“Maggie! I can’t believe you would think that. Tomorrow you are going to the spa and it will be taken care of. Consider it a few years of birthday presents I owe you.”

So the next day Maggie went to the spa and came out a new woman. They cut her hair and Lane had even bought her a new outfit and left it at the spa waiting for her.

Maggie left out feeling great, but she never expected her day would take a turn for the worse….

“Hi mom! Yea I just got back from the spa up town. It was great, Lane paid for it. No, mom…it was a present. For what, because he is my friend….

“MOM! How come every time I say Lane’s name you have to start talking about Brad! I don’t care about him anymore and the more I think about him the more I get repulsed. Yes mother, he repulses me. Why don’t you go spend some time with him and Dorcia…….you what? You told him where I was? Why did you do that? HE”S WHERE? Mother!? How could you?”

“I can”t believe she would do that to her own daughter. I should have never written to her, then she would have never known where I was. Now what am I going to do…..now that Bradley is moving here. What is he up to?”

It was no surprise that Lane held his breath longer than Maggie making him the winner. Luckily though, just as Maggie returned to the surface she heard the phone ring.

“Mom? Hi…yes mom the job is going well. No I am off today. Nooo I’m not off everyday, you don’t call everyday do you?”

“Ok then….what? Yes mom, Lane is here. I don’t care mother…no…no..I have to go mother okay. Love you, bye.”

“Mag? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just my mom on the phone. She’s fine.”

“No Maggie, something is wrong, I can tell. Let’s go sit down.”

“She can’t understand that people will talk. Bradley and I were together for a while. He has money and everyone knew us. When we split everyone found out it was because of Dorcia. My mother insists on calling me every time she hears something new in her gossiping circle. It is old. I moved to get away from it all.”

Just then, the phone upstairs rang again.

“Hello…I’m sorry mother but I do not want to talk about it. No mother you don’t understand, it is over between us..end of story. Mother have you forgotten that he is marrying Dorcia Grady! Well stop this nonsense. No more mother I have to go.”

“Maggie? I have never heard you raise your voice to your mother….wow.”

“I’m so sorry Lane that you had to hear that…she just doesn’t know when to stop…I can’t take it anymore. I moved away and I still can’t get free.”

“I got it! Maggie I know just what you need….a day at the spa. Come on, it’s on me…let’s go get you some relaxation!”

“Oh…Lane you’re the best! I don’t know what I would do without you!”

She also can’t forget to help her favorite local charities.

She is really hoping to see Lane today, but he never shows to pick up the mail.

So Maggie decided to look him up on the computer. Sure enough he had the day off and was at home fiddling with his computer. She asks him to come over so they can do more catching up and spend the day together. He happily agrees.

Before Lane arrives, Maggie decides to change into her swim clothes.

“Hi Lane!”

“Hi Mag!”

“Remember when I said I wanted to be a composer? Well I’ve done a lot of thinking and I think you’re right. I don’t think composing is gonna work out for me.”

“I think I want to be a journalist. Heck I already know half the towns business.”

“That’s great! I always knew you were a great writer. I remember those stories you use to write back in high school.”

“Hey, let’s not talk about work right now….why don’t we go swimming and enjoy the rest of the day…what do you say?”

“What do I say? Heck yea! Let’s go! Oh I do need to tell you something though…..”

“You look beautiful in that swim suit…..more beautiful than our prom night…”

TO BE CONTINUED….

“Brad has a good job alright…doing his boss back in Dublin. Brad and Dorcia are getting married…I can’t believe you haven’t heard.”

“Dorcia was supposed to be my friend, humph, some friend. She and Brad hadn’t been seeing each other that long before I found out.”

“Brad had all the money a girl could want, but him and Dorcia made their decision and I made mine… I left….and now they are getting married….whatever.”

“So, you and Brad….broken up…hmm..I always thought you were too good for him anyways. He was well off but I never did think you two were meant for marriage. “

While getting carried away chatting, Maggie and Lane completely lost track of time.

“Holy cow look at the time, Mags I would love to stay but I really gotta get back to work. I’ll be sure to stop by in a couple days ok.”

“Ok Lane, sure..in a couple days I’ll see you again. It was wonderful catching up, take care.”

Instead she found Bradley, his webpage…..and of course….his pretty new wedding invitation announcing his marriage to Dorcia. How could he? Flaunting it like he should be so proud.

