Making Memories

I don't own anything. This story is just for fun.

Chapter 1

Scarlett sat at her desk in the back room of her office at the store. The hour was late the candle she had placed on the desk earlier in the evening had burned so low it cast long shadows across the room. Placing her pen down she sat up straight and rolled her shoulders, working out the kinks and aching muscles.

The store was silent as everyone had gone home earlier; they all had family or someone that would worry over them if they didn't return from work at a reasonable hour. But Scarlett didn't have anyone that would worry over her. No she was wrong; Mammy would worry and fuss over her. Scarlett reclined back in her chair ignoring the rule that ladies back never touched the back of the chair she was sitting on.

Since Rhett left and Melly died she had no one besides Mammy to worry over her. Her sister Sue wouldn't care if she never darkened the doorway of Tara ever again.

Scarlett was exhausted with her efforts to reach the affections of the Old Guard. When Melly was around the Old Guard tolerated her but because of all the scandals she had been involved in they were unforgiving now that her champion was gone. They even actively avoided her path if she was walking down the street. She was truly an outcast now. Even her precious Bonnie was gone, she choked back a sob. Her beautiful baby girl gone!

She was not sleeping at night plagued by the wrongs she had done and missing Rhett and Bonnie. All she did with her days was get up from a sleepless night and work at the store until all hours of the night. Hence why she was working at the store this late at night to try and catch up on her ledgers. Maybe it was best to call it a night now she thought. Her eyes felt tired and gritty and her whole body protested when she stood. She needed to try and get some sleep tonight.

Scarlett packed up her satchel with her ledgers and papers. Perhaps if she couldn't sleep tonight she would go over next week's delivery schedules. She glanced at the clock on the wall it was 8 o'clock. The thought of going home to empty home depressed her. Everything in her life had fallen apart without him. As much as Rhett leaving her wounded her pride and vanity there was a deeper more profound feeling of loss inside her. She had missed so many opportunities with Rhett. He said to her once that he would of loved her more tenderly than any man would love a woman and she ached for him to prove that to her.

She could weep for the feeling of his arms around her one more time. She ached to see him, to touch him but most of all to love him. For she did love him with everything in her but he wasn't here for her to prove to him that she had changed and that she loved him. He unlocked that passionate love in her and then left.

Yes she had been the one that had chased after Ashley throughout their marriage. However Rhett had known that she loved Ashley when they married. She hid nothing from him. How was she supposed to know that Rhett loved her for years? He had never shown it or told her. Scarlett knew she wasn't the most observant person she had never had the time to sit and ponder other peoples thoughts and actions. She was too worried about not starving and keeping a roof over her families head. But if Rhett had just told her he had loved her from the start then who knows they could have found some happiness. Well that's what she told herself in the most hopeful moments but in the darkest moments she felt their life together was doomed from the start.

This only made her feel more depressed than she already felt. With a feeling of heaviness she left the store and locked up for the night.

The porch of the store was dark and cast in shadow as she turned the lock on the door. Concentrating on her task Scarlett didn't see a shadow of a man come over her...