Longing For December - Shelia Burket (best short novels of all time .txt) 📗

experienced before, consumed him.
Many girls younger, sometimes older had come and gone out of his life without much thought, but this time something was different. He could feel it down in his bones. It kept him awake at night; it found him in his dreams… It frightened him. A red head, he laughed out loud. He kicked his shoes off to the floor. She was sixteen…but just sixteen like a week ago. Blake had turned nineteen nearly a year ago. He had graduated the year before from Herbert Hoover High School in Clendenin, West Virginia, where Savanna goes now. He’d seen her around school, but something was different now….Breast? He shook his head almost embarrassing himself. It’s her eyes. She’s got those green cat eyes; he remembered them from the art studio. She made him feel funny.
She made him want her. She made him crazy! When he jogged through the town everyday, she watched him. She too wanted him and could not control the thoughts of him that dominated her every waking moment. He turns over and places his chin on his hands against the pillow. He shuts his eyes, and drifts off to dream of the auburn angel that he had fallen for and there she waits for him.
Mid July, the early morning sun creeps over the mountain tops, the birds sing their praises to the new day. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Savanna stumbles through the house led by the smell of maple syrup and butter. Good morning honey. Savanna’s mother says cheerfully, obviously on her second pot of coffee already. “Whatever” Savanna mumbles, pulling out the wooden kitchen chair. Coming to the studio today? I guess, she sighs. You never know what the world may send your way today! Her mother pats her on the head handing her a stack of pancakes. I hope it’s a porsch, candy apple red, she says sarcastically. Hurry up and eat so we can get an early start, mother smiled and took a seat at the table.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Thump!!! The alarm clock annoyingly pierces the ears and interrupts the dreams of a teenage boy across town. I heard you already!!! Thump!!! Blake pounds the snooze button for the third time and knocks the alarm clock to the floor. He puts the pillow over his face and growls… ahh!! Tossing the pillow to the floor and stepping on the alarm clock, he lights a cigarette, fumbles through the closet and heads for the shower. Eight o’clock a.m., Blake grabs a Dr. Pepper from the fridge and searches for the last of the Hershey’s with almonds out of the drawer.
He lights another cigarette and ties his jogging shoes. Same as yesterday and the day before, every morning with out fail, Blake Daniels jogs through town. Time he has scheduled for sorting out the craziness that abides inside his head. This day the birds sang a little different and the sun shined a little brighter. Thoughts raced through his head like shooting stars. Today seemed a little different maybe it was the butterflies spiraling in the pit of his stomach at the thought of her.
Mrs. Daniels was thirty- five today, as a special gift for her he was planning to have his portrait painted at the art studio where Savanna worked. Later that night all the family gathered for a big birthday dinner. Blake had jogged by the art studio many mornings, many afternoons and he saw her through the window painting like a beautiful artist. He did not dare disturb her. A lump swelled up in his throat as he thought of approaching her. A good excuse he laughed out loud. Today, he thought, I’ll talk to her.
He fumbled over words in his head like a jigsaw puzzle unsolved. Oh God! He cried to himself…give me words to say, so I don’t sound like an idiot! I am an idiot! She’ll probably roll her eyes at me and laugh in my face, loser, he nervously runs his hands through his hair. The art studio was in sight. O.k., here goes nothing! I feel like I’m on a suicide run! He grumbles.


