CHAPTER 5: PEGGY LEAVES
Peggy Jean was carrying a suitcase full of clothes, and was bound for the bus station. She wanted to start over after learning that she and Charlie would never get back together. She had thought about all the wrong she had done to not only him, but any boy or man she came in contact with. When she arrived at the bus station, she was surprised to see Lucy there.
"You?" said Peggy.
"Peggy Jean, you don't have to leave," said Lucy. "Maybe you and Charlie can start over as friends."
"He hates me," Peggy said, crying. "And who can blame him?"
"Okay, give them some space for a bit. He even said he hoped that you find someone that will make you happy. In fact, you handled the situation better than most folks would have. I know there's good in you, but you need to grow up some. Maybe spend some time living here for a while, and if you still want to leave afterwards, then do so."
Peggy thought about what Lucy said to her. Shaking her head, she said, "This is for the best. I need some distance between him and me. I still love him, and I can't turn that off, at least not right now. Maybe down the road once I've gotten over my love for him, I can come back and truly start over."
"Okay, I can't stop you from leaving," sighed Lucy. "I do hope you get yourself together, Peggy."
After shaking hands, they heard an announcement over the loudspeaker. Peggy said to Lucy, "That's my bus. Tell Charlie I said, I'm sorry for what I done to him all those years ago."
"I'll relay the message, Peggy," Lucy promised. And Peggy boarded her bus, bound for the coast. After waving goodbye, Peggy was off to her next destination. Lucy went back to her car and headed back to her apartment. Derrick would be working late at the Bronze Beagle. He had quit his job at the bar he was working after Shermy offered him a higher pay rate.
Charlie was at home holding Little Richie in his arms. Pat was asleep in the bed, so Charlie would watch their boy. His phone was on silent mode so not to wake the baby, so it buzzed in his shirt pocket. He looked to see it was Lucy calling.
"Hey, Lucy, what's up?" said Charlie.
"Peggy's gone, Charlie," said Lucy. "She felt like she needed space between you and her so she could truly move on with her life."
"Well, I hope she finds what she's looking for."
"The old Charlie Brown would have been broken up over this," Lucy noted.
"That Charlie Brown died a long time ago, even before my becoming a Marine," Charlie retorted. "Besides that, I have Pat now, someone who loved me even when I was flawed and clumsy."
"True. She'd always got jealous whenever you mentioned Heather!" Lucy laughed at the memory. "You have any idea what she's up to these days?"
"No idea. Last I heard she fell on hard times, worse than Patty before she started working at Gray Industries as a janitor. But other than that, I haven't the foggiest of where she's at now."
"Maybe you lucked out never dating Heather. No telling what would have happened if you did hook up with her."
"I see that now. Anyway, I'll let you go, Lucy. Thanks for the update on Peggy."
"No problem, Charlie. Talk to you later, blockhead."
"Later, fussbudget."
THE END