This short story received an Honorable Mention in the Writers Weekly Winter 2026 short story contest. I hope you enjoy it!
The house that once loomed in all its majestic presence above the snow-laden slope wasn’t the same one Anna remembered. It had lost the luster that had made it appear almost magical to her younger, happier self. The weather had dulled the pale yellow shutters to a washed-out ivory, and the wide wraparound veranda sagged a little with age. Even the walls that once rang with laughter now stood silent, as if they, too, like her heart, were shrouded in grief. The house had been her family’s refuge, their seasonal escape. Now it felt empty and forgotten, just as she did.
The real estate agent was due in two hours, leaving her with too much time with nothing else to do but roam the rooms, trying to ignore the surge of melancholy that had engulfed her.
She paused by the window overlooking the lake, her reflection ghosted in the glass. It had been almost twenty years since she had last stood here. After the avalanche in Switzerland that had taken both her parents’ lives, she had never come back. At only twelve, she had sealed this place away in her memory, too painful to reopen. Her grandparents had understood her need to stay away and had safeguarded it, hoping she’d one day want to return. Now they were gone too, and she could no longer ignore it.
She’d never had friends here as a child, except for Samuel, the groundskeeper’s son. She remembered him as a shy, taciturn boy whose hands could create beautiful figurines from random pieces of wood. They had spent endless hours in these woods, skating on the frozen lake and building snow forts until their fingers froze. She could almost see him standing on its banks, a red beanie pulled over his ears, his breath fogging the air.
Then his father had fallen ill and died. The family had left soon after, moving out of state to live with relatives.
She tugged her coat tighter and stepped outside into the crisp wintry air. Soon, her boots were carving a trail in the snow, as if drawn by an irresistible force. It was as if the lake were saying, See? This is where you were happy. Do you really want to give it all up?
As she came closer, she caught sight of the old groundskeeper’s lodge beyond the trees, and a new wave of memories invaded her thoughts.
Another piece of her past that would be sold away with the house.
Then she saw the thin ribbon of smoke curling from the chimney. Sounds, like children’s laughter, rang out across the small lake.
Surely her overwrought mind must be deceiving her, she thought. As far as she knew, the lodge had stood empty for nearly two decades.
She whirled at the sound of footsteps behind her, and the sole of her boot slipped on the wet leaves. She stumbled as pain shot through her ankle, but a steady hand shot out to catch her elbow.
She steadied herself on one foot, staring at the man in front of her. Almost twenty years had passed, but she recognized him instantly. The quiet confidence in his eyes, the unmistakable cleft on his chin she’d sometimes teased him about were achingly familiar. Samuel.
“Anna?”
Her name sounded strange on his tongue. He was taller, broader, the boy’s angles replaced by the solid lines of a man used to physical activity.
“Samuel…”
Surprise caused her to let her guard down, and she winced in pain when her injured foot touched the ground.
“Easy, now. I got you.”
“I thought…I didn’t know…”
His lips twisted in a grin so familiar it tore at her chest. “…that I was staying at the lodge?” he said, reading her thoughts. “I am. Have been, for the past two years.”
“But…I’m selling the house,” she said.
“I know. But the groundskeeper’s lodge is mine. Your father deeded it to me, right before we moved away, guessing I might want to come back someday. You didn’t know?”
She shook her head in a daze.
“I’m so sorry about your parents,” he said.
She nodded in thanks, not speaking.
“I’ll carry you to the lodge. You need to remove your boot before your foot swells up.”
She protested weakly when he lifted her into his arms, but he ignored her as he headed for the lodge with purposeful strides.
Inside the lodge, warmth wrapped around her. Old familiar smells invaded her senses, flinging her back two decades. She lifted her face from his warm shoulder and froze.
Three children looked up, eyes wide and curious as Samuel set her down on the sofa. “Kids, meet Anna. She’s an old friend.”
“Is she dying?” a small boy whispered from behind an easy chair.
Samuel chuckled. “No, she just hurt her foot.” He smiled at Anna. “Meet Robby, Lisa and Seth.” She cut him a questioning gaze. “They’re mine. After my wife passed away, I decided to move back here.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He lowered his gaze. “Thanks.”
She looked around the small room, a surge of warmth seeping inside her. “I didn’t know anyone lived here. I’m glad it’s you.”
“Me too.”
The warmth of his smile melted away years of grief and longing. And for the first time since stepping on the property again, the house on the lake no longer felt alien. She only wished she hadn’t waited so long to return.
(Image by Freepik)
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