Hidden Love

A Story by JoyMarieGold

A young dancer from New York goes home to Kentucky and remembers her first love and finds out that he has always loved her.

As the train passes by the majastic mountians rising up into the blue sky with no clouds fluffing by, she begins thinking about her home, where she was from, where she was going back to. She was coming from New York where her second love was stationed at, which was dance. Even as a little girl she loved dance and finally she could dance her heart out. But it was not her life in New York she wants to speak of, it was her life of the past. In Kentucky. Suddenly the conductor came through. "All for Covington! Covington coming up!" She gathers her bags, one small fumpy red one and her dance bag. She would have to reminisce later as time was evident she couldn't do it now.

The train slows and pulls up into the station and as she look out the window it was then she sees her family follicking on the wood deck. As the steam clears, they earnestly look in the swelling crowd trugding off the cars. She pops her head out and breathes in that good old Kentucky air that smells of sunshine, wet dirt and cleaness so unlike the smug of New York air. Her family then sees her and breaks out in smiles all around and as the little cousins and nieces and nephews run toward her, she steps out of the car and places her bags down to gather the little ones in her arms.

They jump and she almost is sent tumbling down with the mass of weighty bodies that seem to have flown into her arms. "Oh I've missed you guys!" Her one brother and sister smile, their children hugging the skittles out of her. Her brother then speaks forward, "Alright Sam, Amanda, and little Eloise let your aunt breathe." They little children gradually get off. "My my how big you guys have grown!" The littliest, Eloise speaks up, "Why Auntie Cally we've been waiting to see you since forever!" "You mean ever since the month ago you saw me?", she said smiling down at the little girl. "Oh yes it feels like it's been forever!"

Everyone laughs at that as she bends down. "Are you sure? It seems like only yesterday you were this little.", measuring out with her hands. Little Eloise's face lights up, "I must have growns much." Cally gives a little chuckle, "I got you something Eloise, as well as Sam and Amanda. For Sam a new NDS game, Amanda I got you some body stuff, and litte Eloise? I got you a beautiful doll." Eloise squeals so loudly her daddy comes over and frowns. "Eloise calm yourself, now what do you say to Auntie Cally?" "Thank you!", she squeals and runs off with her new doll. As Cally rises up from her crouch she spots the man who drove her to New York to pursue her dreams.

Evan Anderson, her first love whom she always knew all her life even in elementary. He never knew that she fell in love with him, but how she, when in high school wanted him to kiss her, to just look at her. But he was so shy, and she was destined for big things. She then was brought back to the present by her dad speaking, "My baby girl is finally home for awhile. I've missed you." Cally smiles, "Well I suppose you guys should take me home." The rowdy crowd she calls her family all start speaking and Eloise comes over and holds out her hand. Cally grabs it and leads herself and the little girl to the cars in the parking lot of the train station. The bright blue car she gets into takes off and slowly Cally allows herself to look once more at the man who would never know how much he influenced her. Then a truck blots out her view and the car continues down the road.

Later that night she completates about Evan wondering if he's still single, or is he married? Will he even remember her? She silently drifts off to sleep as Nat King Cole's voices sooths her ears.

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Evan walks down the street across from the train station. For a moment there he thought he could have swore he saw the woman of his dreams Cally Leech. That beautiful black haired girl that had grown into a beauty more than he ever knew, he had seen the pictures of her life in New York. He even remembered what she looked like in high school but none of that compared to the beauty standing in front of him, with rose color lips, the fabulous mane of black hair cascading down her back and a curvy body that was made for Kentucky lovin'. He hadn't seen her in a long time. He watched her get into a bright blue car holding on to the hand of her little niece. He had kept up with the Leech family but he really wanted to know about Cally. He suspected her family knew that he was in love with her.

A teacher now, Evan looks at Cally, being whom inspired him when she would play with the little kids in high school. He realize that he forgot that he promised to Sam he would come over to help build the boy's doghouse, seeing as his father wouldn't do anything for the boy himself. That was not Sam's fault, or even his mother's, Cally's sister. Sam's father was a dead beat, always feeling that he had to have control. He groans thinking about the promise now. He knows he'll have to face her, the woman always on his mind but far away from his reach. He sighs and drops his head into his hands.

What is it about that woman? He could never get her off his mind. It was as if she was stuck with gorrilla glue onto his subconsious. He sighs and then goes into the hardware store, picking out paint, nails, and some other things that would allow Sam to help in the creation of his dog's house. A thought comes that maybe he better pick up something to take over to the house, as a gift. He walks into the bakery and picks up a dozen mini chocolate enclairs, remembering how much Cally loves chocolate. Then he heads to his car and drives to the lumberyard and picks out wood, loads it up and heads to the Leech family house.

He pulls into the driveway and immediately spots Cally and her little niece Eloise in the yard playing with her dolls. His face falls and almost a bad word slips out, but he bites his lip to catch himself. He opens the door and gets out, causing Cally to look up at him with those beautiful blue eyes she's always had. "Hi." "Hi Evan. What are you doing here?" He shrugs his shoulders and then looks into her eyes. "Well Sam is getting a dog and he asked me to help build his dog's house with him." Her head tilts down looking at the ground til she says, "Oh ok." He hated to see her face so downcast. Sam comes running out of the house just then. "Mr. Anderson! Did you bring everything we need?" "I sure did Sam. Want to go get started?", Evan asked. "Yeah!", Sam says running to the backyard.

A few hours later most of the dog house is built and Sam is hungry so he goes inside as Evan adds a few last touches. "Umm, Evan?", a voice behind him says. He jumps up and almost knocks into Cally who is holding a glass of ice cold lemonade for him. "Whoa.", she says backing up just a bit. "I'm so sorry Cally. I didn't see you there." "Obviously.", She states handing him the glass and he guzzles it letting the sugar sweetness slide down his throat. She stands there watching him and as the last of the lemonade pours in his mouth he looks at her.

She begins to back away but he speaks up. "Wait just a moment Cally I would like to talk to you?" "What is it? I really should go in and help with lunch." She turns away but he pulls her to him and that places her right up against him, her lips an inch away from his. He looks into her eyes and the lowers his eyes to her lips. She trembles because she knows he's going to lean in and Evan kisses her passionately. Her body goes limp as she kisses back and then sunlight beams on them. He pulls back, "Cally I've always loved you. I still love you." She looks down and her hands scrape back the hair that pulled loose from her ponytail.

"What? You- you love me?" He nods his head and watches her hand as it touches her lips. "Why didn't you ever tell me? We were friends in elementary all the way through high school and you didn't say one word?" "How could I admit when you were barely around me anymore?" "You still had the chances to say something." "Cally I need to know, do you love me?" She turns away almost like she is going to cry but she turns back and looks at him with a smile on her face. "Evan I have always loved you. Heck I still do." He smiles then and reaches for her hand. "Then Cally," he says getting on one knee, "will you marry me?" He pulls out a old ring box he's had for years and looking up into her eyes, and as a single tear pops out while her mouth is smiling, she says the one word he's always wanted to hear, "Yes."