Diary of a Country Girl

Chapter Two

Dear Diary,

It's been two weeks now since the storm that destroyed our dream home. We knew it was bad but Tre still had hope that he and his friends could salvage it. Sadly there was too much damage. The guys put their hearts and souls into building it only to tear down what the storm hadn't. I don't want to sound ungrateful. Everyone in our family, and everyone in Chestnut Ridge, is safe and sound. So many wonderful people showed up to help us clean up. Seeing the lot empty again like it had been just months before was really sad. The ugly scar it left was going to take time to heal too.

The timing was horrible. Not that there is ever a good time for things like this. We were looking forward to so many new things. A nectar making business, larger garden, and more animals. Those plans are on hold. Fall has arrived and the guys only had time to clear the lot so that they can get to work again in the spring. While they cleaned up the mess Onyx helped me tend the little ranch. He's been a great ranch hand and a real blessing, even before the storm. He stepped up even more after.

We're spending our evenings looking over new floor plans. We haven't decided yet if we're going to build the same one again. We had others that we loved as well before. We're taking our time to look at them again. There's something very comforting and healing about looking at those plans with Tre. I've shed a lot of tears over what we lost and everything we came so close to losing. When I'm with Tre I feel like everything is going to be alright.

Sometimes at night I can hear the tornado all over again. That terrifying sound haunts my dreams. When it does I get up and go to the computer. I’ve been working on a surprise for Tre. I know having to tear down the house he and his friends worked so hard on hurts him. Though he doesn't say it.  He did the sweetest thing for me when I was stressed to my breaking point with classes. He gave me the trip to Tartosa. I want to do something like it for him. 

His mother is from Ciudad Enamorada. Tre has mentioned to me how much he wants to go visit someday. Our anniversary is coming up. I'm working on a plan to make our anniversary the someday he was thinking of. I've been emailing and video chatting with his mother, Consuela, for help. When he's out of the house I video chat with her. Tre and I video chat with her often. But for my little surprise Consuela and I wait until Tre's out of the house to talk.

It's really ingrained into Western culture about women hating their mother-in-laws. I'm definitely not one of them. Consuela is a doll and I absolutely love her. She's exactly like my mom, except for the Spanish accent. I regret that we haven't met face-to-face yet. I'm looking forward to doing that soon. In the meantime when we aren’t video chatting about the trip, she’s teaching me Spanish and how to make all of her best dishes. And Tre’s favorites.