Chapter Nine:
One Last Good-bye
Lydia had been home for three months. She planned on moving into Nick's house.
He disagreed. "Let's buy a new house. We'll need more room with the baby."
"The baby won't be here for another six months, and we don't have the money right now-I'm still going back to school," she reminded him. She got a full- scholarship from some organization to stay in state for college.
She was an extremely good student in high school and she managed to beat out 20 other students, although she was nine years older than the youngest student. She ran around getting letters of recommendation from all her old teachers.
When she heard she got accepted to the local college she jumped on the bed- until Nick started to express his concern for the baby. He carried her off the bed and told her it wasn't "very healthy for baby Abigail or Jonathon."
She picked the girl name, he picked the boy name and they promised they would wait till the baby was born to find out the gender. Lydia was anxious to know, but didn't go against her promise to Nick. Which made him love her more.
-------
Norah lied in her bed, one day until she'd leave for New York. She thought about how much she'd miss Nevada. Nick and Lydia were planning to big Norah farewell and Catherine said Lindsey wanted to come to the airport as well, but she had to fine someone to bring her still.
She remembered Greg and how she had barely talked to him in the past three months.
She frowned and tried to stop herself from pondering anymore about it as she got up and went to the kitchen to get some water. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and turned on the faucet. She looked out the window and listened to the glass fill up.
She squinted at what she saw in the parking lot. Could it be? She swore she saw Greg's car parked outside under her kitchen window. No one was in it, though. She shook her head as she turned off the faucet and walked into the living room and laid down on the couch. 'Aren't hallucinations signs you're going crazy?' She sat up and gulped down the water.
On the other side of the door and indecisive Greg held his closed fist against the door and fought with himself as to whether or not he should say good-bye to Norah. He finally decided to do it. He knocked.
Norah started to the door. "Coming." When she answered it she couldn't believe it. "Come in." She stepped aside allowing him some room to come in.
He walked in and sat on her couch. "Hi."
She smiled. "Hey."
He smiled too, although he was tense.
She sat next to him. "So, what's up?"
"Um, well I guess I'm here to say good-bye. Have a great time at college," he spoke to the floor instead of her face.
She gently turned his face toward hers. She saw his eyes were like over- flowing wells. She put her arms around his neck. "I'm going to miss you." She knew she was, too.
"I'm going to miss you, too." He slouched a bit to reach into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "It's a promise ring. I just want to promise you that I'll be here for you when you need someone to talk too." He handed her the ring. "Sorry it's kind of corny, but I wanted to give you something to remember me by."
She smiled as she slid it on her finger. It was a thin gold band with a tiny blue stone in it. "No, it's beautiful. Thank you so much." She squeezed his neck a bit tighter.
"Well, I guess that's it, Norah." He smiled. "See you in four years." He walked to the door.
Norah followed him.
"Don't fall in love in New York." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and took one more lung-full of sweet Norah-smelling air.
"I can't. I've already fallen." She kissed his lips gently and turned to go inside. "Good-bye, Greg Sanders." She smiled through her tears. She closed the door.
"Bye." He whispered to the door and headed out to his car.
-------
She had a hard time sleeping the night before.
She was sitting in the backseat of Nick's car. He was driving, Lydia in the front seat next to him.
She turned the ring on her finger as she watched Las Vegas pass her by. It was still dark; the sun hadn't risen yet.
Nick parked the car and all three exited it at the same time. Norah carried her bags inside the airport, Lydia telling her about places in New York she'd only heard about. Nick thinking about nothing at all, just followed the girls.
After going through the steps needed, they met Warrick and a sleepy Lindsey at the gate.
Lindsey ran up to Norah and hugged her good-bye.
"I'll miss you, Linds."
"I'm going to miss you, too, Nory." Lindsey smiled. She took pride in her nicknames. If she liked you, you got an ending-in-y name. Nicky, Greggy, Warry, Lydy, Gilly, Sary. She had one for just about everyone at her mom's workplace.
Norah smiled and set her back on the ground. She embraced Warrick as he kissed her on the cheek.
"See ya, kid."
"Bye, Warrick," she said, finally letting go of him. After she finished her good-byes she heard her flight being called. She was upset that Greg didn't come as she walked though the doors and to the gate, turning and waving to the four friendly faces in the airport.
She walked to the airplane to find her seat. She was seated next to a man about 25-year-old, his complexion clear, his hair short and spiked. They talked a bit before it was time for take-off.
Norah watched out the window as the plane turned toward the runway. She noticed four familiar figures in the window waving at the plane. She waved back and looked out at the other people she passed watching the plane leave.
Something caught her eye. She saw a man with wild hair. She got a clear enough view to see him mouth, "Bye, Norah" and turn away from the tall windows of the airport.
"Bye," she whispered one last time toward the circular window of the plane as she smiled.
The plane took off as Norah leaned back in her seat, grinning. She watched the lights of the city get smaller and smaller until they eventually disappeared into the fluffy, light clouds.
The End.
Read the sequel: Return of the Enigma (Story ID: 1210293) Read the sibling: The Truth Behind the Paperdoll (Story ID: 1351071)
One Last Good-bye
Lydia had been home for three months. She planned on moving into Nick's house.
