Chapter 1: Heading Home

She drove around before heading to her new home, though it wasn't new to her. When she left, she never thought she would come back like this. But come back she had.

Her aunt had taken her in after her parents died fifteen years earlier, giving her a place amid her five cousins, and no one ever complained. That's what her family did. And now her aunt was gone, too.

Just as her cousins had done, she left when it was time. She hadn't looked back. Now, as she drove around to re-familiarize herself with the area, she inhaled the salty sea air and remembered. Fun, family days at the beach; the pain and sorrow at her parents' funeral. The weekly visits to see her aunt, cousins and grandmother; the day her "visit" became permanent. Her childhood scars resurfaced to mix with the scars of her most recent past. But, regardless of her sadness, she felt at home. The familiarity of this area, her hometown, breathed into her a strength she had not felt for many months. She was being wrapped in the bosom of her ancestors and she felt safe.

When she pulled into the driveway and turned her car off, she noticed not much had changed about the old house in the past ten years since she had left. Longer than that, actually. Yes, she was sure she would need to work on the house some, but it would be well worth it. It saddened her when none of her cousins wanted it, but was pleased when they allowed her to buy it from her aunt's estate -- it would remain in the family now.

She was pulled back to the present when she heard a knock on the hood of her car.

"What 'cha doin' theh-ah?"

"I'm sorry." She undid her seatbelt and got out of her car.

"How can I help you? No one's home hee-yah right now," the man said, pointing to the front door of the house.

She took a minute to size up this interloper. She knew she should have felt nervous, but he smelled of the small-town neighborhood she remembered this to be.

"I know. I bought it."

"Didn't know it was foh sale. Didn't think tha Bradley's would let it out of tha family." The man paused and took a step back. "Well, welcome to tha neighba-hood. Tha name's Edwood McCah-thy. I live next doh-ah." He extended his hand while looking over his new neighbor.

"Nice to meet you, Edward. I'm Liz McKenney." Liz took the proffered hand and shook it politely.

"Nice to meet you, too, Lizzie. Everyone calls me Eddie, by tha way. Except my motha when she's mad!" Eddie laughed at his own joke. "Well, I'll let you get settled. If you need anything, just let me know."

Eddie turned and left before Liz could say anything more. No one called her "Lizzie." It was "Liz" or "Elizabeth." Pushing that issue aside, Liz turned toward the house. She breathed deeply once she was inside the front door. She could still feel her aunt and grandmother in the house. Walking slowly, Liz wanted to survey her surroundings and see what furniture her cousins had left her and what she would need to replace.

The front hall was just as she remembered. The wooden seat was still nestled at the foot of the stairs. Liz laughed when she noticed the old dial telephone sitting on the table adjacent to the seat. Picking up the receiver, she heard the familiar dial tone buzzing through the line. Her aunt had sworn to never replace the phone as long as it worked, and it ended up surviving longer than her. Liz quickly decided not to replace it until it was absolutely necessary, in deference to her aunt.

Walking through the front hall, passing the door leading to the basement, Liz entered the kitchen. Her aunt had renovated this room. Gone were the stock metal cabinets and black and white tiles from the fifties. Modern appliances decorated one wall, while wooden cabinets flanked the other. Continuing through, she peered into the half-bath her aunt had installed when Liz's uncle took sick. Liz fondly remembered the pantry that used to be there, with its dark wood cabinets and shelves that stood floor-to-ceiling.

After peeking out the back door, Liz turned to make her way through the kitchen to the dining room. She was pleased that the built-in china cabinet still held many of its treasures. Her cousins took some special trinkets but left most for Liz to do with as she wished. She opened one of the drawers and inhaled the smell of cedar; this was home to her.

One of her cousins had taken the dining room set but left the upright piano undisturbed along the far wall. No one had ever questioned its presence in the dining room. It just was. Liz made a mental note to look for a new dining table with chairs. The room wasn't big, so she'd need to keep that in mind when looking -- so the piano could remain in its hallowed spot.

From the dining room, Liz entered the adjacent living room. This room had aged the least gracefully of all the first-floor rooms. The sofa and chair were still covered in the slip covers her aunt had purchased when Liz first came to live there. The wallpaper had been on the walls for as long as she could remember. And the big console television still sat in the corner. Expecting to see rabbit ears, Liz was surprised to see a cable box sitting on top, instead.

Opening the French doors, Liz walked back into the front hall.

The second floor was more modern. Over the years, the four bedrooms had received multiple make-overs to adjust to the maturing family. Liz was especially saddened when her aunt had gotten rid of the claw-foot tub in the bathroom. She might just have to fix that with her renovations.

Liz was still surveying the second floor when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Hi-ya!" Eddie greeted when Liz opened the door. "My motha wanted me to see if you wanted to come ova foh some lunch?" Eddie noticed the look on Liz's face and raised his hands as if to stop her. "Befoh you jump to anything. Yeah, I live with my motha. I used to live on my own til she had a stroke. I moved back to keep an eye on hah. But come to lunch and find all that out. Ma wants to meet ya."

"Thanks for the invitation. I'll be over in about fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Shu-ah. I'll let Ma know."

Before heading next door, Liz made a quick call to one of her cousins to let him know she had arrived.

Once she stepped on his front porch, Eddie was there to welcome her. He led Liz through the house to the kitchen where his mother was sitting.

"This is Lizzie McKenney, Ma. She just bought Mabel Bradley's place next doh-ah. Lizzie, this is my motha, Joanne McCah-thy."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. McCarthy." Liz held out her hand to the older woman at the table.

"Nice to meet you, too, Lizzie. Please have ah seat." Joanne waved her right hand toward the available chairs after squeezing Liz's extended hand softly.

"Thank you. And, um, it's just Liz." Liz blushed slightly after making the correction.

"That's Eddie foh ya," Joanne chuckled. "Always adding tha "ee" to everybody's name. And, please, call me Joanne."

"What do yah want to drink, Liz-zz?" Eddie stuttered her name trying to correct himself.

Liz smiled. "What do you have?"

"Wata, iced tea, and tonic. Oh, and we've got milk and bee-ah but it's too hot foh milk and too early foh bee-ah."

"Water's fine, thank you," replied Liz with a smile.

"So, how did you come to buy Mabel's house? I didn't think heh kids wah selling it. I never sah a sign outside."