“And this one here is the one that helps you to sleep.” She scribbles onto the box, sleeping.
I nod. “Okay.”
“But remember, you can’t drive when you are taking these.”
“Okay.” I smile. “Thank you. You have been wonderful.” I smile.
“You going to be okay?” she asks.
I shrug. “Yeah, I’m tough.”
“No shit.” She smirks and leaves me to it. I walk over to the window and stare out over the city.
I don’t like Vegas. I don’t think I will ever come back here.
“Hello, love,” a familiar voice rings through the room.
I turn.
Annette Stace’s Mom.
Tears fill my eyes.
“Are you ready to go home?” she asks softly.
“What?” I whisper.
“I’ve come to get my daughter-in-law and take her home.”
I frown, confused.
“You can stay with me for a little while and I will take care of you. You can then move into Stace’s house in Manhattan”
I stand still.
“Where is he?” I whisper.
“He’s in prison in Columbia.”
My face screws up in pain. “Is he okay?” I whisper.
“He will be better when he knows you are being looked after.”
I smile through my tears. “Does he know you’re here?” I ask hopefully.
She wraps her arms around me. “He sent me to come for you.” She kisses my face.
She holds me in an embrace, and for some stupid reason, the skies open up and I cry stupid howling-to-the-moon tears.
“Come on.” She eventually smiles. “Let’s go home.”
I bounce down the street in Bogota in the ice-pink dress I had made. It’s a mirror image of the one Stace bought me for our first date. I wonder if he will remember. It has been two long years, but today he finally got out of prison. He was originally sentenced to five years, but we got it reduced to two on appeal. That was the best we could do with the cash that we had.
He wouldn’t let me pick him up this morning. He said he has a surprise for me.
I moved to Columbia as soon as I was well enough. I needed to be closer to him. I live in a beautiful house in the hills and life has been good.
I needed this time alone, to find myself.