CHAPTER Two:

   Silver-Bell Creek was a small town. It only took five minutes to drive from one end to the other, especially since there were no traffic lights and people often ignored the stop signs. It took its name from the large creek that flowed on the east end of town.

   The inhabitants weren’t particularly creative when it came to names. There was The Silver-Bell Diner, which was a building with big windows and a bright orange sign. It served coffee and rotated five specials that were adequate for the ranchers that came in to eat breakfast, and the knitting club that congregated there every Wednesday. The tourists found it charming.

   The gas station was called Silver-Bell Petrol. It was in desperate need of a paint job and a new pump. Only one pump worked at full speed. The other only worked at half speed, which was unfortunate for the tourists who passed through and always picked it. It was the shinier of the two, but looks were deceiving. 

   There was a fishing, tackle and hunting store across from the gas station. Silver-Bell Creek Fishing Supplies. It was a wonder that the townsfolk didn’t get tired of hearing its name.

   Tilney’s Convenience caused quite a stir when it first opened. The name had nothing to do with the town, everyone whispered. It used to be called Silver-Bell Grocery. But it had changed ownership, and everything had been redone. The floor was red and white checkered tiles, the fridges were glossy black, and the post office had joined spaces with it.

   Lauren spent almost every day there. From eight to six, Sunday through Friday, she was the face that greeted everyone who came through the door. 

The clock pointed at noon as she set the last jar of marmalade on the shelf. She spun around and hurried back to the till as she marked down the number of jars Mrs. Jepsen had delivered.

   It had been a slow day, she figured the tourists were already starting to wane for the season. 

   “Morning, stranger!” A freckled young woman strode through the door. Fiery red hair flowing out from under her baseball hat. “You have anything there for me?” 
   Lauren set down her list and went to the mail slots, pulling a letter from the stack. “Amanda, you know you’re supposed to wait until they’re delivered to your mailbox.” 

   “Yes, but I’m your best friend, and it seems like you wouldn’t really want to make me wait.” Amanda pouted and stared up at her with wide hazel eyes. 

   She handed over the letter with a smile, and Amanda passed over an envelope in exchange. Lauren read the address.

   “So, you decided to apply to university?” 

   “Of course. I have to get out of this town somehow.” Amanda swept off her hat and set it on the counter. “Plus, don’t you think I’d make a good teacher? Maybe someday I’ll come back here and teach.” 

   Lauren said nothing. People who left town rarely came back. But she could understand Amanda’s feelings, she used to want to leave too. It could be stifling, especially when you couldn’t go anywhere without running into someone you knew. For a while, seeing the sympathy in their faces had been almost too much to bear. Everywhere she went, she had heard “I’m so sorry for your loss,” and found herself on the brink of tears. 

   Now that wasn’t such a problem. And how could she leave? Everything became dearer when it held a memory. If she left, she might lose all of that. 

   Amanda grabbed a pencil from the counter and tucked it behind her ear. “Now, Johnny, I want you to sit up straight.” She pointed at an imaginary child. “Emily, what did I tell you? No doodling during class, although I must say that is a decent sketch of me. But you made my ears too big.”

   “Wow. The poor children.” Lauren laughed.

   “Not you too.” Amanda swatted at her friend, then set her hat firmly on her head. “Come on. Someone must think I’d make a good teacher.”
   “You will.”
   The chime above the door jingled again. A young woman with dark hair twisted back in a long braid walked in. She glanced over at the counter, an unreadable expression on her warm brown face. Lauren smiled, then averted her gaze as the girl walked to the fridges and began stocking up on groceries. Amanda stared after her shamelessly. 

   “I think it’s the new girl,” she whispered to Lauren. “The vet’s assistant.” 
   “You’re as bad as Mrs. Jepsen,” Lauren whispered back. “How do you always know the gossip so fast?”

   The woman came up to the counter and started unloading things onto the till. 

   “Hello! Did you find everything you were looking for? My name is Lauren Quinley. Welcome to town.”

   “Yep. I’m Riley Brady.”

   Amanda shot Lauren a satisfied look. “You must’ve just moved here? How are you liking it so far?”

   “It’s fine. Thankfully not as loud as back home.” Riley didn’t make eye contact with Amanda. “It’ll do until I find a better opportunity.” 

   Lauren finished scanning the produce and read out the total. Riley paid and then left without so much as a goodbye. 
   “She’s just a bundle of sunshine.” 

