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Tessa chuckled, a soft and sad sound, as she looked back to her list. “Since you like fashion so much, why don’t you go help the little diva upstairs shove her entire closet into her suitcase.”
Tessa walked through the house a final time, closing blinds and locking windows as she looked out at the smoke filled sky and scanned the valley below. She paused at the framed wedding picture that was hanging in the hallway. They both seemed so young standing there outside the courthouse. Him in his dress blues and the rows of ribbons and medals that he'd earned too fast after his awful first tour of duty. Her with her pale pink sundress and sandals, clinging to his arm. Mason the size of a blueberry in her stomach.
She couldn’t remember who took the photo. It must have been one of her friends. Was it Danielle or Victor? It didn’t really matter anymore. All her friends had grown up and left that sleepy Idaho town, losing touch over the years except for social media likes and comments here and there. Now even that was gone. She pulled the picture from behind the glass, hung the empty frame back on the wall, and slipped it into the canvas bag along with the kids’ baby scrapbooks.
“We’re ready,” Mason called out from the bottom of the stairs.
“I’ll be down in a minute.” She went back to her bedroom and sat on Landon’s side of the bed, running her fingers over the quilt and inhaling slowly to prepare herself. There was only one thing left to do in the house.
The yellow legal notepad was inside the bedside table. She pulled it out and made circles in the corner of the page with the pen to make sure it had enough ink. It was going to hurt, but she owed it to him. Tears filled her eyes as she poised the pen on the first line to write one last letter to her husband.
I am so unbelievably sorry, babe. You have to know I didn’t mean it. It’s so stupid to think those were the last words I said, that I was tired of waiting for you.
I’d wait for you forever.
And now in some sick ironic twist of fate, I can’t wait for you anymore. It’s tearing my heart out to have to leave you behind. I don’t even know if you’re coming back.
That hurts so much to say.
Mason is falling apart. Our little boy misses you so much. And Emily doesn’t understand everything yet, but she misses you so much too. I’m taking them to my dad’s house. I really don’t want to go back there without you, but it isn’t safe for us anymore. Robin, your gunny sergeant’s fiancé, is with us. She’s weird but I kind of like her.
Arthur and Sally across the street are the nicest people. Check in on them when you get back and make sure they are doing alright.
I don’t know why I’m stalling. Okay, that’s not true. If I can pretend I’m talking to you then maybe it will help ease this ache in my chest. I want to believe that you are okay. I don’t want to be scared of what’s going to happen. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to keep them safe.
If you were here, you’d tell me that I am. You are the only one who’s always had so much faith in me.
It’s so hard to do these things without you.
I have to go now, but I want you to know that for the rest of my life, I will always wait for you.
“Let’s go say goodbye to Sally and Arthur.” Tessa finished securing the cargo in the back of the truck while Mason held the flashlight.
“Alright.” He turned and ran, leaving her in the semi-darkness.
“Thanks,” she called after him as she rushed to the door to stop it before it closed.
“I thought you wanted to get out of here fast.” Robin moved out of the way of Moose as he went barreling outside after the kids.
Tessa grabbed the box of bullets and Landon’s rifle from the counter. “We’re going. I just want to figure out how to load this first.” She motioned for Robin to keep up.
“I was about to head over to your place.” Arthur held the screen door open as the kids and Moose raced inside. “Sally packed some goodies for you.”
Tessa paused mid-step on the porch. “She shouldn’t have done that. I’m taking her jars with us and came to apologize.”
“Nonsense,” Sally’s bright voice came from inside the house. “Now you and Robin get in here so I can send you off with a proper meal.”
Robin pushed past Tessa on the porch, turning to look at her when she didn’t move. “What? If there’s food involved, you don’t have to ask me twice.” Tessa smiled as she watched her go. Robin was alright.
She shifted her gaze to Arthur. “Are you sure you can’t come with us?”
“We’re staying here.” The screen door slammed behind him and he pulled a folded sheet of paper from the breast pocket of his flannel shirt. “But I told you there were options if you decided to leave.”
“What options?” Tessa leaned the rifle against the porch rail and crossed her arms over her chest, remembering the other night and the cryptic words he’d said. So much had happened in the last few days that time and memories weren’t linear anymore, but she recalled his words as he carried the jars to her door.
“These are some addresses along your route. I’ve already been in contact with them and they know you are coming. Do me a favor and check in with them so that we know you are safe. I don’t want Sally to worry. And if you do this for me, each one of those stops will have a full tank of gas waiting for you.”
“Are you serious?” Tessa’s eyes widened as she scanned the list. “How is this possible?”
“It pays to have likeminded friends.” Arthur shrugged.
Tessa threw her arms around him, squeezing the gruff old Marine in an awkward hug. “You don’t know how much relief this gives me. I was so worried about something happening on the drive and no one would know where we are. And the gas? Seriously? You are like my guardian angel or something. I don’t know what I did to deserve your kindness, but thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“Alright. That’s enough.” Arthur patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t get all soft on me. I haven’t done that much. Sally is the angel. And your journey is just beginning. Don’t let your guard down and think this will be an easy one.”
“I know.” Tessa sighed, steeling herself for what was to come as she grabbed the rifle. “I hate to ask for one more favor, but can you show me how to load this freaking thing?”
