Moving On
By Shelly Lee
Disclaimer-Standard, Don't own um' never will' Check out NBC and Sorkin
She was standing alone, just looking around at the apartment that had been her home for so long.just holding on to her suitcase as it to let it go with cause her to fly apart at the seams.
"You have everything Donna?" The super, Mrs. Malovic asked as she appeared in the doorway just behind Donna. Taking one last look she knobbed and turned away from the room.turned away from the life that she was leaving behind.
"Yeah, Thanks for taking the cats till Clara gets back from Miami." She said as she gave her a smile that passed as real, and fished her keys from the pocket of her jacket.
"It's not a problem at all dear. I still don't know why you have to leave in such a hurry." The little woman answered as she smiled warmly at Donna, making it just that much harder for her to keep her own feelings in check.
"It's complicated." Donna answered simply as she slipped the apartment key off the key-ring and handed it to Mrs. Malovic. The old woman gave her a slightly sad, knowing look and wrapped her own hands around Donnas.
"I'm going to miss seeing your face missy." She said as gripped Donnas hand tighter
"Safe Journey." She said, then released Donnas hand and started back down the stairs.
Donna had to swallow hard to chase back the tears that were in her throat. Why did she have to do that, like it wasn't almost impossible to leave as it was.
Lifting her suitcase with a trembling hand Donna started back down the stairs, feeling like she was traveling a million miles with each step. in a way she was.going farther and farther away from her life here.from the White House.from her friends.
Josh.
Don't think about that now, later.think about it later, she told herself with every step. Even as she stepped into the cab and watched her building disappear into the distance she knew that she was leaving and might not ever be back again.
Reaching into her bag, Donna pulled out the envelope that held the letter she had written. Holding it in her hands, it seemed so thin.like it couldn't possibly hold all that she had wanted to say. With a tired hand she reached inside her bag and pulled out a pen, Seal of the White House emblazoned against its navy blue surface. Can't even buy them, she thought with a sad smile as she removed the cap and addressed the envelope.
Josh
She hated that it had to be this way, that she had to disappear into the night without saying goodbye, But she knew she couldn't.if she had to say it she would never be able to. So instead it would be quick and quiet.a fast pain, hopefully quick to heal.
As the cab pulled up in front of the airport she put the envelope back into her bag. It only took a moument to hand the driver a twenty and for him to fish her bag out of the trunk of the cab.
She had almost forgotten how crowded airports could be, had almost forgot the sheer force of all the people coming and going. To many years of riding on private planes.even air force one.
But she would not think of that.not until she reached her destination.not until she could rest would she be able to think of all she was giving up.
And only then would she cry.
She wearily rolled her suitcase along towards the terminal, stopping only when she saw the FedEx stand along one wall of the corridor. Stepping inside she removed the letter and finished addressing it, careful to put the proper codes on it.mindful of the procedure.
"Can you be sure he'll get it tomorrow?" She asked as she handed the precious envelope to the young dark hared man behind the desk. She knew that when she didn't show up for work tomorrow Josh would call the apartment. She didn't want to think of him, working the phone to find her. She didn't want him to worry about her.
After the clerk assured her it would be in the early AM delivery, Donna paid and walked down the corridor. Where it had seemed so full before, it now seemed oddly like she was the only person in the world as she walked down the hall.
They were boarding her flight now. This was it, the last moument. Her heart ached as she handed the steward her paperwork. Quickly stowing her bag, Donna pulled down a blanket and pillow and took her seat.
"Excuse me dear, Are you reading that magazine there?" A older woman in the seat next to her asked. Donna blinked once, then reached over and handed it to her.
"Thank you dear. I meant to get one of my own before we left, but just completely forgot. I've been visiting my daughter in Arlington and god love the girl but she never has any good reading material." She said with a chuckle.but Donna could only manage a half-hearted grin.
"I can't wait to get back to my own things.What about you Dear? Headed home?" She asked Donna. Donna thought for a moument as she looked out the window at the disappearing Washington skyline.the White house seeming to stick out for a long long time.
"No, not really." Donna said softly. The Woman gave her a little look then, then smiled softly and turned around. Grateful for the peace, Donna turned back to the window and pulled the shade.
