The Legacy

The sun was sinking beneath the horizon by the time Annah reached the two-story ranch house she had grown up in. The towering maple tree that once shaded the front of the house had been cut down, leaving a large stump covered with an assortment of potted plants. The house had been painted brick red, a welcome change from the school-bus yellow Annah remembered, and flecks of white paint dotted the grass hugging the picket fence surrounding the remaining acreage. A slight breeze nudged the swing on the front porch, and the earthly fragrance of grass and wet dirt filled Annah’s nostrils as she stepped out of the car. Annah turned to see Edward standing on the porch. The three steps he took towards her felt as if they covered miles. Her palms sweat as she extended her hand, hoping he would reciprocate. But instead she was met with Edward’s embrace and his unshaven face pressing close to hers as he whispered faintly in her ear, “It’s been too long.” Stepping back, Annah could see the tears nestled in the heavy wrinkles under his eyes. The straight, brownish-blond hair she once remembered was now gray with traces of blond. His round face carried the marks of years spent in the sun, and his 6’2” portly stature bore the weight of the wife he lost.

Inside, Annah was not at all surprised to find the décor and furnishings much as she’d left them. The country-style rustic furniture along with the bright calico colors of yellow, blue, white, and green swept throughout the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Each wall was overlaid, not with family portraits, but with tapestries made by her mother. Each one telling a story Annah had heard every day for the 15 years she lived in the house. The staircase leading to the bedrooms bore the same unfinished knotted pinewood railing. Time seemed to have come to a standstill in her parents’ home since the day she left Ashton. Now that she’d returned, Annah wondered if the past would replay itself.