think it’s time for a change.”
“What will you do?” Tyler
asked. “Where will you go?”
“Well, I was actually
thinking of coming back here,” I admitted.
“To Bastrop?” Tyler asked
incredulously.
“Yeah.”
“What
on earth would you do here?” he asked.
I hesitated for a moment.
“I’m not sure yet,” I said evasively. “I haven’t figured that part out.”
In fact I did have something in mind. It was an idea that had been
forming in my head for quite some time now but I didn’t want to share it with
Tyler just yet. I didn’t want him scoffing at it.
“Well you might want to
think about that,” Tyler said. “Instead of up and quitting before you have a
solid plan?"
“I will.”
“I don’t see the point of
coming back to this town,” Tyler went on. “You’d be bored here.”
“Maybe that’s what I
want,” I countered. “Maybe I want to be bored.”
Tyler gave me a look. “I
think that’s your grief talking.”
I didn’t bother to argue, Tyler didn’t get it. I’d probably be
hard pressed to find anyone who would. You’d need to have lived the kind of
life I had in order to really understand. The thing is, I was tired of the
travelling, and I was tired of the fighting and the missions. I wanted to find
a little piece of land that was mine and make something out of it.
I had always wondered why my father had seemed so happy after
retiring from the Navy. I wondered why he hadn’t milked it and stayed till he
had been asked to go. But now I finally understood. The irony was that he was
gone and there was no one I could talk to, no one who would see that I wasn’t
just making an impulsive decision. I was tired and I wanted some peace and
quiet.
“I bet lots of people
have stopped by the house,” I said changing the subject.
Tyler nodded wordlessly.
“Has … Lizzie been around?”
Tyler shot me a glance.
“I met her this morning,” he replied. “I think she might drop in before the
funeral.”
“How is she?” I asked. “What’s
she been doing these past few years?"
“You’d have to ask her,”
Tyler replied unhelpfully. “But I do know that she’s divorced.”
“I heard something about
her getting married,” I said. “Didn’t work out huh?”
“You went to school with
the guy didn’t you?”
“Who?” I asked. “The guy
she married?”
“Yeah,” Tyler nodded.
“Paul Kapke.”
“Paul fucking Kapke?” I
choked. “That’s who she married?”
“Yeah … you didn’t know?”
“No,” I said trying to
let that sink in. “What happened between them?”
“As I understand it, he
was verbally abusive.”
I felt my hands curl up into fists and I had to remind myself that
I had no place in this town anymore, and I certainly didn’t have a place in Lizzie’s
life. I wondered suddenly why that bothered me so much.
Chapter Eight
Elizabeth
Once the lasagna was finished, I left it on the kitchen counter to
cool and then I moved into my bedroom. Elvis followed at my heels, purring and
pawing at me for attention. I bent down and picked him as I stood in front of
my wardrobe trying to figure out what to wear.
“I’m ridiculous aren’t
I?” I asked Elvis. “It doesn’t matter what I wear; no one is going to care.”
Elvis looked bored with me so I set him back down and reached for
a plain black LBD that was both appropriate and flattering. “Maybe I should
save this one for the actual funeral.” I reminded myself that this was just a
casual visit and a dress was probably a little overkill.
“I’m being ridiculous,” I said firmly and threw on my dark denim
and a white, lace blouse. I kept my hair loose and resisted the urge to put a
little gloss on my lips.
I had just finished feeding Elvis when the doorbell rang and I ran
to get it. “Hi, Maddie,” I
“What will you do?” Tyler
asked. “Where will you go?”
“Well, I was actually
thinking of coming back here,” I admitted.
“To Bastrop?” Tyler asked
incredulously.
“Yeah.”
“What
on earth would you do here?” he asked.
I hesitated for a moment.
“I’m not sure yet,” I said evasively. “I haven’t figured that part out.”
In fact I did have something in mind. It was an idea that had been
forming in my head for quite some time now but I didn’t want to share it with
Tyler just yet. I didn’t want him scoffing at it.
“Well you might want to
think about that,” Tyler said. “Instead of up and quitting before you have a
solid plan?"
“I will.”
“I don’t see the point of
coming back to this town,” Tyler went on. “You’d be bored here.”
“Maybe that’s what I
want,” I countered. “Maybe I want to be bored.”
Tyler gave me a look. “I
think that’s your grief talking.”
I didn’t bother to argue, Tyler didn’t get it. I’d probably be
hard pressed to find anyone who would. You’d need to have lived the kind of
life I had in order to really understand. The thing is, I was tired of the
travelling, and I was tired of the fighting and the missions. I wanted to find
a little piece of land that was mine and make something out of it.
I had always wondered why my father had seemed so happy after
retiring from the Navy. I wondered why he hadn’t milked it and stayed till he
had been asked to go. But now I finally understood. The irony was that he was
gone and there was no one I could talk to, no one who would see that I wasn’t
just making an impulsive decision. I was tired and I wanted some peace and
quiet.
“I bet lots of people
have stopped by the house,” I said changing the subject.
Tyler nodded wordlessly.
“Has … Lizzie been around?”
Tyler shot me a glance.
“I met her this morning,” he replied. “I think she might drop in before the
funeral.”
“How is she?” I asked. “What’s
she been doing these past few years?"
“You’d have to ask her,”
Tyler replied unhelpfully. “But I do know that she’s divorced.”
“I heard something about
her getting married,” I said. “Didn’t work out huh?”
“You went to school with
the guy didn’t you?”
“Who?” I asked. “The guy
she married?”
“Yeah,” Tyler nodded.
“Paul Kapke.”
“Paul fucking Kapke?” I
choked. “That’s who she married?”
“Yeah … you didn’t know?”
“No,” I said trying to
let that sink in. “What happened between them?”
“As I understand it, he
was verbally abusive.”
I felt my hands curl up into fists and I had to remind myself that
I had no place in this town anymore, and I certainly didn’t have a place in Lizzie’s
life. I wondered suddenly why that bothered me so much.
Chapter Eight
Elizabeth
Once the lasagna was finished, I left it on the kitchen counter to
cool and then I moved into my bedroom. Elvis followed at my heels, purring and
pawing at me for attention. I bent down and picked him as I stood in front of
my wardrobe trying to figure out what to wear.
“I’m ridiculous aren’t
I?” I asked Elvis. “It doesn’t matter what I wear; no one is going to care.”
Elvis looked bored with me so I set him back down and reached for
a plain black LBD that was both appropriate and flattering. “Maybe I should
save this one for the actual funeral.” I reminded myself that this was just a
casual visit and a dress was probably a little overkill.
“I’m being ridiculous,” I said firmly and threw on my dark denim
and a white, lace blouse. I kept my hair loose and resisted the urge to put a
little gloss on my lips.
I had just finished feeding Elvis when the doorbell rang and I ran
to get it. “Hi, Maddie,” I
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