Georgia Summer

by Heather Colleen

  Georgia began to follow Millie inside, but stopped when she heard Virginia’s van pull up. Georgia turned around, and her dad shut the door again. They watched as the twins got out of the car in a tumble, both excited to see their auntie.

  “Auntie Georgia! Auntie Georgia!” they screeched as they raced each other up to the house, leaving the passenger doors on the van wide open. Virginia took out a plastic-covered dish from the front seat before shutting all the doors and following them.

  Georgia squatted down to hug Charlotte and Ella Mae, each vying for their aunt’s attention as they tried to climb into her arms. Georgia kissed the tops of their flaxen heads. They smelled of sunscreen and chlorine.

  “Well, we certainly know how to make an entrance, don’t we?” Virginia said as she walked up the porch steps, carrying the dish in one hand. She tossed her blonde waves over her shoulder, her curls even more bouncy in the humidity. “You would never know they were sound asleep in the car on the way over here from the pool. Amazing how fast they can rally, isn’t it?” Virginia laughed.

  “Is that true, Ella Mae and Charlotte?” Georgia asked, feigning seriousness as she looked them in the eyes. “Were you two asleep?”

  The twins giggled, unwilling to admit the truth.

  Georgia looked up at Virginia. “Looks like we’d better skip the fun and games then and put these two sleepy girls to bed!”

  Virginia nodded solemnly in agreement, although it was clear she was fighting back a smile.

  “No! No! We don’t want to go to bed!” the girls protested, their blue eyes twinkling as their aunt teased them.

  Georgia’s dad laughed.

  “How about we put these two to work then?” Virginia asked, looking over at her dad. Virginia put her hand on her hip and looked back at Charlotte and Ella Mae. “Girls, would you like to help grandpa get dinner started?”

  The twins squealed as they jumped up and down.

  “That’s a great idea. You two make such good little helpers in the kitchen. Remember those delicious chocolate chip pancakes they made?” Georgia stood up, smoothing her shirt as she smiled at the twins.

  “Let’s go out back and get the grill fired up,” her dad said as he opened the door again. The twins dashed inside, elated to be grandpa’s little helpers.

  “I’ll help, too,” Georgia volunteered.

  “And I brought a pasta salad.” Virginia held up the plastic-covered dish.

  Georgia followed Virginia inside.

  “We’re ready to help!” Ella Mae yelled from the kitchen.

  Georgia laughed, her heart already feeling lighter.

  ✽✽✽

  “Why don’t you let me finish cleaning up here, dad?” Georgia stacked the dirty plates next to the sink.

  Her dad shook his head. “There isn’t much left to do. How about you take the girls outside with Virginia?” he suggested as he began to rinse the plates and load them into the dishwasher.

  “You sure? I don’t mind helping, dad.” Georgia took a plate off the stack.

  “I’m sure.” He took the plate from her and rinsed it under the tap.

  Just then, Charlotte ran into the kitchen, followed closely by Ella Mae. “Can we go outside and play now?” Charlotte asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

  Georgia smiled at their expectant faces. “Of course! I’m sure the fireflies are out now, too.” As if on cue, Millie stood up, ready to go.

  “I’ll come out and watch them with you,” Virginia said as she came into the kitchen. The five of them headed outside, Millie and the twins in the lead.

  Out on the front porch, Georgia and Virginia sat down on the swing. The swing groaned as it absorbed their weight. The girls ran down the porch steps and into the yard, ready to begin their search for fireflies.

  “Do they ever run out of energy?” Georgia asked as she watched the twins. Their blonde heads bobbed as they flitted around the yard like small fairies.

  Virginia chuckled. “I wish that kind of energy would rub off on me.” She tucked a blonde frizz behind her ear.

  “Don’t we all.” Georgia giggled as she watched Charlotte and Ella Mae.

  The sun had just fallen below the horizon, and the sky was darkening quickly to night. The fireflies were all out now, their sporadic lights flickering across the yard as the twins laughed and chased after them, catching and releasing as many as they could.

  As Georgia relaxed into the swing cushions, she felt the exhaustion and emotional turmoil of the last week ebb from her body. She closed her eyes briefly as she thought of Landon. Where was he now? What was he feeling?

  “You okay, Georg?” Virginia asked.

  Georgia opened her eyes and nodded. She didn’t look over at her sister, choosing instead to watch her nieces.

  “You’ve had kind of a tough week, haven’t you?" Virginia leaned forward, trying to get Georgia to look at her.

  Georgia didn’t say anything as she held her gaze fast on the girls. She didn’t want to cry again as she thought of Landon.

  “Georg,” Virginia said, reaching over and touching Georgia’s arm.

  Georgia finally turned to face her sister.

  “Dad came over earlier this mornin' when you were at work. He told me about Landon.”

  Georgia studied Virginia’s face, searching for clues as to what she knew. “What did he tell you?” She studied Virginia’s face closely.

  Virginia leaned back and sighed. “He told me the truth…about how they caught the wrong man that night that Dr. Young’s house got broken into.” Virginia shook her head regretfully. “Seems like Landon was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “And what about the boy that Landon supposedly beat to a bloody pulp?” Georgia asked curiously, trying to test Virginia’s knowledge to see what all her dad had told her.

