Colleen and Randy had been on the road for just over two hours.
Colleen was too nervous and stressed so Randy was driving. The silence was
driving them both insane, but neither knew what to say. Colleen finally
decided to just turn on the radio, although it didn't make either feel much
better. Randy decided to go with a simple gesture, so he reached over and
just held her hand. She looked over at his profile and smiled her thanks.
"Everything will work out in time, I promise. I'll always be here." Randy said keeping his eyes on the road but glancing over at her quickly.
"I know, and you have no idea how much that means to me but what if Julie's mad at me for leaving her?"
"We won't know until we get there."
In about another half an hour, the two pulled up to a small quaint house about a mile off the main road. Randy turned off the ignition and sat there for a minute.
"Are you ready?" He asked quietly.
"Yea, I guess so." She responded barely in a whisper. Randy squeezed her hand as they slowly made their way up to the front door. Randy rang the doorbell and in a few moments, a woman in her mid-thirties opened the door.
"Hi Mrs. Wilson." Colleen instantly plastered a smile on her face.
"Oh Colleen! Sweetie, it's been to long." The woman embraced Colleen. "Come in, come in." She waved her arm and stepped back to allow them to enter. "You must be Randy. I'm Mrs. Wilson, it's nice to meet you."
"You to." Randy walked into the front room and looked around. Suddenly two young girls about nine ran into the room giggling. Randy instantly recognized the second one as Julie. She was of a short stature like her sister and had the same gorgeous brown hair. Colleen dropped to her knees as her little sister charged into her arms.
"Colleen!" She cried.
"Julie, oh sweet heart I missed you so much." She held onto the little girl tightly, as if she ever let go she would evaporate. When she finally did allow herself to pull away, there were tears in her eyes. She smoothed out her hair and stood up, still clutching her hand. "This is Randy, Julie." She gestured to Randy, who was standing silently in the corner.
"Hi." She blushed slightly.
"Hello." He greeted her. On closer inspection, Randy realized that Julie's eyes were a beautiful blue, instead of brown like her sister's.
"Well, I'll go get her things." Mrs. Wilson announced.
"I'll help you." Randy volunteered. He followed her up the stairs while Colleen hugged Lisa, Julie's friend.
"How are you Julie, are you okay?" Colleen turned back to her worried.
"I guess, I miss daddy."
"I know, I miss him too. But we'll be okay. I promise. We're staying with Randy and his family. You'll like them a lot, I know you will."
"I know, I trust you. I just missed you." The tears became contagious and Julie began to cry slightly.
"I missed you too. I was so worried you'd hate at me for leaving." Colleen confessed.
"I could never hate you Colleen, you're my sister, I have to love you. I was a little mad at first but I got over it." Randy and Lisa's mom came back down the stairs carrying Julie's bags. The four girls and Randy headed back outside and loaded up the car. Lisa and Julie hugged with promises of letters, phone calls, and emails. Colleen thanked Mrs. Wilson one last time and they started their drive back to Detroit.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Julie asked, breaking the silence from the back seat.
"Yes I do, two brothers. But only one at home." Randy answered.
"Cool, is he my age?"
"No, he a bit older."
"Oh." She sounded disappointed.
"But he has a Nintendo and he loves to have someone to play it with." Colleen knew her sister would like that.
"Cool!" She exclaimed. Colleen laughed at her simple enthusiasm.
"Everything will work out in time, I promise. I'll always be here." Randy said keeping his eyes on the road but glancing over at her quickly.
"I know, and you have no idea how much that means to me but what if Julie's mad at me for leaving her?"
"We won't know until we get there."
In about another half an hour, the two pulled up to a small quaint house about a mile off the main road. Randy turned off the ignition and sat there for a minute.
"Are you ready?" He asked quietly.
"Yea, I guess so." She responded barely in a whisper. Randy squeezed her hand as they slowly made their way up to the front door. Randy rang the doorbell and in a few moments, a woman in her mid-thirties opened the door.
"Hi Mrs. Wilson." Colleen instantly plastered a smile on her face.
"Oh Colleen! Sweetie, it's been to long." The woman embraced Colleen. "Come in, come in." She waved her arm and stepped back to allow them to enter. "You must be Randy. I'm Mrs. Wilson, it's nice to meet you."
"You to." Randy walked into the front room and looked around. Suddenly two young girls about nine ran into the room giggling. Randy instantly recognized the second one as Julie. She was of a short stature like her sister and had the same gorgeous brown hair. Colleen dropped to her knees as her little sister charged into her arms.
"Colleen!" She cried.
"Julie, oh sweet heart I missed you so much." She held onto the little girl tightly, as if she ever let go she would evaporate. When she finally did allow herself to pull away, there were tears in her eyes. She smoothed out her hair and stood up, still clutching her hand. "This is Randy, Julie." She gestured to Randy, who was standing silently in the corner.
"Hi." She blushed slightly.
"Hello." He greeted her. On closer inspection, Randy realized that Julie's eyes were a beautiful blue, instead of brown like her sister's.
"Well, I'll go get her things." Mrs. Wilson announced.
"I'll help you." Randy volunteered. He followed her up the stairs while Colleen hugged Lisa, Julie's friend.
"How are you Julie, are you okay?" Colleen turned back to her worried.
"I guess, I miss daddy."
"I know, I miss him too. But we'll be okay. I promise. We're staying with Randy and his family. You'll like them a lot, I know you will."
"I know, I trust you. I just missed you." The tears became contagious and Julie began to cry slightly.
"I missed you too. I was so worried you'd hate at me for leaving." Colleen confessed.
"I could never hate you Colleen, you're my sister, I have to love you. I was a little mad at first but I got over it." Randy and Lisa's mom came back down the stairs carrying Julie's bags. The four girls and Randy headed back outside and loaded up the car. Lisa and Julie hugged with promises of letters, phone calls, and emails. Colleen thanked Mrs. Wilson one last time and they started their drive back to Detroit.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Julie asked, breaking the silence from the back seat.
"Yes I do, two brothers. But only one at home." Randy answered.
"Cool, is he my age?"
"No, he a bit older."
"Oh." She sounded disappointed.
"But he has a Nintendo and he loves to have someone to play it with." Colleen knew her sister would like that.
"Cool!" She exclaimed. Colleen laughed at her simple enthusiasm.
