I let go of Julie's hand.
She looked up at me, because I felt her eyes staring at my face. I knew she was worried I was about to punch her or something, but I wasn’t. Everything had changed, and I was staring at her through new glasses, the ones that weren't shaded.
“I don't want to upset you,” I told my mother. “I thought I did, but I don't. I wanted to blame you for everything. I wanted to tell you, very descriptively, the pain that I had went through since the accident, but I don't want to anymore, because not all of it is true.”
Julie took a step away, and my mother wouldn't look at me, but she hadn't slammed the door in my face. She just stood there, clutching her sweater, and holding her death grip against the door.
I tried to keep breathing.
“I don't know why you did what you did, and I thought I wanted to know. I thought that if I knew, suddenly all the pain I went through would make sense, and I could really blame you for everything, but none of that would be true. If this hadn't happened to me, I may have never found my way. I never would have met Julie, I never would have made the friends that I have now, or been the places that I've been, and most importantly, I may have never met the Lord,” I said.
She looked up. She looked so much like Ava, only older and in more pain. I wondered if the institution she had been in had done t his to her, or I had.
“I wanted to hate you, but I don't. I forgive you. I'm sorry for intruding like this, but I'm going to leave, and you'll never see me again, and I think that'll be okay now.”
That was when the door finally closed, and my mother disappeared. A small part of me broke, at the simple gesture, the meaning in it, but when I looked to Julie, she was smiling, and she walked up to me and hugged me.
In my ear, she whispered, “I love you.”
♥
The next few days, we drove. We went anywhere we landed, and that was okay. No big cities, or huge landmarks, just secret spots, that people before us had found, and people after us would find. And we left our mark, just as they had, and would continue to.
And then, one day, day eight, to be exact, we all just kind of knew that it was time to go home. It was time to go back where we belonged.
♥
We arrived home late. But it seemed our parents had been waiting anxiously. Hilary's parents nearly bolted out the door as Liam helped her to the house. He kissed her and then left.
The Michaels were the same. They stood at the door, and Liam got out, grabbing their bags. I looked at Julie, who was smiling at me.
“Should I apologize to them yet?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Mom is liable to kill you right now. Give me a few days and I'll have her calling you honey boo again,” she told me.
When she leaned over and kissed me, I knew something had changed. I wasn't sure what it was, and it didn't feel bad, but I knew something had changed.
I watched her get out and walk away, and I was okay with it for now.
♥
As I pulled up into my own yard, I noticed Ava's car wasn't there. I figured she must have been at Jesse's, and that was okay. One night, alone. Just me, myself, and I.
As I was grabbing my bags, my phone began to buzz, and I assumed it was Julie or Ava. I picked it up and put it to my ear. “What up, lady?” I asked.
However, my eyes widened slightly when it was a man's voice, and he begun to lead me through what might have been the best speech I ever heard.
The only one that trumped it was the one Julie gave me a few days later.
♥
Ava came home early that morning, and we had our reunion. She was crying, I actually teared up, and then we talked for a long time. I told her everything, about our trip, the old couple, the meeting with our mother, and finally, the phone call.
I told Ava before Julie, and Ava started smiling, and she hugged me tightly and told me she was proud of me, and she loved me.
That's all anyone can ask for.
♥
Julie was the one to call me a few days later, and invite me, Ava, and Jesse to supper at her house. I asked her if it was safe, and Julie assured me t hat her mother no longer hated me. In fact, she absolutely loved me and I could do no wrong.
She proved this as we showed up, and she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. “Thank you, Falon,” she told me, squeezing me. “I'm glad you could make it.”
I looked to Julie with alarm, but she merely smiling.
We came in, and they had cooked a nice dinner. Turkey, roast, vegetables, and desserts, and I was almost convinced I had forgotten some major holiday.
But we ate, and after a while, with the tension building up in the room, Julie's mom finally squeezed Julie's hand, and smiled. I saw Julie give her a small, warm smile and stand up.
“I actually have a reason for why I wanted to see everyone,” she replied.
Liam grinned. “So we weren't just getting a free meal?”
She laughed slightly, and looked at her mom and dad again. A warm look passed among them, and then she looked at
