When Love Comes

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The house sat atop one of the hills overlooking town. As Hannah drove down, she saw familiar names on mailboxes and an old friend’s car parked in a drive. Once on the main road that led into town, she passed the post office, its parking lot busy. In rural towns like Diamond Creek, the post office served as a central gathering point. She caught sight of Frank’s wife, June, walking across the lot. Her throat tightened as she worried over whom she might encounter first, desperately wanting to see old friends yet anxious about it.

Entering the grocery store, she went on autopilot and grabbed a cart. In a scant minute, she felt her friend Susie before she heard her squeal. Susie had a forceful presence. As Hannah turned with anxiety beating like wings in her chest, Susie threw her arms around her. She returned the hug, dropping her purse in the process.

“It’s you, you, you, you! I knew you’d be here soon. I felt it,” Susie said in between bouncing on her feet, hugging Hannah, and patting her on the shoulder.

Hannah was so relieved to be in Susie’s presence, the wings of anxiety settled, and she felt almost giddy. Bending to retrieve her purse, she looked up into Susie’s warm brown eyes and took in her matching brown curls, which tumbled as wildly as ever about her shoulders. Susie tended to dress colorfully and held true to that today in a purple blouse paired with green leggings.

Hannah plowed through her anxiety. “Yup, I’m here. Finally…” She stumbled on. “I’m sorry I didn’t call or text or e-mail or write or whatever much. I don’t know what to say. Other than that I missed my parents and anyone connected to them—that meant you…and, well…I wasn’t ready.” She caught herself, startled that the words had poured out so fast. She’d thought for hours over what she’d say to explain her silence and hadn’t come up with anything that made sense. Her words were bald and bare, but they were the truth.

Susie didn’t blink or hesitate. “Of course you weren’t ready. I’ve been waiting—safe to say lots of us have.” Susie reached over for another hug and just held Hannah close. If it were any grocery store other than this one, Hannah might have wondered what other shoppers thought, but here she felt safe to just be hugged by her best friend.

Susie pulled back again. “You must have just gotten in. Frank mentioned you’d be arriving soon. Have to admit I didn’t just ‘feel’ you’d be here. Frank clued me in,” she said with a smile. “Have you even been to the house?”

Hannah nodded. “It was weird, but I’m okay. I wish Grayson were still around. I knew it’d feel empty without Mom and Dad; I just didn’t think how strange it would be without him too. I’m here to stay, you know. Can’t tell you how relieved I am that you’re okay with me being…well…such a mess about staying in touch while I was gone.” She felt tears well up and paused to take a breath.

Susie touched her on the shoulder. “Look, I won’t pretend I didn’t have my moments of being cranky about it. But you’re my best friend and…your parents…to have them go like that, it must have been hell—probably still is. I was worried and pissed off sometimes, but I knew you’d come home. Just didn’t know when. Glad it wasn’t much longer because it’s hard to replace your best friend since first grade.”

At that, Susie’s eyes welled up. “I don’t know if you want my help, but you’re getting it,” Susie said, lifting her chin and looping her arm through Hannah’s. “You need to get situated, so let’s make it happen.”

Despite two years with only a few calls, Susie was the closest thing to family Hannah had left. Being in her presence felt like coming home. She squeezed Susie’s arm. “I’d love your help. You can boss me around.”

In short order, they were back at the house unloading groceries. As Susie looked around the house, Hannah wondered if she’d been by to check on the house since her parents died. Instead of burying the question, she asked and learned that Susie, along with Frank, June, and a few other family friends, had emptied the refrigerator and cleaned the house in the weeks following the plane crash and funeral. Susie explained how they had decided to leave her parents’ belongings for her to deal with because they didn’t want to get rid of anything sentimental. Hannah was relieved to know that someone had taken care of the house since she hadn’t been able. Her parents had loved their home, and when she had allowed thoughts to surface about it while she was gone, she had fretted about leaving the house alone.

Susie stayed late into evening. As it was early summer, she and Susie sat on the deck for a few hours, drinking wine that Susie had insisted on buying and nibbling on remnants of dinner. Over the course of the evening, Susie gently asked when Hannah wanted it to be known she was back in town. She reminded her Frank and June had mentioned it to a few and that word always traveled. Hannah appreciated Susie’s respect about not pushing her but knew she needed to dive in. She’d mastered the art of isolation during the past two years, and if she carried that over here, it might become a safety blanket she couldn’t release.

Summer in Alaska meant endless sunsets. It was well past midnight when Susie left, and the sky was still wispy gray. Hannah took a long shower in her parents’ bathroom. The bathroom remodel had been one of her mother’s pet projects. It was tiled floor to ceiling in a soft green tile. There were wall jets and an overhead rainfall shower. It was bliss and helped her wash away her trip and the surreal feeling of being in the house and seeing Susie again. The quiet of the house offered a comfort she hadn’t expected. She fell asleep within moments of tugging up her old quilt.