He disagreed. "Let's buy a new house. We'll need more room with the baby."
"The baby won't be here for another six months, and we don't have the money right now-I'm still going back to school," she reminded him. She got a full- scholarship from some organization to stay in state for college.
She was an extremely good student in high school and she managed to beat out 20 other students, although she was nine years older than the youngest student. She ran around getting letters of recommendation from all her old teachers.
When she heard she got accepted to the local college she jumped on the bed- until Nick started to express his concern for the baby. He carried her off the bed and told her it wasn't "very healthy for baby Abigail or Jonathon."
She picked the girl name, he picked the boy name and they promised they would wait till the baby was born to find out the gender. Lydia was anxious to know, but didn't go against her promise to Nick. Which made him love her more.
-------
Norah lied in her bed, one day until she'd leave for New York. She thought about how much she'd miss Nevada. Nick and Lydia were planning to big Norah farewell and Catherine said Lindsey wanted to come to the airport as well, but she had to fine someone to bring her still.
She remembered Greg and how she had barely talked to him in the past three months.
She frowned and tried to stop herself from pondering anymore about it as she got up and went to the kitchen to get some water. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and turned on the faucet. She looked out the window and listened to the glass fill up.
She squinted at what she saw in the parking lot. Could it be? She swore she saw Greg's car parked outside under her kitchen window. No one was in it, though. She shook her head as she turned off the faucet and walked into the living room and laid down on the couch. 'Aren't hallucinations signs you're going crazy?' She sat up and gulped down the water.
On the other side of the door and indecisive Greg held his closed fist against the door and fought with himself as to whether or not he should say good-bye to Norah. He finally decided to do it. He knocked.
Norah started to the door. "Coming." When she answered it she couldn't believe it. "Come in." She stepped aside allowing him some room to come in.
He walked in and sat on her couch. "Hi."
She smiled. "Hey."
He smiled too, although he was tense.
She sat next to him. "So, what's up?"
"Um, well I guess I'm here to say good-bye. Have a great time at college," he spoke to the floor instead of her face.
She gently turned his face toward hers. She saw his eyes were like over- flowing wells. She put her arms around his neck. "I'm going to miss you." She knew she was, too.
"I'm going to miss you, too." He slouched a bit to reach into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "It's a promise ring. I just want to promise you that I'll be here for you when you need someone to talk too." He handed her the ring. "Sorry it's kind of corny, but I wanted to give you something to remember me by."
She smiled as she slid it on her finger. It was a thin gold band with a tiny blue stone in it. "No, it's beautiful. Thank you so much." She squeezed his neck a bit tighter.
"Well, I guess that's it, Norah." He smiled. "See you in four years." He walked to the door.
Norah followed him.
"Don't fall in love in New York." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and took one more lung-full of sweet Norah-smelling air.
"I can't. I've already fallen." She kissed his lips gently and turned to go inside. "Good-bye, Greg Sanders." She smiled through her tears. She closed the door.
"Bye." He whispered to the door and headed out to his car.
-------
She had a hard time sleeping the night before.
She was sitting in the backseat of Nick's car. He was driving, Lydia in the front seat next to him.
She turned the ring on her finger as she watched Las Vegas pass her by. It was still dark; the sun hadn't risen yet.
Nick parked the car and all three exited it at the same time. Norah carried her bags inside the airport, Lydia telling her about places in New York she'd only heard about. Nick thinking about nothing at all, just followed the girls.
After going through the steps needed, they met Warrick and a sleepy Lindsey at the gate.
Lindsey ran up to Norah and hugged her good-bye.
"I'll miss you, Linds."
"I'm going to miss you, too, Nory." Lindsey smiled. She took pride in her nicknames. If she liked you, you got an ending-in-y name. Nicky, Greggy, Warry, Lydy, Gilly, Sary. She had one for just about everyone at her mom's workplace.
Norah smiled and set her back on the ground. She embraced Warrick as he kissed her on the cheek.
"See ya, kid."
"Bye, Warrick," she said, finally letting go of him. After she finished her good-byes she heard her flight being called. She was upset that Greg didn't come as she walked though the doors and to the gate, turning and waving to the four friendly faces in the airport.
She walked to the airplane to find her seat. She was seated next to a man about 25-year-old, his complexion clear, his hair short and spiked. They talked a bit before it was time for take-off.
Norah watched out the window as the plane turned toward the runway. She noticed four familiar figures in the window waving at the plane. She waved back and looked out at the other people she passed watching the plane leave.
Something caught her eye. She saw a man with wild hair. She got a clear enough view to see him mouth, "Bye, Norah" and turn away from the tall windows of the airport.
"Bye," she whispered one last time toward the circular window of the plane as she smiled.
The plane took off as Norah leaned back in her seat, grinning. She watched the lights of the city get smaller and smaller until they eventually disappeared into the fluffy, light clouds.
The End.
Read the sequel: Return of the Enigma (Story ID: 1210293) Read the sibling: The Truth Behind the Paperdoll (Story ID: 1351071)