-Resolved-
Moving is difficult, but moving on is even more so.
Carly sighed, hefting one last box into the back of the U-Haul outside of the apartment, and stepping back to survey her work, her hands on her hips.
She still couldn't believe this was happening. Most of their stuff had already been moved and these were just a few odds and ends that needed to be tied up.
"You'll come back and visit… Right?"
Freddie had tears in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He had been her rock through all of this and she sincerely wished they had worked out because he deserved to be happy.
Too bad her heart had already belonged to someone else.
She threw her arms around him, heat pushing at the back of her eyes when he returned the embrace, hugging her tightly. When they separated, they didn't meet gazes for fear that that would start the waterworks.
"Ah… Drive safe."
"We will."
"I miss you already."
She closed her eyes, clenching her jaw to ground herself. This wasn't goodbye, it was a new beginning. He was a true friend and true friends always found their way back to one another.
"See ya, Freddie."
"Hey, Carly! You wanna join us for pizza?"
"I can't, guys. I've got to study for Professor Chang's exam tomorrow. Have a slice for me."
"Can do," the boy laughed, waving and joining a crowd of familiar faces across the hall.
Carly continued on her way to the peace and quiet of the library, where she sat at a desk near the rear of the room, pulling out a packet of practice problems, a pencil, and a calculator.
Her phone buzzed, but she didn't look up, concentrating fiercely on the complex mass of numbers before her. When it went off for the third or fourth time, she spared it an irritated glance, retrieving it from the laminated surface of the desk and checking the
[Anna 2:09pm: Would you mind covering my shift later? I'd owe you big time.]
She typed in her affirmative response and returned to her studies.
That Night…
"Spencer, I'm going to be home late."
[Is everything okay?]
"Yeah. I'm closing tonight, though, and we've got a big party." Her coworker, a middle- aged man with handsome features and graying temples, gestured impatiently towards the floor and she added quickly, "Gotta go. Love you. Bye."
She hurried over to the man, her half apron swinging with each step. "Sorry, that was my brother."
"Yeah, yeah. Twenty one needs dessert and thirty is ready for their bill."
"I've got it, Greg."
"I'll bus, nineteen. Good work out there, kid."
Carly nodded, straightening her tie and approaching the table with her most charming of smiles. "Good evening. Does anyone have room for dessert?"
"Yes, how is your tiramisu?" a young woman asked.
She turned to address the speaker, only to move her mouth wordlessly because, upon first glance, the blonde's features were startlingly familiar. It took her a moment to realize that the diner's eyes were hazel, not blue, and her nose was just a bit too big, but still…
"Miss?"
The brunette shook her head to clear it, fixing a smile firmly in place. "Sorry. The tiramisu is great, but the creme brulee is to die for."
"I'll have that, then."
It was after eleven by the time Carly got home and she was dead on her feet when she fell into bed, still wrapped in a damp towel from her recent shower.
Her eyelids fluttered shut, but she struggled to keep them open as she forced herself into a seated position. After an internal debate about whether sleeping now was worth waking up wet and cold and completely disoriented, she groaned and got to her feet, stumbling over to her dresser and pulling out a T-shirt and a pair of underwear.
After slipping them on and brushing her teeth, she climbed back into her bed, tiredness weighing down her limbs so that it felt as though she was sinking into it plush embrace. Despite her body's inactivity, her mind chose this moment to operate at full capacity, drawing up thoughts and considerations that she had denied it earlier, when she had the strength.
Like that girl she had seen earlier…
/ Sam was crossing the street when Spencer drove the U-Haul through downtown, headed for the city limits. As luck would have it, she looked up at the truck, blue eyes widening as she registered just who was sitting in the passenger seat.
She hadn't said a word to the blonde about moving because she honestly didn't think Sam would care.
Their gazes met, lingering for just a moment too long, but the brunette broke the connection when the tightness in her chest made it difficult for her to breath.
"You okay, kiddo?"
"Fine," she responded, setting her sights on the familiar scenery of her home for what would be the last time in a while.
Everything would be fine. /
Life went on.