonged to her and Charlie. That baby was a blessing, gifted to them just when they needed her most.
And no one would ever be able to take that away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A baby! Congratulations to Talia and Charlie!
Honestly, what do you think of Sarah officially changing her name to Talia? Do you agree with her fresh start? What about giving their baby her former last name as a tribute to her parents?
I have seen so many familiar faces over the past week, I wish I could stop by and thank every one of you individually! If you liked this chapter of Secrets and Lies, please consider leaving a vote/comment.
This chapter is dedicated to @lizziemarie1313 and her Romance/Action story Austin City Limits. If you're looking for something new to read, check it out!