Carmen woke up nice and early, around 4 AM. It was nearly an 8 hour drive, not counting traffic, and she and Gray didn't want to be driving very late, so they decided to leave early.
Zack and Ivy weren't awake for her to say goodbye, though, so Carmen gently knocked on Zack's door so she could give him a hug goodbye and exchange promises to call frequently. She was about to do the same with Ivy, but Carmen figured that after yesterday's argument, Ivy would probably not appreciate being woken up at four in the morning.
Carmen stood in the dark and silent living room. All of her and Gray's bags were packed in the car and they were overall ready to leave. Yet, she stood in the living room, staring at the mantel.
She had come to leave ACME's pen and a note, but she found herself staring at her nesting dolls. She always left them at home, but she wasn't sure if this was her home right now. So, partly because she knew she would miss them if she didn't and partly because she knew her home was with herself right now, she took them off the mantel. She nested them together and tucked it under her arm.
She placed the pen and note in it's place.
Inside the note, it read:
I'm always there if you need me. I'll be back, I promise.
Consider it, and keep on fighting the good fight.
There was more to be said, yes, and Carmen wasn't entirely happy with it. But she wrote it a little after getting up and nothing she wrote sounded right. To make up for it, she promised herself to call them as often as she could. She didn't want them to think she was abandonding them.
She had left after that. It was all very anticlimatic and unceremonious to her. But that's life, Carmen supposed.
She walked outside and was hit by a cool breeze and she responded in kind by wrapping her arms around herself. When she stepped up to the car, Gray spoke.
"Carmen?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?"
Carmen smiled wearily, "Yeah, just cold and tired."
"I'll drive if you want. You seem like you could use the rest."
Carmen nodded, barely containing a yawn.
Gray opened his arms a bit, an invitation.
An invitation Carmen accepted, stepping into his hug.
A/N:
Thanks for your patience! The chapter title comes from No Children by the Mountain Goats.