Generation One: Prologue

There are beautiful, breathtaking views of the desert landscape all around me.  The sky overhead is a pure, deep blue with no clouds to be seen.  I’ve never been anywhere this majestic since the summers I used to spend with my grandparents in Tartosa.  Some people love the views of the city in Bridgeport, but while everyone else saw grand, sweeping views of the cityscape, all I saw was the city.  Towering skyscrapers, a thick layer of smog lingering in the sky, crowds of people and countless cars constantly covering the ground.  It was dizzying.  Then to have your thoughts drowned out by the incessant honking, sirens, yelling, and chatter.  Every day was more suffocating than the last, and that’s why when my parents asked me what I wanted for my twenty-first birthday, I knew exactly what to tell them: a new home.

After many disappointed looks, snide remarks, and bargaining, my parents finally conceded that I was not going to change my mind and suddenly want to live the life they envisioned for me in Bridgeport.  They agreed to purchase a small home for me in a quiet town like I wanted, and my heart swelled with hope.  Just as I was about to run up and envelope them in a big hug, my father revealed the catch:  if I get this house, there will be no more contact between us.  It felt like a punch to the gut, and the wind was knocked out of me.  I knew their ultimatum was their way of getting me to change my mind, not thinking I would ever agree to anything so extreme, but as I stood in my bedroom staring blankly out my window, feeling the never ending cacophony of sound that plagued the city threatening to swallow me up once more, I knew what I needed to do, no matter how much the thought of losing my family hurt me.

And that’s how I ended up here, in Chestnut Ridge, staring in awe at a house that can only be described as mine.  It has vertical white shingles all around with black-framed windows and a glass door, all of which I know will flood the house with tons of natural light.  I can already envision myself rocking in a chair on the wrap-around porch and doing some early morning yoga under the large tree to the right.  A gnat whines next to my ear, but a warm breeze quickly blows it away.  I take a deep breath as I start to walk up the front path to my new home, and all I can think is, No smog.

The entire house is bare, but even after my furniture and clothing gets delivered later, it’ll still be sparse.  The only items I have arriving are some pieces I claimed from my grandparents’ storage:  a bedframe and mattress, a wardrobe, an antique mirror, and an armchair.  Plus, I have a framed picture of my grandparents on their wedding day along with a chest of sentimental keepsakes.  The emptiness doesn’t phase me though.  My lips curve up in a smile as I appreciate the hardwood floors, the wood fireplace in the living room, the kitchen with plenty of counter space, and the loft upstairs that would make the ideal reading nook.  Even without any furnishings, this place feels more like home than Bridgeport ever did.

The moving van is set to arrive in a couple of hours, so I pull out a book from my bag, take a seat on the front step, and let the sun warm my face as I get lost in a new world.

Once all my furniture has been unloaded and assembled, I decide to venture out to the bar just down the road that I saw in my taxi ride here.  After showering, I braid my dark brown hair into a plait that falls over my shoulder and rummage in a bin full of clothes, settling on a warm yellow dress and some new cowboy boots I bought as soon as I found out I was moving here.  I look at myself in the mirror, staring at the brown eyes reflecting back at me.

“Alright Camilla, you are going to walk to that bar, meet some of the locals, make connections, and hopefully leave with a potential friend and a job prospect or two.  This isn’t like Bridgeport.  You actually belong here, and people will see that.  You’re gonna do great.”  Despite the pep talk, I only notice the doubt in my eyes and force a big smile to my face.  Smiles fix everything.  I take a deep breath and walk out the front door, determined to make a great first impression with the residents of Chestnut Ridge.

Setting out to the bar, I walk out the front door and lock it behind me, suddenly aware that the afternoon heat has completely dissipated and left cooler temperatures and a steady breeze in its absence.  Shivering, I debate going back inside to change but decide against it.  The bar is only a short walk away.  I can handle a small night time chill.  

Despite the cooler temperatures and my determination to arrive at the bar sooner rather than later, I stop midwalk and take in the adorableness of this quaint town that surrounds me.  There’s a small community picnic area with tables and barbecues, stacks of hay and wildflowers adding to the country charm.  The part that feels the most magical though are all the hanging lights.  They hang over the picnic area and across the town streets, casting a warm yellow hue over the brick paths.  It feels like a Hallmark movie, and I should be slow dancing in the middle of the street with a handsome cowboy that I loathed just a day ago.

I chuckle to myself and walk up to the bar to open the door.  The warmth that floods my face feels heavenly, and the chill I had forgotten while encapsulated with the town’s charm is back in full force.  The chatter and laughter fills my ears as I navigate around tables and patrons to take a seat towards the end of the relatively crowded bar next to two young women who are talking and giggling, showing each other videos on their phones.  Should I say hello?  They look friendly enough, but what would I talk about?  Lost in my internal debate, the blonde catches me staring and offers a small smile before going back to focusing on her phone and her friend.  I take that as an encouraging sign and get ready to say hello when I’m interrupted by a voice from behind the bar.

