Broken Wing

Chapter 1 A light fog danced in front of pale headlights as the sun painted the sky’s edges a dusky blue. During the long night, the farmlands of Tennessee and rural North Carolina had given way to the state’s iconic pines; they lined both sides of the highway like silent sentries, breaking only for the occasional water crossing or exit ramp. Tucking her long hair behind her ear, Jessie Bradshaw pressed the button to open the Honda Pilot’s panoramic roof. The breeze perfumed the car with the clean, crisp scent of the trees. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed that beloved smell until it filled the car. A sigh of contentment escaped her. From behind her, a large, furry head rested on the SUV’s center console. With a barely stifled yawn, Jessie gave her a quick pat. “Good morning, girl, or close enough anyway. Doing okay back there?” Weighing in at 140lbs, Jessie knew the Caucasian Shepherd had to be getting cramped on the back seat, especially considering how long they had been on the road, but she’d handled it like a champ, alternating between watching out the windows and napping on the bench seat. The classic country song by George Strait faded on the radio as the local morning show started up. Jessie reached over to turn it down as the two nauseatingly energetic DJs bantered with one another while sharing news and joking about the latest viral video. She debated looking for another station but figured they were all doing the same start up routine and she’d be out of luck getting a station that stuck to mostly music for the last part of her trip. It made her wish, not for the first time, she’d paid for the subscription to the music-on-demand service the Pilot could have come with, but at the time, she hadn’t seen any need for it. The headlights flashed on a green highway sign. Sixty miles to Asheville, where she’d leave I40. Then it was another eighty miles of smaller highways and back-roads before home would finally be in sight. While the darkness hid her from the world better, Jessie was glad the last part of the drive would be at a time when the deer and other night creatures returned to their sleeping spots for the day. Having to keep vigilant for the flashes of eyes near the road had been an effective sleep deterrent; she’d seen what a deer could do to a vehicle, even one as large as the Pilot. She absently reached up to stroke the rim of her glasses, but of course they weren’t there. It wasn’t safe to wear them at night when they weren’t needed for vision correction and had no anti-glare coatings. It was another reason she had chosen to leave Chicago in the early evening instead of making the drive during the day time. At night, rest stops were quieter, no one to see her and be bothered, not that it stopped her from putting them on before getting out. But it was rougher driving, long hours with nothing but repeating music and the highway’s dangerous lullaby doing its best to sing her to sleep. Even with the stretch breaks, more coffee than she’d ever admit to drinking, and regularly opening the window to let in some cold air, the drive was starting to take its toll. “Okay, girl, looks like we’ll be home in two, maybe three hours! You’re going to like it there, I’m sure. Way better than that tiny hotel room and grass area. I mean, you were a good girl there, don’t get me wrong, but I know you had to feel so cooped up! The house has a couple acres of land for you to roam, you’ll be much happier there.” As if she understood every word, Causy thumped her fluffy cream and gray tail on the backseat. Sometimes Jessie wondered how much of her babbling the dog understood. She’d been talking out loud to her since she’d gotten her as a puppy, and the canine often reacted as if she was sagely listening and absorbing every word. As the highway wound its way into Asheville, Jessie spotted a restaurant marker noting her favorite regional breakfast chain at the next exit. Her mouth watered and she bit her lip at the thought of a good southern breakfast. She could almost smell it from the highway. It had been at least three years since she’d had a meal from Biscuitville. It was as good a time as any to make a pit stop being still early enough for blessedly little traffic at the drive-through. But there was still the person at the window. They would see her, even with the glasses, which didn’t wrap around her whole face, and the tinted windows, which would have to be lowered to get the food. What if it happened again? She felt herself shaking at the thought and finally pulled into the parking spot furthest from the building to calm down. Causy whined and moved her head to Jessie’s shoulder, gently nuzzling her with a wet nose. “I know girl, I know. I just...I can’t. I know I’m a coward. I’m sorry. We’ll get out and stretch at a rest stop, I promise. But here, I just can’t. I’m sorry.” The shaking finally stopped, and Jessie pulled back on the road. She continued driving through town until she was back in the quiet of the woods. As promised, she stopped at the first rest stop she found