Endings and New Beginnings.

Evanna has secluded herself in her home. The reason: her husband has just passed away. one year after Jamie's death she meets Alex. A Young, smart and handsome business man. Can she love again?

The silence that filled the Kemp household in the early morning of July the twentieth was louder than it had ever been before: Jamie Kemp, Evanna's now late husband had passed away just four days earlier in the hospital having been diagnosed with leukaemia two years before.
                When he had first complained of feeling sick no one even expected what the cause would of been. Five months later, again he complained of feeling sick; this time Evanna had to persuade him to go and see his doctor, Jamie didn't see the big deal and he kept saying everyone gets ill sometimes, so he was reluctant to go. It went unnoticed at first as there were no obvious major symptoms (he was far more tired than usual and he wasn't eating as much) - his doctor just told him to get more sleep, he did, and he felt better. Three months later, Jamie felt sick once more, and surprisingly went to the doctor's without any hastle.
                'What is the problem this time then?' Dr. Richard said.
                Jamie told him how he was still feeling exhausted and how his appetite still wasn't better. How he would go to the store and sometimes forget what he was going to buy, Eva then having to start writing a list for him.
                After what felt like thirty minutes in Dr. Richard's office, him completing a physical examination of Jamie he told them not to move, and left Jamie and Evanna waiting in anticipation.
                Family members and and few close friends were seated - now and again the odd person would pace up and down or glanced out of the window - in the guest room of Evanna's (Eva to some, mostly her husband) home feeling that words would not help, but most feeling too ill to say anything; even a cough would make a few of the guests jerk.
                The guest room was the smallest room in the house. There was one slim, tall window at the rear looking out into the garden, flowers and grass fresh with rain from the night before. A white victorian-looking fireplace, which was stationed at the centre wall, had a cheerful fire burning in the hearth heating the full room, its orange flames flickering spectacularly casting shadows on everything it touched. Only one sofa was in the room, and it was positioned against the back wall next to the entrance door to the guest room, It was black in colour with a leather texture and very comfortable, but not very good for the summer months. Evanna did always mean to get a new one. In the corner adjacent the fireplace stood a slim, tall cabenet, much like the window, which held inside Whisky, Wine, Gin - everyone to help themselves. It was the only room in the house with a carpet fitted and as Evanna loved candles (she must have had one for every occasion) the room always smelled of sweet aroma.
                'When will Evanna be back down?'
Sarah Miller, a friend of Evanna's since high school, had broke through the silence at last. It took everyone a time to register that someone had spoken then, as if no one had been silent at all, all chimed in.
                A voice from the rear of the room, at the window: 'She'll be getting ready, she knows we have to leave any time now. Should someone check on her?' It was Paul Sanders. Work mate and close friend of Jamie's.
                'No, no. She'll need time to take everything in. Give her another five minutes alone. It's her husband's funeral today, for God's sake.' A Scottish accent came form the other side now, from the sofa. Aileen. Worked with Evanna and got on really well considering the twelve year age difference.
                'Yeah, give her another five minutes, the poor thing.' Emma Kingswall this time, pouring herself another glass of wine. Emma was a close friend of both Jamie and Evanna, having gone to primary with Evanna, then meeting james in high school, then their neighbour.
                As if all agreeing at the same time no one said anymore, and waited patiently for Evanna to return.

Evanna sat on the edge of her bed listening to the silence through-out her home. There had been no sounds of the people's voices for quite a while now, and she felt she must go down-stairs soon; after Evanna had greeted a few of her friends and family inside she showed them to the guest room, offered them drinks and also told them all to help themselves to the booze in the cabinet, then retreated quietly back to her bedroom, she couldn't bare to be in anyone's presence, not like this. Her face was, once again, wet from her tears - she had been crying all day at every though of what still had to come. She wanted to run away. She could go now, pack some things and stay in a hotel for a while, until she knew she could face the world, until she felt strong enough again. Or go somewhere full of strangers, where no one knew her name, or her problem, what was hurting her so bad ... she had always wanted to go to Paris. Yes, she would go there for a few weeks. She knew some French, that wouldn't be a problem. She would figure the rest out when she arrived there.
                She quickly dismissed that idea after she remember what her Mum had said to her as a teenager: "You can't just run away form your problems, Eva, dear. If you do, they'll just find away to you again, and it will make that problem feel so much worse. Face them, no matter how hard it is."
                With that thought, a new set of tears washed over her face once again. She couldn't control anything her body was doing now, it was too much effort, and she felt she needed to cry ... she felt she couldn't stop.
                As she approached the mirror, brushing her hair from her face, she realized just then how awful she looked. Her eyes, usually full of life and happiness, looked drawn and lifeless. Her mascara lay under her eyes and on her cheeks, her skin had reddened and she looked like she hadn't been to sleep for days.
                Evanna was twenty-four years old and a light woman in weight, and she was five feet and seven inches tall. She had long, wavy brunette hair that fell to her waist, her eyes light green. Her sking was pale and porcelain looking, and her teeth pearly white. She had always been a popular girl and in high school she met Jamie; no other guy had a chance with her. They became friends straight away, having so much (surprisingly) in common, and eventually they fell in love when they were seventeen years old.
                After re-doing her make-up (leaving off the mascara) she changed her tear stained shirt and put on her black suit jacket. By now there was voices coming from below and she felt ready to go down. She knew eveyone would be leaving in five minutes, but pushed that to the back of her mind; thinking about the funeral made her want to cry again, and run away to Paris. Checking herself in the mirror she thought she looked OK, and with that, left the room and started the descend the stairs to the guest room.