She looked at the house on the hill. Throughout the years every stone used was hand selected; dark grey fieldstone or smooth mountain rocks scooped from the river and hauled in on a flatbed truck. Nothing had been wasted. A rustic Dutch door, bought from an eastern Kansas farmhouse slated for demolition, was stained the color of the water pooling beneath the Havasu Falls. The home was perfect for her, simple yet articulate; each piece specifically chosen to fit together like a puzzle. Enclosing the napping deck facing the forest, vines of moonflowers curled through the wrought iron railing, while two slim rocking chairs nestled side by side on the front porch, set for taking in the glorious sunsets and a lifetime of conversations. It was the home she’d never had but one she’d spend the rest of her life in. A place once imagined made …show more content…
Shafts of light brightened the wood plank floors. Everything’s ready, she thought; ready for her ~ for them. She crossed the porch and eased onto a rocking chair for a moment and pushed back. In the sprawling branches birds fluttered from limb to limb, and Gailie watched with an envious eye. How easy it appeared to move with such grace and speed, their wings spread wide and unclipped. Beyond a break in the trees the city spread out drying in the sunlight, while overhead the clouds separated and the sky shone as soft and pure as the blue of Iris’s eyes. Peace, as fragrant as heavenly breath, encircled her with stillness. She was ready. It was