Joanna
The noise of her high heels was the only thing that could be heard in the empty corridor of the Winipeg courthouse, which led her straight to the fire escape.
She opened the emergency door and went outside. She only took one step.
The afternoon sun hit her completely, and made her close her eyes ... She took a deep breath and held the air in her lungs for a few seconds. Then, slowly, she let it out through her mouth.
How much longer would she have to spend until confronting her father, did not provoke that sensation? ... The sensation of drowning ...
She took another deep breath, and without realizing it, evoked an image ..
She smiled remembering the moment David Hanley had accepted, on behalf of his client, the offer that Billy and she had made him ...
She let the air escape again, knowing that she was capable of beating him ... She did it then and she would do it again ...
She had prepared the case, professionally and with work, and her success in the new firm, Steadman & Lavery, during the year that had passed, they testified that she was capable of everything and more ... but even so, she felt that she needed Return to Millwood for a few seconds.
She saw the faces of the girls ... of her parents ... of Diane ... of Luna, whom she could not help but long for ... Alan's ... and finally, she saw Billy's ... .
Sigh...
She had thought so much about him, in the last few months, that she almost felt ashamed to admit to herself ... she missed him ... more and more ... She was realizing that thinking about him, in some strange way It gave him peace.
A peace that Winipeg did not give her ... or her new job ... but she had decided to leave ...
Crawford and Hanley ... or ... Hanley and Crawford ... Those words he had whispered a few inches away from her, returned, too, to her mind ..
She knew, as she knew then, that he had exposed his feelings in them ... but, still, she decided to leave ... she decided not to stop running ... not stop running ... She could not hang a placal with her Hanley's name in Millwodd, but, now, she was no longer named Hanley ...
She moved her head from side to side ... No! She repeated herself several times, could not think about that now ... She did not want to consider that this decision could have been a mistake ...
She opened her eyes and turned to go back into the building again.
Little by little, without haste, she approached the room, where they were already waiting for her. Her father was terribly punctual ... just like her, until about a year ago, and until she decided not to be a Hanley ...
When she came to the door, she heard the sound of the voices in the room ... She thought again of Luna's smile ... and inevitably Billy's ... She stretched her back, her expression hardened, and with determination , turned the knob and entered ...
To be continue...