Only Forever
She stepped off the Greyhound bus, grabbing her luggage from the compartment underneath and placing it on the sidewalk. She pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail as she looked at the cluster of rooms before her, The Pine Cone Motel.
It had been so long since she had been in Pine Valley. So long in fact, that she hardly remembered it, she had only been eight years old. Since then, she had made a few phone calls at Christmas and the occasional birthday, but sixteen years was a long time. A lot had changed. She was older, a bit wiser. She had loved, and lost. That was why she was in Pine Valley. To escape from everything for a while. To escape the memories. To break away from Oakdale. To find some time away from Craig, from Rosanna, from Margo. From her memories of Simon. But no matter where she went, she would never escape those memories.
She lifted her bags and proceeded to check in. "I called ahead."
"Name." the man behind the counter asked.
"Peretti," she said. "Katie Peretti."
"Room nine," the man said.
Katie smiled sweetly, taking the key. "Could I get a cab too?" The man nodded as Katie turned and headed out towards her room. There was nobody standing outside. Katie placed the key in the door, pushing her way inside and pausing to look around. "It's not as bad as I thought, at least," she said to herself, pulling out her ponytail, allowing her blonde hair to fall over her shoulders. She tossed her bags on the bed, pausing to take a deep breath before walking over to the small wall mirror and fingering through her hair. A car horn beeped outside. "Here we go," Katie said, grabbing her purse. She picked up the room key and walked outside to the cab.
"Hi." Katie said to the driver. "I need to get to the District Attorney's office." She sat back as the cab began to move, gazing out the window at the passing scenery, the neighborhoods, the citizens of Pine Valley. It didn't take long before the cab pulled up in front of the offices.
Katie leaned forward, paying the driver before stepping out. She looked up at the building, considering whether or not she had made the right decision by going there. She didn't think for very long though, before stepping inside and proceeding to the DA's office. She paused, reading the door:
Jackson Montgomery District Attorney
Katie pushed her hair behind her ears, knocking on the door. She heard a muffled response to enter, so she did, closing the door behind her once inside the office.
Jackson sat behind his desk on the phone, looking up only quickly to motion for Katie to wait a minute. Katie took a deep breath, recalling how long it had been as Jackson hung up the phone. "Did you have an appointment?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Gosh, Jackson," Katie smiled. "I know it's been a while, but since when do your cousins need an appointment?"
Jackson looked over at her once again, squinting a bit as if that would give him a better view. Katie grinned innocently, her eyes sparkling. "My God," he said, standing from behind his desk. "Katie? I haven't seen you in...."
"A pretty long time." Katie pulled Jackson into a long embrace.
"Well... what are you doing here?" he said. "What brings you to Pine Valley?"
"I uh... just needed a change of scenery for a while. And I've been hearing a lot about the good ole Pennsylvania air so I figured what the heck, you know?" She cracked a smile.
"So you're a lone traveler, huh," Jack said. "You decided to leave your hubby home?" The color began to drain from Katie's face. "Simon, right. I was so sorry that I wasn't able to make it to the wedding." Jackson noticed Katie's sudden mood change. "Something happened with you two?"
"I'd just really rather not talk about Simon right now," she said softly. "Besides," She tried to cheer herself up. "I thought maybe we could catch up, you could show me all the Pine Valley hot spots, all the fun stuff a gal from Oakdale could learn to love... If you're not... too busy."
"Busy?" Jackson laughed. "It's not everyday that you just pop into my office." He paused, putting his arm around Katie. "I think I just got the rest of the day off."
She stepped off the Greyhound bus, grabbing her luggage from the compartment underneath and placing it on the sidewalk. She pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail as she looked at the cluster of rooms before her, The Pine Cone Motel.
It had been so long since she had been in Pine Valley. So long in fact, that she hardly remembered it, she had only been eight years old. Since then, she had made a few phone calls at Christmas and the occasional birthday, but sixteen years was a long time. A lot had changed. She was older, a bit wiser. She had loved, and lost. That was why she was in Pine Valley. To escape from everything for a while. To escape the memories. To break away from Oakdale. To find some time away from Craig, from Rosanna, from Margo. From her memories of Simon. But no matter where she went, she would never escape those memories.
She lifted her bags and proceeded to check in. "I called ahead."
"Name." the man behind the counter asked.
"Peretti," she said. "Katie Peretti."
"Room nine," the man said.
Katie smiled sweetly, taking the key. "Could I get a cab too?" The man nodded as Katie turned and headed out towards her room. There was nobody standing outside. Katie placed the key in the door, pushing her way inside and pausing to look around. "It's not as bad as I thought, at least," she said to herself, pulling out her ponytail, allowing her blonde hair to fall over her shoulders. She tossed her bags on the bed, pausing to take a deep breath before walking over to the small wall mirror and fingering through her hair. A car horn beeped outside. "Here we go," Katie said, grabbing her purse. She picked up the room key and walked outside to the cab.
"Hi." Katie said to the driver. "I need to get to the District Attorney's office." She sat back as the cab began to move, gazing out the window at the passing scenery, the neighborhoods, the citizens of Pine Valley. It didn't take long before the cab pulled up in front of the offices.
Katie leaned forward, paying the driver before stepping out. She looked up at the building, considering whether or not she had made the right decision by going there. She didn't think for very long though, before stepping inside and proceeding to the DA's office. She paused, reading the door:
Jackson Montgomery District Attorney
Katie pushed her hair behind her ears, knocking on the door. She heard a muffled response to enter, so she did, closing the door behind her once inside the office.
Jackson sat behind his desk on the phone, looking up only quickly to motion for Katie to wait a minute. Katie took a deep breath, recalling how long it had been as Jackson hung up the phone. "Did you have an appointment?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Gosh, Jackson," Katie smiled. "I know it's been a while, but since when do your cousins need an appointment?"
Jackson looked over at her once again, squinting a bit as if that would give him a better view. Katie grinned innocently, her eyes sparkling. "My God," he said, standing from behind his desk. "Katie? I haven't seen you in...."
"A pretty long time." Katie pulled Jackson into a long embrace.
"Well... what are you doing here?" he said. "What brings you to Pine Valley?"
"I uh... just needed a change of scenery for a while. And I've been hearing a lot about the good ole Pennsylvania air so I figured what the heck, you know?" She cracked a smile.
"So you're a lone traveler, huh," Jack said. "You decided to leave your hubby home?" The color began to drain from Katie's face. "Simon, right. I was so sorry that I wasn't able to make it to the wedding." Jackson noticed Katie's sudden mood change. "Something happened with you two?"
"I'd just really rather not talk about Simon right now," she said softly. "Besides," She tried to cheer herself up. "I thought maybe we could catch up, you could show me all the Pine Valley hot spots, all the fun stuff a gal from Oakdale could learn to love... If you're not... too busy."
"Busy?" Jackson laughed. "It's not everyday that you just pop into my office." He paused, putting his arm around Katie. "I think I just got the rest of the day off."