The afternoon rain had halted most of the work, a drizzle that turned to a full-fledged downpour. So, Aja figured it was a good time to catch up on paperwork that had been gathering in the temporary office in the old Inn.
She made her way out the gate, not caring much about how wet she was getting. She kept a change of clothes there at the office for just such occasions.
Aja walked up the still creaky steps of the ancient Inn, stopping to look behind her. The old Inn was the one building in town no one could agree on if it needed to come down, be restored or simply left alone. She let the residents work that out, since many of them had been here since it had been built.
She slowly surveyed the town, the rain had chased most people indoors. There was music floating out the open window from a radio that Rico must've left running when he was over here earlier. She leaned against the column, smiling softly while looking around her little town. It wasn't so little anymore, it had grown much in the past two decades. The influx of people to Arcadia had added to the charm and variety of people and shops.
Gone were the run down businesses, the trash gathering in the alleys and the pot-hole filled streets. Now, the store fronts were bright, inviting and clean. The boardwalk sidewalks were often gathering places for the inhabitants of Arcadia on many a balmy night. The railings were decked with small white twinkle lights lining the street with warm ambience and charm. During the holidays, candy canes and garland would join the lights, making it festive.
Tanner would've been proud of all that had been done here. He would've been proud of her. With what she did to the town anyway. She wasn't sure what he would think of the way her and Tristan were now. He had been so happy when the two of them married. The look of pride on his face the day he walked her down the aisle. It had been one of the reasons Aja hadn't complained once about having to wear a dress. It was so rare for Tanner to look that pleased. He was a pleasant man most of the time, but true joy showed so rarely and it was practically tangible that day.
She closed her eyes, if she concentrated hard enough, she could hear his voice again. Hoping for words of wisdom, she focused on Tanner. The wind shifted pushing the rain to fall on the porch. The water washed over her face and she sighed a little as Tanner's memory was pushed away by the splash back to reality. She glanced up at the sky as if protesting the interruption.
That's when the opening lyric from the piano ballad caught her attention.
"I've never been the one to shout because I listen, I don't like to raise my voice. Maybe I should learn to lose my inhibitions and let my feelings make some noise. You don't know what I'm going through When silence is all I give to you."
As the man sang, Aja immediately thought of Tristan. Obviously, it was about a quiet guy talking to his lady, but she wasn't being that picky as the song spoke to her.
"So hear me, if you're out there, take these words and try to understand. That I want you, and I need you, to take the hand of a quiet man."
Not generally being the romantic type of girl, Aja almost laughed at herself for the way this song made her think of her and Tristan's relationship.
"I love the way you hear the words unspoken. It's like you read between the minds. You know before the silence has been broken Well, at least most of the time. But I don't know what you're going through. It must be something I didn't say to you. So hear me, if you're out there take these words and try to understand. That I want you, and I need you, to take the hand of a quiet man. Of a quiet man."
The piano played on, Aja's eyes that had been staring out down the road came to focus on a figure walking her direction from the gate. She knew in a heartbeat that it was Tristan. The final refrain of the song played out as she stepped off the porch and was swept up in hug by Tristan and spun around in the rain.
"So hear me, if you're out there take these words and try to understand That I want you, and I need you, to take the hand of a quiet man Of a quiet man Of a quiet man Of a quiet man."
She made her way out the gate, not caring much about how wet she was getting. She kept a change of clothes there at the office for just such occasions.
Aja walked up the still creaky steps of the ancient Inn, stopping to look behind her. The old Inn was the one building in town no one could agree on if it needed to come down, be restored or simply left alone. She let the residents work that out, since many of them had been here since it had been built.
She slowly surveyed the town, the rain had chased most people indoors. There was music floating out the open window from a radio that Rico must've left running when he was over here earlier. She leaned against the column, smiling softly while looking around her little town. It wasn't so little anymore, it had grown much in the past two decades. The influx of people to Arcadia had added to the charm and variety of people and shops.
Gone were the run down businesses, the trash gathering in the alleys and the pot-hole filled streets. Now, the store fronts were bright, inviting and clean. The boardwalk sidewalks were often gathering places for the inhabitants of Arcadia on many a balmy night. The railings were decked with small white twinkle lights lining the street with warm ambience and charm. During the holidays, candy canes and garland would join the lights, making it festive.
Tanner would've been proud of all that had been done here. He would've been proud of her. With what she did to the town anyway. She wasn't sure what he would think of the way her and Tristan were now. He had been so happy when the two of them married. The look of pride on his face the day he walked her down the aisle. It had been one of the reasons Aja hadn't complained once about having to wear a dress. It was so rare for Tanner to look that pleased. He was a pleasant man most of the time, but true joy showed so rarely and it was practically tangible that day.
She closed her eyes, if she concentrated hard enough, she could hear his voice again. Hoping for words of wisdom, she focused on Tanner. The wind shifted pushing the rain to fall on the porch. The water washed over her face and she sighed a little as Tanner's memory was pushed away by the splash back to reality. She glanced up at the sky as if protesting the interruption.
That's when the opening lyric from the piano ballad caught her attention.
"I've never been the one to shout because I listen, I don't like to raise my voice. Maybe I should learn to lose my inhibitions and let my feelings make some noise. You don't know what I'm going through When silence is all I give to you."
As the man sang, Aja immediately thought of Tristan. Obviously, it was about a quiet guy talking to his lady, but she wasn't being that picky as the song spoke to her.
"So hear me, if you're out there, take these words and try to understand. That I want you, and I need you, to take the hand of a quiet man."
Not generally being the romantic type of girl, Aja almost laughed at herself for the way this song made her think of her and Tristan's relationship.
"I love the way you hear the words unspoken. It's like you read between the minds. You know before the silence has been broken Well, at least most of the time. But I don't know what you're going through. It must be something I didn't say to you. So hear me, if you're out there take these words and try to understand. That I want you, and I need you, to take the hand of a quiet man. Of a quiet man."
The piano played on, Aja's eyes that had been staring out down the road came to focus on a figure walking her direction from the gate. She knew in a heartbeat that it was Tristan. The final refrain of the song played out as she stepped off the porch and was swept up in hug by Tristan and spun around in the rain.
"So hear me, if you're out there take these words and try to understand That I want you, and I need you, to take the hand of a quiet man Of a quiet man Of a quiet man Of a quiet man."