The Wedding

The day she had always dreamed of had finally arrived. The smell of lilacs filled the air; her mother’s garden had never been so beautiful. The white folding chairs, borrowed from the church lined the front lawn in perfect rows. Purple ribbon and streamers were tied along the tables, around the trees and to the white chairs.
Balloons filled the air tied to purple and white ribbons, lilacs in crystal vases on all the tables. Ryan pacing, back and forth with his uniform freshly pressed. His hands were sweating, his heart pounding with anticipation. His mother smiles and kisses his cheek. “My baby boy”, she smiles proudly. ”Good luck son”, his dad pats him on the back.
A June wedding, the sun highlights the clear blue sky, a perfect day for a wedding. Friends and family begin arriving at 11:00a.m., gifts begin to line the white laced tables. Music softly plays as the band her father hired filled the chairs by mother’s lilac garden. Savanna sighs a she puts on the finishing touch before she walks arm in arm with her father to meet Ryan. Her mother’s pearl necklace, something old, diamond earrings, and a gift from Ryan, something new…Now, “I need something borrowed”’ she says to herself. “My necklace sweetheart”, it’s old and borrowed, “ok”, she laughs. She is relieved. ”Are you nervous?” No I’m excited”.
The music begins, it’s the wedding march, the door opens and Savanna walks arm in arm to the man of her dreams. The wedding was beautiful, covered in rice Savanna and Ryan were off to spend the first night as husband and wife together. They had rented a cabin in the mountains. They arrived around 6 p.m. changed clothes and went out for dinner at a small cafe’ on the edge of town. They could hardly eat, their eyes gazing into one another’s thinking of the upcoming events and of their day.
“They’re playing our song”, Ryan smiles. “We don’t have a song”’ she takes his hand. Lights dim, music playing softly, they begin to dance. He sings in her ear, “Love me tender, love me sweet never let me go”, she adds, “For my darling I love you and I always will”. She lays her head on his shoulder. He pulls her body into his. He hums along with the band swaying her body to the music, touching her. “I’m gonna tell my husband”, she giggles. “If you don’t tell I won’t “, he winks, “Why Mr. Oliver are you get’n fresh with me?” she slyly grins. “I want to make love to you right now”, he whispers. “I think that might lead to a wedding night in jail”, she pinches his cheek. “I have a surprise for you”, Ryan touches her auburn hair gently, then her face. “Those lips”, he whispers. Red as her hair, she kisses his cheek playfully leaving a print behind. “How ‘bout dessert?”, Ryan leads her back to the table “Here?” She bites her index finger. “Let’s skip dessert”, Ryan gobbles down the last few bites of steak. “You’re going to choke there tiger”, she laughs. “I have a surprise for you “, she grabs his knee underneath the table. “Check please”, Ryan throws his hand in the air. Her emerald eyes sparkled by the candlelight. “I love you”, Ryan looks at her and is a bit nervous. “Me too”, she smiles. “I would never hurt you”, he touches her arm. “I’m not afraid”, she assured him. “I’ve waited all my life for you Ryan”, she smiled. Inside she was nervous, excited, and curious; a range of emotions flooded her mind and body. “You’re so beautiful”, he pulled her to him. Music still played as their bodies swayed, as they danced into the night, that night, their first night as man and wife.
They finished their dinner and headed back to the cabin. Ryan lit candles all around the room and played the radio softly. Savanna in the bathroom changing into her white lace gown that swept the floor, she smelled of lilacs that wove through her auburn hair. The door opens, no words spoken Ryan stunned by her beauty, stands no shirt still wearing his uniform trousers. She walks to him slowly, “unchained melody” playing as she glides across the floor, her gown flowing, she looked like an angel. He reached for her and she took his hands.
Pure as the angelic gown she wore for him she gave herself to her husband. Morning found them in each others arms. The sun caressed their faces as they lay wrapped in a white sheet, their bed by the window. The birds singing a sweet hello, as they face their first whole day as man and wife, “Good morning”, Ryan yawns. “Morning husband”, she rolls over and snuggles up to him. “Are we sleeping in or going to breakfast?” “Defiantly sleeping in”, he pulls the covers over their heads and growls at her. Savanna giggles as Ryan playfully bites and kisses her. “Stop Ryan, that tickles!” he growls at her and pins her to the sheet below. “Don’t hold me down, I can’t breathe”, she warns him. “O.k. you big baby”, he kisses her nose and releases her. Ryan and Savanna spent the morning making love and talking about their future plans. Later they found the little cafe’ they had eaten in the night before.
“Let’s go house hunting as soon as we get back”. Savanna grabbed Ryan’s hand. “We will”, Ryan assured her. “We can’t stay at your parents, we have to have our own place. “What about the Rose place, isn’t it for sale?” “I think it is, we’ll run by and see if there’s a sign up”, Ryan seemed excited about the idea of house hunting. They spent a week at the cabin and headed back home to begin house hunting. They met with the Rose’s, fell in love with the house, it was perfect! The view was spectacular. It was a white two story house out in the country, on the front porch sat some flower pots and two rockers facing the mountains the sun crossed the tree tops like a amber and golden blanket. An eagle soared through the sky circling the mountain tops, the smell of wildflowers in the air. It was so charming. There they’ll raise their children.


The New Arrival

Sitting on her front porch in her favorite rocker her coffee sits on her stomach that serves as a table. She has cut back on her coffee to some extent but in the mornings she must have some caffeine. It is now November, her birthday, the tenth around the corner. She and Ryan have been married now two