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“And I’m going to look through your camera roll for your most embarrassing picture.”
“Fair enough,” he smiled, stepping away from her. “Good night, Bailey. Shout if you need anything.”
“Night,” she called back, and he wondered if her voice seemed lighter, more forgiving, or if that was just what he wanted to hear.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
Leaving Italy
“It’s all in that packet,” Carmen said as she placed the crisp white envelope bearing her name in bold letters into Bailey’s hands.
Staring down at it, a knot formed in her throat. This was a moment she’d been both waiting for and dreading. Time to say goodbye to the people who had become mentors and friends. Leaving the place that had wrapped her in protection, yet made her feel bare and afraid.
"I don't know if I can do this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I'm ready to leave.”
Carmen placed a reassuring hand on Bailey's shoulder. "You're stronger than you realize," she promised. "You've come so far since you arrived here, and I have no doubt you'll be able to make a new life for yourself in Maine."
Bailey nodded, but she felt the doubt gnawing at her. Looking down at the packet, she began to flip through the pages.
“Can’t I do what you’re doing? I could work for Gloria and help other people get out of their abusive situations. Specifically people dealing with cults. I could bring a unique perspective.”
“You definitely could. Your empathy and passion are so special. But this is only meant to be a stopover, not a place to stay. The good news is you can help people wherever you go. We need a network of survivors willing to help other people as they need it. That doesn’t just happen here in Italy. It happens all over the world, including where you are going. There might be a time where Gloria calls you and asks you for help.”
“What am I going to do with myself in Maine?”
“You’re young and your life is waiting for you out there. You’re ready for friends, maybe even new love. It’s time.”
“What about you?” Bailey asked, furrowing her brows. “Shouldn’t this just be a stopover for you too?”
“Everyone’s situation is different. Gloria will boot me out of here eventually, when the time is right.” Carmen smiled and softened her expression. “You’re ready, Bailey.”
She thumbed through the maps of the area she was going to, a list of emergency contacts, and even a few photos of the cottage where she'd be living. Everything was so meticulously planned, so perfect. She felt a wash of gratitude come over her.
"I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me," Bailey said as she looked around the room, taking in all the familiar sights one last time. "I'm really going to miss Italy. I’m going to miss all of you."
"I know," Carmen replied, "but you're going to love Maine. It's a beautiful place, and you'll have a fresh start. You'll have a job and a new community of people who will support you."
Carmen’s kindness was making the guilt in Bailey’s stomach sour even more. Hidden in her bag was a letter. A letter home that she’d written weeks ago. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness and nostalgia as she thought back to Cinderhill, her childhood home. Despite all that had transpired with the cult and her father's abuse, there was still a part of her that longed for the sense of community and belonging she had felt there before things had gone so terribly wrong.
Now as the time to leave the safety of Italy grew ever closer, the letter called out to her like Edgar Allen Poe’s raven. The unsent letter begged to be mailed because she needed news of her mother. Of her friends. Of the place she’d left behind so very abruptly.
“You all right?” Carmen asked, her words shaking Bailey from the thoughts of the letter she was hiding.
“Just imagining a life in Maine,” she sang, trying to sound upbeat. “You think I’ll fit in there?”
“I think anywhere would be lucky to have you.” Carmen picked up one of Bailey’s bags and pulled it over her shoulder. “You finish up in here and come have dinner with us before you go.”
When she was alone in the room again, Bailey reached for the letter, needing to see it again. She looked at it in her hand like it was a crime. It had taken her weeks to muster up the courage to write it. But now that she was leaving Italy and preparing to start a new life, the pull to know what was happening back home was stronger than ever.
Bailey took a deep breath and placed the letter into an envelope, sealing it shut before adding the address of Mrs. Tully's house in Cinderhill. She knew that once she sent it, there was no going back. She would have to face whatever news came her way, whether good or bad.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
Bailey
Bailey's fingers shook as she pressed Carmen's name. She waited anxiously as the phone rang, each passing second feeling like an eternity. Finally, Carmen answered.
"Bailey, is that you?" Carmen asked, her voice full of concern.
