Going by her current outfit, you can tell she jumped straight out of bed and rushed right over to my apartment the moment she got my text.
A black, fluffy robe tied up around her waist, her black, old lady slippers hugging her feet, and her hair is in a messy bun on top of her head.
"I’ve packed my whole wardrobe and the entire contents of my bathroom," I say breathlessly, rummaging through my belongings to see if there’s anything else I need.
But there isn’t.
The apartment sold two weeks ago, and the settlement is next month.
The moment I accepted the offer, Jenna came over and helped me pack my life away into boxes, with the intention of putting everything into storage. We decided I would live with her, like old times, until I found myself a new place to live. But after tonight, California is the last place I want to be.
Everything I am, and everything I have, is about to be shipped and heading to a new place to call home—the very first place I ever lived.
Grangewood Creek.
"I don’t think I want to come back," I accidentally say out loud, instantly regretting it. Not because I didn’t mean the words that I said, but because I didn’t want to see how Jenna would react to hearing them.
I expected her to be angry. Sad, even. But instead, she reaches her hand out to mine and squeezes it, giving me a reassuring smile.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve found my soulmate in this lifetime, and she is it. She knows I can’t be here anymore and need time to just…figure out my life.
Start again.
She doesn’t fight me on it. She doesn’t beg for me to stay or try to change my mind, because she knows how important it is that I leave.
"I’ll be back for your birthday party, though. Hell, I’ll be back whenever you need me. Just say the word, and I’m on the first flight over," I say, and she chuckles, wiping a tear away from her makeup-free face.
I need distance from this place. It holds way too many memories for me to just forget and move on.
"You know, I would understand if you couldn’t come to my birthday. I sent invites while you and Austin were together. There’s a chance he’ll show up, even though I’m going to tell him to not bother," she says.
"If he knows what’s best for everyone, he wouldn’t even consider it." I shrug.
He’s clearly moved on. Way earlier than I’d even realized. It’s time for me to do the same. I’m just glad I found out about it before it was too late.
Before I was the one carrying his child, forced to be stuck with him forever.
***
It’s been a while since I’ve travelled back home. I’d forgotten how long the journey took.
When I’d fly back, I’d usually have company and it would flash by.
But this time, I was alone.
Thankfully, I loaded up my Kindle and kept my mind preoccupied with fictional men and love stories destined to end in a happily ever after.
My phone has been on aeroplane mode for the last four hours, so the second it’s switched back on, the vibrating is non-stop.
I have text messages from Jenna telling me that my belongings will all be arriving within the week; texts from my parents,telling me they’re at the baggage claim waiting for me; and texts from my sisters, telling me to be ready for wine.
I had four text messages from Austin too, but I deleted those without reading them and blocked his number.
"Hey, Mom. Hi, Dad,” I say, as they pull me in for a tight hug.
God, I needed this. A hug from my parents always felt like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a Christmas morning.
FuckingChristmas.