   “Maybe she’s just shy, or maybe your staring made her nervous.”

   Amanda rolled her eyes. “Well, I’d better get back to the gas station before I get fired. Happy birthday.” 

   She strode towards the door with a smile. Lauren shook her head as she watched her go. What would she do without that streak of chaos in her life? As much as she was happy for her friend, she wasn’t looking forward to her being gone to University. Once again she’d be left behind. 

   Customers began to flow in and out of the store again. She was kept busy as the hours flew by. The sun moved in an arch across the sky, until it was almost time for Lauren to head home. 

   “Excuse me, lady.”

   She looked down and saw a little boy staring up at her.

   “How much is this?” He held up a bag of chips.

   “One dollar.” She smiled down at him and mused that kids were so cute. Especially when they weren’t fussing or crying.

   “We’ll take it.” His dad came up behind him, holding a box of cookies. “What a nice town this is! Everyone is so friendly.”
   Lauren smiled. “I think so too, and I’ve lived here since I was little.”

   “Before I forget, are there any fish in Silver-Bell Creek?” he asked.

   “I think there are a few.” Lauren ran the snacks through the till. “It’s much bigger than you might expect. Just head out of town, across the bridge, and you’ll be there.”

hg

 

   “Can we stay in one of those buildings?” Willow asked, her eyes widening as she pointed across the street. 

   “Do you mean a motel?” Charlotte eyed the LED sign. 

   Willow nodded enthusiastically. “A motel!”

   Charlotte avoided her gaze in the rear-view mirror and turned off the road into a gas station. She knew that her money was dwindling quickly – and if the price of gas continued to rise, it was only going to get worse. She didn’t dare touch the savings she had locked in the bank. They were strictly for emergencies or renting a house.

   “I’m sorry,” she turned in her seat. “Maybe next time.”

   Willow looked disappointed, but she only nodded. Charlotte was relieved, she couldn’t handle a meltdown so late in the evening. She unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car. Willow watched her through the window as she unscrewed the gas cap and began filling the car with fuel. 

   If only I had more to offer her. Charlotte rubbed at the perspiration on her forehead then rested a hand on her hip. All five years of her daughter’s life, they’d never had a real home. Instead, they were constantly on the move, going from one job to another, one friend group to another. No stability. Could that finally be changing? 

   She worried about what would happen when they made it to the city. Whatever would she do with Willow? It was impossible to drag her along to job interviews and expect to be taken seriously. 

   She returned the gas nozzle to its place before going into the building to pay. The door squeaked as she opened it. It was just as stifling inside. No air conditioning here either. She surveyed the shelves of snacks and drinks. Maybe I should buy Willow something... A bag of fruit roll-ups was closest, so she grabbed it and headed to the till.

   The man working there looked as dingy as the place. Stringy hair and his smile revealed several missing teeth. Charlotte pulled her wallet out of her purse and scowled at him. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea, she was not in the mood for a conversation.

   “Want your receipt?” he asked. 

   She shook her head. 

   “Where you headed to? All dolled up.” He whistled. “Fancy dress, shiny red wallet.” 

“That’s none of your business.” Charlotte spun on her heel and marched out of the store. 

   Willow shouted in excitement when she saw the treats her mom brought with her. 

   “Here you go.” Charlotte took one roll-up for herself, then handed the rest to her daughter. 

   Willow dug in, barely chewing. She had certainly been hungry. 

   Charlotte started the car and pulled back onto the highway. The scenery sped by to the soundtrack of Willow singing children’s songs on repeat. The sun began to drop behind the hills. 

   “Cows, look Mama!” Willow’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Horsies! Look!”

   “Yes, I see them.” Charlotte smiled. “We’ll see a lot more of them tomorrow.” She slowed the car a little, so they could get a better view of them. 

   “Yay!”
   If only I could be so excited for what lies ahead. If only I had the same innocence as her, Charlotte rued. The sun set, a bright pink glow that would’ve been a cause of awe at any other time. She was too preoccupied to notice.

   Shadows began to cast themselves over the road, and darkness fell as the car began passing through the next town. 

   Willow fell asleep in her seat, sticky fingers still holding on to a half-eaten treat. Shadows cast by streetlights danced across her face as they passed by. Ringlets hung around her cheeks, making her look all the more angelic. 

   If only she knew how much I love her. She has so many reasons to hate me. Charlotte leaned back in her seat and let out a sigh.

Soon, they would find a home and everything would be different.