NOT ANOTHER CHRISTMAS LOVE STORY

CHAPTERFOUR

Jules stared at the welcome sign on the right-hand side of the road, it read Welcome to Willow Creek, A peaceful escape in a riverside retreat. She smiled at the welcome message which had been there for centuries, it was a home away from home for tourists, and the perfect home for residents. This was the only place she could think of to come to and ease herself from all the stress and attention LA had to offer.

Toby was cradled in her lap while Dylan drove them into town. After she left the house a week ago, she booked their flight to Australia after receiving her three-month advance salary from the hospital she used to work at. Dylan was surprised to see her call, she was the kind of person that you could never reach out to, except she allowed it.

He glanced at her, but she had her face glued to the window, with her hand on her chin. He wondered what was going on in her mind, or why she suddenly called to say she was coming home. He smiled at his sleeping nephew, it had been a while since he was him, and he was growing rapidly. He had asked after Aaron when they met at the airport, which was in the adjourning town of Riverton, but she only grunted and said he was fine.

Jules was a terrible liar growing up, so he knew she was lying and something was going on. He decided not to pressure her, and let her be. Whatever it was, it was too much because his sister looked pale and sad. Jules was the strongest person he knew. When their parents died some years back, she single-handedly took over things at home but stopped after a year because of her pregnancy and she had to focus on her home.

They drove into town and passed by her favorite restaurant growing up. He saw her face lighten up, and a small smile formed on his face. “Do you remember when we’d sneak here after school, and you'd be by the counter with that boy… What's his name again?” He started to say. She turned to face him, “What's his name? You were his fan, and you wanted to be like him for the longest time. I'm surprised you didn't open a diner” she replied.

He laughed hard, causing a stir from Toby. They kept silent for a bit until he drifted back to sleep. “I was fifteen, and the guy had a truck! You could never go wrong with a truck” he added and she joined in the laughter. They recalled a lot of their childhood memories before finally getting to his house.

As they approached the house, Jules familiarized herself with the environment, it was exactly the same, a tear streaked down her cheek. He kept their parents' house, and it was still the same, except for the new paint coating on the house.

“I can't believe you kept the house, it looks amazing!” She squealed as they got down. Toby was awake now, and running around the front yard with Dylan's dog. “And you still have Roxie”. The dog barked on cue and continued running around with Toby.

Jules felt nostalgic, there were a lot of emotions in her, waiting for the right time to burst out. Her parents had willed her the house, hoping it would bring her home, while the property at the lake and ocean sides went to Dylan. He took his share of the inheritance after their passing, and turned it into a thriving business, while she left hers untouched and in reach of potential buyers who scaled through town claiming properties they could flip into homes for others.

She cried when she saw the interior, their pictures were still hung up in the living room. Her hands grazed past an old photo of her at prom, Aaron was by her side and she was wearing the pink corsage he got her to match her gown. She remembered the day like it just happened, her dad was so pissed at Aaron for bringing his bike to pick her up. He told her it was not manly, especially if he liked her a lot, but she didn't mind. She was in love.

Aaron had been in her life for a long time, even before she understood what she wanted to do with her life. It felt different to not be with him, or breathe the same air as him. She felt empty. Dylan picked up the photo from her and handed her a box of tissue. She didn't notice when the tears poured down.

He let her cry as much as she needed and hugged her tightly. He patted her back slowly as she began to calm down, and after a while, she regained herself. She put the photo back, not because she wanted to, but because her parents kept it as a memory. That day held a good memory for her, and he was not going to ruin it.

“I know something is wrong Jules, you can either tell me now or deal with my overbearing questions until you break and tell me. So which is it?” She hugged her brother once more, it was relieving to know that someone cared for her other than herself.

He pleaded with his eyes once more. They used to be the best of friends before she got married, and once she did, they somehow drifted apart. She needed a friend, and having a brother as one was a bonus point, so she told him everything. As she spoke, he didn't hide his emotions, they switched from anger to sadness, and back to anger. His fists tightened at the thought of Aaron hurting his sister.

When she was done talking, he pulled her into a hug. She acted like the strongest person in the world, and took everyone else's pain, but would never open up about hers. “I'll kill him, Jules, I swear I will kill him”. He muttered into her hair, and she chuckled. It was good to be back home.

Willow Creek would be her escape from Aaron, the press, and reality.