Renewed Enchantment

There were way too many people around.

Clutching her backpack over her right shoulder and her wallet and a bottle of water in her other hand, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was the right choice. Leaving.

Well, if you were being technical it was more like running away. She just wasn’t sure if she was running from her past or herself, or both. In fact, she hadn’t been sure about a lot of things lately. She just knew she needed to get out. Get away.

Every minute or so she found herself pushing back memories that made her feel like she was drowning. She’d feel herself being pushed down, swallowed by the wave of guilt and sadness, only to come up long enough for one quick gasp before going through it all again. And yes, maybe the noise of the crowd did help take her mind off, well, her mind. But it didn’t ease the knots in her stomach or the lump in her throat. If anything, it was starting to give her a headache, or add on to the light pounding in her temple that had become a constant to her physical state for the past couple years.

She was jolted back to reality by a light brush against her back. Turning to her left, she looked at her father who now kept a steady hand just beneath her shoulder blades while he furiously typed away on his phone with his other hand. She couldn’t help but notice the worry lines that marred his forehead, groves that seemed to deepen each day, marks she knew she was solely responsible for.

He worried too much, which was another reason why she needed to do this. He needed a break. A break from her. He would never admit but he’d been constantly worn out since the accident. He tried to put up a brave front for her every day, but she noticed how much grey now streaked through his once dark hair; she noticed that he rarely ever smiled anymore, which was especially heart wrenching because his smile was probably her favorite thing in the whole world. Yes. She needed to do this. Not just for her but for him too.

“Attention all passengers. This is the final call for flight 743, departing Colorado Springs, Colorado, for Boston, Massachusetts. Please make your way towards...”

“I guess that’s my cue,” she said, giving her father a shaky smile. Oh, how she would miss him.

“Alright. Remember what we talked about,” He said grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her towards him, “I need you to call me when you get there. A cab should already be waiting for you once you land. But just to be sure, I need you to let me know. Text me when you get to the apartment. Don’t forget to lock your doors before you go to bed. Let me know what school is like. And if you ever have any second thoughts, I’ll be out there before you know it. And don’t forget to keep Dr. Wagn- ...”

“Yes dad, keep Dr. Wagner on speed dial. I got it.”

“I’m going to miss you Munchkin,” he said with both of his hands framing her face. He took in her wide hazel eyes she’d inherited from him, and the large framed glasses she’d chosen to hide behind in the last few years. He couldn’t help but notice how much she had grown in such a small period of time. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her head.

He couldn’t believe he was letting her do this.

“Okay dad. I gotta go so I don’t miss my flight. I promise I’ll call you as soon as I get there. I promise.”

Pulling away from her father, she hastily wiped the few tears that had managed to escape. She gave one last smile to her father while she gathered her bearings, and headed toward the gates. Right before she went through security, she turned around to find him over the crowd. When she spotted him, she mouthed an “I love you,” sent a small wave and turned around. Tucking a few brown curls behind her ear, she steeled herself against all the voices in her head telling her she was absolutely insane for going through with this, and forced her feet to keep moving. She wasn’t really sure what her future held. But she was certain it had to be better than staying here. Whatever it was she was getting herself into just had to be better than being consumed by the past. Yup. This was probably the best choice she’d made in a long while.

Watching his only daughter disappear into the crowd was probably the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. It took everything in him to keep his feet planted to the ground. He was certain that if he had held her just a second longer, he might’ve ended up dragging her back home and calling the whole damn thing off.

But he couldn’t. And that damn well nearly killed him. He knew how much she needed this. For her sanity, she needed a fresh start. He wasn’t stupid enough to not see how being here slowly killed her each day. Dammit. He’d been with her every day since the accident. And letting her stay here, where she was constantly reminded of that night and every shitty thing that had happened since was the last thing she needed. As much as he loved her and as reluctant as he was to let her out of his sight, he didn’t think he could watch his baby girl hurt any longer. So, when she came up to him one evening all nervous and clammed up, and told him she was thinking about leaving, his started making all the arrangements and putting together everything she would need. He didn’t even hesitate. It was the first time in two years that his daughter had asked him for anything. And by God, he would give the world to her if that’s what she wanted.

Everything was going smoothly and according to plan, until an hour ago when he’d checked his phone to see a dozen missed calls from his ex-wife, who he was sure was freaking out after probably having called his house phone and was unable to reach him or his daughter.

He and Alia and both agreed not to tell Cheryl about what was happening until she was settled in her new home, home away from home. He knew she’d freak out once she found out. So, they kept it under wraps. Heck even his closest friend and business partner didn’t know. All any of his colleagues knew was he had taken a couple days off work to spend time with his daughter, and no one ever questioned him when he mentioned his daughter.

Glancing down at the buzzing phone in his hand, he wasn’t so sure they had made the right decision to keep her out of the loop. Swiping the answer button across his ex-wife’s name which brightly lit up on his screen, he knew he was about to get his head ripped off his shoulders.

“There better be a freaking good reason why neither you nor Alia have been answering your phones, Oliver.”

Oh boy. It was going to be a long afternoon.