and let Causy out to potty. The early morning light sprinkled through the trees as Jessie scanned the area for signs anyone else was around. Satisfied the drivers of the two tractor trailers in the stop were asleep in their cabs, she called Causy to her. “C’mon girl,” she said as she headed to the women’s bathroom. Even if no one else was around, she wasn’t about to go into an isolated space without the big dog with her. She jumped at the sound of a twig breaking, but as Causy didn’t react, she told herself it was just a night critter startled by her footsteps. When she returned to the Pilot, she opened the hatchback and raided the cooler to grab a Dr. Pepper, sandwich, and some fruit. It was a far cry from the fluffy biscuit with perfectly cooked sausage patty or the hot bowl of cheesy grits she could be enjoying, but it was something. Causy sat beside her and looked up at her, but like the well-trained dog she was, she waited patiently. With a smile, Jessie reached into a box, giving her a handful of large dog biscuits. For twenty-nine years, she’d been a regular woman who was able to do normal things like eat out and go shopping, but now thanks to him she was a coward who couldn’t even manage a drive-thru. It was a minor miracle she’d gotten in the car and driven as far as she had, helped by knowing that other drivers wouldn’t see her enough to notice the scars or if they somehow did see her, she couldn’t see their reactions much less be afraid of them. Just after nine in the morning, they finally reached the small, often overlooked town of Cascade Falls. Jessie drove through downtown, barely noticing the familiar buildings due to the alarming frequency of her yawns. It was with no small amount of relief she spotted the white fence marking the edge of her grandfather’s property. The sight of the dusty pink two-story house flooded her with memories of childhood romps through the old house, enjoying lemonade and swinging on the wrap-around porch’s swing, and running through the surrounding fields during the summer. A renewed sadness at her grandfather’s passing burned in her chest. As she drove down the small gravel driveway, her sadness only increased when she saw how shabby the house looked. The porch was sinking in one corner and there were several balustrades missing. The once stately columns on either side of the double front door looked more like they were barely keeping the weight of time from collapsing the entire structure. “Oh Causy, the old girl is really showing her age, isn’t she?” Causy stuck her head out the back window, staring at the house as if evaluating its appearance before giving a gruff bark. Chuckling softly, Jessie drove up the long drive, parking as close to the front of the house as she could without pulling into the overgrown grass. “Alright girl, this is our home now. What do you say we head inside and get some sleep? We can unpack later.” Jessie grabbed one of the suitcases from the back and locked the SUV. The warped wooden steps creaked as she made her way to inside. The smell of lemon and pine filled the air. The cleaners James hired to go through the house the day before appeared to have done an excellent job airing it out. While time had laid its never ending hand on the inside as well, with the creaking steps and floors, it still felt clean and warm. With a small smile, she gave Causy a pat. “We’re finally home, girl.” The vigilant dog stayed close at her heels, sniffing thoroughly as they entered and walking with the stiffed gait of being at high alert. After a few minutes, seeming satisfied it was a safe place, the dog relaxed and assumed a more natural posture. Not that Jessie felt any fear. Even with signs of the house being cleaned, there was a hollow feeling to the place. It had been months since her grandfather passed, and his absence was palpable as she made her way up the stairs to the second floor. Having no desire to deal with seeing her grandfather’s things or such personal memories yet, Jessie passed the master bedroom and headed to the guest room. Dropping her suitcase by the door, she headed into the small, attached bathroom, whipped back the powder blue shower curtain, and turned the faucet to get the water warming. She knew it would take a minute or two for the hot water to reach the pipes up here. Once the steam started, she turned on the cold and got the water to a comfortable temperature. With exhaustion weighing down her limbs, she kept the shower brief, just enough to wash away the long drive. The bed was bare, so she headed to the living room, too tired to deal with making the bed. As she expected, the pink and blue afghan she’d given Grandpa years ago was tossed on the sofa, no doubt by him one evening before going to bed, maybe even during his last evening alive. Picking up the beloved old blanket, Jessie held it close, taking in the comforting scents of family and home. She felt herself tearing up and she took several deep breaths. “We can fall apart later. Sleep now.” With that determined statement, she lay on the sofa and cried herself to sleep.