Say Yes To Forever

Chapter One

Shadows and sunshine dance across the well-trimmed lawns of the town square, the canopy of leaves above bringing the most soothing rustling sound. The traffic making its way through the one-way streets is light this morning, seeing as it’s so beautiful out. People watching from my bench, legs crossed, and coffee in my lap, there is something overwhelmingly positive about seeing so many happy people walking around, smiling, talking, and laughing in these last days of Summer.

It’s a brilliant seventy-three degrees out, with a high of eighty, and I’m not exactly ready for the Vermont Autumn to arrive. Sure, Stars Hallow will have their Back-to-school Fair, the Pumpkin Festival, Halloween, Thanksgiving, the Winter Carnival, etcetera, etcetera, but the cold….

At the same time, as I sip my coffee, I can’t deny that I do love Autumn – the foliage, the clothes, the holidays – and Winter for that matter – the snow, the decorations, and reading books by the fire – but there’s just something so… depressing and lonely about the cold and darkness.

The church bells chime on the hour, making me jump a little. Looking at my watch, it’s now eleven. Thankfully this means the morning rush at Duke’s is subsiding and I can finally get some breakfast. Coffee in one hand, slinging my purse over my chest with the other, I almost forget my book on the bench. Now double checking I have everything; I notice there’s something I can’t quite explain that’s making me feel a little… off.

Last night I had had an intense but confusing dream. Deep in the forest beyond the town, just by my house, snow up to my ankles, there was a stunning night sky full of stars, and yet I stood in one of my favorite Summer dresses (the dress I’m actually wearing today). I stood, unaffected by the Winter, by the cold and dark, feeling more alive and aware than I’ve ever felt. There was something about the blood in my veins that elevated me in this dreamscape… and then, just before I woke, I heard someone call my name.

It’s something in the way he called my name that brought this weird feeling upon me. It tugged at my heart, at my soul, in a way that made me feel connected to everything. To the trees, to the wind, to the sky, to the universe itself! I could feel a change in the energy in my dream and now as I walk through town. But I could never bring this up to anyone, not now nor ever, least they think I’m a Witch.

As the bell tinkles to signal my entrance into the diner, I weirdly love the wall of chatter and smell of breakfast foods I run into. Miss Kathy’s standing at the counter, chatting loudly for anyone to hear, (as per usual). Everyone seems to be interested in what she has to say though, so I slowly walk to a free table and try to jump in.

“That’s what I said!” she pats Misses Hathaway on the arm. “In the middle of the night! They just moved into the old Galloway house in the dead of night. It’s only because of them turning on the house lights that the Andersons even saw it happen.”

“Did they introduce themselves to the Andersons this morning?”

“No, and,” she looks around dramatically, “they have yet to come into town at all.” But, still, in the ways of the town gossip, Miss Kathy continues with all the details. “They’re the Laveroi family and I guess the father, Claude, was a professor in Montreal. He’ll be starting at university in September.

“Him and his wife, Caroline, have four children. Four children, can you imagine? Their eldest are twins, Willow and Alexzander, and they are going to the university – trying to get their Ph.D.’s, I think. Then there’s Cyrus, who has a job as a teaching assistant at the community college. And then their youngest, Victoria, is going to be a Senior at Stars Hallow High.”

So enthralled in what Miss Kathy has to say, Louis clears his throat to get my attention to order. I get my usual order of a veggie omelet without giving it a second thought, then get back to the conversation.

Misses Hathaway’s shaking her head and then after a sip of coffee says, “We haven’t had anyone move here in three years! And now, in the dead of night, this family comes out of nowhere?”

Mister Phillips, the town relator, chimes in from across the counter, “And, they never even came to Stars Hallow. They did the whole transaction over the phone.”

This causes some of the other diner-goers to raise eyebrows, shake their heads, and show signs of concern. Which, in a way I understand… it all is rather odd. They never saw the house, they arrived suddenly, and still haven’t been to town? And such a big family, moving in at night, surely the worst of us are scared they’re Sub-humans of some sort.

Right on cue, Mayor Morrison’s booming voice makes its way through the room from the table by the door, “Vampires,” he shakes his head. “I bet they’re Vampires.”

“No!” Misses Hathaway brings a hand to her chest. “We’ve been Sub-human free for… what, thirty years now?”

“Since 1965,” Mayor Morrison confirms.

Misses Kathy, who is the town gossip, sure, is also one of the most peace-seeking and optimistic peoples, tosses her hand around, “Oh com’on. Vampires? Beyond the Wall? We’re in Basic territory.”

As my omelet arrives, I let myself drift away from the conversation and focus on my food. But just ‘cause I’m not listening; doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about it. Sub-humans? Vampires? I lean on the table as I chew and look around the window.

As a part of the next generation, the idea of Sub-humans isn’t scary. In fact, and though I wouldn’t bring this up to Mama or her friends (or maybe anyone in the town except kids my age), it’s kind of exciting. My generation is the ones pushing for the Rochester Wall to come down, for the country to move forward past the racism and discrimination, and for some sort of co-existence and peace to be reached.

Smiling to myself, I sip on my coffee and look at the puffy white clouds drifting through the brilliant blue sky. Vampires, I think, Vampires….