After the Snow

Chapter 13 - California

Chapter 13

California

Anthony didn't come back. He didn't come for Christmas, he didn't come for the new year, and he didn't come when the cold weather started to turn warm. My last semester of college passed. I graduated, receiving my degree in Culinary Arts, with a minor in Education. I wanted to have my own restaurant, eventually, where I taught cooking classes to young children.

As time passed, so did the plans for the wedding. Because Scott and I liked Christmas so much, we decided to get married on Christmas. That was the set date. Every day that went by it got closer, and I got more nervous.

My mom invited me to come and stay at her house for the summer because we still had a lot of planning to do. I accepted, of course. That meant I would be spending the whole summer in California, away from Scott. Maybe that was just what I needed because ever since Anthony left I had been depressed. I tried to not let people see it, but I think they had a pretty good idea.

"Don't forget about me," Scott joked as he dropped me off at the airport. I gave him a small smile, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I could never," I whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek. He pulled away and kissed my lips hard, breaking the kiss a couple of seconds later.

"I'll see you in a couple of months," Scott called, handing me my suitcase. I grabbed the handle and waved, making my way into the airport. Scott wasn't coming with me because my mom wanted the wedding to 'be a surprise,' whatever that meant. All I knew was he couldn't know the plans, and he was okay with that.

I slept most of the plane ride there. Honestly, I hadn't been sleeping well since Anthony left. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I get him out of my head? More importantly, why couldn't I be mad at him? He had left me, twice. That should be more than enough reason to hate his guts.

When the plane landed, I was still in that groggy-half-asleep mode. I yawned and pushed my hair back from my face, blinking. Almost everyone had already exited, except for a few of the old people at the back. Quickly, I grabbed my carry on from the top compartment and scurried out of the plane.

The plan was for my mom and sister to pick me up. I had never been to California, or their new house, before, so I had no clue where I was going. The only way I got through the airport was by following the signs. I quickly collected my suitcase from the checked baggage and hurried outside, shoving some sunglasses on my face.

California was a lot hotter, that's for sure. The second I stepped outside the sun hit my skin, making me smile. I had always loved the outdoors and heat, so I had a feeling I would love staying with my family. I let my eyes scan through the hundreds of people running about, trying to spot someone I recognized.

When I saw her, my gut clenched. No one told me she would be here! I didn't think I would get to see her for another month, but there she was, running towards me with outstretched arms.

"Bree!" Mackenzie screamed, launching herself on me. I almost fell over, but I managed to stay on my feet and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here?!" I gasped, pulling back to look at her. Of course, I was thrilled to see my best friend. This trip was just getting better and better.

"Your mom thought it would be helpful for me to be here so, here I am." She explained, finishing with a huge grin. I squealed, hugging her again. When I didn't get to see Mackenzie for a long time, I felt like a part of me was missing. We were best friends, nothing would change that.

"Where is my mom?" I asked, quickly looking around. Even though I was a college graduate, I still missed my mother. No judging, you're never to old to miss a family member.

"She stayed home to cook dinner for all of us. Kayla is here somewhere..." She trailed off, wrinkling her eyebrows. My jaw dropped in an 'O' shape.

"You left my ten-year-old sister alone in this huge airport?!" I screeched, throwing my hands in the air. "Think of all the things that could happen to her, Kenz! I'm never leaving you alone with her again! This is not okay! Oh my gosh, what if-"

"Chill, Bree," Mackenzie laughed, shaking her head, "I was kidding, she's waiting in the car over there." Um, that was not okay. I nearly had a heart attack! I hit Mackenzie playfully, grabbing my bags and following my friend over to the car.

"Bree!" Kayla exclaimed as I slid into the back seat. I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight. Hopefully, I would get to spend more time with her this summer. I really did miss my sister.

"Hey, Kayla," I smiled, giving her a kiss on the head. Mackenzie got into the front seat, giving me a playful glare.

"I see how it is," She huffed as she started the car. " Ditch me and sit in the back with your sister."

"Yup," I said, popping the 'p.' Kayla giggled, rolling her eyes. "So, how long have you been here, Kenz?"

"Since yesterday," Kayla answered, "Mom wanted to surprise you. She says you've been down lately. Is something wrong?" Damn, when your ten-year-old sister wants to know if something is wrong, you must not be a very good actor.

