Chapter 1: Starting a New Life

In this story, a young writer and his daughter decide to set out on a new life after his wife is killed a couple of years earlier. The young writer chances upon a young artists and falls in love.

After my wife died, it was just my daughter and myself left to fight the pain of the loss and try to make our way thru life.  The three of us were on a vacation getaway in South Texas.  I was driving us to the coastal city of South Padre Island.  It was our favorite getaway spot.  The accident was caused by a drunk driver that T-Boned our car on the passenger side.  My wife was the only fatality of that horrid night as she was hit with almost the full force of a 4x4 Truck on our SUV. 

 

The only reason that my daughter and I survived was because of the fact that both of us were on the driver’s side with my daughter in a special restraining seat in the back, directly behind me.  My daughter was only three years old at the time.  But watching her mother die in front of her, even at three was extremely traumatic, for her and me both.

 

That was two years ago, today.  After two years of struggling with the loss, and of course, trying to figure out how to raise my daughter on my own, while still trying to maintain a steady income, I made a decision to make a move.  As an author, I was in the best possible position to make a move, without impacting my work.  The move was more for myself.  However, I decided to make the move at that time, because my daughter was still in pre-school and I wanted to get into a more permanent situation before she entered first grade. 

 

My daughter was slowly starting to adjust to the loss.  However, I was not as quick to adjust.  I woke up nearly every night screaming my wife’s name.  I could still see her blood streaked face and blood soaked blouse as if it was just happening. My daughters crying in the backseat was still fresh in my mind, and it would haunt me for years to come I imagine.  My decision to move was more about getting away from the place that reminded me of my wife.  Her perfume was still present in our house.  The scent of the perfume had subsided significantly. But I could swear I still picked up the scent every time I would step into the house.

 

I decided to relocate to a small city in Colorado.  Pueblo, Colorado.   I had family there, and my sister had offered on many occasions to help me with Stephanie, my daughter, when I was working.  After two years, making this trip I believed was the only way I could maintain my sanity and get back to some normalcy with my novels and raising my daughter.

 

When we arrived in what would become our new hometown, I had to find the realtor, who I had only talked with by phone.  I only knew her by her voice and by name.  Cynthia Sanchez had been working with my sister to help me find a place in Pueblo.  They had found the location late last month and we made the deal early this month.  We had an extremely quick settlement date per my request.  So we planned on moving into the house on March 31, 2013.  I was meeting the realtor to finish signing the paperwork and get the keys to our new place. 

 

When we met, I had hoped the whole process would be quick.  I did not want to waste a lot of time getting into our new place as well, I wanted to meet my sister and her family to let them know we made it.  It took us a little under two hours to complete the paperwork and get everything settled before finally going over to the house and stepping into it for the first time.

 

It was a nice house to be honest.  Victorian style cottage near a small lake with plenty of land for Stephanie to play on and give me ample space to pull out my telescope and be an observer of the night skies. Plenty of room inside the house as well, with 3 bedrooms, a large living room and kitchen, plenty of floor space, and of course, two bathrooms, one of which had a very nice hot tub.

 

We wasted no time moving our stuff in after we got there.  My sister had chosen to meet the two of us at the new place rather than wait for me to come see her.  Stephanie recognized her aunt as soon as she pulled up in the driveway.  

 

“Aunt Marie!” Stephanie said as she ran out to meet her aunt in the driveway.  “There’s my favorite niece.”  My sister picked up Stephanie and came up to meet with me as she was accustomed to doing every time we would get together.   “Charles! Are you finding everything okay?”  I respond as I give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, “Hey sis, yes I think everything is in order.”  Marie: “How was the drive up from Texas?”  “It was okay, I suppose” I replied.  Marie: “Good, guess what munchkin” as Marie turned to her niece. “What?” Stephanie asked. “I have a surprise in the back for you sweetheart.”

 

My sister knew I wasn’t big on surprises.  But Stephanie was her only niece and she had no problem spoiling her in the absence of our mother and father.  When we got to the back of the house, there was a little playground with a merry go round and a swing set.  Stephanie immediately headed to the swing and began playing. Marie looked back at me to which I mouthed the words “Thank you”.  Mrs. Sanchez handed me the keys to the house, and prepared to head out.  Mrs. Sanchez: “Thank you! I hope you enjoy your new home. You have my number, so if you have any questions feel free to call me.”  I replied, “Thank you again Mrs. Sanchez”

Reviews

[Valentine]

You have started out well and are slowly drawing the reader in to wondering what happens next. Valentine

[Chris A Jones]

Thank you, and thanks for stopping by.

[wordman]

this is a good story chris,the beginning of a great book

[Chris A Jones]

Thanks for taking the time to read the chapter.