the car.
Stone buildings lined the streets like they did in Paris, or so I imagined. The large glass windows in the front of every store illuminated each gray or beige structure, adding friendliness to an otherwise monotonous historical façade.
“Atlanta is so crowded and stuffy, this is much more my style.”
“We’ll go to Mike’s and sit on the patio. You can get a better feel for Knox there.”
A simple drive-thru of downtown would be sufficient but the outskirts required a more personal approach.
“Well, it’s not called Mike’s anymore,” I said, parking the car. “But life-long residents still call it that since it was Mike’s Seafood Shack for years.”
Near the beach there was a seafood restaurant on every corner so guacamole and quesadillas were a welcomed break. Plus, Mike’s patio area was right on the sidewalk and I wanted Sadie to take in the scenery.
“Despite living here my whole life I always find myself in awe.”
On the outskirts of downtown, the streets were lined with a picturesque rainbow of whimsical two-story structures. Every home boasted a different color, always bright and cheerful, yet each somehow managed to appear unique despite their structural similarities.
The sidewalks were brick-lain with strategically placed wooden benches and distinctive dark brown lampposts along the way.
“I always figured the sidewalks served a more aesthetic purpose since you can pretty much just walk into the street with little to no fear of danger.”
“Uh oh, danger!” Sadie chuckled.
Roads were never crowded and people never seemed to be in a hurry to meet deadlines or attend meetings. But, one should never be fooled by Knox’s small town appearance. There was no lack of modern amenities; they were just neatly wrapped in small town charm.
“How sweet,” Sadie said, noticing a family shuffling down the sidewalk. “How is this town not overrun with people? I know I’m sold, I would live here in a heartbeat.”
“Just lucky I guess,” I said. “That’s always been a fear of mine…that one day we would be discovered by the masses.”
College students and suburban families with their camera phones should have overrun Knox years ago but we managed to stay hidden away. I prayed that would never change and that the unwelcome trampling of unwanted guests would remain nothing more than a worry. However, the realist in me knew it was only a matter of time.
“This is how life should be,” I said. “A person deserves room to move, room to breathe. A home they feel safe in and proud of. I’m glad I get to share this with you.”
“It feels like I have always been here.”
“Speaking of, how long do you plan to stay?”
“As long as you and Mom-slash-Aunt Leah will let me.”
“You are welcome to never leave,” I said as the waiter refilled my drink.
The thought of having her go home was impossible to consider much less carry out. I cannot say if it was having a sister or having a sister like Sadie that made me feel as if a weight had been lifted. My broken heart had found a missing piece. And it only took eighteen years of suffering and few hours of conversation to repair it.
“We talked the afternoon away, too,” Sadie said. “I could sit here forever, just watching.”
We had found ourselves once again lost in conversation. Knox occupied the majority of our chatter, further proving that it was a storybook town.
“Well I can’t. I ate way too much. How are you able to function after all of that?”
“Mom says I eat like a man.”
“You can sure put away some nachos. It is clear that you have an excellent metabolism. I hate you a little.”
“I’m fine with that,” Sadie said with a giggle. “I’m confident enough to say you’ll come around sooner or later.”
I studied her. Her hair pulled back from her face by her extra-large sunglasses resting atop her head, Sadie gave a genuine smile to each person that passed. Even more surprising, they all smiled
Stone buildings lined the streets like they did in Paris, or so I imagined. The large glass windows in the front of every store illuminated each gray or beige structure, adding friendliness to an otherwise monotonous historical façade.
“Atlanta is so crowded and stuffy, this is much more my style.”
“We’ll go to Mike’s and sit on the patio. You can get a better feel for Knox there.”
A simple drive-thru of downtown would be sufficient but the outskirts required a more personal approach.
“Well, it’s not called Mike’s anymore,” I said, parking the car. “But life-long residents still call it that since it was Mike’s Seafood Shack for years.”
Near the beach there was a seafood restaurant on every corner so guacamole and quesadillas were a welcomed break. Plus, Mike’s patio area was right on the sidewalk and I wanted Sadie to take in the scenery.
“Despite living here my whole life I always find myself in awe.”
On the outskirts of downtown, the streets were lined with a picturesque rainbow of whimsical two-story structures. Every home boasted a different color, always bright and cheerful, yet each somehow managed to appear unique despite their structural similarities.
The sidewalks were brick-lain with strategically placed wooden benches and distinctive dark brown lampposts along the way.
“I always figured the sidewalks served a more aesthetic purpose since you can pretty much just walk into the street with little to no fear of danger.”
“Uh oh, danger!” Sadie chuckled.
Roads were never crowded and people never seemed to be in a hurry to meet deadlines or attend meetings. But, one should never be fooled by Knox’s small town appearance. There was no lack of modern amenities; they were just neatly wrapped in small town charm.
“How sweet,” Sadie said, noticing a family shuffling down the sidewalk. “How is this town not overrun with people? I know I’m sold, I would live here in a heartbeat.”
“Just lucky I guess,” I said. “That’s always been a fear of mine…that one day we would be discovered by the masses.”
College students and suburban families with their camera phones should have overrun Knox years ago but we managed to stay hidden away. I prayed that would never change and that the unwelcome trampling of unwanted guests would remain nothing more than a worry. However, the realist in me knew it was only a matter of time.
“This is how life should be,” I said. “A person deserves room to move, room to breathe. A home they feel safe in and proud of. I’m glad I get to share this with you.”
“It feels like I have always been here.”
“Speaking of, how long do you plan to stay?”
“As long as you and Mom-slash-Aunt Leah will let me.”
“You are welcome to never leave,” I said as the waiter refilled my drink.
The thought of having her go home was impossible to consider much less carry out. I cannot say if it was having a sister or having a sister like Sadie that made me feel as if a weight had been lifted. My broken heart had found a missing piece. And it only took eighteen years of suffering and few hours of conversation to repair it.
“We talked the afternoon away, too,” Sadie said. “I could sit here forever, just watching.”
We had found ourselves once again lost in conversation. Knox occupied the majority of our chatter, further proving that it was a storybook town.
“Well I can’t. I ate way too much. How are you able to function after all of that?”
“Mom says I eat like a man.”
“You can sure put away some nachos. It is clear that you have an excellent metabolism. I hate you a little.”
“I’m fine with that,” Sadie said with a giggle. “I’m confident enough to say you’ll come around sooner or later.”
I studied her. Her hair pulled back from her face by her extra-large sunglasses resting atop her head, Sadie gave a genuine smile to each person that passed. Even more surprising, they all smiled
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