Love & Serenity

Chapter 7

Lillian had her hair in a bun on top of her head and clothes she knew she wouldn't mind if they got stained with dirt or get torn. She'd cleaned from top to bottom, rearranging and dusting along the way. It was almost lunchtime and she was rounding up in the kitchen when her stomach begun to growl. She'd let all the water pipes run for a long while, flushing out the dirt in the pipes, and now, finally, she had clean water which she mentally checked off her list. Cleaning was almost done, she just had to repair the casing of the main switch box and clean the porch, and then she was done.

She could already picture herself, done by evening and, sitting outside the kitchen porch sipping some ice tea, and staring out at the beautiful scenery. It made her smile and pick up the hammer she'd gotten with the packet of nails. She stepped outside the cabin and made her way right and around to the other side, where the main switch box was. The casing was on the wooden porch floor where she'd left it last night. She picked it up and got started on fixing it up. The wooden casing was slanted because of the nails hanging out loosely. She fixed the casing and then stood up from where she knelt. She held it up against the wall, aligning the hinge back to the other half of the casing. Trying to balance the casing while holding the nails between her fingers, she lifted the hammer and hit the nail on the head. She kept going, and just as she brought the hammer down on the nail, the casing slipped out of her grasp. The hammer missed the nail, and her thumb wasn't so lucky.

"Sh...!" She was about to curse but caught herself. She let go of the casing and the nail which both clattered before her feet.

Breathing through her nose and exhaling through her mouth, she took deep breaths and let the pain pass before she let herself walk back inside. She placed the hammer on the kitchen counter, picked up her car keys, and made her way out of the cabin and into her car. She kept taking deep breaths as her thumb throbbed in so much pain.

She was hungry, tired, and in pain, not a combination that was foreign to her. It was one she'd lived through constantly growing up and came with memories that flooded her mind. When those memories came, she didn't force them down, she let them in. She let herself ride the waves of emotions and let them blow with the wind. She'd realized a long time ago that pushing them down only made it more difficult to handle later on. This way, she could get used to the memories, as well as deal with the emotions that came with them. That was why they no longer had a stronghold on her anymore. But that didn't make it pleasant to deal with.

Pulling up at Mindy's, she got out of her car and made her way inside. She noticed it was busier than when she'd first arrived in the morning. She walked to the counter towards Mindy.

"I was wondering when you were going to show," Mindy said as she saw her, flashing her a smile.

"I'm here now." Lillian smiled through the slight throbbing of her thumb.

"What would it be?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide," Lillian said. "I'll have it to go, please."

"Sure, dear," Mindy called the kitchen to make the afternoon special. "Would be a while. Looks like you've had your hands dirty all morning."

"Just a little cleaning here and there," Lillian said.

"Let me know if you need any help. Us folks here are happy to help anytime."

"It's nice of you to offer," Lillian said. "But I just finished."

"Oh, then you should have a sit and relax, have your lunch here."

Lillian wasn't sure if she wanted to sit in this much of a crowded place. Being a new face, she didn't want anyone looking and or asking questions. It would be nice to sit, relax and just have lunch. But, she had book ideas to come up with and the noise wouldn't help.
"That sounds wonderful but, I've got to work."

"Taking a few minutes wouldn't hurt now would it."

Lillian's smile came slow.
"No, it wouldn't."

"Great. Now, have a seat somewhere. I'll bring your lunch over."

"Uh, I need to head over to Parker's. I'll be right back."

"Ok," Mindy said with her gentle smile before she watched Lillian leave the diner. Then she gave her attention to another customer.

Lillian made the short walk to Parker's taking in the rest of the town. It was quiet, with a few cars driving by. Flowers and trees everywhere, the autumn colours making it even more so vibrant. Autumn to her was letting go of all the baggage and preparing oneself for a new journey of life. It made her smile as she stared up at the trees, birds flying above her when she heard children's laughter. She looked across the road as two children ran down the pedestrian street, their parents walking behind them hand-in-hand. She saw an older couple seated outside a store having lunch and smiling at each other. A lady walked past her with three dogs on a leash.

She turned to the store on her left and walked into Parker's as the bell above the door rang. Parker looked up from where he was seated behind the counter and he smiled.

"Back already?" Parker asked when she walked towards him.

She smiled.
"You're easy to miss."

"Oh, well, that, I would take."

"What aisle is the first aid kit?"

Parker looked at her suspiciously before he directed her and she went to get what she needed. She was back at the counter and let Parker scan the items.
"What went wrong?"

"Nothing."

Parker glanced up at her, his gaze told her he wasn't buying what she was selling.
"You leave my store with repair items and come back for a first-aid kit." He said. "Doesn't take a genius."

"Just a slip-up, nothing major."

"You need a doctor?"

"No. I'll be fine. This, I'm getting, in case of next time."

She handed Parker her credit card and after making the payment, he handed her the items and her card.
"You'll need an icepack for that finger."

She looked down, avoiding his gaze before smiling up at him.
"I'll get right to it." She said. "Thanks, Parker."

"Welcome." Parker watched her leave the store and sighed. "A lonely soul."