She saw the sign before she noticed the half-hidden dirt road it marked, simply “Moirai Meadow Farm” Painted in gold on a shield-shaped sign of hunter green, surrounded at the base by tufts of wildflowers. As the cabby pulled over to let her out, she saw she was at the mouth of a long dirt lane lined thickly with lilac bushes in full bloom, the smell greeted her warmly as she stepped out into the temperate spring sunlight. She pulled her bag from the trunk, and the cabby drove off without another word, leaving her to her own devices.
“You must be Amelia,” a winsome voice behind her said, and turning with a start she was greeted with the sight of an amiable looking woman. She was taller than Amelia and gracefully slender, her skin was the warm color of brown sugar and her aura and smile just as sweet. Her ink-black hair trailed down her back in a neatly woven braid, and she wore a simple linen summer dress in white that danced lightly in the breeze as she stood with her full rose-colored lips set in an effortless smile of welcome. Amelia met her large dark eyes and smiled back awkwardly with a nod. She felt shabby suddenly in her denim Capri pants, baggy t-shirt, and the small messy buns she’d put her hair in compared to the effortless grace of the woman.
“Verna?” She questioned back, hoping this was the liaison she’d been emailing for the three weeks prior. The woman nodded back and held out her hand to make a proper greeting.
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you,” She said as she grasped Amelia's hand firmly, her hand was soft and warm. For some reason it made her think of walking on gently sun-lit sand. Shaking off that train of thought, Amelia replied in kind and they began to naturally drift down the scenic lane.
“It’s something of a hike, but those cabs never like to come up the bumpy lane, so I figured I’d come fetch you,” Verna said, but seemed unbothered by the fact, “Welcome to the Meadow, we’re glad you’ve come! I figured I’d also take the opportunity to warn you about the welcome party in the gathering hall.”
Amelia coughed nervously but made no other reply besides a wordless noise of acknowledgment and an awkward nod. Verna laughed warmly, and for a split-second Amelia could have sworn she saw the plants around her bloom and grow ever so slightly more...
“I’ll warn you now,” Verna continued, pulling Amelia’s attention back, “They can be a rowdy group. Most of them are avid huggers. But having said that, everyone here is different in their way. You’ll be staying in Topaz Cabin, like I've mentioned before all our houses have names to make it easier to differentiate. Your house is all female with no children, and you’ll be sharing with four others roughly around your age. I’ll go over the work and flow a bit more once we’ve gotten you settled. I hope you’re ready to sacrifice your personal bubble for a little bit.” The laughter in Verna’s eyes made Amelia smile back in return.
She began to relax, somewhat. Verna was one of those calming personalities that seem to invite trust and open hearts without even trying. She was like a walking ray of sunlight, ready to warm your face and thaw you out of any wintry sorrows. She felt familiar, somehow... like a nostalgic memory. Amelia shrugged off the odd thoughts, chocking it up to the lack of sleep the night before.
If she was being honest, she wouldn’t mind a few friendly embraces after the dank solitude of the winter. Her workload at the office had become overwhelming at a point, without her realizing she had taken on more and more responsibilities until she was almost drowning. Saying no had always been a weak point for her, though. The stress of work had made her too tired to do much besides sleep or eat junk food when she got home to the small apartment she shared with her former boyfriend. She patted her stomach lightly, still carrying the extra weight of the darker days. She heard a voice call sharply from the back of her memory telling her she’d let herself go, as the image of the man belonging to it piled her things next to the door sprung up to accompany it. She felt a pang of embarrassed sorrow at the thought.
She shook her head, not wanting to think much about that now. She’d decided to change her fate, move forward on her own. There was no sense in looking back or letting the past weigh her down. Verna touched Amelia’s shoulder lightly, calling her back to the present, a look in her eyes said she knew her companion’s mind had drifted into stormy waters. The warmth of the gesture seemed to burn the image away for the moment and smiling back she walked with her new friend around a sharp curve in the lane that revealed their destination.
“Welcome to the Meeting hall, or as we fondly call it, Function Junction!” Verna said, sweeping a hand with exaggerated grandeur at the large yellow octagonal building. Amelia took a quiet deep breath to calm her anxious nerves and followed her up the wooden stairs to the open front doors, leaving her cold reveries behind her.
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