"Nothings wrong," I lied, looking out the front window. Mackenzie gave me a look that said, 'we'll talk later,' before paying attention to the road again. Sighing, I pulled my phone from my pocket, checking for texts.

Scott: How was the flight? Miss you, love!

My fingers hovered over the keypad for a second, trying to decide how to reply. In the perfect world, I could ignore the text and just move on in life, but we all knew that couldn't happen.

Me: Flight was fine, Mackenzie is here!

For some reason, I just couldn't type 'love you' or 'miss you.' The truth was, I really didn't know. What is love, anyway? The things I felt with Anthony and Scott were two different things, and the problem was I couldn't tell which was love, and which was lust. Maybe they were both love, but two completely different kinds.

Anthony was gone, though, and that's why I had to go through with this marriage. Scott would love me and take care of me. He would give me a home, and be a good dad to whatever kids we had in the future. I had no doubt that I would be safe in his arms, I just didn't know if my heart would be happy.

When we pulled up to my mom's new house, my jaw nearly dropped. It was beautiful! It sat on the beach, just a ways from the water, a huge porch wrapping around the entire house. From what I could see, it was two stories.

"I know, right?" Mackenzie chuckled, "I had the same reaction. It's beautiful!"

"It's just a house," Kayla muttered, jumping from the car. She ran up the steps and into the house, disappearing. Wow, I just felt all the love. Can't you tell she wanted to spend time with me?

"Come on," Mackenzie said, getting out of the car. "It's even better on the inside."

Boy was she right. I hadn't even known my family lived in such a nice house. The living room was huge, with ceiling to floor windows covering one wall, the rest of the walls were painted light brown. There was a huge TV on the wall next to the windows, a big coffee table, two large, brown leather sofas, and a recliner.

The kitchen connected to the living room, with two ovens, a stove, an island, a microwave, and a refrigerator. The tile was black, and the countertops were white marble. As I continued to wander, I found myself in the dining room. It was just as beautiful. There were plush, white carpet and a big table full of delicious looking food. That's also where I found my mom, sister, and stepdad.

"Hey everyone," I said, pushing my shock back. There would be no end of teasing if they found out how mesmerized I was by this house.

"Bree!" My mom exclaimed, wrapping me in a hug. "Hurry, put your suitcases upstairs and then come eat. Dinner is getting cold."

"Come on, I'll show you," Mackenzie said, taking my suitcase from my hands. She led me up the stairs - which were just as beautiful as everything else - and into a large bedroom. I gasped.

The walls were painted light blue, with sea creatures like turtles, fish, and whales painted in random places. There were two beds in two separate corners. One had sea foam green sheets, and the other had dark blue. The carpet was white and squishy. There was a walk-in closet on one wall, and also a huge bathroom attached. Possibly my favorite part, though, was the balcony.

"Wow," Was all I managed to say as I threw my suitcase in the closet. Mackenzie sat down on the green bed, obviously claiming it as her own.

"I know, I thought the same thing..." She trailed off, watching me with an amused expression as I traced the outline of a sea turtle. "I thought you would think this room was childish...I guess not."

I chuckled, "This is the room I've been wanting since I was six," I commented, biting my lip. My mom probably knew that too, because that's the only reason she would design it like this. "I mean yeah, it is a little childish, but keep in mind I'm not here all the time, and Kayla will have her ten-year-old friends over."

"True," She chuckled, leaning back on her bed. "When it's dark outside, and you turn off the lights, those stars on the ceiling glow." I looked up, noticing the stars for the first time. Yup, this room was definitely made for the ten-year-old visitors, but I didn't really mind.

"Girls," My mom's voice yelled. "I worked hard on this dinner, and I will not let it get any colder! Come down now, or I'm eating without you." That's one of the things I loved about my mom. Even though I was twenty-two years old, she still treated me like she was in charge, and I never questioned it. Sure, it was a bit annoying, but I guess you get used to it. I mean, family is family, you can't change the way they act.

I exchanged a look with Mackenzie before bursting out into giggles. Without another word, we headed down for dinner before they ate without us.

And just like that, I fell into the routine of my California life. Nothing felt weird about it, it felt like I was finally home.