Here is another chapter…

My brain was hardwired to fix this, but no plan was doable it was going to cost too much and with Landon leaving tonight with Heather that was my only comfort. Peggy was having her husband Carl, he wanted to come back and help but this would only play into their plans.

I picked up the phone to make one last call, and it wasn't shocking when Carl picked up after the third ring. "Muller residence," Peggy took some time but she ended up taking his last name after her brother had a son.

I spoke, "Carl, it's Liz. I am sending Landon and Heather tonight, please make sure he is safe. We both know how stupid you're, stay away if you come back they will be able to finish this. Peggy, think of her she is having your first child don't hurt her, Vinnie even said not to come to stay far from here and protect his boy," knowing if Vinnie said it the chance was Carl would listen, they had a good friendship long ago.

I could hear the exasperated sigh, "Fine, but you don't get to run off and do anything stupid either,"

"I have no plans on doing anything stupid," but was that the truth of the matter?

The call ended after another ten minutes, it was a very nice day out the weather was good as I walked from the front door. It was Saturday and the day I went shopping but with Landon leaving it wasn't needed, but it gave me something to do. This was the life, living in small-town finding love and friends and just living your best life, I was happy with my life. I walked faster, I blew through the center of town like a fresh breeze.

My first stop was Harold's, it was only the best candy store everything was hand made. First was to pick up Peggy's order for Landon to take, next was my own order, I had one life to live and was going to live it my way by eating these sweets. The candy store is my guilty pleasure. I go there when I've had a hard day, I know I should run or do something healthy, but I don't. As I walk in the door, I am greeted by the sweet smell that can only come from having so much homemade and sugar in so few square feet. The counter is a riot of vibrant shades. There is sugar covered fruit jellies, licorice all-sorts, sour candies, and fizzy cola bottles. But my favorite are the chocolate covered cherries or chocolate covered handmade mellows.

"Good afternoon, Jack. Here to pick up two orders," the young kid was the Great Grandson of old man Harold who was still kicking, his son Jack Sr ran the place now. It hit me, Vinnie always brought me treats from here when we were teens, he still is and me not so much.

"No problem, Doc," he was faster than his pa and had me walking out five minutes later my eyes shut for a moment in the sunlight.

Then a voice that still angered me came from my left, "Hey there little bird," it was North.

I turned to glare at the man, he was the single person I hated in high school and nothing has changed that not even not being in high school. "Look a loser, North get bent. I have things to do," shoving him into the brick wall, he chuckled following me.

"You sure grew,"

Ignoring him heading into the dry cleaners when Martha halted my progression. "Dr. Monroe, thank you so much been feeling better every day,"

Smiling, "You are more than welcome, Martha. Tell John I said hello," using a gentle voice as I waved leaving her to continue her walk.

"A doctor, how boss."

I was fed up, "North, I could have you behind bars for a few months, so try me. Lawson ain't going to be too happy if he can't complete the ritual because you still have a crush. Look, you're ugly not only now but back then. It was Vinnie, but even he was a vast disappointment," When the flash of annoyance comes so does a bad idea. Isn't it always the way?

After another hour of shopping, I was done the candies are still chilled as Summer wasn't in full swing. I watched as Lawson cornered North my the 1962 black car, the flames as I remembered them. I had to pass them to get to my own car, but this wasn't a big issue. Only Lawson spoke to me, "Hey there, sorry about North,"

"Aren't you always sorry about that waste of space? If he so much as comes near me or Landon, or Heather I will have his ass behind cold steel bars for a good few months. Things have changed Lawson," my eyes as cold as his, but now a viable plan was forming but was I strong enough to pull it off.

Lawson smiled, but it wasn't fake it was calculating. "Hear your boy is leaving," wasn't a question.

"Yes, my son is. When you losers do whatever plan you feebly have we will be gone, you nor his father will ever find us. I am leaving soon too, just as the Head Doctor not as easy as my son to up and go," he bought it, he was hard to read but when you learned the tricks, it was easier.

"That's cool, Vinnie he needs to let you go. He is the strongest I have and want him with me, so you go. How is your brother?"

"He died in the war, now have a good day," leaving them to cause trouble. The airport was a cocoon of steel, the walls so elegantly curved and wrapping around to create this inner space. And the beams supported so many windows, let in so much light, that in the daytime it is as bright as any summers day. We arrived at seven at night, when the small number of people moved as chaotic rainbows, so brilliant were the colors. They flowed from the check-in desks to the cafe's and through the gates, each one of them heading for a destination of their own making.

Landon was smiling but it was forced even as I spoke, "Landon, be good for Aunt Peggy she is pregnant and might bite you, give her this bag and she might let you live. Heather you don't let him do anything stupid,"

"I love you mom, more than you know. I just have this bad feeling about leaving you here,"

I smiled it off running my fingers over his face, "Don't worry for me, Landon. Everything will be fine, I promise," but in his bag at the very bottom is a note, knowing it takes him a few days to unpack.

It was hard very hard to watch them walk from me, my I soaked it up never wanting to forget his face. "I love you, Landon,"

"I love you to the moon and back, mama," his long arm waving right before they vanished onto the plane and from my vision. I had known Vinnie was here and watching but came no closer, not like he could tell our son who he really was, but from what I heard Vinnie did talk to him at school and Landon thought he was a good guy.

I just watched the flight take off, it seemed my heart went with it.