Page 2 of The Pink House

When she and Brian had first started dating, sharing a birthday had seemed incredibly cool. Now that day would forever be a yearly reminder of all she’d lost.

“We thought we had all the time in the world.” Hannah gazed out the window. “We had a plan. Our twenties would be focused on building our careers. The thirties, well, that was when we planned to start a family. Now here I am, turning thirty and making new plans alone.”

“Speaking of birthdays.” Emma placed a hand on Hannah’s arm and gave it a sympathetic squeeze before rising. Hurrying across the room, she stopped where she’d dropped her stuff when she arrived. She returned to the sofa with a white bakery box.

Emma’s eyes met hers. “I know you said you didn’t want to go out and celebrate. But we’re not going out, we’re here.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Hannah’s lips. “What do you have in there?”

“It struck me that this could be the last time we’ll be able to celebrate your birthday together.” Carefully opening the bakery box, Emma removed a cupcake. “I say a birthday without cake is like sex without a man.”

With its swirl of pink frosting dotted with tiny beads of white that resembled pearls and topped with a pink crown, the cupcake reminded Hannah of something out of a fairy tale.

A pretty bow of organza ribbon edged with pink satin encircled the base. Emma held out the gorgeous creation. “A cupcake worthy of a princess for a princess.”

A lump formed in Hannah’s throat. “It-it’s gorgeous.”

“It’s from that new bakery out on Whittier.” Emma pushed the cupcake at her when Hannah only stared. “The reviews say their cupcakes taste every bit as good as they look.”

“Thank you, Ems.” Tears stung the backs of Hannah’s eyes at her friend’s thoughtfulness. “You’re going to have to help me eat it.”

“No way am I making you share. Not on your birthday.” Emma smiled and pulled another cupcake from the box. “That’s why I got one for myself.”

The laughter that bubbled up in Hannah was as precious a gift as the gorgeous cupcake and the beautiful friend beside her.

* * *

Three weeks later, Hannah moved into the only home she’d known before leaving for college at eighteen.

Though the house hadn’t changed, GraceTown had continued to grow and now spread in all directions. Homes dotted ground where crops had once flourished.

Like the hardworking people who inhabited these homes, the houses in Hannah’s neighborhood remained untouched by the passage of time. In the block she considered her own, the homes were older and boasted two stories and large front porches. Blankets of lush green grass and flowering bushes spoke to the pride of ownership.

Many of the neighbors were the same. Sean O’Malley from down the street had a ladder resting against the trunk of a large pin oak as he sawed off a limb.

Geraldine Walker and Beverly Raymond still lived across the street.

In their early seventies, with hair now sporting more gray than brown, the two women waved from their porch swing as she drove by.

As Hannah waved back and called out a greeting through her open car window, she realized just how much she was looking forward to living in a neighborhood again.

The townhouse she and Brian had purchased right after college had been located in an area of Greensboro, North Carolina, called Friendly West. They’d been happy in the area inhabited by mostly young professionals, men and women focused on their careers and more interested in their own personal activities than socializing with neighbors.

She understood the focus. She and Brian had embraced that same lifestyle, working long hours, then filling any free hours with time spent together.

Hannah hoped to do things differently this time. While she would always give a job her best, never again would she let a career consume her life.

Though she’d meant what she’d said to Emma about understanding that layoffs happen, it still hurt to be cast aside after eight years of unwavering loyalty.

Hannah shoved the thought aside. She would not bring old regrets into her new life.

After setting a box of kitchen items on the counter, Hannah returned to her vehicle. Thankfully, her father had left most of his furniture, which had saved her the cost of moving hers.

Though she had to admit that parting with the sofa, chairs and bedroom furniture she and Brian had chosen together had been more difficult than she’d imagined.

Each piece had been purchased after much consideration and debate. She remembered one spirited discussion that had ended with them making love on the floor where their new sofa would eventually sit. Afterward, relaxed and sated, they’d come to a meeting of the minds on fabric.

Hannah’s hand stilled on a box of dishes, the memory bittersweet. Brian had been so healthy, so fit, so incredibly vibrant and alive…until he wasn’t.

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