“Glad to have you back, little brother,” Seth declared, leaning against the bedroom doorframe.
“Glad to be back.”
After traveling the world as a sought-after photographer, Cole was more than glad to be home. It had been a long flight and even a longer ride in his brother’s 2015 Chevy Silverado. It exhausted him.
He sat on the bed and massaged the back of his neck, then moved to his jaw, scratching his heavy stubble to relax the tension built up from his hours of flying. He noted his brother’s guest bedroom had changed since he last saw it, the walls now a cornflower blue, very similar to his old bedroom in his parents’ house. He inhaled the faint smell of Febreze while a box fan whirred. Maybe Seth was trying to drop a subtle hint about coming back for good.
“Want to get some takeout from Mack’s BBQ?” Seth asked.
“Not tonight. I really want to crash.”
“Called Mom and Dad yet?”
“I called Mom when I got here. Dad was in the backyard with one of his ‘projects.’” His forehead furrowed.
“I don’t think retirement has sunk in with him yet.”
“Mom’s calling for an intervention,” Cole joked.
Seth bobbed his head. “We’ll get to talk to them tomorrow. She wants us over for dinner after church.”
“Sounds like a plan. No one can cook broccoli cheese casserole like Mom.”
Seth agreed. “You got that right. You good, man? Need anything else?”
“I’m okay.”
With that, Seth gave a final nod and closed the door after him. Cole sighed as he unpacked his pajamas. What else had changed since the last time he saw Piedmont Valley? On the way through town, he had spotted the lush green trees, the beloved fountain downtown, and his old high school.
****
Leah knocked her phone off her nightstand to turn off her alarm. She moaned underneath the covers, wishing she could stay home for the rest of the day. As Leah opened her eyes, she brushed the stray hairs away from her face.
Finally shutting off her alarm, Leah dragged her feet to her master bathroom to brush her teeth. Her outfit choice for church was her short-sleeved emerald green peplum dress. The black tie attached to the collar she tied as a bow, forgoing a necklace. After adding her flat gold-hooped earrings, Leah searched her kitchen for breakfast. She settled for whole grain toast and scrambled eggs.
Leah rested her cheek in her palm, recalling how she and Brian used to have breakfast together at Carol’s Diner. He preferred his eggs sunny side up, which she never understood. Her bottom lip quivered. She didn’t want to cry again; it wasn’t helping her situation. He would leave town, and he probably wasn’t coming back.
Brian was the adventurous one in their relationship, Leah, a creature of habit. She was happy in Piedmont Valley, so why did she need to change? She’d made a name for herself and she loved the community. She couldn’t leave it all behind. Too many memories. She had found her dream and even her first love in Piedmont Valley. She would never forget him, the first one to break her heart—Seth Parsons.
Leah never imagined dating the star quarterback in high school, especially with him being a year ahead of her. Still, she fell head over heels in love with Seth. Then the day came when he said he was going to college out of state. She was ecstatic they had recruited him. However, Leah naively assumed they could make a long-distance relationship work. Seth had other plans that apparently didn’t include her.
It took some time for her to accept his leaving, but Leah eventually moved forward. She finished her degree and opened her own boutique. She was selling her own designs and expanding her store online. By the time Seth moved back to Piedmont Valley, Leah had dated Brian. Yet, she was grateful that they had agreed to remain friends. She never denied her devastation when Seth left but found comfort with his younger brother, Cole. Leah and Cole practically stuck together during their senior year.
Leah leaped to her feet to wash her dishes, not wanting to dwell anymore on either Parsons brother. She hadn’t seen Cole in years and no way was he returning to Piedmont Valley. The news would have traveled around town if he were. Then again, you were wrapped up in Brian. It was true. Leah even searched for ring designs.
She pinched the bridge of her nose as disappointment flooded through her. She had gotten her hopes up for nothing. That’s what she always did with the guys she dated, the few that stayed in Piedmont Valley.
After retrieving her black pumps, purse, and phone, Leah dashed for her Chevy Spark LS. It was less than ten minutes before she parked in front of Piedmont Church, already seeing the regular attendees saunter inside. The cream-colored steeple church stood tall, decorated with stained glass windows. Leah made it in time to see her mother and father walking hand in hand towards the front steps. She greeted her parents with a smile.
“Good morning, sweetie.” Her mother said.
“Good morning.”
Her mother peered around Leah as if looking for someone else. “Where’s Brian?”
Leah looped her arm through her mother’s. “I’ll tell you about that later.”
Her father ran his free hand over his bald head. “Oh, boy.”