Part One

In the foothills of the Rockies lied a small gravel road. To one side, a grove of trees stood tall. An old set of posts with rusted barbed wire strands ran along the main road in front of the grove, then suddenly stopped at the corner of the gravel road. To the other side, a meadow spread over a hill where wild flowers grew in late spring and early summer.

Suzy and Steve pulled up and stopped their car on the main road, looking over the plot of land. An old sign marking it for sale hung haphazardly from its one remaining chain and clanged against the pole. The location had a view she loved. The Rockies rose from behind what appeared to be a wooded area at the back of the plot. She had painted a similar place, crudely, from her imagination years earlier.

They decided to explore the land, driving down the road and hitting a pothole now and then. The road took a small turn to the left before it ended. They stopped, and they stared. A simple home with a garage sat way back, hidden from the view from the main road by the small hill where the flowers grew. The trees at the back of the property shaded a small creek running along side.

It was exactly as Suzy imagined. It was perfect. She wondered how she imagined this place so accurately all those years ago.

They climbed out of their vehicle and walked over to the babbling water. Small fairy-like pools where they could relax dotted the creek and overall it was shallow with a rocky and sandy bottom. A weathered picnic table sat nearby with a perfect view. She envisioned adding a hammock for them to cuddle in under the shade on relaxing summer days.

Steve stepped behind her and rubbed her shoulders. “This is the place, isn’t it?” he whispered in her ear.

She crossed one of her arms and held his hand as she shook her head yes. “I think so.”

She led him over to the house, checking out the outdoor setup for cooking out, then walked around the home, peeking in the windows. The house was fairly modern, with a great kitchen and a perfect living area. A porch stretched around three sides of the home with plenty of room for outdoor seating.

Suzy’s face gave it all away. She knew this is where they should be. But she was not sure he was convinced. She wanted them both to feel it, to know it’s where they belonged. She knew how it felt to be a stranger in your own home, so it was important to her that Steve felt connected as well.

They got back into the car, and drove back towards the main road to head back to the city. Suzy watched the wildflowers waving in the wind, almost as if they said come back soon. She looked back in the side mirror at the house fading away in the distance.

Steve stopped the vehicle suddenly. The brakes strained under the pressure, and gravel scattered. They both sat in awe of what they saw in front of them. A snowy owl perched on the pole at the corner where the gravel met the pavement. Steve looked at her and slowly spoke in an amazed tone, “This is it. This is home. Let’s make an offer.”

This is Snowy Owl Lane.