Everyday one must learn to accept the need to grow past the thorns poking their sides. It had been months since Raquel had to swallow the pill that had admittedly been lodged down her throat and walked out of the relationship.
She still found herself unable to sleep, pacing the space of the old apartment she once shared with Terry just feeling empty inside. As much as she despised doing it she often found herself running a hand along her belly anytime she looked at the imperfections in the mirror wishing in a manner similar to that of a child throwing coins in a fountain in the hopes it would grant their wishes, to have a life within it. But over time as the love from her family and close friend kept her afloat from drowning in her sorrow she began to see that she could always have the dream of being a mother fulfilled even if it meant doing it alone.
But that phase she ultimately decided would come at a later stage, with her focus remaining solely on the restaurant she had been planning on opening. The only issue she was wrestling with had to do with whether she wanted to move somewhere else and begin on a clean page or stay in Brixton. Though she would always love Brixton and everything it did for her, she had always wanted to move somewhere else. The only reason why she had stayed in that place was because of Terry but now there was nothing holding her back.
She was born and raised in a simple family that consisted of two loving parents which was more than what most people got. As an only child who often experienced periods of loneliness that were worsened by the fact she struggled at first to make friends as a child in the town of Swanson Peek. It was only when Monique and her family moved to their town that Raquel had found a friend and an ally to navigate through the oftentimes dreary town that held mystical tales of wolves stalking in the night gobbling up children.
Maintaining a firm hold on the steering wheel she chuckled lightly at the times her parents used those stories to prohibit them from wondering into the woods. They had, like any child would, fell prey to their parents' claims of the treacherous beasts lurking about and remained obedient till the idea of wondering in the woods became a phase that passed as they grew older. As high school came to an end and she was presented with the opportunity to leave she wasted no time and embarked for the city life that saw her meeting new people, going through experiences that would certainly give her father in particular a stroke whilst training to be a culinary chef.
And as she drove along the open road taking in the lush evergreen trees dread filled her at the fact that once she arrived back in that little town for her parent's thirtieth wedding anniversary it would be a reminder of the poor mistake she had made. The anniversary still noted on the calendar in her phone of what was meant to be her and Terry's five year anniversary coming in a few weeks would be a day she wished to skip. However, she still couldn't bring herself to delete it.
At the sight of the sign welcoming all those to Swanson Peek she grew excited at being back in the place with a population of just over nine thousand surrounded by beautiful mountains that offered scenic views. On camping trips she had gone for when she was younger, although she wasn't a fan of climbing those mountains the pain that she bore was worth it for the mesmerizing views of land that reaffirmed the natural beauty the Earth possessed.
Those were much simpler times she thought, but before the dark thoughts could emerge a smile formed on her lips at the sight of her father, William Brown seated on the porch as she parked the car in the driveway. Stepping out of the vehicle she was enveloped in his arms and considering he was over six feet anyone watching the pair would've found it comical how he bent down to hug his daughter. "God; am I glad to see you. Your mom has been killing me with these anniversary preparations," he groaned eliciting a giggle out of Raquel. Her parents were the textbook definition of night and day. A couple that met back in high school her father had a laid back disposition when dealing with certain matters as compared to her mother who was stricter in getting things done a certain way. They didn't like each other at first but their paths crossed once again when Ophelia moved into the same apartment complex as William after graduating with a degree in accounting. He had just begun his residency at a hospital and they had been inseparable since.
"I am not going to get dragged into one of your little fights, dad," she replied lifting her hands in mock surrender. He chuckled moving past her to retrieve her luggage whilst her eyes swept over the ranch style home. One thing she always loved about it was the expansive yard it held that allowed her imagination to run wild with going on excursions to discover what was hidden under each rock whilst not going far beyond the fence to the woods.
"I'm sure this place feels a lot smaller for you now, city mouse," he noted wrapping his arm around her, sucking her teeth playfully at the remark she grew giddy at being back in the place where her life truly began. Wasting no time she moved up the stairs and once she opened the door she was hit with a tantalizing smell that had her stomach rumbling to life. "So good to be home," she mumbled lowly under her breath moving towards the kitchen. Despite receiving professional training her mother would always be the best cook in her eyes, a fact she kept hidden from her father who often enjoyed showcasing his culinary skills for them. Pausing by the entrance of the kitchen she observed her mother holding in the laugh dying to come out at the sight of her mother dancing to the song playing on the radio as she stirred a stew on the stove. For a second Raquel was transformed to a time where she'd try new recipes with her mother as she taught her how to cook. Ultimately it was the chuckle that slipped out that unveiled her presence to her mother who came towards her and tugged her into the room to engage in an impromptu dance. Bumping her hips with her mother Raquel's face lit up at the animated expressions her mother made as she tried to hit the high notes. "And here I thought a cat was dying," William said rushing into the kitchen wearing a faux face of alarm. His wife reached up to smack his chest lightly pouting at the jab.
William reached out looping his arm around Ophelia who refused to look his way determined to remain annoyed by his remark but he wasn't having any of that. He peppered kisses all over her face that had her resolve breaking at the affection. And Raquel watched her parents in awe; though she used to cringe at the affection they showed now that she was older and had once experienced that kind of love she couldn't help but miss it.
***
Bright lights hung over the lawn to compensate for the stars barely appearing in the sky as people moved around in their home conversing amongst themselves that night. With the party in full swing Raquel had been having a blast catching up with family some of whom had travelled like her to help celebrate the occasion. It wasn't everyday couples reached the milestone her parents had. And though Raquel had felt a bit weary to be around some of them due to the failure of her marriage she had grown a lot more relaxed seeing them treat her like they always had.
Taking a small sip of champagne she released a satisfied sigh at seeing her mother laughing as she conversed with her friends, "I still can't believe she's still with me," her father admitted coming to stand beside her. She looked up at her father to see him staring at his wife, love residing in his orbs and she nudged his shoulder playfully, "With all due respect dad, there aren't a lot of options in Swanson Peek," she joked earning a scowl from her father. "Oh c'mon you know it's true." Chuckling at his daughter's words he sobered up quickly informing her of his plan to take her mother on a vacation.
"That's amazing, I'm pretty sure she's going to love it," she said and as she took a sip of her drink she found herself choking at the sight of a person she hoped never to cross paths with again. Noticing the change it didn't take William long to realize who had made his daughter react that way. He had warned Ophelia when sending out the invitations not to invite them but his wife had made a reasonable point that their anger should not be directed towards Raquel's Uncle Rob and Aunt Phyllis. However, when he turned to see them he grew stiff at the fact Kate was there. He hadn't anticipated seeing her and being the concerned father he was he quickly turned to see the worry on Raquel's face that immediately caused him to panic, "I-I can tell her to leave. Shit – I knew it was a bad idea to invite them, I promise if we had known she would also come we wouldn –"
"It's okay…" she reassured giving him a shaky smile to appear fine, "it's not your fault. Besides I couldn't avoid her for long, right?" she chuckled failing to appear convincing to her father and no longer able to stand the sudden heat that made her struggle to breathe she quickly excused herself to get some air to breathe whilst sending a quick prayer to her Maker not to break the fifth commandment.
Thou shalt not kill…