Page 27 of Absolution

I nod, taking his hand. "Ahh, thank you."

Crawford clasps Kathryn's hand, stepping away as I help Doc in the vehicle. I lower my head to keep from looking at them, the intimacy and love is almost too private to watch.

"Will I ever have a love so great; the story tells itself just by looking at us?" I drive away as a sadness overcomes me. I take the exit for the interstate with a yearning, which lingers far longer than I ever imagined.

"Check it out, we did it and didn't run or have an episode." I glance at Doc through the mirror. "Now, everyone can stay off my ass about visiting."

What starts as a smirk grows into a full-blown shit-eating grin. I'm damn proud to tell everyone they were wrong, coming back here didn't change anything for me.

"Wanna bet Drew will flip his shit? He was so smug, thinking this would be life-altering." I roll my shoulders, relieving the knots my muscle have had since we left Virginia.

"I already know what he's going to ask," I peek at Doc in the backseat. "How was it? Did you remember anything? Were you able to connect with them in any way?"

I shift in my seat, thinking of some details the questions dredge up. "I mean, it depends on what Drew considers connecting because that red-headed vet had me all kinds of twisted up."

I chuckle, proud of myself for not analyzing every minute of the visit. Crawford and Kathryn went out of their way to make sure I felt comfortable and welcome. Now I realize I should've come earlier.

"They were even great with you, weren't they? No one should have any reason whatsoever to overthink our time together." Doc whimpers when my voice quivers with the last sentence. Dwelling on what can't be helped does nothing for no one, we have to move on.

"All in all, we had a good time. Except for your boo-boo, of course." My breath hitches as I realize I used Kathryn’s word choice for Doc's injury. "A slip of the tongue, that's all."

I press on the gas, pushing us faster toward home. The sooner we're home, the better, we have a lot of work to do. We're behind on most everything now with all the distractions from the past week.

The North Carolina state line is just ahead, prompting me to glimpse at the other sign in my side-view mirror as we haul ass from the state. Our time there quickly being out behind us.

A few hours later, I make the turn onto our street and sigh heavily with relief. It's nice to be back where we belong. If I've learned anything the past few days, I no longer doubt this is our home.

I help Doc inside, carrying our bags in after she's settled. We call it a night earlier than usual, going to bed not long after we unpack and shower. Once I turn the light off, I reach for my phone to set the alarm.

When I place my cell on the nightstand, it dawns on me I promised to text and secretly happy they didn't ask me to call. I type out a quick message to appease them. I understand more than ever, they deserve to hear from me.

Creed: We're home.

Crawford: Good to know. Thank you.

Creed: No problem.

I lay the phone back down, only to grab it again to send another message.

Creed: Thanks for having me. We had a nice time.

I wait for a reply as the bubbles float by, teasing me.

Crawford: Anytime. You're welcome.

I stare at the phone a little longer than I should've, I kept waiting for him to say more, but he didn't. I think I'm more confused about that than I am anything. All of these years, I felt going there for a visit would be hard, and expectations would be high. It was the opposite, and now I'm wondering how wrong I've been about everything.

The sun breaks through the clouds, slowly lighting my room. We've had a rough night in the Hatcher household, Doc was up and down all night, and my dreams returned with a vengeance.

Why do memories shake us to our core? Whether they're good or bad, we immediately are left grieving. For loved ones, we dream of what might have been, or what was. Leaving us all with a heavy heart.

Monday comes around with a thud, which is how I wake up with a text, making my phone vibrate off the nightstand. I lean over the bedside, scooping it off the floor. Squinting, I read the letters flashing across the screen.

"Drew," I growl, dropping it in the bed beside me. When the cell shakes a second time, I'm annoyed enough to roll over and sit up. I know he wants details from this weekend, but he's got to let me wake up first.

"C'mon girl, we need to move, or we won't." Doc crawls from the bed, easing herself to the floor. She limps from the room, only looking back to give me her big droopy eyes, crushing me. I follow her out, so we can start our morning with breakfast.

I grab her food, tossing it in her bowl, and fix some cereal for myself. While she eats, I study the new puzzle scattered across the table. A maze of oranges, reds, and golds, but the cover was breathtaking and intriguing.