And as she propped her head against her pillow and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder, she let just one tear escape as she closed her eyes and let herself slip away into dreamless sleep
Disclaimer-Standard, Don't own um' never will' Check out NBC and Sorkin
She was standing alone, just looking around at the apartment that had been her home for so long.just holding on to her suitcase as it to let it go with cause her to fly apart at the seams.
"You have everything Donna?" The super, Mrs. Malovic asked as she appeared in the doorway just behind Donna. Taking one last look she knobbed and turned away from the room.turned away from the life that she was leaving behind.
"Yeah, Thanks for taking the cats till Clara gets back from Miami." She said as she gave her a smile that passed as real, and fished her keys from the pocket of her jacket.
"It's not a problem at all dear. I still don't know why you have to leave in such a hurry." The little woman answered as she smiled warmly at Donna, making it just that much harder for her to keep her own feelings in check.
"It's complicated." Donna answered simply as she slipped the apartment key off the key-ring and handed it to Mrs. Malovic. The old woman gave her a slightly sad, knowing look and wrapped her own hands around Donnas.
"I'm going to miss seeing your face missy." She said as gripped Donnas hand tighter
"Safe Journey." She said, then released Donnas hand and started back down the stairs.
Donna had to swallow hard to chase back the tears that were in her throat. Why did she have to do that, like it wasn't almost impossible to leave as it was.
Lifting her suitcase with a trembling hand Donna started back down the stairs, feeling like she was traveling a million miles with each step. in a way she was.going farther and farther away from her life here.from the White House.from her friends.
Josh.
Don't think about that now, later.think about it later, she told herself with every step. Even as she stepped into the cab and watched her building disappear into the distance she knew that she was leaving and might not ever be back again.
Reaching into her bag, Donna pulled out the envelope that held the letter she had written. Holding it in her hands, it seemed so thin.like it couldn't possibly hold all that she had wanted to say. With a tired hand she reached inside her bag and pulled out a pen, Seal of the White House emblazoned against its navy blue surface. Can't even buy them, she thought with a sad smile as she removed the cap and addressed the envelope.
Josh
She hated that it had to be this way, that she had to disappear into the night without saying goodbye, But she knew she couldn't.if she had to say it she would never be able to. So instead it would be quick and quiet.a fast pain, hopefully quick to heal.
As the cab pulled up in front of the airport she put the envelope back into her bag. It only took a moument to hand the driver a twenty and for him to fish her bag out of the trunk of the cab.
She had almost forgotten how crowded airports could be, had almost forgot the sheer force of all the people coming and going. To many years of riding on private planes.even air force one.
But she would not think of that.not until she reached her destination.not until she could rest would she be able to think of all she was giving up.
And only then would she cry.
She wearily rolled her suitcase along towards the terminal, stopping only when she saw the FedEx stand along one wall of the corridor. Stepping inside she removed the letter and finished addressing it, careful to put the proper codes on it.mindful of the procedure.
"Can you be sure he'll get it tomorrow?" She asked as she handed the precious envelope to the young dark hared man behind the desk. She knew that when she didn't show up for work tomorrow Josh would call the apartment. She didn't want to think of him, working the phone to find her. She didn't want him to worry about her.
After the clerk assured her it would be in the early AM delivery, Donna paid and walked down the corridor. Where it had seemed so full before, it now seemed oddly like she was the only person in the world as she walked down the hall.
They were boarding her flight now. This was it, the last moument. Her heart ached as she handed the steward her paperwork. Quickly stowing her bag, Donna pulled down a blanket and pillow and took her seat.
"Excuse me dear, Are you reading that magazine there?" A older woman in the seat next to her asked. Donna blinked once, then reached over and handed it to her.
"Thank you dear. I meant to get one of my own before we left, but just completely forgot. I've been visiting my daughter in Arlington and god love the girl but she never has any good reading material." She said with a chuckle.but Donna could only manage a half-hearted grin.
"I can't wait to get back to my own things.What about you Dear? Headed home?" She asked Donna. Donna thought for a moument as she looked out the window at the disappearing Washington skyline.the White house seeming to stick out for a long long time.
"No, not really." Donna said softly. The Woman gave her a little look then, then smiled softly and turned around. Grateful for the peace, Donna turned back to the window and pulled the shade.
And as she propped her head against her pillow and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder, she let just one tear escape as she closed her eyes and let herself slip away into dreamless sleep