  Virginia shrugged her shoulders, an expression of skepticism on her face. “Who knows? You can’t believe everythin' you hear, I guess. Although Lord knows I’m guilty of listenin' to those rumors.”

  Georgia nodded slowly, her gaze dropping to her lap. She didn’t want to let anything slip that would let on to the truth about Landon beating up both Jace and Monty on that horrific night.

  “Look, Georg…what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry. I should have trusted your judgment about Landon.”

  Georgia looked up from her lap, meeting Virginia's eyes.

  “I was hard on both of you, and I’m sorry I acted that way.” Her light blue eyes were sincere and apologetic.

  Georgia relaxed. “It’s okay, Virginia. I understand why you acted as you did.”

  Virginia gave her a hopeful smile. “You do?”

  Georgia smiled at her. “I do.”

  They turned to watch the girls again. Ella Mae had captured a firefly. Both she and Charlotte gazed at the little insect, the soft glow of its light illuminating their round, inquisitive faces.

  “He left yesterday,” Georgia said softly. She felt Virginia put her hand over her own on the swing, its warmth instantly comforting her.

  “I know. I’m so sorry,” Virginia said. “But he’ll be home soon, won’t he?”

  “Eight months,” Georgia clarified, her voice cracking.

  Virginia tightened her grip on her hand. “It’ll go by quickly. I promise,” she reassured her sister.

  Georgia nodded and tried to swallow the tears down as she thought of Landon. She let go of Virginia’s hand and wiped the tears away from her cheeks. “Everyone’s gone, Virginia,” Georgia said as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. “Mom, Landon…” Her voice trailed off as she sniffed, trying to stop the flow of tears.

  Virginia scooted closer to her on the porch swing and put her arm around Georgia’s shoulders. “That’s not true, Georg,” she said quietly, gently chiding her.

  Georgia looked at Virginia skeptically. Her eyes were blurry from crying.

  “I’m still here. I’ll always be here for you.” Virginia gave Georgia a small smile.

 
; Georgia nodded as she realized the truth of her sister’s words. She wasn’t as alone as she felt. Georgia took a deep breath, calming herself. She rested her head against her sister’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, Virginia.”

  Virginia didn’t say anything for several moments, her mind lost in thought as she watched her daughters. She finally spoke, her voice reflective, “You know, what you’ve done takes a lot of courage.”

  Georgia lifted her head slightly so she could look at Virginia. “What do you mean?” she asked, perplexed by Virginia’s comment.

  “Well, look at everything you’ve done. You got out of this town and went off to college. You’re actually gonna make something of yourself. And you gave someone a second chance…even when no one else did.” Virginia sighed. “That takes a lot of gumption, Georg.”

  Georgia sat up, biting her lip in thought. “Maybe. I mean, I guess so.” She was surprised by Virginia’s honesty. She had never thought of her actions as courageous.

  Georgia’s thoughts shifted to Monty. How badly she wanted to tell her sister the truth about Monty and finally unveil the mystery of why he had left her so suddenly years ago. Georgia closed her eyes, wishing she could just tell Virginia the truth…but she couldn’t. And she never would. She couldn’t bear the thought of breaking her sister’s heart again.

  “Well.” Virginia cleared her throat. “When Landon comes back, I’d really like to get to know him better. That is…” She paused, looking at Georgia expectantly. “If you’ll give me another chance?”

  Georgia looked over at Virginia, who gazed back at her hopefully. “Of course, Virginia.” Georgia smiled at her, her eyes clearer now. “I’m sure Landon would like that, and I’d like that, too.”

  Virginia smiled at her, her turquoise eyes bright.

  Georgia looked back at her nieces and watched them play. How innocent and blithe they were as they danced across the yard like little pixies. Her mind drifted back to Landon, and the war he was fighting far, far away from here, and everything she knew. The two worlds couldn’t be any more different. “Everyone deserves a second chance," she said softly.

  Chapter 35

  The End of Summer

  Though it had been only a couple of hours since she left home, it felt like she had been driving for far longer as she cruised down the highway, widening the distance between herself and Willow Creek. It was the end of summer, and Georgia was returning back to school for the fall semester.

  At first, Georgia had tried to distract herself by turning on the radio and listening to music, the news, or anything that could distract her from her thoughts, but eventually she gave up. It was pointless trying to take her mind off of him.

  Him.

  Georgia’s eyes flicked down to the picture she had taped to her dashboard. Landon looked back at her with those steel blue eyes, and she could feel the intensity of his gaze as though he were right there in the car with her, and not oceans away. She admired him in his crisp Marines uniform, and the way it was tight across his muscular chest.

  Georgia could feel her own chest constrict as she felt her heart ache for him. How she wished she could go back to the beginning of that week when she first met Landon, the week that changed everything.

  She knew there was only one way this could all end when she fell in love with Landon. And yet, the inevitable outcome hadn’t scared her. Rather, it had opened her eyes to the rest of the world, and the possibilities of what could happen if she followed her heart. Georgia felt a tear escape from her eye, slowly traveling down her cheek as she remembered him.

  What the future held with Landon, she didn’t know. When she would see him again, she couldn’t be sure. But her heart hadn’t left any room for these questions or doubts. She loved Landon, and that was all the hope she could hold onto.