Page 78 of Authentically, Izzy
I was awakened by the howling entry of a large dog who looked to be a mix between a shepherd and some sort of hound. Fiona, you would have loved him. He was a soft gray with white and tan spots, and a face that appeared to feature a permanent look of surprise. This look could have been due to the perfectly placed tufts of darker gray just above where eyebrows should sit. He welcomed me with a solid lick to my face and then left the roomas if his job was done. I’m still not certain how he opened the bedroom door, but we know how very tricky dogs can be at times when they are determined, don’t we? Shona had to have been magical from the way she could enter and exit rooms.
I pulled myself from the bed, feeling much more alert than the evening before, and crossed the room to the window. Luke’s house is a distance from town and atop a hill, so the view from the window afforded me an excellent prospect of the Blue Ridge Mountains in daylight. And they were blue! A misty, soft sort of blue, and on this particular morning fog cloaked the bottom of them so that it looked as though they were floating islands in the clouds. I thought the photos I’d researched had been tinted to add color, but no. It was quite a remarkable sight.
Luke greeted me with pancakes and bacon (or rashers). Much like with Isabelle, meeting him came with this unusual sense of déjà vu. Since we’ve been corresponding now for a month or so, we joined into conversation as if it was just the extension of another email. It’s a very odd feeling, but at the same time comfortable and pleasant.
Isabelle wore her hair pulled back on the sides today. She has a small speckling of freckles across her nose that I hadn’t noticed through video chat. There’s something about her having those (and me being close enough to appreciate them) that causes me to smile quite often in her company. Of course, there are other reasons I smile as well. She’s funny, but I don’t believe she knows it. And as the morning waned (it took a little while for us to find our rhythm in conversation because, to be quite honest, I’m rather flabbergasted at just being near her in flesh and blood), we took a walk down Main Street, and her witty personality blossomed. I don’t think she is as talkative around most peopleas she is with me, because her aunt fairly gasped when we entered the library and Isabelle was sharing stories from her first week of work there.
Main Street in Mt. Airy is as quaint and charming as my tour guide. It’s very different from our towns, as you can imagine. Buildings line the main road, much like most villages back home, but these buildings are an eclectic mesh of stone and brick rectangles of differing heights. Most of the roofs are of black shingles or tin. And the shops were as varied as one could imagine. A Christmas store, candy shops, old diners, new restaurants, human- and pet-clothing stores, a bakery for people... and a bakery for dogs, old fashioned ice cream shops, a bookstore, antique shops, an old theater, a trading post, and (you both will appreciate this due to our newfound television series) Floyd’s Barbershop, The Bluebird Diner, and the Snappy Lunch (where Isabelle and I enjoyed a fine lunch surrounded by memorabilia celebratingThe Andy Griffith Show). I’ve attached a few photos.
Main Street smelled of popcorn and chocolate, and on the hour a large clock from the historic bank building would chime loud enough to alert stragglers of their tardiness. It made the television shows come to life all the more and gave me a deeper understanding of Isabelle’s world.
After lunch we went to Isabelle’s apartment, which is a little white building nestled on vast farmland with the Blue Ridge Mountains rising in the north on the horizon. Samwise greeted me with the enthusiasm of a long-lost friend. He’s a beautiful golden retriever with a delirious love for peanut butter, and not just the food. When he finishes with the container, he knocks it around like a toy for half an hour, as happy as a lark. My equallyenthusiastic reception of Samwise appeared to please Isabelle, because she linked her arm through mine and asked if I’d enjoy sitting by the window and reading from my current book. At first I was a bit embarrassed to admit I was readingLittle Womenfor the first time—at her suggestion—but she put my worries at ease with a ready smile and an exclamation of how fun it would be to hear my accent read over Louisa May Alcott’s words. How could I refuse such a warm invitation?
I don’t recall reading aloud to anyone for a long time, except to Fiona. A quote here or there. But not entire pages or chapters. Yet we ended up spending two hours taking turns reading from our select favorites. She was enjoying Wodehouse and I laughed a few times at her ridiculous attempts at an English accent. I recognize it may sound boring to a large portion of the world, but I’d never had such a wonderful time with a woman. There’s a comfort in sharing the same sort of interests, or obsessions as some may say, but it doesn’t matter when you match so well.
All around, she’s exactly what I expected and so much more. We talked so long tonight that we both forgot supper and we pieced together a meal of sandwiches, some leftover soup, a few delicious bread rolls, and the everlasting southern tea. I think you’d both find my amount of conversations impressiveandthat surprisingly, I’m not exhausted by them.
She has the weekend planned for a hike, a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and aLord of the Ringsmarathon. I feel certain that if I was ever going to fall in love, this is the perfect woman for me. In fact, Isabelle Edgewood would make it incredibly easy.
I hope this note finds you both well and happy. I shall write more tomorrow.
With love,
Brodie
PS: Fiona, there’s a sweet fragrance in the air outside Isabelle’s house. It originates from a beautiful flowering tree of white or blushed-pink color, almost as if the hue was brushed on with a painter’s stroke. Isabelle says it is a magnolia. Your fairies would find lovely homes there.
***
Text from Izzy to Penelope:Accents and smiles are powerful things. I knew you would understand.
Penelope:Of course. It’s perfectly natural with all the British cinema we’ve consumed. Has he kissed you yet?
Izzy:He just got here!
Penelope:That wasn’t a no.
Izzy:No.
Text from Luke to Izzy:Brodie eats his french fries with a fork. If I didn’t know he had Yoda ears and theIndiana Jonesseries, that would be a red flag for me.
Izzy:Maybe he thinks it’s weird that we DON’T eat fries with a fork.
Luke:I can speak Klingon and quoteReturn of the Jedi. He will overlook it.
***
From: Brodie Sutherland
To: Brynna Sutherland
Date: May3
Subject: Re: Your Isabelle adventure
Good morning Brynna,
Isabelle is as charming as you can imagine. I’m attaching a photo of us together in front of the Andy Griffith Playhouse. I find her clothing perfect for her, but I feel certain you will know better than I. As far as tattoos, I haven't noticed any, but I’ve not been in search of them. They don’t matter to me.
