A young woman moves back home after a failed relationship and career in another city, will she get her life back on track? Who will she encounter along the way?
Chapter 1 Moving back home
Emma was returning to her home town, both nervous and excited to see all her old neighbours and friends.
She was nearly 19 and had so many dreams and ambitions when she pictured her future and longed to be a big shot chef.
After getting her college degree in her small hometown she moved away to Wales with her fiancé Scott who was her first boyfriend and all she had ever known.
As she sat on the bus she thought about how that was all a distant memory now, she looked down at the faint band mark left on her ring finger where there used to sit a beautiful diamond then her gaze moved towards the suitcase sitting on the chair next to her, tears welled in her eyes as the realisation dawned, everything of hers could fit in such a small compartment.
A year of living away and she still had nothing to call her own apart from a few clothes and a beautiful jewellery box gifted to her by her mother.
As the bus pulled up screeching to a halt she let out a sigh before plastering a sweet smile on her face ready to see her family waiting for her.
She graciously adjusted her skirt and stood up with her luggage to get off the bus.
"Where are you?" She texted quickly as she stood on the path searching for that ugly green car that her mother insisted on driving around.
Before she got an answer a car horn sounded making Emma jump and look up from her phone as her mother pulled onto the side of the road.
Emma felt a rush of excitement seeing her mother, she'd forgotten how much she had longed for a warm hug from her again, before she moved away they were inseparable, almost like best friends. Emma's mother was effortlessly beautiful with shoulder length curls painted all tones of grey and blonde, she was how most people would describe growing old gracefully. Emma looked alot like her mother which made her most proud as she new her mother was stunning, when they looked at each other it was like a time machine had taken her forward to what she could look like in 40 years.
Once Emma was in the car they held a long embrace before starting back on the road again.
Keeping her beaming eyes ahead her mother said "well are you excited to see everyone?"
Emma flashed a nervous smile before replying "of course" , they spend the rest of the car journey catching up on small trivial things until they eventually arrived back home.
As they pulled onto the driveway Emma could see a figure standing in the doorway awaiting there arrival, she soon realised it was her step father. Emma's step dad was a warm and generous soul who always had a kind but cheeky smile on his face, it was as if there is always a joke ready to be told, it was this warmth that made Emma call him Dad from the moment her mother introduced the two of them.
Her dad was the most eager of all the family to see her settled back at home for he had secretly missed her the most, after raising her the past 11 years he couldn't bare to see her go so suddenly but he new she had to figure things out herself.
As these thoughts flashed in his mind he watched his little girl walk up the drive to greet him and he finally felt whole again.
He took Emma into a tight hug "welcome home Emmie" She felt almost suffocated by his arms but she didn't dare fight it as she had missed this feeling for too long "thanks dad" She said through struggled breaths.
"We've redecorated your room a bit as we didn't know you'd be coming home, I hope it's okay for you" He smiled at her but there was a hint of worry in his expression.
"Thats okay dad, thank you" Emma was grateful enough she could come live with them again although the idea nipped at her slightly feeling like she's lost her sense of direction in life.
She shrugged it off and eagerly carried her bags upstairs.
As she neared her bedroom door she could already see the changes her parents had made, the walls were now beige instead of the quirky orange she had painted them herself a few years ago, there was new wooden furniture and her room looked much more sophisticated now much like her. Emma looked around at the changes made and decided it's exactly what she needed for a fresh start.
She collapsed back onto her bed and angled her head to the window, she had forgotten what an incredible view she had of the rolling farm fields behind their house. For a moment the unforseen future that had been troubling her mind faded out and she felt at peace with herself.She decided to whip out her phone and text her friend Riley who she hadn't seen since she moved away "Hey! Guess who's back?! Fancy a drink tonight" She patiently stared at the screen waiting for his message, Scott had never taken a liking to Riley so he wasn't allowed to visit Emma once they moved away, Scott always accused Riley of fancying Emma but they had been friends for so long it was impossible for her to picture him as anything other than a brother. "See you at 8" She smiled at Rileys response and with that, opened up her bags to start getting ready.