CHAPTER 5 – SWEET DREAMS

Brian sulked over to the fireplace, dropping his arms and head onto the mantle, his head so full with contradicting emotions, he didn’t know what or who to believe anymore. The tears fell from his eyes, after been so long restrained he couldn’t hold them back any longer. Tara heard his week cry, and without even thinking she wrapped her arms around his waist, and dropped her head onto his shoulder.

“You don’t have to grin and bare it anymore Brian” she whispered softly
“Then what do I do?” he replied softly, his back still turned to her
“Whatever your heart tells you to”

A loud banging protruded from the door, and echoed through the house. Tara jumped back as Brian looked around in fright.
“Someone’s at the door” he muttered in disbelief
He darted out into the entrance and pulled the door open. The wind and rain pushed through the door as did Leigh Anne.
“What on earth are you doing out there in this?” Brian muttered in shock
“Like the plane would leave in this weather” she muttered removing the coat she had on
“You should have stayed where you were”
“Why?” she shot back with piercing eyes
“Just because you could have gotten hurt”
“Oh sure that wouldn’t be the reason” Leigh Anne cackled as Tara emerged from the lounge
“Fresh meat huh Brian, all nice and tender” she mocked eyes Tara up and down
“Please Leigh Anne don’t do this, she’s here because you knocked her out and Sam and her can’t go out in this weather”
“Like I care what you and the little slut do” Leigh Anne smirked walking past Tara – who couldn’t help but noticed she reeked of alcohol.
“Don’t take it there Leigh Anne”
“Don’t take it where?” she pouted “don’t let me disturb you, please carry on screwing her little innocent brains out, unless of course you want a better fuck, in which case I’ll be upstairs” she laughed grabbing a bottle from the second liquor cabinet in the lounge, before running up the stairs, bottle in hand.

“I'm sorry” was all Brian could muster
“Don’t sweat it, it wasn’t you speaking. Maybe I should just go, I’ll be fine, I’ll come around tomorrow and pick Sam, it’s really no problem”
“No, no don’t be silly. She’ll be up there the rest of the night, I should probably go talk to her” he smiled hesitantly
“Don’t let her destroy who you are” Tara said softly as Brian ran up the stairs.

She slowly walked up the stairs behind him, and opened the door to one of the guest rooms. She looked inside to see the Sam’s shadow. She walked into the room, the light from the hallway providing a path. She looked down at him, his small body was curled up, his eyes shut tight, his arms resting carelessly above his head.
“Sweet dreams” she whispered pulling the blanket up over his shoulders

She made her way down the hall to the room she was to sleep in. She could hear no noises coming from the room down the far end of the other hall. Silence overtook the large house, the only noise the hounding wind and relentless rain. Quietly she closed to door to her room, and switched on the light. She sat down onto the bed and sighed to herself, though she hated to admit it, she was homesick.

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~
Nicks arms felt warm and heavy against Alicia’s body as he dangled them over her. He was fast asleep his warm breath pushing against the back of her neck as they lay in his bed. She slipped out from underneath him, her bare feet pattering across the floor as she ran down the corridor. She stopped in front of the bathroom and slowly opened the door. She closed it behind her falling against it softly. She smiled contentedly to herself, it was the first time in so long that she actually felt as if she belonged somewhere. A sudden realization came to her, destroying the smile on her face, she flopped down onto the closed toilet and shut her eyes. Her hand ventured underneath Nick’s oversized T-shirt. Her hand instinctively went to the underside of her left breast.
“Shit” she mumbled yanking her hand back out
The lump she’d felt 6 months ago, was still there. Her head dropped into her hands with frustration. She hadn’t seen anyone about the lump, and she wasn’t sure if she could build up the courage to. Her Aunty had had breast cancer, but that didn’t mean she would get it too – or so she tried to reassure herself.
“Alicia? Are you in there?” Nick whispered tapping on the door
“Um yeah, I’ll be out in a sec” she replied hurriedly
She stood up, took a breath, wiped away any stray tears and composed herself.
“Miss me or something?” she smiled pulling the door open

