JFK International Airport, NY
"Thank you so much for everything!"
It was only with difficulty that Emily could hold back tears. Nolan had driven her to the airport after they had picked up Julian from the hospital. After she had escaped from the beach house, she had gone straight to Nolan and had told him that she wanted to leave the country the same day. He had tried to convince her to wait but her decision had been irrevocable. Fortunately, Nolan had already taken care of everything necessary for her departure; the flight ticket and also a new ID were available. He'd even thought of a place for her to stay. She would share an apartment with a young American woman, who recently had moved with her little daughter to Paris and was now looking for a roommate. He had found the ad on the Internet and had immediately made contact with her. Although Emily hadn't had personal contact with her yet, she trusted her friend. "And you're really certain that this woman..." She quickly looked at the owner's name... "Julia Hayes won't mind that I bring a baby with me?"
Nolan shook his head. "She has a little daughter herself. She's two, but when I told her about you, she was thrilled." He looked at her with a serious face. "She didn't tell me much of her life before, only that she separated from her husband because he had treated her and the toddler badly." He frowned. "I think he beat her up or worse. But you shouldn't start with that topic right away when you meet her the first time."
"I can be happy if she doesn't ask about my reasons to move to a foreign country," she replied dryly. She raised her eyebrows, and then opened the first page of her new passport. "Allison Kent," she read, looking at Nolan with a frown. "How did you get that idea?"
"Amanda and Emily make Ally." He shrugged. "And Kent for Superman, Clark Kent."
"No one will suspect Emily Grayson behind that name," Emily said, smiling. "Very inventive, Nolan!"
"Or Amanda Clarke," he added, smirking, before he got serious again. "Jack and Ava won't be happy when they learn that you just left, without saying good-bye."
"I think it's better that way. I don't like long farewells. You know that." She looked at him thoughtfully. "Just like when I said good-bye to you before I wanted to run off with Aiden. It gets harder with every parting." She reached into her jacket pocket and took out two letters. "One is for Ava and Jack, the other for Charlotte," she explained. "Can you give it to them?"
Nolan took the letters and nodded. "Until the end everyone hoped that you would change your mind," he said. "I could break Daniel's neck, that he ruined everything!"
Emily thought of her home, where everything was battered in pieces, and swallowed. "Yes, he literally ruined everything," she admitted. "But that made the decision easier for me. I told him everything in my letter. I hope he will see one day what he has lost."
"He won't give up searching for you and Julian," Nolan pointed out. "Valid marriage or not, he is the biological father. He will claim his right if he finds you. You know that, right?"
Emily nodded, sighing. "Yes, I know that. And that's why I need the new ID so he can't find me. Believe me, Nolan, I'm well aware of what I'm doing to him, when I take Julian away, but I can't stay. You saw yourself what he is capable of."
"And still you love him." It was a statement and no question.
"I wished it was different, but yes, I still love him," she confessed, sighing. "And I'm afraid this won't change." She took a step towards Nolan and wrapped her arms around him. "I promise I'll get in touch with you as soon as I've settled down a bit. But until then I ask you not to make contact with me. Do you think you can do this?"
He hugged her close to him and then released her. "It won't be easy, but yes, I think I can do this."
"The same is true for Jack, Ava and Charlotte as well. I don't want them to get in touch with me until I can be sure I'm safe. It would be a disaster if Daniel or his parents learned about my new whereabouts!" She said urgently.
"I understand." Nolan looked at the clock. "Your plane is ready for take-off. Are you all set?"
She nodded and suddenly noticed how her eyes filled with tears. Four years ago, she came here to take revenge, lost her memory, recovered and found love and a home. Something she had been looking for almost her entire life. From vengeance to forgiveness, it had been a long way. And today her journey ended. As she passed the double door system to the plane, holding Julian in her arms, a day-bag on her back, she wondered what her new life in Paris would hold for her. Would she ever come back here again, or would she leave the life behind that she had lived here for good? "Good bye, Emily Grayson..." She whispered as the airplane soared into the air and carried her into an uncertain future.