Maggie got dressed, took the letter she wrote to her mother, and mailed it off before the mailman passed her house.

As she left the mailbox, the mailman approached and she heard a familiar voice.

“Maggie? Maggie Campbell is that you? What are you doing here?”

“Lane? Lane! HI! You’re a mailman? You’re my mailman?” she giggled.

As Maggie and Lane make silly faces at each other, they giggle and laugh as they cannot believe they are running into each other so far from home.

“Remember I always liked music, well I moved here in hopes of becoming a composer. Right now, all I could find was this job with the mail service.”

“Oooh Lane… you know I always thought you were meant for something more than composing. Come inside for awhile, let us catch up.”

“Maggie, I just can’t believe you are really here. I am so glad though, some of these people in this town can be so dramatic. You should hear some of the things I get told when delivering the mail. It’s a real riot! HaHa!”

“Wow the apples here are delicious! These pancakes are great…..mmmm.”

Later that night, she drifted off into dreamland.

As she began dreaming….She thought about how she needed to find the right outfit for her new job. How could she get the best job without the best outfit?

“What is wrong with this dang drawer?! Ughhh!”

“Ouuuuch! Why is this happening?”

After getting beat up by the dresser, Maggie decides a nice bath will make everything better.

Boy was she wrong.

“What the heck?! Now what?”

“This is not working out. Why is everything going so wrong today? This can’t be happening.”

“Maybe I should call someone to fix this……..or….is this karma?…..Maybe I should call my mother and tell her the truth. I feel so bad for lying. It’s like home all over again, this is why I moved, to start over. What will she say? I don’t want to go home…”

“Oh my…it was a dream? …..More like a nightmare. Oh thank goodness that is over.”

“It was a dream and I am not going home. My mother can’t possibly understand how much this move means to me. So what if Bradley is moving on, who cares? Not me. He made his choices and I made mine. Plus, I am here, miles and miles away from Dublin. A new place, a new job, new people……..a new…..life…a happy life.”

After she finished at the mailbox, she decided to go for a jog to see the town.

Even jogging, she could not keep her mind off her dream. Could today be the day that she lands her dream job or will it have to wait again another day?

“Wow this town is so beautiful” she thought. It wasn’t Ireland but the greenery sure made it feel like home. As she jogged for what seemed like miles, she happened upon a formation of rocks. One particular rock caught Maggie’s eye.

“Isn’t this a funny looking rock. I wonder what that strange writing is.”

“This formation of rocks seems somewhat familiar….but it would be a great place for a picnic. I sure could use a sandwich after that jog.”

On her way home, she happened upon a beautiful lake.

“Wow this sure is a beautiful lake, I’ll take a picture.”

Just as she took her phone out, it rang.

“Hello. Mom, is that you? Hi, um no I’m not at work, I’m off today. No, I went jogging and found this beautiful lake.”

“Yes Mom, I know, I know about Bradley. I don’t care Mom, I didn’t love him half as much as you and dad did. I’ll be fine. Ok Mom….no I love my job it is great and soon you will get to come visit ok Mom. Love you too, bye.”

How could she lie to her mother like that. She loved her job? Who cares that Bradley is getting married?

“Goodbye Dublin, Hello Sunset Valley!”

She was able to find a house to her liking and within her price range. Since she was new and was not sure if she would find a job right away, she wanted to make sure she had enough cash to hold her over.

“I sure hope this move was the right choice. Once my inheritance runs out, I will be fully be on my own.”

Maggie’s first encounter with the townfolk happened to be the paper boy, Skip Javeed. She inquired to him if he knew how she might be able to find a job in the political career, as her childhood dream was to be leader of the free world. He told her she might have luck with the newspaper.

Maggie searched the paper but with no luck for a political career today. She did not mind since she just moved in anyways, she was tired.

Time to rest and watch some TV.

“Ooh the History Channel, my favorite.”

Since Maggie also happens to be a couch potato (from her father’s side) she really enjoyed watching TV.

As she peered through the window, she contemplated one more time whether this was the right thing to do.

Was it right to leave Dublin so soon after her father’s death? Will she be successful enough to encourage the rest of her family to join her in Sunset?

“I sure hope this was the right thing to do. I know my father would want me to follow my dreams; oh how I  miss him.”