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~
“Mommy, mommy” the small boy called running from the small lounge into the hall
“Hey Luke” Eve replied picking the 3 year old up into her arms
His arms wrapped around her neck as he held her tightly
“How are you?” Eve’s mother inquired smiling gently
“I'm good mama” Eve relied kissing her mothers cheek
Eve’s mother was a second generation Spanish migrant, Eve’s parents both lived in the small but comfortable 2 bedroom home, on the outskirts of Orlando. Eve had being adopted by them when she was 5. Eve didn’t remember her earlier years, all she knew was she was better off been adopted, rather than staying with her natural parents. When Eve was only 16 she ran away from home and hitchhiked to LA where she got a job in McDonalds, at the tender age of 17 she became pregnant to a guy who’d promised to love her no matter what, 2 months down the tract he was gone and she was alone. Embarrassed but broke and 6 months pregnant she made her way back to Florida, where despite what she thought would happen – he parents took her in with open arms. After Sam was born she decided she wouldn’t let him see the kind of mother she was, not until she had a stable home for him. Leaving him with her parents she found a job, and slowly but surely built up a life for him.
“It’s been a bit slow this week, but here Mama” Eve smiled handing her mother some folded up notes
“Evie you know you don’t need to give us this and –“
“Ma, I want to, for Luke” Eve replied before walking into the lounge
“Hey Papa” she smiled hugging her father from behind the chair he was sitting on
He was in his mid 50’s but constant sickness made him look so much older, though his smile was as bright as Eve remembered when she was a kid.
“Its coming down hard out there” He smiled nodding toward the window
“I guess so” Eve responded, she’d only been there a matter of minutes but already it was raining heavier
“You wont be heading back in that will you?” her mother inquired stepping into the warm lounge
“I really do need to get back” Eve sighed
She hadn’t told her parents about Howie, or likewise, Howie about her parents, it - she figured – was less complicated keeping them as two separate lives, and she didn’t particularly want Howie fretting about the fact she had a child.

“Mommy cant you stay the night?” Luke pleaded tugging on Eve’s legs
She looked down at him, and back out the window. She’d think of something to tell Howie.
“Sure baby, mommy will stay” she replied softly stroking her hand through the boys hair.

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~
Jasmine bolted the decking window shut as the rain pounded relentlessly against it. The floor surrounding it was covered in water as the entire side of the wall leaked like a sieve.
“Stupid piece of Junk” she mumbled throwing another towel onto the wet floor
“I don’t expect to be living in a god damn castle but something that didn’t leak would be good” she added frustrated
Her meeting with AJ – as he instructed her to call him – went fine, there wasn’t much to him. She’d decided, probably like every other guy she’d ever met, only interested in one thing, and that had nothing to do with her voice. She made this assumption perhaps a little too quickly, but then again she’d met guys like him, she knew guys like him. He’d told her to come around tomorrow and they would go over some details, get something down on tape. She was debating whether to go or not, she was sure he’d try something on, but then again he wasn’t exactly big, she could take him down if needs be. The window burst back open, yanking Jasmine from her daydream.
“Oh you’re fucking kidding” she screamed as the wind pushed the rain harshly through

~ LATER THAT NIGHT ~
Tara sat in the darkness of the strange room. Her body covered with the blankets from the bed, but her eyes staring out into the dull darkness. The only noise the house held was the rattling of the trees outside the window and the perpetual patter of the rain on the roof. She tucked her legs in closer to her, feeling a sudden surge of loneliness. Despite her best efforts she was homesick. She felt the tears welling up inside of her, unafraid of been seen she slowly left them fall from her eyes. She wept quietly her head falling onto her knees.
She heard the slight knock on the bedroom door, her head bolted upright, as out of reaction she smeared the tears away from her eyes.
“Um come in” she whispered quietly, the light from the moon shinning through the window making out the outline of the door.
Brian stepped in the room, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.
“It’s just me, Brian, I was walking past and I heard you crying, are you okay, I'm sorry for what she said it’s just –“
“I'm fine, thank you, and don’t worry it not because of either of you, really” Tara sniffed
“Then why the tears?” Brian inquired waling in closer to the bed, before closing the door after him
“Nothing it’s silly” Tara mumbled coupling her legs with her arms
“I doubt it’s silly” Brian responded sitting down at the far end of the bed
“I dunno, I guess I just miss home” Tara sighed, completely annoyed with herself for admitting that
“What do you miss?”
“My friends, my bed, my family. Everything I guess”
“You spent your whole life there?”
“Yeah”
“The of course you’d be homesick”
“I dunno, I just never thought I would be I always thought I’d be glad to leave it”
“You know, my mother used to tell me something, when I moved out of home. She told me that no matter where you go or what you do, you will always have home in you heart, but you make your new home where your heart is”
“Smart mother”
“Just honest. This is all new to you Tara, just give it sometime”
Tara dropped her head back onto her knees, it wasn’t like she could ever go back. The night she left words had been flung between her parents and her, ones she regretted now. She’d told them she would never return, and they in not so many words said they didn’t care what she did. She sniffed back the tears, but the action was useless as they slipped out anyway.
“It’ll get better” Brian suggested as he scooted up the bed beside her.
“I'm sorry, god I'm real sorry, like you need me crying like this in front of you” Tara smiled
“It’s okay, there’s no harm in crying” Brian replied, as he out of reaction placed his arm around her shoulder.

They talked for a while, Tara trying to explain things about where she was from, Brian finding great humor out of some of the words she used. However as time slipped by, their eyes became heavy and before they knew it, they had fallen asleep, so comfortable in each others presence.

Chapter Six

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