“What can I get you?”

I jerk my head in the direction of the voice to see the bartender looking at me, waiting.

“Uh,” I stammer, looking around for drink ideas.  The blonde and her friend have wine glasses in front of them.  I turn back to the bartender.  “White wine, please.”

She comes back with my drink and says, “You must be the woman who just moved in down the road.”

Fire ignites in my cheeks as I force a smile to my face and take a small sip of what I think is a pinot grigio.  “Do I stand out that much?”

“Living in a small town means everyone knows everyone.  It’s a blessing and a curse.  Where’d you move from?” she inquires.

“Bridgeport.”

She laughs as I take another sip of wine.  “A city girl, huh?  You must be bored out of your mind already.”

Chuckling myself, I shrug my shoulders.  “To a lot of people, the city is exciting with endless events and new people to meet, but to me it was overwhelming.  Every time I took a second to breathe, life flew past me.  I missed being able to catch my breath.”

She takes a step back and tilts her head, pondering my response.  “I see your point.  I couldn’t imagine moving to a bustling city after living here my whole life.  I’d get swallowed up by one of those large swarms of people who are always trying to cross the street while the taxis honk at them.  I’d never be seen or heard from again.”

We both laugh, and my shoulders ease as my grip loosens on the stem of my wine glass.  I extend my hand.  “Camilla.”

“Dani,” she says as she grabs my hand and shakes it, both of us exchanging smiles.

“Well, Camilla, welcome to Chestnut Ridge.  If there’s anything else I can get for you, just holler.”  She takes a step back.

“Actually,” I interject, and she pauses.  “Do you know of anyone who’s hiring?  Something involving gardening would be ideal.”  She purses her lips, thinking, when someone down the bar calls her name.  “Not off the top of my head,” she says, “but I’ll keep an ear open and spread the word.”  With that, she starts serving drinks to others down the opposite end of the bar.

“I might know of something.”

I look over to see the blonde girl from earlier looking at me with deep brown eyes, swiveling her chair so that her body is facing mine, a warm smile on her face.  I reciprocate.

She proffers her hand, light pink nail polish contrasting starkly with her sun-tanned skin. “Lexie Ambrose.”

“Camilla Carlisle,” I respond, trying and failing to match the strength of her handshake.  “Do you know of someone who’s hiring?”

“I do.  My family actually.  We own a large farm and vineyard across town and are looking for someone to tend to the crops.”

The corners of my mouth turn up.  “My grandparents used to own a vineyard in Tartosa.  I would help them every summer.”

“Then it seems like your experience makes you an excellent candidate for the job.”  She flashes me a perfect smile.  “Now, I can’t guarantee anything since my dad has the final say, but I can put in a good word for you.”

I smile.  “That’s so kind of you.  I really appreciate it.  How do I go about formally applying for the job?”

Lexie grabs her phone, taps a few buttons on the screen, and hands it over to me, ready for me to create a new contact.  “Enter your contact info so that I can text you our address.  You can stop by at 8:00am tomorrow to ‘interview’ with my dad.  Just make sure to wear clothes to garden in because he likes to see people work for a day before officially deciding, paid of course.”

After entering my information and saving the contact, I hand the phone back to Lexie.  “Great, let me text you right now.”  My phone pings and I save Lexie’s contact and lock the address message just to be safe.

Her phone chimes.  “Shit, Tess, they’re waiting for us.  We gotta go.”

She turns to me and smiles.  “It was really great meeting you, Camilla.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”  

I mirror her expression.  “Yeah, I feel the same way, Lexie.  Thank you again for everything.”

“Of course!”  She finishes her last sip of wine before turning back to me.  “Are you going to be okay here on your own?”

I nod.  “I’m just going to finish this and head home.  I have an early day tomorrow,” I say, grinning.  She and her friend offer little waves before leaving, and I swirl back around to the bar to finish my almost empty glass of wine.

Dani walks over, smiling.  “That sounds like it went well.”

I release a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.  “It did, right?  I mean, I have a job interview tomorrow, and I’ll get paid for a day’s work.  Are the Ambrose’s a well known family around here?”

“Their family has been here for generations.  You’d never be out of work if you got hired there, that’s for sure.”  I finish my last sip of wine, pondering this opportunity laid out before me.  Working for the Ambrose’s would be a great jumping off point, a stepping stone to my future.

“It was really great meeting you, Dani.  Have a good night,” I say, standing up from my barstool.

“Likewise.  Get home safely, and good luck tomorrow,” she calls before attending to a new patron who sat down at the bar.

At home, as I brush out my hair and get ready for bed, I can’t stop the smile that is constantly spreading across my face.  Everything is going to be okay.  I can just feel it.

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you enjoyed our prologue and are excited to learn more about our lovely founder, Camilla. I’m really excited for the story line I have planned for her and can’t wait to share it with all of you ❤

Please feel free to leave comments! I would love to hear your thoughts!