A walk between worlds

10 Years Lost

10 years Lost

            Shawn rolled over to an empty bed where Leigh should have been.  Glancing over at the clock he saw the time was 7:30 am.  Rolling over on his back looking up at the ceiling he smiled.  Then it hit him, bacon….  Ah, my girl is making me breakfast.  I got dressed, washed my face and brushed my teeth and then headed downstairs.  She stood in the kitchen in baggy pj’s, a T-shirt and fluffy slippers.  Her hair pulled up into a messy bun with no make-up on.  She was beautiful, God he was never letting her go again.  He stood there for a minute looking at her silhouette.  Yeah, she worth 10 years of waiting.   He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her on the neck.  “Good morning gorgeous.”  She smiled, “Good morning Mr. Walker.”  She turned around wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her toes and kissed his lips softly.   “Would you like a coffee dear?”  Shawn smiled, “I was thinking something else,” and then he wiggled his brows.  This earned him a playful slap in the arm from Leigh.  “We are having breakfast so go sit,” as she smiled and pointed at the kitchen table.  “I will get your coffee dear.”  I walked over and sat at the table that was set before me.  Leigh came over with my coffee, she gave me a small kiss on the cheek.  I felt at this moment, watching her move about in the kitchen, I could really get used to this. 

            “You have made quite a breakfast here, sweetheart.”  There were eggs, bacon, sausage and home fries.  “Well,” she said, “I want to take care of you.”

            “So what have you been doing for the last ten years?”  she laughed. 

            “Well, I will give you the short version.  After you left, I was a mess for a while.  It was a real struggle in rehab for me, but Lilly, she wouldn’t give up on me.  She reminded me a lot of you, believing in me and pushing me forward.  I was there about a year and the guys, especially Paul came to see me often.  I wrote a ton of music, so many of the song lyrics had hidden meanings in them about you.  I decided that I was going to keep my promise to you and live.  I realized it was the only way I was ever going to see you again.  There was just no other way.”

            “Honestly, the hardest thing for me was staying away from you.  Because somewhere I knew you existed.  I’m going to be up front with you, I followed you at times just to be close to you.  To see your face.  I saw your ex-husband, and sometimes I saw more than I wanted.  I told myself that I wouldn’t interfere, and those things needed to run its course.  God, I hate him.  Even to this day I would love to ring his neck.”

            “There was one night though, I slipped up.  I was three years sober at the time.  I remember we had a break from touring.  I went to your home and sat out front watching for a glimpse of you.  I was so obsessed with seeing you.  Your ex-had apparently been home and had another woman inside.  I saw you come home and then a few minutes later, a disheveled woman leaving your home.  I wanted to run to the door and take you out of there.  Then I saw you come out of the house in tears and get into your car.  I followed you that day to the park and watched you crying, wanting to run to you and hold you in my arms.  Leigh, do you remember the little girl with the flowers?”  Leigh looked at me and softly said, “Yes I do, remember her.  I was so upset that day, and she came up to me and gave me a small bouquet.”   

            Shawn, “Do you remember what she said to you.” 

            “I do remember.  She told me they were from a friend, and he loved me very much and not to cry.  It was you wasn’t it?”  Leigh’s eyes watered a bit.

            “Yes, it was me.  I even went as far to have Declan photographed with other women and sent those pictures to their boyfriends or husbands.  And before you even ask, I need to be upfront, I made sure that guy in Illinois contacted you.  I had a person tailing your ex-husband 24/7.  I know it was the wrong thing to do, but I needed to make sure you left him.  And then everything else fell into place like it was supposed too.  Are you upset with me?  It was not meant to hurt you; Declan was already doing that.”

            Leigh looked down at her plate, thoughtful for a moment.  “No, I am not mad at you.  I’m angrier at myself.  Do you have any idea how much of my life I wasted on someone who didn’t really want me?”

            Shawn got up from the table and knelt in front of her.  He took her face in his and kissed her softly.  “Leigh, the only good thing that came out of that was us.   I am alive and we will never be apart again.  I intend on spending the rest of my life with you.  That is if you would have me.” 

            Leigh threw her arms around him and kissed him feverishly.  “You are all I want.  I love you, Shawn.”

            Shawn, “Well there is much more that I need to tell you, but we need to get dressed.  I have a few things I want to talk to you about.  I will clean up here.  Dress warm, we are going for a walk.” 

            Leigh smiled at him and went up the stairs.  Shawn watched her and thought she seemed so like a child running up the stairs.                                                      

Leigh POV

            About thirty minutes later they were both dressed in warm clothes as it was only about 50 degrees in mid-April.  In the light she was able to really get a good look at the cottage.  It was adorable.  Shawn came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. 

            He whispered in her ear, “So you like the cottage then?” 

            “Yes, I really do love it.  It seems familiar to me in some way, as though I have been here before.  I almost don’t want to ever leave again.”

            Shawn said, “Well, maybe that is because this is your family’s home.  This used to belong to Isabell, your great, great, great, grandmother.  I did a lot of research in the last ten years.  It didn’t look like this when I bought it.  The cottage was in disrepair.  I had it rebuilt and then bought the surrounding property as well.  So, what you see here is actually all the original homestead of your family Leigh.”

            Leigh’s eyes were a bit watery.  “You did this for me?  All of this for me Shawn.  Why?  I mean no one has ever done something like this.”

            Shawn turned her around, so they were facing each other and gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear said, “I want us to live here.  I mean I have a loft in the village of Hagersage when I need to be closer to the band, but this is where I want our story to begin.  I know it is soon for you but not for me.  I have had ten years to think about what I want in my life.  I want you to marry me Leigh and live here.  Before you say no, listen to me.  We can always bring your family here with us to stay or mine for that matter.  I can send the private jet over to get them anytime.  You would never have to work again if you don’t want to.  Please baby, just think about it, don’t break my heart right away.” 

            I looked at him with my mouth practically open.  Taking my hand, I put it up around his neck and brought him down to me so I could kiss him.  “Shawn, I will never break your heart.  My answer is yes, I don’t have to think about it.  I want to be with you, always.  Once the two weeks are up, I will go back and make arrangements, but you better like dogs, because I need to bring Zeke with me.  That is a deal breaker!” 

            Shawn smiled, “Anything you want baby, anything at all.” 

            We walked out across the field toward the bluff of the ocean.  I remembered I wanted to look where I saw that light from the kitchen window.  Trying to figure out just how far it was from the window, I started to look around in the grass.  After about 15 minutes, I found it, cigarette butts.  I picked one up ant looked at it.  Kensitas brand. 

Shawn said, “What are you doing?”

            I turned around and looked at him my face with a hint of panic in it.  “Shawn, someone was watching me from here.  I saw it through our kitchen window.  It was glow of a cigarette last night in the field and wanted to check it out this morning.  This is proof, there are at least six cigarettes’ here.  Who would be watching us?”